Godzilla 2000: Millenium

Godzilla 2000: Millenium
Godzilla 2000: Millenium

1999, Dir. Takao Okawara
Starring:
Takehiro Murata, Hiroshi Abe
RATING

Having seen G2K, I can safely say that I'm pleased. Will you be? That remains to be seen. I'm not gonna spoil anything for you, but just offer some ideas and advice. If you're a Godzilla geek like myself, you will definitely be pleased. Toho came through with great special effects while holding onto that classic Godzilla feel (read: cheese). The new suit is fantastic, just as the suit used in the 1990's Heisei series improved on the previous one, this one is leaner and much meaner. The spines on the back are sharper looking and Big G's got some serious fangs.

... for DEATH awaits you all, with nasty, big, pointy teeth.
The Big G's also got his attitude back. He's just badass, destroying for thrills and killing when his territory is threatened. He's also quite aggressive. I can't ever recall seeing Godzilla go after an enemy with such vigor. His tail, though basic, is still a tried and true offensive tactic, sort of the Giant Monster Movie version of Hulk Hogan's Big Boot and leg drop. His new opponent, Orga, is pretty cool as well, despite being created by a spaceship that looks like a flying athletic supporter.

A prop from Toho's upcoming thriller, "Godzilla vs. Saduharu Oh".
The script of the film is rather weak, and the human characters are fairly bland, but that's like complaining that a David Lynch film is weird. You should know that going in. The monster sequences are more than enough to take our minds off of the puny humans. The military scene is the best of any Godzilla film. The tanks, planes, and helicopters are no longer miniature toys, but they're still pretty damn ineffective. The final showdown between Godzilla and Orga is excellent, and Godzilla proves he is the ultimate badass, stomping and roaring and taunting before laying waste to more of Tokyo, just for good measure.

From left to right: Evil, Good, Annoying, Cutie.
IN CLOSING: If you're a fanatic like myself, you've probably already seen this. If not, go. Go now. If you're a casual fan who was dissapointed in the American version and want to see Godzilla done right, go. If you're not a fan of Godzilla, this won't change your mind.
Two warning signs that tell you that you should probably cool it with Godzilla for a while:
1. When you see the female news photographer character wearing a hat, you remark to yourself; "Wow, that looks like the hat that the female news photographer character was wearing in "Godzilla vs. Mothra"!
2. When you see the goofy guy yelling at the u.f.o. to do something you think to yourself; "Wow, that looks just like the goofy guy who went to get that guy's hat when it blew into Rodan's crater in "Ghidra the Three Headed Monster"!
FINAL NOTE: Why would a Japanese man use the phrase "Gott in Himmel"?
Reviews by people who know what they're doing: Stomp Tokyo, Cold Fusion Video.