Godzilla 2000

Ever since I saw the dreadful American version of Godzilla, I was insulted. When Japan made a new version of the big G in 1999, I was so happy, I forgot about the American one, right until the real Godzilla killed the fake in Final Wars!

My Grandsons truly enjoyed this Godzilla 2000DVD, so did I! But I get a bigger Kick watching my Grandsons enjoy all of the Godzilla Movies that I have purchased for their collection!

Let me start off by saying that I have seen, as of writing this, I have rather recently seen fourteen Godzilla titles. I've seen some good ones and some bad ones (Space Godzilla anyone?) And then I saw this.

Let's start with the bad. The CG puts film-making back quite a few years. The space-ship reminded me of a badly-rendered ship from "Flight of the Navigator." The millennium Godzilla-suit is a little jarring at first. Why isn't his beam blue? Some of the compositing was both daring, bold, and badly-done. The DVD is dubbed. If you read the one-star reviews, this seems to have been a problem for some.

Now for the good: Good story, great pacing, formidable acting. The miniatures they used for this movie were really spectacular. Lots of great effects shots. After Orga gets out of his CG-stage, he's a pleasure to look at. The movie's got a great feel to it. The ending is simply magnificent. The overall movie has a new and unique feel to it-- rather like Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, which was by the same director-- and it's always good to see something new come from something old. Also of note, while this is a dubbed version, there are a few comical lines. It's rather refreshing to see that, and I know there are those out there who don't agree.

For those Godzilla fans who can't stand a little humor, if you look back at Mothra vs. Godzilla in the 60s, there were a few memorable somewhat-comical moments in that, too (involving a minor character's obsession with eggs, if I recall correctly).

You might have noticed that this isn't a five-star review. This was Toho's answer to the unfortunate American Tristar "Godzilla". I believe some of the over-use of computer-generated imagery might have been a result of this. I would have loved to give it five-stars, but some of the CG scenes involving Orga were just too ambitious and it detracted from an otherwise-great movie.

This is a must-see, especially since it's the first in the millennium series. If you like the Godzilla films, this is one that's great to own. Otherwise, it's definitely worth renting.

This is the best godzilla movie I have ever seen. The special effects are mostly hand done, and mostly amazing. All of the scenes with godzilla are epic and scary. Godzilla is portrayed well. The movie has a slower pace compared to movies of today, but its very watchable, and also very bizarre in spots. The supporting characters are also cool. There might be a hint of Twister and Independence day in the plot, but this movie still manages to be bizarre, and a great Godzilla movie.

The title sums it up. Watching Godzilla's rampage through modern Japan is an exercise in smile-inducing fun. This is a good-natured movie that is what it is, no pretensions, no false advertising.