Toho Studios killed off their figurehead franchise with 1995’s GODZILLA VS DESTROYER, because the Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich American Godzilla was supposed to pick up the baton. Well, everyone knows how that turned out ("Here, leezard, leezard"). Fan reaction prompted Toho to respond with a new continuity, and Takao Okawara (who directed several other recent Godzilla films) was recruited to direct GOJIRA NI-SEN MIRENIAMU. This new film featured a brand new design for Godzilla, more CGI effects shots than ever before in a Toho film (over 500), and featured the biggest budget of any Toho film to date. GOJIRA NI-SEN MIRENIAMU debuted during the 1999 holiday season, and stayed atop the Japanese box office during this period. Thanks to the efforts of a fan campaign and the corporate muscle of Sony producer Michael Schlesinger (who adapted the script from the Japanese language version), Columbia Tristar acquired the film for a U.S. release. Of course, when a foreign film of this stature is slated for a U.S. release, it usually undergoes the controversial process of internationalization. Sony retitled the film GODZILLA 2000, trimmed 9 minutes of footage, and reworked the soundtrack (which included the requisite English dialog and enhanced score). Despite almost unanimous positive press, GODZILLA 2000 was overshadowed by the domestic blockbusters when it premiered in the crowded summer marketplace. When Columbia Tristar announced the imminent DVD release of GODZILLA 2000, the DVD was supposed to include the uncut Japanese version with English subtitles (to the delight of fans everywhere). But due to Toho’s concerns about their own pending DVD release of GODZILLA 2000, they axed the uncut Japanese version from Columbia Tristar’s DVD.

The movie opens with the Godzilla Prediction Network setting up a big antenna used for detecting Godzilla’s seismic activity. This grassroots organization is run by Shinoda (Takehiro Murata, who has the amiably disheveled demeanor of one of Toshiro Mifune’s samurai heroes), his daughter Iyo (Mayu Suzuki), and Yuki (Naomi Nishida), a girl reporter. They all go racing through the countryside in their SUV chasing after Godzilla. Finally, they meet face-to-face with the monster himself. Godzilla wades through the center of town to menace a power plant. While all this is happening, the government discovers a giant meteorite lying at the bottom of the ocean. When scientists send a probe down to inspect the giant space rock, it ascends to the surface of the ocean under its own power. When the sun rises, the solar rays shine down on the meteorite, and it flies off toward Japan. Meanwhile, Godzilla continues his rampage, taking out one power plant after another. The Japanese Defense Forces moves its tanks and planes into position and unleashes their newest weapon, a super armor-piercing missile that proves ineffectual.

However, just when Godzilla is about to trounce the army, the flying meteorite shows up and captures Godzilla’s attention. It swoops down over the Japanese troops, making a tremendous roar. A crevice on the meteorite turns out to be a weapon (resembling the Wave-Motion Gun from Space Cruiser Yamato) that blasts Godzilla good. Godzilla counter-attacks with his new souped-up fire breath special effects, which are powerful enough in this movie to blast apart the meteorite’s outer layers. Underneath, we see the gleam of alien technology. Both Godzilla and the meteorite/UFO have taken each other down for the count. Godzilla retreats, and the UFO loses energy as the sun sets. The army ties the UFO down with supposedly unbreakable cables, which the UFO promptly breaks. The saucer heads toward Tokyo and lands atop tallest building in the city. Suddenly, files start disappearing from peoples laptops. In a move worthy of an illogical Dean Devlin film, the UFO starts to absorb all computer data in the city.

Yuki sneaks into the building that the UFO is sitting on, so she can tap into its data stream and see what’s going on. Of course, the arrogant Mitsuo Katagiri (Hiroshi Abe), commander of the crisis control agency, decides to plant explosives in this same building in an attempt to foil the UFO’s plans, and so Shinoda must race to the building to rescue Yuki. Thanks to the computer digging that she did, we learn that the UFO is after Godzilla’s DNA. It wants to get its hands on that fantastic Regenerator G-cell that allows Godzilla to be perfectly healed after every military attack. And it plans to rewrite the genetic code for all life on Earth. The UFO sends a few menacing-looking tendrils out to snatch some of Godzilla’s skin cells to clone an adversary for Godzilla. Minutes later the monstrous Orga (who bears a resemblance to the creatures in both ALIEN and PREDATOR, only a hundred times bigger) is born, and the battle for supremacy begins!

GODZILLA 2000 puts the franchise back where it belongs—in the hands of Toho Studios. Though Toho’s major contributions to the world of cinema are the films of Akira Kurosawa (and numerous other samurai fare), the studio invests millions to bring the nuclear terror (or one of his contemporaries) back to the big screen each year. GODZILLA 2000 brings some interesting new twists to the franchise, while staying true to the basic roots of the saga. Firstly, the continuity of all previous Godzilla films has been thrown out, except for the 1954 original. Computer generated imagery plays a bigger role than ever before in the series—through the principle effects still involve suitmation actors trashing detailed miniature cities. The combination of traditional effects with CGI works wonders in bringing the monster action to life.

GODZILLA 2000 overcomes the basic issues that plagued the American Godzilla. The Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich film (known as FERRIS BUELLER GOES TO JURASSIC PARK) featured impressive but soulless special effects, with miscast Hollywood babyfaces, and the most inept plotting since BATMAN AND ROBIN. The American Godzilla was more of a testament to the giant monster films of the 1950’s like THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THEM, and IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA—but GODZILLA 1998 is not nearly as good as those films. The main similarity between these films is that the monsters are treated as plot complications. The human element takes centerstage and provides an impetus for the stars to meet, mingle, and marry in a typical middle American way. Perhaps that is why Toho’s disdain for GODZILLA 98 is because the film is so far removed from what Godzilla is really about. GODZILLA 2000 makes the monster the star and the humans characters take a back seat to the real star, Godzilla. Toho infuese with film with some know-it-all attitude that parodies the American Godzilla. Is it mere coincidence that Godzilla’s opponent looks like a mutated version of his American counterpart, or that the UFO attacks resemble similar scenes from INDEPENDENCE DAY? In GODZILLA 2000, the unstoppable force of nature, Godzilla, gets his revenge on Devlin and Emmerich for doing him wrong in the American picture. Even when the saucer and Orga team against Godzilla, the symbolism of the outcome is pure poetry.

GODZILLA 2000 is fast paced, exciting, and beautifully crafted, though don’t expect too much from the plot, except to set up the action scenes and monster battles. The acting is passable, but remember, this is a dubbed film. During translation several humorous lines of dialog have been added, including diatribes from other American films. Trying to analyze the science fiction aspects or determine human motivations for GODZILLA 2000 is pointless. After all, this is movie centering on an man in a rubber suit who portrays a prehistoric reptile that sprays radioactive fire. A creature who is not intended to simulate a real animal, but rather symbolize a pissed off force of nature (like a twister or typhoon), who gets to vent his spleen at mankind on a scale that people can only dream about. Despite the obvious shortcomings, the intensity of GODZILLA 2000 hooks you into the film’s reality—and you spend less time noticing the film’s weaknesses. Another surprising development in the franchise is the role of women in Godzilla films. GODZILLA 2000 features a brave 12-year-old girl genius, and a female reporter worthy of Lois Lane. GODZILLA 98 focuses on Maria Patillo’s character, who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time and is shallow and self-centered to boot.

GODZILLA 2000 is not advertised as a special edition DVD, but there are some nice features here. From the Special Features menu, you can access talent bios for director Takao Okawara and Godzilla himself. There is also a behind-the-scenes footage of the suitmation actor destroying tiny model cities. These scenes are Full Frame, Dolby Digital 2.0, and run 2:20. There is a theatrical trailer sub-menu where you can view the American release trailer of GODZILLA 2000 (FF, DD 5.1, 1:34). You can also check out trailers for these other Columbia Tristar titles: GODZILLA 1998 (16x9 2.35.1, DD 5.1, 1:54) and ANACONDA (FF, DD 5.1, 1:58). Finally is the audio commentary with Michael Schleshinger (since he rewrote the script, no one knows more about GODZILLA 2000 than this guy). Joining Schlesinger is editor Mike Mahoney and sound effects specialist Darren Pascal. Pascal is responsible for pumping up the sound effects and implementation the many varied pieces of music. Michael Schlesinger is the dominant speaker here, but between the three of them, it’s like sitting around with the guys, drinking beers, and talking monster films. Schlesinger provides insight on the scenes that were deleted or reedited. He talks about the Asian American voice and character actors that he hired for GODZILLA 2000, and who dubbed which character. Many moments of the film the three of them comment on the convincing effects; on other parts they point out the flawed effects. The audio commentary outlines the tasks and problems of bringing such a foreign monster film to the mainstream multiplexes of America, which I found interesting. Columbia Tristar’s DVD includes some wonderful animated menus of the big guy walking around town (including sounds of his thunderous footsteps, people screaming, and collapsing debris). Each menu reveals some cool graphics of Godzilla or highlights a section of the city that has been trampled by the king.

- Tony Mustafa