Godzilla
A radioactive reptilian giant turns Manhattan into a battlefield as a scientist, a reporter, and an international operative race to uncover its purpose.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- playful
- heightened
- blockbuster night
- monster movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an overlong and poorly written monster blockbuster weakened by its direction, acting, and departure from the Godzilla tradition.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Godzilla originates in the aftermath of extensive South Pacific nuclear testing and is framed as a radioactive biological threat.
The film reimagines the established Godzilla figure as a fast, dinosaur-like creature for an American 1990s blockbuster.
The creature establishes a den in Manhattan and threatens rain-soaked New York City while military forces attempt to contain it.
Niko and the military confront crippling bureaucracy, incomplete intelligence, and repeated failures to stop the creature.
Films like Godzilla, and why
Jurassic Park
shared giant-monster spectacle, military response, urban destruction, and science-fiction disaster premise
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
shared metropolitan monster attack, escalating emergency response, and effects-driven 1990s blockbuster tone
Cloverfield
shared radioactive creature premise, military escalation, and large-scale city destruction
Movie Details
- Director
- Roland Emmerich
- Release Date
- 1998-05-20
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (4372)
Cast
- Matthew Broderick
- Jean Reno
- Maria Pitillo
- Hank Azaria
- Kevin Dunn
- Michael Lerner
- Harry Shearer
- Arabella Field
- Vicki Lewis
- Doug Savant
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Godzilla about?
- A radioactive reptilian giant turns Manhattan into a battlefield as a scientist, a reporter, and an international operative race to uncover its purpose.
- What is Godzilla like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Godzilla as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Godzilla violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Godzilla as moderate.
- What did critics think of Godzilla?
- Critics broadly found the film an overlong and poorly written monster blockbuster weakened by its direction, acting, and departure from the Godzilla tradition.
- Which films are like Godzilla?
- Films with a similar feel include Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Cloverfield.
- How long is Godzilla?
- Godzilla runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch Godzilla?
- In United States, Godzilla streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
