Do you think Godzilla (1998) is a masterpiece?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I think the film is a masterpiece.

 

I've always loved the score a lot.

 

I think it's the greatest remake ever.

[scallenger 483]

I don't think the film is a masterpiece by any means (sorry, The Big Man, hehe), but I definitely think David Arnold's score is (or at least one of his top 3 masterpieces for me; Godzilla, Independence Day, and World Is Not Enough). His use of percussion is a more wild and fun take compared to the dark and pulse-pounding way John Williams handled it in The Lost World, and is just as much of an identity for this score. But apart from that... the score is just so energetic. There is, what, a good solid HOUR of almost non-stop action in the second half. It's crazy! This is an insane score to drive to at full blast.

 

Back to the film though... heh oh my... it's a big guilty pleasure. And also insanely nostalgic. I was still a kid fuming off the highs from Jurassic Park and Lost World. Having Godzilla come out a year after JP's sequel had this "fun is never going to end" sensation. I was never really into the original Godzilla films growing up before or even after this (I may have seen the Americanized Raymond Burr original and I think Mothra and Son of Godzilla... but only in parts), but something about the way the trailers for the 1998 Godzilla kept the suspense of actually showing it was so tantalizing. It DEFINITELY did have one of the best marketing campaigns ever... and I was honestly not disappointed! I thought it was a ton of fun seeing in the a loud theater, and the audience I was with at least seemed to enjoy it too.

 

Looking back now when I rewatch it here and there I definitely get how it isn't for everyone... and the acting is pretty amusingly awful from almost everyone, lol. But there is just something so goofy and fun about the whole thing, and I think the music is a huge factor. Sure it rips off Jurassic Park without even apologizing for it, but I find that sort of amusing now more than being actually excited about it like I did as a kid to get that extra JP kick I was eager to have. And honestly, while I love the original (and newer) designs of Godzilla... the 1998 one is so cool to me. And when I hear the name "Godzilla" it is honestly the first image that comes to mind.

 

So... that's nostalgia for ya. Some of you remember a guy in a suit, I remember a sometimes-convincing CGI creation shrouded in rain, rain, rain... hahaha. To each their own! And while I enjoy some of the old Godzilla films and the new ones as an adult having now seen them, it's weird to me that I often wish I knew what happened next in the world of the 1998 film. I heard the animated series (which I never saw) accomplishes this thought. Should I watch it?

 

Oh, and greatest remake ever? Nah. It's too different from the original.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

5 minutes ago, scallenger said:

I often wish I knew what happened next in the world of the 1998 film. I heard the animated series (which I never saw) accomplishes this thought. Should I watch it?

 

The cartoon is quite good. And the title character is more like his late Showa Era self than the '98 film depiction. The show feels like it grabbed some inspiration from The A-Team or the 1988 WOTW show.

[scallenger 483]

Interesting! I'll have to give it a go, then! Definitely heard good things, even from people who didn't like the movie!

[LSH 968]

39 minutes ago, scallenger said:

[..........]

 

I'm sure you have some good points to make but I'm not reading all of that.

[Bellosh 3,418]

I'm honored 😊its our own kong vs godzilla. Whos scoring this?

[scallenger 483]

1 hour ago, LSH said:

 

I'm sure you have some good points to make but I'm not reading all of that.

 

Again?! At my... again?!

 

Is THIS you?!

 

 

I'm honored, Annie!

[LSH 968]

Ah lovely. 

[Thor 7,495]

Of course not a masterpiece, and I assume this thread is created tongue-in-cheek, in reference to the other one about KING KONG.

 

That being said, I do like the film a lot. In fact, it's pretty much equal in my book to the recent films. And I prefer it over any of those ol' Japanese ones, that I've never really cared about.

 

In terms of Arnold's own pantheon, the score is pretty damn close to being a masterpiece, yes. One of his very best works that absolutely shines in the original promo program.

[crocodile 8,006]

 

I like the score quite a bit, might be even my favourite David Arnold. I watched the film for the first time quite recently and it is not as bad as its reputation suggests. I had fun watching it even though it wasn't really good.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,352]

Nope

 

Nope

 

Nope

[Edmilson 7,436]

I voted "Yes" for the second question because I like Arnold and his Godzilla score. It may be the best Hollywood Godzilla score, followed by Desplat's.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Yes

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

5 hours ago, crocodile said:

 

Geez, Louise, Karol, do we really need to see a gif of that woman?

Even for JWfan, that's extreme. Have some decorum, please.

[mstrox 6,651]

N/N/N

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

&

[Ollie 1,059]

Hell Nope

 

Nope, although Arnold’s score is good.

 

Hell Nope

 

 

unfortunately this film is canon in the Godzilla series but it should have been retitled as a remake of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.

 

Boring, bloated and too long. 

 

 

[Jay 37,352]

Do people think of this film as a "remake" of the original film?

I always thought it was just another original story that used the Godzilla character.

[mstrox 6,651]

Godzilla was the name of the scientist.  You're thinking of Godzilla's Monster.

[Jurassic Shark 12,067]

That would be Drax.

[Thor 7,495]

22 minutes ago, Jay said:

Do people think of this film as a "remake" of the original film?

I always thought it was just another original story that used the Godzilla character.

 

Me too. I don't really have any connection to the Godzilla franchise (I think I might have seen a few of them as a kid, I don't remember exactly) - I just see it as a pretty good monster movie romp that happens to have Godzilla as the monster's name (and a little bit of its mythology). It has some great setpieces, a few of them clearly inspired by JURASSIC PARK.

[Bellosh 3,418]

 

 

[Ollie 1,059]

46 minutes ago, Jay said:

Do people think of this film as a "remake" of the original film?

I always thought it was just another original story that used the Godzilla character.

 

It’s more of a reboot from the US perspective. They intended sequels that were thankfully abandoned.
 

The 2014 film was considered a slight reboot although Gareth Edwards said he wanted the film to feel like it was part of the TOHO series. 

[Quintus 5,399]

Seriously though, how does this compare to the later Jurassic Park/World sequel reboot thingys? Because I think they're crud, but apparently they're otherwise quite well received. Could it be the case that lowered standards have been kind to Emmerich's own monster movie? After all, it did have to follow on from Spielberg's widely lauded original JP film - a time when standards and expectations were arguably much higher than they are today.

 

Perhaps Jurassic World makes Godzilla look good? Or is a turkey still a turkey? 

 

Genuinely interested, because I haven't watched this since the day it came out. 

[Bellosh 3,418]

The Jurassic Worlds are awful.

[Thor 7,495]

6 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

The Jurassic Worlds are awful.

 

I wouldn't go that far. They certainly betray the original trilogy in most aspects, but they work reasonably well as creature features. In any case, they're both far inferior to Emmerich's GODZILLA.

[Bellosh 3,418]

6 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

I wouldn't go that far. They certainly betray the original trilogy in most aspects, but they work reasonably well as creature features. In any case, they're both far inferior to Emmerich's GODZILLA.

 

in comparison to the original is what i meant.  but i agree.

 

also, @Thor you might really like Godzilla (2014).  It's got taste.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

27 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

The Jurassic Worlds are awful.

 

Indeed!

[Thor 7,495]

22 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

 

 

also, @Thor you might really like Godzilla (2014).  It's got taste.

 
Oh, I love it. Top 5 movie for me that year.

[Edmilson 7,436]

I think the first Jurassic World might be better than Emmerich's Godzilla. However, the 98 movie is incomparably better than the awful sequel Fallen Kingdom.

 

I like the climax of the 2014 movie, the rest of the movie is super boring.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The cab chase at the end of Godzilla is better than anything in the JW movies and a legitimately fun scene. It's worth a YouTube rewatch at least.

 

The 4K UHD of Godzilla is an excellent transfer. Looks great!

[Deacon Blues 65]

It was the first Godzilla film I saw, and got me into the franchise and kaiju films. I was just a kid and didn't think it was terrible, all I cared about was "big dinosaur destroys city". And the behind the scenes stuff on this film is interesting.