Godzilla (1998)
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Authorities must confront a massive, mutated creature that has emerged in New York City to nest its young.
The story
After a mysterious creature is detected in the Pacific, it migrates to New York City, causing widespread destruction. Scientist Dr. Niko Tatopoulos is tasked by the military to investigate the creature's origins, which he identifies as a mutation caused by nuclear testing. As the creature's presence triggers a city-wide evacuation, the military attempts to trap and neutralize it. Meanwhile, a journalist named Audrey Timmonds uncovers classified information regarding the monster's origins. The situation escalates as the creature's presence in the city becomes a desperate race to stop it before it can successfully nest and multiply.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following a nuclear test in French Polynesia, a mutated creature known as Godzilla emerges. After a survivor of a maritime attack identifies the creature, the military and scientists, including Dr. Niko Tatopoulos, begin to track it. The creature reaches New York City, causing massive destruction and a city-wide evacuation. While the military attempts to trap the beast with fish, a reporter named Audrey Timmonds accidentally leaks classified data about its origin. Amidst the chaos, a French secret agent, Philippe Roaché, works with Nick to find and destroy the creature's nest. They eventually locate the nest in Madison Square Garden, where the offspring begin to hatch. After a series of military strikes, the creature is believed dead but resurfaces, enraged by the loss of its young. It pursues the protagonists through Manhattan, where they ultimately trap it on the Brooklyn Bridge. The creature is destroyed by missiles, and while a single egg survives in the ruins, the primary threat is neutralized.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Roland Emmerich
- Writers
- Dean Devlin · screenplay; Roland Emmerich · screenplay; Ted Elliott · story; Terry Rossio · story; Dean Devlin · story; Roland Emmerich · story
- Cast and characters
- Matthew Broderick; Jean Reno; Maria Pitillo; Hank Azaria; Kevin Dunn; Michael Lerner; Harry Shearer
- Genres
- monster; science fiction
- Themes
- nuclear fallout; environmental impact; humanity's impact on nature
- Tone and mood
- tense; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- monster; disaster; sci-fi
- Source material / true-story basis
- Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla franchise
- Franchise connections
- Godzilla
- Reception
- The film received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 1998.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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