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Godzilla

Play trailer 1:45 Poster for Godzilla PG-13 Released May 19, 1998 2h 18m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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20% Tomatometer 150 Reviews 28% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
During a nuclear test, the French government inadvertently mutates a lizard nest; years later, a giant lizard makes its way to New York City. Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick), an expert on the effects of radiation on animals, is sent by the U.S. government to study the beast. When the creature, dubbed "Godzilla" by news outlets, emerges, a massive battle with the military begins. To make matters worse, Niko discovers that Godzilla has laid a nest of 200 eggs, which are ready to hatch.
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Critics Consensus

Without compelling characters or heart, Godzilla stomps on everything that made the original (or any monster movie worth its salt) a classic.

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Critics Reviews

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David Edelstein Slate What the new, monstrously budgeted Godzilla brings home is that size doesn’t matter -- that tacky crudeness harnessed to a real vision can have more brute power than all the state-of-the-art computer wizardry that Hollywood’s money can buy. Feb 15, 2023 Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star This 'Zilla is no thrillah. The only thing huge about it is the size of its failure, with monsters straight out of Jurassic Park (yawn), a plot thinner than the butter topping on popcorn and mailed-in acting by the cast. Rated: 1/5 Feb 15, 2023 Full Review Gary Dretzka Chicago Tribune How do you screw up "Squish" and "Aargh"? By spending more than $100 million on marvelous special effects, another $50 million on a brilliant marketing campaign, and, then, forgetting to invest any money on a logical script. That's how. Rated: 2/4 Feb 15, 2023 Full Review Evan Dossey Midwest Film Journal As someone who subscribes to the notion that there are no bad Godzilla films, I still find the best bits of Godzilla to be good enough to make the entire thing worth sitting through every few years. Oct 31, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Forget the Emmy-winning TV special Liza With a Z -- here we have the Razzie-winning theatrical stinker Godzilla With a Zzzz (aka Godzilla vs. Ferris Bueller, since the oversized monster proves to be no match for Matthew Broderick’s incessant shtick). Rated: 1.5/4 Oct 28, 2023 Full Review Allison Rose FlickDirect The 1998 Godzilla may be less beloved for its lighter tone and special effects, but it offers entertainment if you approach it with an open mind. Rated: 3.5/5 Oct 23, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alex B A lot of people HATE this movie, but I see it as a fresh take on the Godzilla franchise as a whole. And because I say that, It was a good movie overall, just not a really good Godzilla movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/08/25 Full Review Patrick S I can't remember a movie that ever disappointed me worse than this. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/05/25 Full Review Audience Member This movie got me into Godzilla so I respect it and I know it’s not the best but I enjoyed watching it and I love it so much for what it was trying to achieve but the poor visuals just annoy me. Why is it raining for the whole movie like it doesn’t get exsplained by the director at all but it’s an ok movie to watch . Definitely recommend it .🔥 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Gianni M I remembered this movie not that bad, this is not godzilla Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/24/25 Full Review Alex C Loved this movie, not sure why it has so much negativity towards it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/25 Full Review Matthew L This film would have probably worked better if it was not called "Godzilla", as the character is almost nothing similar the Toho character which fans would have an issue with, but had it been titled something else, the film could have been a Kaiju film, and could have been received better. Overall, still a pretty enjoyable film, as long as one does not think of it as Godzilla. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis During a nuclear test, the French government inadvertently mutates a lizard nest; years later, a giant lizard makes its way to New York City. Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick), an expert on the effects of radiation on animals, is sent by the U.S. government to study the beast. When the creature, dubbed "Godzilla" by news outlets, emerges, a massive battle with the military begins. To make matters worse, Niko discovers that Godzilla has laid a nest of 200 eggs, which are ready to hatch.
Director
Roland Emmerich
Producer
Dean Devlin
Screenwriter
Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Centropolis Film Productions, Fried Films, Independent Pictures, TriStar Pictures
Rating
PG-13 (Scenes of Scary Horror|Mild Bad Language)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 19, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$136.1M
Runtime
2h 18m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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