Godzilla (1998)

PG-13 | 2h 19min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 20 May 1998 (USA)

An enormous, radioactively mutated lizard runs rampant in Manhattan.

Following the French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing eastward through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla then makes its way north, landing at Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city. Even with the combined forces of the U.S. military to fight the monster, will it be enough to save the people of New York?

Written by Jean-Marc Rocher

Director: Roland Emmerich

Writers: Dean Devlin (screenplay), Roland Emmerich (screenplay) | 4 more credits »

Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120685/

Godzilla is a 1998 military science fiction monster movie co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates to a fictional tale involving a nuclear incident in the South Pacific which causes an abnormal mutation to occur in a reptile. The beast migrates to North America and wreaks havoc on Manhattan. Incorporated in the plot is the character of Dr. Niko Tatopoulos, played by actor Matthew Broderick. Tatopoulos, an American scientist whose work involves the effects of exposed nuclear radiation on species, is recruited by the military to help contain and subdue the creature referred to as "Godzilla". The ensemble cast also features Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, along with French actor Jean Reno in principal supporting roles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(1998_film)

Anyone who doesn't like this movie is wrong.

1 January 1999 | by Egon-3 (Alberta, Canada) – See all my reviews

I don`t know what people expected from this movie. High drama, perhaps Shakespearean dialog. This is an all out action movie that deserves way better reviews than it got. This movie could have been horrible, but the characters were pretty well fleshed for a movie of this type, and the makers actually went for the pathos angle with the creature. Rather than make Godzilla a giant monster, they gave the creature a personality with its behaviour, a personality that can best be seen at the Madison Square Garden explosion. For anyone to not find that scene poignant, they must be heartless. Add to this the great acting, and the "scientific" explanations (which was more than Independence Day ever managed) and this is a grossly under-rated movie.