The Monsterverse is the latest permutation of one of the most iconic fictional characters in history. Godzilla exists in so many different forms with radically different standards of quality. Every Toho entry delivered something unique, but the handful of American offerings didn’t start off well. The first American Godzilla was a disaster. Comparing it to the Monsterverse is almost cruel. Though it failed in almost every imaginable way, Godzilla (1998) has at least one worthwhile idea that could transfer well into the modern day.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the highest-grossing Godzilla movie ever made. The Monsterverse is not in need of tips from any other version of the franchise. While the most recent entry is mostly a big, dumb, empty spectacle, it nails all the elements fans want from the modern Monsterverse. While films like Godzilla Minus One unquestionably eclipse their American counterparts, there’s something to be said for pure blockbuster excess when it’s done right.
Godzilla (1998) is awful
|
Director |
Roland Emmerich |
|---|---|
|
Screenplay By |
Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin |
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Story By |
Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, Dean Devlin, and Roland Emmerich |
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Stars |
Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, and Kevin Dunn |
|
Box Office |
$379 Million |
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Rotten Tomatoes Score |
20% |
The first American Godzilla was a disaster behind the scenes. Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio had the script in place, with Speed director Jan de Bont attached to direct. Budgetary disputes eventually caused de Bont to leave the project. Universal Soldier and Stargate director Roland Emmerich stepped in and promptly insisted on making the film on his terms. The result is one of the most vapid, pointless, and insufferable disaster films ever made. Critics hated it, as is to be expected of such bitter schlock. Audiences were barely kinder, offering a mild box office return that the studio still considered a disappointment. The film summoned hate from the most intriguing places. Its own soundtrack, perhaps the only good element of the project, features brutal digs against the film’s content. Toho, who agreed to license the character to Tristar, despised the finished product. They famously resurrected the American design as “Zilla” for Godzilla: Final Wars. That film saw Godzilla quickly defeat and destroy the pretender to his throne, marking the final appearance of the widely-despised figure. There’s no denying the film’s many problems. It is, however, not without interesting ideas.
Godzilla (1998) played with scale
The best parts of Godzilla included the soundtrack and the marketing campaign. The ads carefully hid the character’s design, choosing to compare its size to buses and billboards. Zilla is around 54 meters tall, slightly taller than the first iteration of the character. Zilla is also a lady, while Godzilla tends to be male. The main result of the change is Zilla’s clutch of babies. In a scene that feels pulled straight out of Jurassic Park, a human strike team fights a small army of Zilla’s young. They look and act like velociraptors, maintaining the same mildly boring appearance as their mother. They do, however, change the context of at least one action sequence.
For a few minutes, the action in Godzilla exists on a much smaller scale. The human victims, who are often unwanted distractions, are gifted with an immediacy and relevance that they can’t usually hope to command. They face their monstrous foes on relatively level ground. This isn’t inherently better than towering kaiju conflict, but it is something different. The Monsterverse could learn something interesting from this concept.
The Monsterverse should try something new
The usual action scene in a Monsterverse movie involves two Titans slugging it out while a few humans stand around providing commentary. When people do contribute, they usually do so in the early stages. Godzilla x Kong features a few jumpy moments before the film gets into the Skar King business. When it does find its footing, human characters can only hope to activate machinery, convene with spirits, or scream in terror. If future installments must insist on including humans, they need to find a way to keep them involved in the action. Unleashing smaller, more person-sized threats might be a way to keep things compelling on multiple levels. The Monsterverse should never shy away from the classic Titan-on-Titan brutality that made it iconic, but it can add a few other elements to spice things up.
The Monsterverse is on top at the moment. Godzilla x Kong is a massive success, despite some critical pushback. The franchise will likely continue to grow, but it faces the sad risk of every massive media empire. The Monsterverse can still grow itself to death. The best way to avoid such a fate is by keeping things interesting. Lowering the scale, focusing on personal stakes, and depicting action on a different level could be one of the many tools in the franchise’s arsenal. It shouldn’t take Godzilla (1998) to teach that lesson, but it’s as good a source as any.
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