Twenty Years Ago
Today’s edition of Throwback Thursday may not necessarily be a good memory for some of my readers. It features an infamous version of a beloved kaiju that was meant to be a tentpole franchise for TriStar Pictures. Sadly, the film was ripped to shreds by critics and fans had mixed reactions to the movie.
Godzilla has been a major part of Japanese culture since 1954. There have been multiple films about the giant lizard with atomic breath. In fact, there have been almost thirty films created featuring the King of the Monsters. In 1998, Hollywood took a shot at making their own version of the big lizard and bombed despite pulling in a profit on the film.
The film definitely had a few things going for it before its release. There was a massive marketing push prior to the film that gave potential audiences only a glimpse at Godzilla’s foot. Specific instructions were given to all of the marketing partners to not reveal the monster in its entirety. I remember being harassed by customers at Kay-Bee Toys (I was working there during the film’s release) who wanted a sneak peek at the beast. We had a bunch of merchandise on the shelves featuring the classic look of Godzilla as well as Mecha Godzilla, Mothra, and other popular kaiju. This only made customers want to see the monster even more. I had customers come into the store daily for a couple of weeks prior to the film’s release begging to see the new toys for the film. They were wasting their breath, as we didn’t get the toys in until the week of the film’s release and we weren’t allowed to open the boxes until after the movie’s release.
Along with the excellent marketing strategy, the film was under the guidance of Dean Devlin (writer/producer) and Roland Emmerich (director/writer). They were fresh off of the successful popcorn flick Independence Day and had two other popular films, Universal Soldier and Stargate, under their belts. The duo appeared to be unstoppable when it came to making blockbusters at the time.
The film also had a solid core cast that included Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. It was also expected to be the film that launched Maria Pitillo into mega stardom but she instead received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. I’ve never seen why she was even nominated for the award. Her character was thin from the get-go and that wasn’t her fault.
The film’s supporting cast was also excellent. It included Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Arabella Field, Doug Savant, and Nancy Cartwright. My personal favorite supporting actress in the film was Vicki Lewis. I fell in love with her in 1995 when I first saw her on the sitcom NewsRadio. I’ve actively sought out her work ever since. Eagle-eyed Degrassi High fans might even catch a glimpse of Pat Mastroianni, who is best known for his role of Joey Jeremiah from the Canadian teen drama.
The creature effects looked pretty good. They were primarily CGI with a few practical effects thrown in for good measure. The baby Godzillas in the film reminded me of the velociraptors from Jurassic Park. The destruction of the city was also a combination of computer and practical effects.
Despite having all of this going for it, the film was still panned by critics. They complained about everything from the absurdity of the story to the terrible casting choices (at least in their opinion). Moviegoers made the film a success, but it wasn’t enough for the studios to move forward with a second and third film as was originally planned.
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the film. I tossed out everything that I knew and loved about the original Godzilla films and watched it for what it was: A Devlin-Emmerich Popcorn Flick. These guys were Michael Bay before Michael Bay was cool. All of their films have sleek productions and moments of awesomeness, but ultimately they are forgettable flicks that wow the eyes but do nothing for the brain.
I own the film on DVD. I watch it from time to time. I’m especially fond of watching it when it is raining outside and the temperature is slightly cool. I don’t know why, but it just feels right to watch the film in this fashion.
How about you? Did you enjoy this film or wish it would be banned from the planet? Let me know in the comments section. Oh, and if you happen to run into Vicki Lewis, tell her that I still have a major crush on her.
Thanks for reading. I’ll have an Outpost entry on my page in a few days and hopefully a review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Ant-Man and the Wasp soon!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 