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Godzilla

EMAILPRINTSony Pictures Entertainment

Godzilla reviews
32
5.6 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 18 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Dean Devlin (also story)
Roland Emmerich (also story)
Ted Elliott (story)
Terry Rossio (story)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Release Date:
Theatrical: May 19, 1998
DVD: December 3, 2002

Running Time: 140 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG-13

Starring Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Harry Shearer, and Arabella Field

Godzilla does Manhattan in this variation on the Japanese A-bomb monster movie classic.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

An expertly designed theme park ride of a movie that packs nonstop thrills.

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70

Salon.com Gary Kamiya

The plot is about as ridiculous as you'd expect, but for the most part its absurdities are tolerable.

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60

Variety Joe Leydon

Despite all the flash and filigree, this monster movie is curiously -- and conspicuously -- lacking in heart.

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58

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

There are some clever and exciting sequences, but this $120 million epic of reconstituted Atomic Age trash lumbers more than it thrills.

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50

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Godzilla is so clumsily structured it feels as if it's two different movies stuck together with an absurd stomping finale glued onto the end.

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50

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

This Godzilla is lacking both the awesome spirit of the original and the sublime silliness of the more recent Toho outings.

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50

Chicago Tribune Gary Dretzka

It probably would have benefited from a 20- to 30-minute trim and, certainly, a smarter script, but the special effects truly are amazing.

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50

Slate David Edelstein

Size really is about all that this tedious, underpopulated beanbag of an epic has going for it.

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50

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

The movie is of minimum interest; the story of the movie, however -- or, rather, of the way in which it has been engulfed by its own publicity -- is bound to fascinate connoisseurs of cultural meltdown.

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40

Empire Andrew Collins

Casting aside the forgettable ragbag of a cast, tiptoeing round the leaden script, and avoiding the story's many pot-holes (how come he only breathes fire twice?), Godzilla does provide plenty to look at. But that, for fear of sounding ungrateful, is all.

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40

TV Guide Ken Fox

The year's most eagerly anticipated green-eyed monster finally rears its ugly head, not with his trademark radioactive roar, but a deafening yawn.

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38

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The script isn't just "dumbed down," it's lobotomized.

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38

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

A big, ugly, ungainly device to give teenagers the impression they are seeing a movie.

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30

Dallas Observer Peter Rainer

They do it up big, but their frame of reference -- mostly old sci-fi movies and TV shows -- is pint-sized.

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30

Film Threat Chris Gore

For the single-digit age set, Godzilla is sure to be the greatest movie of all time.

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25

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The dialogue is dumb ('zilla has the best lines, "arrrrrggh" and "maaroarrr"), New York is waterlogged, and Godzilla isn't on screen enough.

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25

San Francisco Examiner Barbara Shulgasser

When a movie is nothing but relentless action, there's little chance for dramatic tension to develop.

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25

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

An overblown action monstrosity with no surprises, no exhilaration and no thrills.

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20

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

The makers of Godzilla obviously devoted so much manpower and time and energy and money to the admittedly fabulous special effects that they apparently had no budget left over for actors.

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10

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

While the special effects are impressive, countless films have already proven that if you sink enough money into a project, you can at least make it look good. Unfortunately, good looks are all Godzilla has going for it.

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10

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Size vanquishes both substance and subtlety in the overhyped, half-cocked and humorless resurrection of dear old "Godzilla."

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10

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Overlong, neither funny nor scary movie about a big lizard.

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0

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Watching inept American actors and wishing they were badly dubbed into Japanese isn't any fun at all.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 5.6 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Geraldo Z gave it an8:
For 1998, this movie had top-notch graphics. The storyline was a little dull but flowed well. The movie definitely could have been made better but still proved to be strong.

IanRey P. gave it an8:
I just searched Godzilla for it's rating and saw how it's poorly rated. I was 12 yrs old when I watched this and I just enjoyed it. For those ages and below, this is a definitely something to watch for!

Kurt C. gave it a0:
A stubid, lamebrain boring film. Godzilla looks more like a 100-foot reptilian rat for pete's sake. A disgrace to the original Japanese Godzilla.

Fungo B. gave it a9:
One of the best action films of recent years. Don't listen to the critics! Even the short quotes on Metacritic show that most of them weren't paying attention to the actual movie. How else to explain that so many get basic plot details wrong??? (e.g. "No surprises..." "humorless"... And my favorite: "How come he [sic'] only breathes fire twice?" Hey, bonehead: Godzilla doesn't breathe fire _at all_! He blows across something burning, in a perfectly obvious in-joke reference to the Japanese fire-breathing original. Too high-brow for professional movie critics, I guess.)

Jordan P. gave it a7:
A brave attempt at a concept that immediately is unfavorable amongst every critic, just for what it is, a monster movie. Because it is brave, has stunning special effects, jean reno and Hank Azaria, it should certainly be regarded higher than it is. Also, it took me 9 years to find a film like this which was in the same concept, the Host, and thats one of my favourite movies. Period.

Jared C. gave it a10:
The computer generation is top notch, while the story is flowing with its every character and visuals. It is crafted superbly and it turns out nice.

tonydannie gave it a6:
This film is not really bad. The effects are descent and the action sequences are good if not a bit campy at times. The problem with this movie is the dialogue. But David Arnold's score over powers it. This is the same director who redeemed himself to me when he directed Mel Gibson's The Patriot" and then went back down hill when he directed "The Day After Tomorrow". You win some,you loose some.

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