The year is 1998, cinema-goers flock to the multiplex, popcorn and fizzy pop in hand. There is an air of anticipation as they take their seats. They’ve been waiting for this moment – a moment that’s been half a century in the making.
Fast forward two hours later, and the same crowd shuffles out, scowls etched across their faces. The neutrals had a pleasant enough time, sure, but the real fans – fans invested heavily in the mythos of the character – were left feeling bitter and disappointed. They’d gone in looking for Hollywood’s version of Godzilla and came out wondering when they were going to see it.
Sixteen years later, they might have finally found one.
Now, if taken as a stand-alone monster movie, Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla isn’t that bad – it’s fast-paced, funny and utilizes some very impressive CGI work (for the time anyway). The problem is that this isn’t just a stand-alone film, and – as an American reincarnation of the King of the Monsters – the 1998 Godzilla abandons the wildly successful canon and lore that surrounds the most popular ‘kaiju’ of them all.
So, why are we getting so excited again?