THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS PART ??? THAT 1998 AMERICAN MESS

So, imagine you're watching a new Clint Eastwood movie and when Clint comes on screen it's Shia Labouf instead. You point at the screen and say, "Hey, that's not Clint Eastwood!" But the movie keeps telling it is Clint. "No. It's not. And stop trying to tell me it is! I know Clint Eastwood and THAT is not Clint Eastwood!" There is only one Clint Eastwood. And there is only one GODZILLA. Accept no substitutes. Regardless of what people say there was no Godzilla film made in 1998. They tried to tell us there was but in actuality there wasn't. Godzilla's image, everything about him really, is as much an icon as his name. And TOHO studios realized this and brought him back out of retirement.

The idea was that Japan would retire Godzilla permanently after GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH in 1995. Toho Studios made a business deal with Hollywood studio Columbia Tristar to produce a BIG budget Hollywood Godzilla movie. What resulted was a film that more resembled 1953's BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and never even came close to representing Godzilla. The film did very well at the box office worldwide but fan reaction was extremely negative. Many of the Japanese people disliked the film. Hell, many of the American people disliked the film.

I remember going to the theater on my birthday to see it. I was so very excited, elated beyond anything my young heart had ever experienced before. I was finally going to see my hero on the BIG SCREEN!! I came out of the theater with very mixed feelings. The movie itself wasn't bad but the fact that I was lied to, told there would be Godzilla in this movie (and he wasn't), I felt cheated, empty inside. I felt screwed. As a result I have never again watched this movie and do not acknowledge it as a Godzilla film.

It's funny. If they would have called the movie a remake of BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and titled it as such I would probably like the movie, maybe even own it. As it stands, the film has too many negative feelings associated with it.

TOHO realized their mistake and immediately followed up the next year by bringing the REAL true Godzilla back for his 23 big screen appearance. But they didn't just abandon the 1998 creature. They added him to their kaiju roster and even acknowledged the film as occurring within the Godzilla continuity. They clearly state that the monster was mistakenly identified by the Americans as Godzilla and is in fact a different monster all on its own.

I still hate him though. And I don't count this film in Godzilla's saga or timeline.

Overall Ranking: 0 out of 10
Category: I dub thee Suckster!

I'm not even going to dignify this post with a gif image. Just this video...