Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

These days, a common equation is time + disaster = comedy. Take wars, for example. At the time, they’re hailed as Bad Things. A few years on, and hindsight allows us to look back and mock (see: The Gulf War). On a lesser scale, the same can be said for 1998’s “Godzilla”, a film lambasted on all courts for it’s rather weak impact. This time, however, the equation is time + disaster = perspective.

You see, for all the naysayers who criticised Roland Emmerich’s “Americanisation” of the Far East’s favourite lizard, one incredible fact, and some may argue a rather important one too, was overlooked: the original “Godzilla” films (“King Of The Monsters” “Versus The Sea Monster” “Versus MechaGodzilla” et al) were actually, well, not very good at all. A series of unrealistic-looking puppets, with drama by unrealistic-acting muppets, the most incredible plot-holes, held together by a string of dreary, poorly organised fight sequences. Anyone who says otherwise is either a) very easily pleased b) wearing rose-tinted glasses or c) of a different opinion than me. Which is fine.

The story, for what it's worth is true to the 1954 Japanese original: nuclear testing creates a mutant, 200-foot high lizard which rampages on a city - then, Tokyo; here, New York. Matthew Broderick is the scientist (a nuclear whizz kid dragged away from Chernobyl), Jean Reno the mysterious Frenchman (secret service), Hank Azaria (loveable cameraman who, like, works against the system) and Maria Pitillo the have-a-go journalist. As for the rest of the human interest, they're mostly incompetents (Michael Lerner's mayor; Harry Shearer's vain anchorman), military men or God-fodder. So, true to form a summer blockbuster that doesn’t strive too far in terms of original characters. Of course not for goodness sake, this isn’t entitled “Homosapien”. Perfect timing then, for director Emmerich to enter the dragon...

To the credit of Emmerich - who co-writes with long-time producing partner Dean Devlin - the build-up is handled with sublime handiness: radars blip, ships sink, a shaken sailor recalls of "Gojira" (Godzilla's original Japanese name); and a fisherman on a jetty gets a bite. Using an amazing sense as foreboding, as they did so well with “Independence Day”, Emmerich and Devlin, throw the audience numerous teaser shots of the impending mayhem, but slyly manage to avoid revealing their ace to early on. Although no monster movie will ever top “Jaws” for its suspenseful anxiety, “Godzilla” 's marketing hype mixes with the mounting onscreen tension, and – by the time the cars start shaking - we're ready for our first sighting.

Even when that arrives, Emmerich still dangles the carrot in front of our faces, with Godzilla originally witnessed feet-first, followed by a tantalising few minutes of just a muscular, scaly leg trampling over all and sundry, climaxing with an awesome pan up through the lens of a news camera. From here on in, it's the full monster – and what a mean looking git he is too. Like a T-Rex with PMT, the rough-edged reptile crashes through buildings, chomps on helicopters, and takes on the US military in spectacular fashion.

Curiously too, the ghost of Tim Burton reins-supreme throughout: Godzilla is dark (the whole film takes place at night), rain-drenched, loud, spiteful and, most importantly, agile, and spares the life of no man or woman as it strolls about town. So far, so breathtaking. What we have here is a truly menacing beastie that can dish it out as well as take it, if the occasion arise.

Agreeably, Emmerich and Devlin have realised that Godzilla has never been one of the bad guys, and thus utilise this within their story. Yes, it’s doing a good job of tw*tting up New York, but never so with malicious intent. It is, after all, just looking for food. As Broderick puts it: “He's not some monster trying to evade you. He's just an animal. If you find what he wants, then he'll come to you.” Any warm-blooded viewer will already be siding with the reptile (victim) over the mammals (idiots).

It’s not long, however, before you feel as though you’re just watching an extended version of “The Lost World” ‘ s final reel and so, unfortunately, the films early momentum sees it wheezing somewhat during the middle section. After what is arguably “Godzilla” 's money shot (a gaping hole through the old Pan-Am building) the narrative focuses on Godzilla's offspring, a mis-timed attempt to replicate Spielberg’s mesmerising velociraptors attack.

Indeed, for all the design and technology on show, the overly long Godzooki battle in Madison Square Garden allows the movie to sag into poorly-orchestrated moments of satire, and “whoops-here-they-come” style chases, which relies on lazily apathetic logic (sure, the humans may smell like fish, but is this really a good enough excuse for the chompfest that ensues?). The whole thing, easily lasting a full half-hour, lacks elegance and precision, and the resulting siege is simply unengaging and predictable.

Just when all their hard work seems to have been undone, along comes a proper, terrifying climax, in full-on action-mode, a fitting end to what lies beneath. Sure, there are plotholes – Godzilla’s size compared to his surrounding seems to change with alarming regularity, and why is the fact that the creature can breathe fire overlooked on many occasions? But then, as stated earlier, the original features were hardly full of reason – Godzilla’s sudden, and still to this day unexplained, ability to turn magnetic in the aforementioned “Versus MechaGodzilla” for instance.

“Godzilla” was critically derised upon it’s release, and unfairly so. The comments of many people, most notably epinioners, seems to be with the leaden script. True, it’s pretty second rate (if you wish to see what it may have been go to http://geocities.com/scifiscripts/scripts/GODZILLA.TXT) but this is just one of the elements that has been harshly judged: the dialogue may not be brilliant, but Broderick’s comment of “That’s one big pile of fish” upon seeing a large pile of fish - as basic as it may seem – is surely no less a clunker than Jeff Goldblum’s samey comment upon encountering a large pile of faeces in “Jurassic Park”. And, no, the acting may not be up to much bar Reno’s novelty Frenchman, but surely any audience which can forgive Rachel Weisz' turn in either of “The Mummy” films can excuse Broderick and co of a little woodeness.

Is “Godzilla” as bad as it was originally conceived? No. It’s a brainless, entertaining, full-blooded summer movie, which provides plenty to look at, and at least attempts to carry a decent story, even if at times it doesn’t always succeed. We may not have been granted the film that three years of hype promised to deliver (one wonders how things may have been had Peter Jackson been allowed to dictate things), but maybe no film could ever live up to such expectation. Perfect it may not be (man, is it far from it), but a wonderfully realised, attention grabbing, slice of cinema it certainly is. And at least it forgives us too much in the way of "Independence Day" 's let's go get 'em type grand speeches.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older