Considered one of the cinematic monsters par excellence, Godzilla made his first appearance at the cinema in 1954, and since then a long series of films dedicated to him have allowed him to acquire worldwide fame. It was therefore inevitable that the Hollywood industry also took an interest in the character, acquiring the rights for a film. Godzilla (here the review), released in theaters in 1998, thus became the first film dedicated to the creature made entirely by a film studio. It is directed by the director Roland Emmerichfamous for his disaster films such as Independence Day And The Day After Tomorrow.

However, the production of the film proved to be long and complex. The major differences arose on the appearance of the famous kaiju. The Japanese production studio Toho, famous for having produced all the Godzilla films made up to that point, in fact suggested guidelines for the design of the creature. Emmerich, however, preferred not to follow these directives, judging the original figure of the character stupid. He then gave orders to distort Godzilla, which ended up losing many of its anthropomorphic characteristics to look more like a giant iguana. For the director, the important thing was that Godzilla was able to run, so that he could contribute to further dynamism in the film.

However, having radically distorted the character turned out to be the wrong move. Despite the excellent earnings of around 380 million globally, the film was in fact heavily criticized by fans of the character. These found nothing of the original Godzilla in the new creature made. Toho itself ended up distancing itself from it, renaming the new version with only the name of “zilla”, wanting to distinguish it from the original. Despite this, over the years the film has become a classic among the great Hollywood blockbusters of the 1990s, and many of its scenes are now particularly famous and appreciated for their communicative power.

Godzilla: the plot of the movie

At the basis of the film’s story are a series of nuclear tests conducted on uninhabited atolls in the ocean. On them, in reality, there were groups of iguanas. Affected by the radiation, these have begun to transform into a new species of gigantic monsters. The only survivor of these initially manifests itself by sinking a Japanese fishing boat, and later coming out into the open on the streets of New York. Renamed “Godzilla“, the monster is extremely menacing, violent and unstoppable, so much so that the army’s weapons seem to be powerless against him. To try to find a solution, the radiation biologist joins the team Nick Tatopoulos.

Collaborating with the US military, he begins to study the creature and its habits, looking for a way to stop it. Godzilla, however, seems unstoppable and every proposed plan ends in nothing. However, there are truths that Tatopoulos is not aware of. When the army dismisses him on suspicion of leaking, he will find himself involved in the French secret services. These, led by Philippe Roache, show that they know much more about the creature. By leading the biologist into underground New York, they will discover the treasure that Godzilla jealously guards, and which could prove to be their best weapon against him.

Godzilla: the cast of the film

Captaining the varied cast, which also includes several French actors, there is Matthew Broderick. The role of Nick Tatopoulos was written with the actor in mind, who had gained notoriety for several comedies in previous years. The producers, in fact, believed that his presence would have allowed to lighten the dark tone of the film. Intrigued by the project, Broderick accepted the part without even reading the script, which was still being written at the time. However, after the project was completed, the actor claimed that he did not enjoy the experience on set, and that he did not appreciate the final result of the film. To this day Broderick regards it as a great blot on his performing career.

At the same time, the French actor was chosen for the role of Phillipe Roaché Jean Reno. He had made himself famous for films such as Leon And Mission: Impossible, and seemed to be the right face for a film of this genre. The actor agreed to participate, having declared himself a fan of Godzilla, but he too ended up despising the film for its unconvincing result. Then there is the actress in the cast Mary Pitillo as journalist Audrey Timmonds, Tatopoulos’ ex-girlfriend. The role was originally intended for the actress Sarah Jessica Parkerlater to become Broderick’s wife, but she refused.

For Pitillo’s career, the film proved to be a bad blow. In fact, she won the Razzie Awards for Worst Supporting Actress, and a few years later she decided to retire from acting. Finally, the presence of Hank Azaria, in the role of video reporter Victor Palotti. Azaria is best known as a voice actor, and particularly in the animated series The Simpsons voiced several of the main characters, such as Commissioner Winchester, Apu and Moe Szyslak.

The sequels of godzilla, the trailer and where to watch the full movie in streaming

When the production house TriStar acquired the rights to the character, the intention was to make an entire trilogy dedicated to Godzilla. Even before shooting the first film, Emmerich had already commissioned the writing of the sequel. According to what was reported, this should have narrated the last son of Godzilla, who survived the explosions of the previous film, and now intent on fighting against a giant insect in the city of Sydney. Due to the lack of enthusiasm towards the 1998 film, however, the studios decided to abandon the project permanently. However, it was accomplished Godzilla: The Seriesanimated series which, taking up characters and events from the first film, serves as its direct sequel.

For lovers of the film, or for those who want to see it for the first time, it is possible to enjoy it thanks to its presence on some of the most popular streaming platforms on the net today. Godzilla it is in fact present in the catalog of Rakuten TV, Chili Cinema, Google Play, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Videos and Netflix. To view it, once the reference platform has been chosen, it will be enough to rent the single film or subscribe to a general subscription, thus having the opportunity to watch it in total comfort and at the best video quality. Furthermore, with the general subscription, there will be no time limits within which to watch the title. The film is also present in the television schedule of Tuesday 23 March at 21:15 On the canal Sky.

Source: IMDb