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Godzilla 2000 -Columbia/Tristar (1999)
Summary Godzilla stomps on a bunch of buildings in the YEAR 2000! My Thoughts There are a few things in my life that are completely nerdy. Not just nerdy, but downright beyond what the nerd gods would consider nerdy. These things that reach into another realm of nerdy-ness altogether. One of these things is my affinity for Godzilla films, more accurately, the newer Godzilla films made from the 1990’s onward. Not all of these Godzilla films have made it to our shores, much less come to the theaters, but Godzilla 2000 graced theaters after the terrible horrible atrocity of the American Godzilla film, which hopefully I'll never have to watch again. Godzilla 2000 is the perfect Japanese Godzilla film that brings back all of what makes a Godzilla film great; a guy in a rubber suit, screaming crowds, big laser guns, and a funny over-dub. The surround mix is done fairly well, and while not spectacular it was a great bonus compared to the mono television mix I'm used to with most Godzilla films. Another great bonus is that Godzilla 2000 is presented in widescreen, another pleasure that eludes most films of this type when released on DVD. The special effects are great for a film such as this. Japanese live action films have always lagged behind Hollywood in terms of special effects realism, but they have mastered the use of miniatures and matte shots to the point that it’s as real as its going to get. The plot is fairly simple like most Godzilla films. In this film Godzilla comes back and rips it up. This time around a father and daughter team of Godzilla watchers, much like storm chasers, follow him around. The human story of Godzilla films either make the film boring for 90% of the film, or they make it slightly enjoyable. The human story in this film is simple and enjoyable as opposed to most other Godzilla films. The plot starts hitting stride when a mysterious giant rock formation is discovered under the ocean, and it is lifted to the surface. This rock turns out to be… a giant UFO/Monster! I suppose this isn’t that surprising when watching a Godzilla flick, I mean a giant monster has to come from somewhere. The story moves on from there and serves as a nice excuse for big monster stuff to happen. My biggest problem with this film is the needless exposition. There are a few times when the characters tell you exactly what happened or why they did something. There are better ways to tell a story, but it seems to be common in Japanese films for this sort of thing. In the end, Godzilla 2000 deals with the question that man has faced for decades, if we try to destroy Godzilla, then why does he protect us? The answer is simple and taken from the film itself, “…maybe because Godzilla is inside each of us.” Amen, brother, Amen. Overall this is a good Godzilla film, if you like Godzilla. If you could care less about a guy in a big monster suit, then this isn't the movie for you. Otherwise, you will be pleased. Extras There is the standard trailer for the film, along with a couple of others for different films. There is a trailer for the truly awful, stupid American Godzilla film, which I don’t think should be even acknowledged to exist. The commentary track is an extremely interesting and worthwhile watch. Since the film is an Americanized version of the original Japanese version, the people responsible for making it more “American Friendly” talk about all the changes made from the original film, and provide a lot of insight for anyone interested in how a film can get changed from its original when it is shipped overseas. The funniest part of this is that a lot of the stupid lines weren't just bad translations; they were actually changed lines from the original film. Why would anyone think that describing a missile as being able to go through Godzilla like crap through a goose as a good line? There are some talent files which are basically the good old bios included in most cheap DVDs and the best feature of some behind the scenes footage of the filming of Godzilla 2000 on the set. Score: Film: 8.0 Extras: 7.0 Edition: 8.0 -Paul
Features: Profiles in Courage: Godzilla King of Monsters DVD reviews: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle For Earth Games: Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee
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