re: Godzilla (1998)

Being an old school Godzilla fan, I feel completely qualified to tell you where this movie went wrong.

Two main areas: theme and behavior of the title beast.

Theme: now this is very important to the spirit if what made the 1959 Godzilla so good. Godzilla is never really explained other than he is an unnatural abomination hell-bent on making mankind pay for atomic irresponsibility. He is a destroyer. An avatar of environmental vengeance. In the 1998 version, he is a scared, giant lizard (though created by atomic energy) who is just trying to find a safe place to have babies (??!!??!). All the damage it causes is accidental or collateral. He/she (another problem) spends just as much time running away as it does wrecking shite.

And that leads to point two: Godzilla, why you no wrecking shite? We paid to see you kick arse and frick things up. Why are the film makers treating Godzilla like a pussy? And where the frick is the atomic breath? Seriously? How hard is it to make a Godzilla movie?

The problem with Godzilla isn't about man in suit or Matthew Broderick or the French secret service. It's about Godzilla the character. They made him into something he's not, and the audience didn't recognize it. And rightfully so.

The monster died half way through the movie and we were left with the little raptors instead. Broderick was miscast too.