The History of Godzilla (1998)

The History of Godzilla (1998)
This is a re-upload with some minor corrections, additions, and edits.
Original upload date: Oct 21, 2020.
Sources
- Brian Solomon's "Godzilla FAQ"
- David Kalat's, "A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series".
- Steve Ryfle's "Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G".
- wikizilla.org
- www.tohokingdom.com/
You can purchase or rent "Godzilla 1998" at www.amazon.com.

[@BigActionBill]

This is a re-upload with some minor corrections, additions, and edits. Original upload date: Oct 21, 2020.

[@rage_playz199]

Hey Bigactionbill when are going to review Godzilla 2014?

[@jeremyhague2119]

It’s always appreciated. Your Hedorah video dropped when I just got out of the ICU and was still out of it so it really helped me. Also, I am the only non Jets fan in my family lol

[@rockyofnaniwa]

Hmm I wonder if that's why this doesn't appear in my Subscriptions feed. But KZbin recommended it on my homepage anyway 🤷🏽

[@BigActionBill]

@@jeremyhague2119 hope you're feeling better!

[@jeremyhague2119]

@@BigActionBillI am! Thank you! Keep up the good work!

[@coolthings_1]

Patrick Stewart introducing Godzilla's achievements in a matter of fact way will never not be hilarious.

[@Clone_Zero]

Kinda funny how after this movie came out, Toho was like: "Okay, nope, give me Godzilla back, and you know what? Screw you, give me that Godzilla too."

[@ThrackerZ0d]

"Give me that Godzilla! So i can kill him in our last movie!"

[@deebojordan7406]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DestinyAwaits19]

Lol I can smell the resentment in your tone. Fact is 1998 was an awesome movie, and better than any Godzilla movie before or since.

[@ThrackerZ0d]

@@DestinyAwaits19 hey, look...i dont agree with "godzilla 1998 is a horrible movie" i do like zilla design, i like the story and ambient, but no way, its the best godzilla movie...

[@gojirafan5437]

“And you know what, f**k you.” *UnGods your Zilla*

[@madscientist2621]

I remember sitting in the theater as a kid with my dad. When Godzilla dies at the end, my dad leaned over said "that's not Godzilla. Jets can't kill Godzilla"

[@redskull378]

Your dad knows his kaijus

[@blackwatchpilot5329]

and then minus one came out and a plane kills him and no one seems to bitch about it

[@varmahlid7323]

@@blackwatchpilot5329a plane stopped him. It did not kill him

[@gavinsiville9969]

It went inside his mouth. Godzilla’s tough on the outside but not on the inside.

[@Gizeh59]

@@blackwatchpilot5329 yeah cause he flew a plane into his mouth, he didnt just fire some missiles at him. not only missed the point but probably didnt even watch the movie

[@thedarkwolf9423]

There was another reference to "Zilla" in the Millennium Era when two members of G-Force are in a briefing meeting "Didn't he also attack New York?" "No, that was another monster, the Americans just mistook it for Godzilla."

[@DMZZ_DZDM]

I believe the exact lines in GMK were "A similar attack happened in New York. American experts say it was Godzilla" "That's what they say, but our guys have our doubts"

[@Venom-Boiii]

Fun fact: the Godzilla footprint that was made for filming in Hawaii is STILL there, 25 years later!

[@whalehands4779]

GodIlla '98 was marketing gold. I remember seeing this trailer for the first time. Was not expecting it at all. I was seven. I was the happiest kid in the world in that moment.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Yep 1998 was a cool year for us kids

[@MaceDeMarco2010]

Yes. I hope I can witness that type of marketing someday in my lifetime. I missed it by 13 years…

[@TheJRP2010]

This was my introduction to Godzilla as a kid. I recognize the flaws now, but I still have a soft spot for it. Had so many toys from it and dressed up as Godzilla for Halloween that year. There’s a whole vibe around this film for me that I love. Anytime it’s overcast and rainy, I think of the film.

[@DarksideBallerina]

Same! I know it's flawed but on a rainy afternoon my mom picked us up from after school and drove us directly to the movie theater. When we went home it was still raining and we joked that Godzilla was probably in New York right now (at the time we didn't live far so it was fun to imagine). It's a bad movie, but it's got some good memories!

[@Dustpuma1]

kids liked heman which is also trash easy bar to please

[@ChaosRose1222]

SAME

[@m0istur]

Same. I loved the design and of course the only excuse I would have had as a kid was because I liked lizards, especially iguanas (which I ended up naming one of my iguanas "Godzilla"), but I have more reasons to why I love the design now

[@itsthebats]

Yea same here for some reason I think about the scene where the worms were electrocuted out from the ground every now and then during a rainy day .

[@Walmbat]

I still love the fact that the Final Wars scene is named "Pretender to the Throne".

[@freyjafirefly9201]

Is also a reason I really love "We're All To Blame."

[@blackirish6868]

Final Wars is my favorite.

[@MrSomaArikado]

Toho had an axe to grind. They really wanted to kill it and they did it in the most spectacular way with that scene.

[@chickennuggets9792]

Call me weird but, it would be cool if Toho made Godzilla 2 or Godzilla vs zilla in like 2006 or 2007.

[@gokubruce24]

Please do a history of the animated show. That show was badass

[@RealBradMiller]

I remember being so enthralled as a four or five year old, that I stayed up all night watching them during a storm, lightning struck right outside our house and I thought Godzilla had attacked!

[@gokubruce24]

@@RealBradMiller the series was a perfect blend of interesting characters and awesome kaiju. Singular Point is dope this series is my favorite

[@burnoutvideosausofficial4886]

Was my favourite morning cartoon tbh

[@gokubruce24]

@@burnoutvideosausofficial4886 me too my friend. Imma watch it this Saturday morning for nostalgia haha

[@AdamWest1290]

Digimon, Godzilla, Yu-Gi-Oh, DBZ were my favorite at the time

[@gavinsiville9969]

“The last half was like two creatures going at it, I simply don’t like that.” Welcome to a Godzilla movie, Mr. Emmerich.

[@poopsock7493]

"I wanted to make it my own" - That is exactly the problem with directors and writers even today. They want the title in name only and want to completely ignore the source material that made the name famous in the first place. The arrogance is stifling and insulting.

[@harveylong5878]

there is a difference between making an established lore your own and completely blatantly shitting on it. Toho shouldve pulled the plug on this dumpsterfire when they were shown the character designs much less wait for the shitshow the writers tried calling a script

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@harveylong5878 Zilla's visual design was fine. It was the powerlevel and everything else around him that sucked. The cartoon that went more high power with Zilla jr was much more in the spirit.

[@Windwalker88]

​@@DIEGhostfishmy girlfriend watched 98 after she watched showa and Heisei and i never seen her more mad when she saw the Godzilla design in 98

[@lordtrigon1733]

It hurts when that happens. I’m a fan of the iZombie comics, I was super excited to see a TV show of it only to find out they just wanted the title (the only references to the comics are lines that make fun of them). I can only imagine how Godzilla fans in 98 felt.

[@hrishikeshnair586]

@@DIEGhostfish It was a good design, but it wasn't enough like Godzilla, at least to me. Even the most radical big G designs like Shin and Legendary fit to the overall Godzilla "baseline" - erect posture, maple-shaped spines, overall looking a bit like a combo of a T-Rex, an Iguanodon and a Stegosaur as per Akira Watanabe. Zilla is too theropodish, and his head is too big with oversimplified spines. He simply looks too drastically different to be correctly identifiable with Godzilla. I'd honestly see more similarities b/w him and Gorosaurus than him and Godzilla. Zilla is visually like the Godzilla equivalent of what would happen if they made a King Kong movie with a Hamadryas Mandrill as Kong. He's fine on his own but really does not look enough like Godzilla except superficially.

[@doggiedeeze1156]

Dude Emmerich complains that “every Godzilla movie is the same” and then proceeds to have a career of making the same movie over and over again

[@plasticenemy]

Real

[@grendel8342]

while hypocritical hes not wrong

[@CoachRicardoFranco]

Yup, disaster movies. He said the Marvel movies are crap, he lost his touch after independence day, even the sequel sucked. He should retire....

[@grendel8342]

@@CoachRicardoFranco marvel films and old Godzilla films aren't that great though

[@CoachRicardoFranco]

@@grendel8342 no but for him to criticize Marvel movies but all his movies are the same, disaster movies, so he shouldn't criticize Godzilla movies either when he does the same thing over and over. Godzilla Minus One was a different type of Godzilla movie and it was awesome, that movie reminded me of Jaws.

[@28godzilla]

The fact that Roland Emmerich told Toho (the parent company of Godzilla) “guys, either it looks like this, or we don’t do it at all”. It really shows how much of a dick he can be… you’re telling the original company of the character that you want to use in an American film to agree with your design. When that silence was most likely in dismay.. they shouldn’t have a greed at all after he made that little comment…

[@LuqMaynehqm]

Western, am I right

[@HalfBoiIed]

So basically Americans right?

[@556deltawolf]

Roland Emmerich is German@@HalfBoiIed

[@gavinsiville9969]

Yeah. Clearly no respect towards the source material.

[@ultra6671]

I find it hilarious that the only reason Toho was willing to put up with all of Roland Emmerich, a man who couldn't care less about the Godzilla franchise, was because they basically had no other options.

[@randallrona9618]

8:38 The way Dean Devlin say this quote-unquote words is really insulting towards the 3 actors who risked their bodies and almost died while playing inside the Godzilla suit. Also, R.I.P. to Haruo Nakajima(Showa Goji) & Kenpachiro Satsuma(Heisei Goji). ♥️♥️

[@arthurgodwin6571]

I honestly think this movie was ahead of its time. Not because I think it's especially good, but it is one of the first examples of a movie actively treating the material it's based on with derision and then chiding the audience for criticising it for doing the exact opposite of what its basis did. It would fit right in today.

[@maestrotitano]

Fax... sigh

[@Scudboy17]

Modern Hollywood looks at everything with a cynical eye and they assume everyone else does too. They go out of their way to make adaptations of popular stories and characters because they are popular, but they go out of their way to change the franchise into something they feel meets their idea of what the series should be or to meet what ever agenda they have. They use a franchise like a vehicle to deliver stories that have nothing to do with the history of the franchise, alienating the very fans that made it popular in the first place. If you want to have a successful adaption of a franchise, get the people who are actual fans to make your fricken movie!

[@velociraptor4you3291]

@@Scudboy17 I hear what you're saying loud & clear (😉). The drama that happened recently with "The Witcher" and its prequel miniseries "Blood Origin," plus "Ghostbusters 2016" are examples that come to my mind.

[@creategreatness8823]

Indeed...and honestly, the absolute implosion of this film(if it went totally right instead of totally wrong it could have been one of the biggest films of the 90s) luckily pretty much ensured Godzilla would never be "subverted" or disrespected like this ever again. We get the Monsterverse and no matter what, it is a very true and honest portrayal of the character and I think modern audiences really appreciate that about it. The GvK sequel comes out for the 70th anniversary and is set up to be the biggest global hit in the history of the franchise. 70 years later and Godzilla might FINALLY be getting that massive global success he deserves.

[@arthurgodwin6571]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the movie shouldn't have fans or not be enjoyed or anything like that. I know a lot of people have fond memories of this movie. I actually have good memories from the merchandising and adverts. I was three years old when this movie came out, and I wasn't off put by the design or anything. To my perspective, it was just a different look for Godzilla. But, I was looking at the toys, which gave him aspects like the atomic breath and made him look just as indestructible. I didn't actually see the movie until years later and wasn't exactly impressed. I do think it actually did have potential and some neat ideas, but anybody who says they don't like monsters fighting each other is proooobably not the right fit for directing a Godzilla movie. And while the movie is a good example of what not to do for a reboot, it's not the worst film and at least is not something that's treated as some sort of example for movies that's now become the standard crap that's pumped out like it's just off the assembly line of disgraces.... That dishonor goes to "Ghostbusters 2016".

[@jamessmall6499]

It's still one of the most hilariously petty yet cathartic moments in film history for Toho to not only buy the rights to 98 Godzilla, rebrand him as Zilla for taking the God out of the name, but to then have him face up against who I'd argue is Godzilla's most dangerous incarnation. It was all hype with the sum 41 and rock and roll LETS GO professional boxer PPV main event, Godzilla vs Godzilla LETS GO!!!! And then he just gets absolutely *annihilated.*

[@feathero3]

Godzilla annihilates every single monster in that movie though. Like non of them stand even the slightest chance against him until Monster X, and all of them get defeated in a matter of seconds. Zilla wasn't an exception. Probably because they had dozens of monsters to go through and limited movie run time.

[@DasNordlicht91]

given it's New Year's Eve, I just want to mention that the New Years Eve 1997 commercial for this movie with Godzilla destroying the silver NYE ball at Times Square as we get a declaration tha 1998 will be "The Year of Godzilla" is probably one of the most memorable ads of the big campaign they did for this movie.

[@velociraptor4you3291]

Agreed (😉).

[@itsthebats]

One year later to the day . I’m watching this same you tube video . Have a happy new year ‘24

[@legionbeast]

I fully agree; they made a remake of "The Beast from 20,000 fathoms" basically. Also yes, while it's certainly a stinker of an end product, it was indeed the original exposure of the concept of Godzilla to many people who went on to get to know who this legendary character really was. I won't fault anyone who likes the design of the creature and I feel it fits in well with it's own skillset as a unique monster.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Yes. The only nice thing about this film was it got the kids of the 90s to look into Godzilla movies.

[@nobleskywalker4639]

I watched this like 3 days ago and honestly it's a perfectly adequate kaiju movie just not Godzilla.

[@kaijukid_films]

It like the beast from 20,000 fathoms, but with the godzilla name slaped on it.

[@deathmetal271]

Guess they couldn’t just call it “The Beast” like most film remakes with shortened titles

[@SG-jq5vt]

I totally remember this teaser trailer. We were in the theatre seeing MIB, and the second that commercial started up I started whispering to my mom, ‘It’s Godzilla, I KNOW it’s Godzilla!’. Needless to say, I too had the singular VHS collection in my whole town. I was so excited to see this movie that I didn’t sleep the night before… and when it we finally went I fell asleep in the theatre.

[@legogeneralgrievous4218]

Bruh💀

[@t99155]

😂😂

[@jonnielson8716]

😆

[@bernarddoherty2303]

I audibly groaned when i heard the quote about the first script havinga momster fight for the last half being a bad thing... Good Lord

[@sportshero3092]

PLOT DOES MATTER -The Phantom Menace

[@Henotlegend]

Zilla is a seriously a badass kaiju. If he had his own movie that wasn't supposed to be a Godzilla film, I feel it would do amazing.

[@tomasleyva8336]

This would've been a pretty kickass reimagining of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

[@goodtimesupreme]

I love the parts of the video where you give a glimpse into yourself and your childhood. Watching the tapes while playing with godzilla toys, your pet bearded dragon named Burner. It just made me smile.

[@chrisandrew9840]

Say what you will about the movie but the Size Does Matter campaign still remains iconic to me as one of the best, most memorable ones for any movie. I remember how much buildup it gave the idea of Godzilla, and it was the first time I could really fathom just how big a giant monster was.

[@charlesman8722]

We were so robbed with this movie. The plot for Godzilla Vs the Griffin sounds amazing… also the fact we never got that SHmonster arts figure.

[@tenaciouspoetry]

If only they did....

[@KaijuSlayer54]

An S.H.Monsterarts Zilla would be pretty cool tbh

[@sethcole2333]

I like the concept of the movie. the idea of it being an animal and how we as people are directly responsible for it being what it is, really interest me. I remember being a kid and hating this movie because it just wasn't Godzilla to me, but as I've gotten older I appreciate the idea they were going for but not so much the execution.

[@deetzyboywonder9312]

Yeah kinda like shin Godzilla did

[@sethcole2333]

@@deetzyboywonder9312 exactly! I love shin Godzilla it's my favorite Godzilla movie

[@iambuhlockay8007]

Like James Rolfe said: “The biggest problem with this movie is they called it Godzilla.”

[@seanmckelvey6618]

Always happy to re-watch these when you do re-uploads, I hope you know your hard work on these videos are appreciated by many of us Godzilla fans. Godzilla 1998 is kind of a tough one for me, because while it's objectively not a great movie, and a pretty lousy Godzilla movie it's also more or less my introduction to the character, and I think it was for a good amount of western fans of my generation. So it's hard for me to hold the same disdain for the movie that a lot of fans did (and many still do) for purely nostalgic purposes. I like the design of Godzilla, & honestly I think the first act of the movie, before he actually arrives in New York is pretty solid, especially the attack on the Japanese fishing boat. All the military investigation and the scene of him pulling the two fishing boats down is pretty good as well.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

That's what I said. On the bright side, it did got us into Godzilla movies. Not to mention it isn't awful by itself. Just not a good Godzilla movie

[@Keldroc]

Emmerich complaining that Godzilla movies are the same thing over and over again is maybe the least self-aware thing a director has ever said.

[@RojMofficial]

Back when the Godzilla VHS released in 1998, my local Best Buy did a promo where if you buy the 98 movie, you could also purchase a copy of another Godzilla movie for maybe .50 cents-$2 more! My just turning 6 self chose Godzilla Vs Mothra! The cardboard sleeve for the 98’ vhs had some cool texture to it as well.

[@HeadmasterAutobot]

Your feelings on the first 30 minutes basically sums up my family's feelings on it. A really engrossing first act and then all the air's let out at once.

[@GreatLummoxFilms]

It's interesting that Peter Jackson was turned off from doing King Kong because of this film, similar to how Tanaka waited on a sequel to Return of Godzilla, because of Kong Lives in the 80s.

[@retroentertainment1340]

This might not be everyone’s favorite Godzilla movie, but I enjoyed the movie as a standalone monster movie. I also owe it to Tristar’s Godzilla for introducing me to the Godzilla franchise. I still wish we got the original version by Jan De Bont before he left the project.

[@purpleepicicon]

I was 20 when this movie came out. Like you, I grew up watching the Godzilla movies and was the only one of my peers to do so. When I first saw it, I kept making excuses in my head as to why it all worked out the way it did. Eventually I admitted to myself it was bad. On the other hand, it is my wife's favorite Godzilla movie. Then again, she loves movies with cheesy dialogue.

[@edwardiii8409]

Your favorite movies have shitty cheesy dialogue too

[@ARod3]

Love the zilla design and I’m glad he became his own kaiju

[@BasementDweller_]

I feel like this film wouldn’t be hated on if it wasn’t called Godzilla. If the film was called Attack of the Mutant Iguana people would have enjoyed this film a lot.

[@williamglass2223]

Happy New Years to you Bill! Can’t wait for all the new videos next year, and that new Toho Godzilla in November.

[@augusth3532]

Dude your stuff keeps getting better and better each upload. I especially like the joke cutaways and meme voice-overs

[@TheSoundwaveprime]

Their comment about why they ditched Elliot and Rusos screenplay is so hair pullingly frustrating. If you don't like monsters fighting, why would you direct a Godzilla movie? It would be like if i am a director and offered and accept the chance to direct a Arnold Schwarzenegger movie or Friday the 13th film and then saying "well I simply don't like shoot out scenes in a movie" or "I really don't know why we have to have Jason kill people in this movie". If you don't like the core thing associated with a property you are being offered to direct, maybe you shouldn't take the job.

[@chrisC052]

Happy New Year Bill. What a great way to ring on the New Year. I was watching this at the stroke of midnight, what a awsome way to start my year off. Thank you again for all the hard work you put into your channel to bring us such outstanding videos. I'm 55 and have been a Godzilla fan since I can remember. Have a happy safe and healthy new year.

[@foldabotZ]

Quite honestly, this movie was my introduction to Godzilla. We had(I think still have) a 2-disk VCD copy of the movie that I watched a lot and I also watched the Animated series. It was later when I was in Elementary school in the early 2000s that I came to know of the Japanese version and began to decry this one. Although I had not seen yet a Japanese Godzilla except for the 2 I have on DVD which were region-locked for America. My dad enjoyed this movie though as his favorite, even over the 2014 movie. He thought it was unrealistic for any kind of creature to survive and feed off on Nuclear energy.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

Very ironic your dad thinks it's unrealistic for any creature to survive feeding off nuclear power yet he accepts godzilla 1998 which was literally mutated BECAUSE of nuclear power which is something that would never happen. I feel like your dad needs to not apply real world logic to a kaiju movie of all things

[@foldabotZ]

@@Kaiju-bm4ts Eh, it’s fine.

[@Godzillakingofkaiju1]

Despite the fact Godzilla feeding off radiation has been a thing for a while.

[@foldabotZ]

@@Godzillakingofkaiju1 Well, yes, but my dad, to my knowledge, has never seen a Godzilla movie before 98's. Godzilla movies did not come out in the Philippines mainstream until then, except for a localized version of the 1954 film called Tokyo 1960(2 years before my dad was born) which is now lost media, so he likely never saw it.

[@SixArmedSweater]

Oooh, VCD! Lovable mutt of a format. 💕

[@joeysullivanTM]

Woah! Was not expecting this at all! Thanks for the new years gift bill! And happy new year 🎉

[@kingjamesc1156]

This was my first Godzilla movie. My papa showed it to me when I was a little kid. It didn’t take too long from me to get familiar with the more iconic Godzilla. And since then I’ve been a Godzilla fan till this very day.

[@DuoDoUrden]

Had a couple of the 98 Godzilla toys and had a cake for my birthday when it came out.

[@kaijuthunder4626]

Happy New Year! One of your best videos! Although every new video you do is so well researched! Love it!

[@snhvnc]

Oh man! I remember that MTV movie awards with Godzilla! That was good times!!

[@ShinGoji1987Official]

Always love watching your videos even if it's a reupload. Happy new year Bill!

[@darkside3744]

I was about 18 when I saw this with my Mom and we both hated it. I said “might as well call the movie Iguanadon because that’s not Godzilla”.

[@punchfisttop]

Always a joy when you drop man!

[@itcamefromtheradio]

As a fellow NY'er and Godzilla fan, I checked out when they had submarines and Godzilla swimming around the Hudson River. If Size Mattered, they surely wouldn't be able to maneuver as they did down there.

[@jtv6038]

This isn't the first Godzilla movie I've seen but it is the one that got me into Godzilla.

[@chadgorosaurus4898]

I just realized that the Tristar Godzilla's hight being 54 meters was a reference to the original movie.

[@Killbrokraft]

Nice. I haven’t watched this one in a bit. HAPPY NEW YEARS!🎉

[@HeartIIess]

So excited for a new year and new godzilla video!

[@jakkuhl6223]

Oh boy, what a ride this video is going to be after watching most your videos on the classics

[@Penlager]

Dig the depth of the info in this video... Really impressive... Great job in describing the time and culture in which this Godzilla movie was released .. I really wanted to like this movie....

[@BobHershey]

25 years ago we got this attempt at a Godzilla movie, and G-fans were disappointed. Now we get Godzilla: Minus One, and G-fans are over-the-moon happy.

[@RhetoricalGamer]

I was 7 when this came out and the lead up to release I got to see Mothra vs Godzilla on tv and get 98 Goji merch it was a good period that made me the fan of the series.

[@joeyteter9383]

Wait, did Ebert call the Toho Godzilla films “schlock”? He was wrong, they’re are all great. At least to me they are, I love them

[@haroldjohnson5368]

Happy new years to Burner!

[@elliotgandersen]

Aww Sir Patrick Stewart’s speech got me in tears.

[@tengrisyesugei7995]

You've given me an insight. I think that the Sando aqua monster from the Phantom Menance might not have happened if not for Godzilla. They say there's always a bigger fish, implying size matters not. From a CG standpoint I think Lucasfilm tried to take a jab at rendering monster underwater with computer graphics and one up Godzilla.

[@dubuyajay9964]

"Now, you said that I said the large mutant Iguana, this 'Gino' fellow was Godzilla...I never said that."

[@Cousin_Uli]

I was 9 when this hit theaters. Before then my experience with the godzilla movies was VHS rentals of the Showa movies, Revenge, vs Megalon, vs Mechagodzilla etc. So I was over the fucking moon to see something that was actually new from Godzilla. I remember liking the cartoon that spun off of it even more for basically the same reasons you mentioned, I remember nearly pissing myself in excitement a year later when the cartoon did what was basically a rehash of Destroy all Monsters and introduced Mechagodzilla. In retrospect I probably subconsciously knew something was up. As even though I didn't like Godzilla 2000 all that much, I did wind up scrounging enough money to see that in theaters 3 times, over only a single outing for 98.

[@theDABTAB]

My opinion about this movie is that as a monster movie, it is pretty good... if it went under another name. The monster, to me, is not Godzilla and never will be. But if we called the monster something else, like just Zilla, then the movie is actually a good monster movie. And the animated series we got from it was awesome. It is closer to "God" however not entirely there. A "Demigod" or "Demizilla" with the awesome green atomic breath.

[@genyakozlov1316]

Godzilla was called so in America. The original name, Gojira, is a combination of "gorilla" and "whale".

[@theDABTAB]

@@genyakozlov1316 I know, but what does that have to do with anything?

[@redskull378]

​@@genyakozlov1316 Toho was actually the first to name him Godzilla.

[@HerooftheWild]

Funny how Dean Devlin said all of Godzilla's movies are the same yet the same can be said Roland Emmerich's movies which are the same, disaster movie after disaster movie

[@dreadwaters7898]

I remember I had chicken pox as a kid and my mom bought this on vhs for me I watched it over and over. Then got into the older movies and then I was hooked

[@christiandenault7606]

Happy New Year, Big Action Bill!!

[@CYTBlitz]

I love all the tongue-in-cheek jokes that Patrick Stewart said about Godzilla: "His ability to cut to the core of every scene."

[@133rd]

I knew nothing about Godzilla when I first saw this 20 years ago, and I still love the film. I know it is bad, but nostalgia is one hell of a drug.

[@dstormeightzerothree6197]

We need a history of the recent godzilla movies 2014, shin, zero, planet of monsters I loved the zilla version tbh grew up watching it

[@Ninjaman176]

Burner is a lovely name

[@Anguirus2012]

I still love and watch this jewel in the rough even to this day.......warts and all........a true camp classic and in the right mood, a terrific time! GREAT JOB!

[@codexmachina1358]

Bills vids are worth a rewatch even if they don't have to be reuploaded. Happy new year nerd

[@chaffsalvo]

I was stoked for the release but disappointed in the watching. Never on my mind to see again.

[@gaberoch9153]

I remember walking out of the theater feeling so disappointed. I loved Independence Day and Godzilla and couldn't understand how they fck up so much this movie. My hype was so high and so was my disappointment. To this day, I still could not forgive them for doing this to Goji.

[@mackenziecarver6807]

That’s the problem with having expectations. Sometimes they can set you up for disappointment.

[@53firebird]

Thank you so much for this series. This was my intro to GodZilla and after I learned of the original I wanted to watch but always told they were cheesy. Then as I got older and the Legendary movies came out I was interested again but I don’t like Japanese sub and the dub just wasn’t good. Watching these I get to enjoy the stories learn the background and enjoy all the fun and good things about these many movies. Thanks and keep up the good work!!

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

You should watch the classic Japanese films and the newer ones as well, the godzilla franchise is much bigger than just the monsterverse alone

[@fourloaves]

Awesome video.

[@pr0t34n]

Two videos in a week? Christmas is truly here

[@jokpok7119]

cant wait for your history of shin godzilla video

[@peskaka15]

Outstanding video

[@ghuff31]

This and Starship Troopers taught me that hollywood doesn't give a damn about IP's, except to milk them of money. Fans are just built in marketers, nothing more. A kid wouldn't know any better, but I'd been a fan since 1971, so...this hurt. This REALLY hurt. I stayed away from theaters for years after this.

[@darnellfernandes2078]

Happy New Years Big Action Bill

[@cimbakahn]

The older Godzilla movies, and the Gamera movies, and War of the Gargantuas were the very best!

[@jimsaldana2302]

And The Mysterians was a classics UFO film.

[@zzygyy]

Grew up on those movies. My pre Star Wars life.

[@gilmunoz2937]

I actually got to see the movie before it released to theaters thanks to a friend my uncle had working with Sony at the time, and I also have 2 of the teeth from one of the mechanical units

[@blueravenfire]

yeah, this movie holds a lot of nostalgia for me as it was the first godzilla movie for me. i didn't know a lot about godzilla at the time, so i thought the movie was good for what it was and it did peak my interest into what the japanese godzilla is all about. now all these years later having watched every godzilla film i can say yeah, this was not a very good godzilla movie. but this movie stills holds a special place in my heart as my start to becoming a godzilla fan.

[@MidwestBoxin]

I was at this premiere, it was awesome!!!

[@darkwolf9253]

I always liked this movie, despite it's flaws. I may be in the minority on that... I did see it as a remake of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms almost right away. Anyway, this film did get me back into the series at the time. I had been a huge fan growing up, but as a young adult I had kind of fallen out of the loop as it were. When this came out, and then two years later being able to see Godzilla 2000 in the theater, I got back into it and was able to catch up on all the movies I hadn't seen... Anyway this isn't a great movie by any stretch, but I still enjoy it to this day. I do think that it is Godzilla in name only, and understand all the criticism thrown at it.... It is very much it's own thing, and for me that's ok.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

You aren't in the minority lol, many and I mean MANY fans have the same interpretation this film acts more like a remake of beast from 20,000 fathoms and should of been made as one.

[@gokux75]

I really liked this movie too, but prior to this movie my Godzilla knowledge was not that great. I had seen a few films on TV or at a friends house, but I hardly knew about Godzilla lore. So when this film came out it I just saw it as a new Godzilla movie that took place in New York and looked like Jurassic Park.

[@Takaichi666-]

I agree the movie isn’t terrible like some fans claim it to be it’s entertaining and I enjoy zilla’s look and his unique roar

[@chandrakant1479]

You're not in minority. This movie is amazing

[@ReluctantWarrior]

@@Takaichi666- And some of the roars he shares with Godzilla.

[@LordLexand]

I was 5 years old. Being from 1993, dinosaurs were my oxygen. The T-rex was my religion. To this day, that museum trailer still gives me chills. Oddly enough, this movie was what made me discover Godzilla. Growing up, I learned everything I had to know about the sad "truth". However, no matter what others say - which of course I inevitably ended up agreeing with (not to mention Emmerich and everything behind the scenes...) - but this movie is arguably the most significant one of my childhood

[@handlerone5172]

I like how the audience was laughing at godzilla being announced but immediately went quiet for a moment when that 1984 roar came out. Proves that when Godzilla demands respect, he gets it.

[@interviolet6675]

It is a very problematic movie but the effects are pretty solid in some parts but kinda really aged in others I almost wonder if Godzilla 2014 came out then just adjusted due to effects at the time would it be well received? I almost feel bad for America for this to be it's first crack at the King of the Monsters, I liked it as a kid The loud and epic visage of a giant trex iguana thing in a city was cool as hell the first time I think I even had a toy of Zilla when I was younger, Nowadays it's a really dumb movie haha I like the kaiju design and sounds, I can't wait for your videos on '14, 19' and 21'

[@Greenscout69]

A New Years gift! Happy New Years everyone

[@Shadowfredgames]

Yes I watch Godzilla when I was a kid back then I was amazed at it as I didn’t know there were other Godzilla movies from the real people that made goji but now days I still enjoy this movie because I just don’t see it as Godzilla but rather it’s own kaiju

[@SyedTauhidul]

5:49 "The last half was like watching two creatures go at it....I simply don't like that." THAT HAS TO BE THE SINGLE MOST STUPIDEST THING ONE CAN SAY WHILE MAKING A GODZILLA FILM

[@xExotic]

This kinda problem happens a lot actually where the people making the film are using these characters while at the same time not actually caring for them. I believe that most people would have expected godzilla being different to its japanese original but this godzilla is so drastically different to the original that is basically a new creature. it also makes you think what was the point of using that property if it only resembles that property in name

[@AgentLevitar]

Curious but are you also planning on redoing anymore retrospectives, outside of the Showa film vids? Those I kinda get. I know the Heisei ones got redone rather recently. Are the Millennium retrospectives next?

[@LeoBlight]

I myself really enjoyed this movie for what it is. A giant creature that is just trying to survive and is being attacked for it’s very existence. If they only would have called it something else than maybe it would have done much better because people wouldn’t have come to see the movie with already preconceived expectations. The animated series, though short last proved that this giant monster could have been great!

[@GojiAnguirus]

I had always believed that Emmerich's Godzilla respect & knowledge was low, but it turns out that it was actually non existent. Legendary went the exact opposite route in picking a director for an American Godzilla film when choosing both Gareth Edwards and Michael Dougherty. They both have a ton of respect & a ton of knowledge about Godzilla.

[@Megarover]

Happy New Years! I wish everyone many great Godzilla films in the future