Godzilla 2000 (1999) User Reviews

Ah, the old stomping grounds of Tokyo...

[dee.reid · 7/10 · 29 November 2004]

"Godzilla 2000," actually completed in 1999 (and was released during the summer of 2000 in America), was the first Toho-backed kaiju-eiga film to receive a major theatrical distribution in the U.S. since 1985. I saw "Godzilla 2000" at the theater and wasn't disappointed, even though a lot has changed since Toho killed off their iconic monster at the end of 1995's "Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah."

I'm 19; I've been a hardcore "G"-fan since I was four years-old and of course, I was quite hesitant about seeing a new "Godzilla" film, being that the Americanized 1998 version wasn't that good. The Toho logo that appears during the opening credits reassured me that "Godzilla 2000" was taking me back to the good old days when Godzilla wasn't afraid to knock down a building or stomp down the military when they threatened him.

With their third generation of "Godzilla" films being kicked off with this flashy new movie, Toho continued a trend that was seen in generation two, where they discard the events of the previous Godzilla incarnation and instead start with the original 1954 "Godzilla" and work from there.

Toho took full advantage of this new series by designing a distinctly reptilian Godzilla, who as the film opens, has already popped up on the radar of some brainy scientist who argues that Godzilla should be studied, instead of destroyed.

And Toho didn't skimp on creating a new monster either, which is a giant UFO that yields something a lot more than just martians. This new foe is actually a nasty little creature that's never given a name, though subsequent debate about the film has concluded that its name is "Orga," who proceeds to try to consume Godzilla and his powers, thus creating one powerful monster.

"Godzilla 2000" has a lot of problems too, which may or may not mar an otherwise decent stomping experience. Though on the whole, it's nice to see Godzilla back in form (somewhat) and this Toho production firmly returns their most beloved creation to dominance, it also suffers a lot from the problems that have plagued its predecessors, and some of those problems may have been due to Roland Emmerich's 1998 Americanized version of the big green guy.

Of course, since I never really cared for the people in a "Godzilla" movie and those feelings haven't changed, it must be pointed out here that the people have been drastically short-changed in favor of the all-out monster showdown that is the film's climax. You're really given a reason to not care about humans in this picture, whereas any previous "Godzilla" movie may have made you have an inkling of feeling for them.

Godzilla himself has changed a lot, with massive plates that line his back and he's also been given a pretty nifty set of fangs. But the thing is, this Godzilla looks and behaves quite... different. Though it's evident with this production that Godzilla is the bad guy (pending on your view), this was one of the things that really struck me as unique about the previous generation of kaiju-eiga films - in that you never really knew if he was the bad guy or not - this movie makes that pretty clear to you, even though the new monster Orga is clearly the bigger problem for the people of Japan.

The special effects in this third generation "Godzilla" film seem to actually be a step back too. The previous generation (the first two movies at least) had really beautiful and thoughtful effects that put you into wonder about how they were achieved. This series doesn't have that level of wonder for some reason. You'd expect their effects to improve over five years or so, but these effects look rushed and unrealistic.

Aside from these quibbles, "Godzilla 2000" doesn't suffer a whole lot, but I was glad to see that it firmly reestablished Godzilla back to his good old, stomping self.

7/10

Pays tribute to the big guy's history while ushering in a new age

[mastrmeb · 7/10 · 10 May 2008]

In truth, I was planning on coming here and stating how disappointed I was in this movie the second time around . . .

HOWEVER, that was before the movie ended. This may be the only Godzilla film I've seen thus far where I've enjoyed the later half more than the beginning, but I have reasons for that. Firstly, in the old movies, Godzilla didn't normally appear until the second half, allowing for background information and characters to develop. This film introduces him right away, and I believe that is so the on screen characters can begin their study and dissection of Godzilla on a scientific level (which is a "no-no." Godzilla is not science).

Also, the first half of the film relies heavily on special effects, something I wouldn't recommend to any nation other than the U.S. (not because other nations are poor at producing good CG. It's just that America has such a reputation for "pretty colors"). Godzilla started as a guy in a rubber suit. Since then, the technique has greatly improved and I love it.

Anyways, after the halfway marker, the two monster begin their final battle which is as glorious as ever in any film. I highly enjoy the miniatures and models more than any CGI. I can't remember a Godzilla flick with more on-screen destruction, and in such a modernized Japan as well.

The very ending, I would also like to bring up, is very romanticized, exciting, and visionary. Probably my favorite ending of any Godzilla movie.

Finally, I want to mention the music. Most of the soundtrack doesn't really make an effect on me, and sometimes it even stole the mood away from what it should have been . . . but as I said before, I liked the ending. I even spied the theme song from the original 1954 "Gojira" in the ending credits (Cool!) as well as other familiar tunes which I couldn't forget.

I did, however, think that the acting could have done with some work. Otherwise, the storyline and ingenuity matched all previous film plot lines.

There will always be fans of Godzilla, and from what I've seen there is only room for improvement.

Old School Godzilla

[BigGuy · 5/10 · 26 August 2000]

This is old school Godzilla plain and simple. Nothing terribly exciting, no super cool computer effects. Just a guy in a rubber suit and godzilla breathe drawn on the film. Actually there is a little computer stuff, but nothing that hasn't been done for years.

This is not a great movie, by any stretch of the imagination, but nostalgia makes it enjoyable. I think this is also a better movie for kids than most of the action monster movies coming out. Almost no one dies in the movie and there is little swearing or sexual overtones. This might make it too simple for adults who are not nostalgic for the old movies, but others should enjoy it.

GOJIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[E102y · 11 January 2001]

I was fortunate enought to see the original Japanese version of Godzilla 2000. I have to say that this is The Best Godzilla Movie Of All Time. Instead of the futuristic technologies of the Heisei series (maser tanks, mechas and ESP), G2K presents more or less ordinary Japanese life. The only thing slightly futuristic in the movie are the JSDF's Full Metal Missiles (and the UFO itself).

I loved the human cast. G2K will be the second movie that I loved which has a human cast I enjoyed watching, the other being "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe". Katagiri and Shinoda shined throughout. Yuki Ichinose and Io Shinoda are just as good to. One of my favorite scenes with the humans is Io and Shinoda giving Yuki the runaround in their little headquarters (a scene deleted from the American version, I believe). The Godzilla Prediction Network is very well thought-out organisation. Shame they don't really exist ^_^*

MireGoji (the fan name for the 2000 suit) is one of the best G-suits in existence. The new dorsal plates are just great, especially as they light up. They seem to heat up from the inside, rather than flash. The new heat beam is just marvellous. Shame Goji lost the ability to blink.

The UFO and Orga are one of the greatest enemies Goji's had yet. Shame Orga didn't get much to do. However, his destruction was new and refreshing.

The special effects are fantastic. It's so relieving to see missiles hit their target. The CGI shots are great. My favorites are the shot of Goji swimming underwater and the tracking shot of the Full Metal Missiles under the bridge. The music by Takayuki Hattori is also fabuluous.

To sum up: GOJIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

A film worth watching

[Horrorfan1995 · 7/10 · 6 September 2012]

Originally in 1995, Godzilla vs Destoroyah was meant to end the Godzilla franchise, putting it in a hiatus until 2005 (according to Executive Producer Shogo Tomiyama). However, after the release of the 1998 remake by Ronald Emmerich, Toho Co. didn't want to wait 7 years until his return, so they brought Godzilla out of retirement one year later. It was released in Japan on December 11, 1999, and August 18th, 2000 in the U.S. It was the first Godzilla movie since Godzilla 1985 to be released theatrically in the U.S.

To the fans, it was a dream come true, but to the general public, it was overlooked. Most people thought it was a sequel to the 1998 remake, but us fans knew it was the real deal.

The synopsis is once again another reboot to the series, ignoring the sequels from the 50s up until the 90s, and taking place only after the original. Another Godzilla comes to Japan and wreaks havoc once more. It's very similar to The Return of Godzilla, however, unlike Return, 2000 has Godzilla fighting a new monster. We first see this monster as a UFO throughout most of the movie, but near the end, we see his true form. The monsters name is Orga, and he is (in my opinion) of of Godzilla's best foes. He takes G-Cells and tries to become like Godzilla.

Now for Godzilla's new look. It's a personal favorite of mine. The giant jagged spines, the fanged teeth, the facial structure, even the roar has been modified. I also like the yellowish, orange like color for his atomic breath. It's a nice change of pace compared to the past films. It's also fun to note that Godzilla is green in this movie, despite the fact that the past Godzillas always had a charcoal-black coloring. Another fun fact, this suits structure was inspired by the KingGoji look from King Kong vs Godzilla.

The acting is pretty decent for a film like this, and the effects are spectacular. Although there are some underwater scenes where Godzilla is in CGI, and they don't look good, and the English dub can get pretty goofy at times, which such lines like "I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed", and "Great Caesar's Ghost", other then that, the acting is decent, and the miniatures are still as fantastic as they were in the old age.

If I had any complaints with the film, it's with the origin of Godzilla himself. No one knows if it's the same one from 1954, Jr. from the Heisei films or if it's another Godzilla all together. Ever since 1999, and still to this day, no one, not even hardcore fans know about his where a bouts. I like think however that it's another one of it's kind.

In the end, Godzilla 2000 is a great entry in the series, some fans maybe put off by the continuity being re-imagined, but once you get passed that, it's still a very good entry in the series, probably one of the best the Millennium Series has to offer. Give it a chance.

My Rating: 9-10

Plenty of cool Godzilla movies out there. This isn't one of them.

[robert60000000 · 4/10 · 15 January 2017]

In all honesty, I usually enjoy the campy, b-movie charm of the Godzilla movies. The great miniature work and the monster fights usually make up for nonsensical plots or cliché human characters. But nothing makes up for a boring Godzilla movie in my book. If you're making a movie about giant, fighting monsters the biggest sin you could commit is be boring. The perfectly simplistic plot still gets dragged out for most of the run time, where we're only introduced to a new kaiju in the last 30 minutes. The rest of the time we can watch Godzilla battle it out with a flying saucer. Riviting. You know your fight scenes lack any sense of emergency when all your villains basically die standing around being useless. The human characters are annoying. No one likable. The potentially charming father-daughter scientific duo never does anything besides being pretentious, self-important assholes. Honestly the movie could have been way better, have they focused on Godzilla and the monster fights. The effects (explosions, destruction of buildings, atomic breath) were great (save that flying saucer) along with the new suit. If they gave two shits about choreography or pacing the whole thing would have turned out fine. I understand that this movie was Godzilla's great return after 1995 and a lot of people may have major nostalgia for it, but in my personal experience with the franchise, there are way better flicks out there.

"Godzilla Meets Quatermass" or "Toho's Seriously Flawed Step Back in the Right Direction."

[Ryuusei · 7/10 · 3 September 2002]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** The first Godzilla movie in the third movie series, whereas GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH, the previous entry, aptly ended the second series. What else can I say? Well, let's break it down.

I once liked the 2nd series of Godzilla movies (1984-1995), even though I found something annoying about those movies (as either the bad or good guy, Godzilla was so sympathetic that the human characters came off as obnoxious). Then, in 1995, along came a movie called GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE and its two successful sequels, all directed by master filmmaker Shuusuke Kaneko, who singlehandedly changed the face of Japanese monster movies forever. I was spoiled!!! The Series 2 Godzilla movies were suddenly looked down as half-hearted, heavy-handed, auto-piloted and lazy attempts at recreating the "original" Godzilla, and end up being an insult to the memory of genre masters Ishirou Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya. GAMERA 3: THE AWAKENING OF IRIS, released the same year as this film, was simply incredible. Once Hollywood moviegoers saw that movie, they would never look at Japanese monster movies the same way again.

Then, along came Tri-Star's 1998 GINO (Godzilla In Name Only), which was understandably met with bitter hatred by true Godzilla fans the world over. The worst portrayal of Godzilla seen by the human eye, making Marvel's 70s comics and Hanna-Barbera's cartoon look better. Then, MOTHRA 3, released later that year, bombed at the box office. Toho was in deep crap. They felt as though Godzilla was about to lose his fans, because of this red-blooded American box-office disaster, so to make up for it, they made this movie, GOJIRA NI-SEN MIRENIAMU (Godzilla 2000: Millennium), which was a "take that" to GINO. This movie is definitely better than GINO, which isn't saying much.

Is it the BEST Godzilla movie? Nope, not by a long shot. In fact, it quickly bombed at the box office in Japan (starting out at 4th place, and sinking to 8th in the second week!). A lot of Godzilla fans in Japan didn't like the movie. Is it entertaining? Not if you're spoiled by the Heisei Gamera trilogy, but if you don't take the movie too seriously, yes, it is very entertaining. In fact, I hadn't been entertained like this since TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (Toho; 1975), and despite the movie's MAJOR flaws, GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM is still very entertaining.

First of all, Godzilla has never looked better! His design has been in a rut since 1989, where his design was great, but once they stuck to it, he began to look slapped-together in each new film, but finally, a NEW Godzilla design! As Riverdancer Michael Flatley once said, "It's important to change, because if you stagnate, you die." I think this is a very good change, and one that stays true to Godzilla's spirit. Godzilla's design is a streamlined version of the Kin-Goji design from KING KONG VS. GODZILLA, with jagged DARK CRYSTAL-style dorsal fins that give him an evil look. I was neither bothered by the orange-colored Radioactive Heat Beam (most fans are used to blue), nor Godzilla's green tone (this is the first time Toho made Godzilla officially green, whereas he had an ambiguous green-gray tone). I was very happy with this Godzilla. For the first time, Godzilla was played by former JAC stuntman Tsutomu Kitagawa (a veteran of Toei's Sentai Series), who just started out in the Toho Monster genre (he played King Ghidorah in MOTHRA 3).

The UFO and the Millennian Alien/Orga were excellent and unique ideas (which the previous movie series wouldn't have allowed, for fear of being "over the top," but this was the cleverest portrayal of aliens in a Godzilla film), but half the time, they are poorly handled on film. That brings us to the story part. The Millennian, Toho's first CGI monster, is a really bizarre creation, and Orga reminds me of GINO (the intention) as if over-mutated by comic-book artist Todd McFarlane! Definitely not your average Japanese monster!

The story has great ideas, and a more "realistic" feel than the previous Godzilla movies since the 90s. However, the main problem is that things were not spelled out for the viewer (mostly because production was rushed in the second half). As a result, lot of people did not know what was going on. After reading about the plot/story and having purchased both the Official Movie Compendium (which has TONS of useful info that Americans don't know about the film) and the manga adaptation by Mondo Takimura (which is a MUCH better version of the film than the film itself!), I've seen critics/reviewers make up their own conclusion. Read the plot below so I'll help out.

Throughout the film, there are parodies of both GINO and INDEPENDENCE DAY (one scene had a taxi driver in Shinjuku getting out of his taxi, staring dumbfounded at the UFO while his car gets smashed by another! Part of this was cut out in the US version; It shouldn't have been)!

As of 1999, the special effects are probably the best in any Toho Godzilla film since Teruyoshi Nakano's breathtaking work in the 1984 GODZILLA. Kenji Suzuki's FX are a vast improvement over Kouichi Kawakita's work in the films from 1989-1995. This is his second FX direction job (his first was MOTHRA 3). Definitely not up to Shinji Higuchi's work in the Heisei Gamera trilogy (which Toho had been trying to keep up with), but definitely not too shabby for a Toho Godzilla film! The downside is that some of the FX looked rushed (especially in the climactic fight scene between Godzilla and Orga; Toho was definitely behind schedule).

As for the human characters, after 1975 (and probably 1984), we FINALLY get characters from all walks of life! Thus, they may not be the BEST characters, but very amusing ones (and thankfully, not too many of them, whereas previous Godzilla movies had byzantine amounts of important characters you didn't care for). Takehiro Murata, no stranger to Godzilla films (he appeared in 1992's GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA and 1995's GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH), takes his first lead Godzilla film role as Yuuji Shinoda, who runs GPN (Godzilla Prediction Network) with his little daughter Io (Mayu Suzuki), and wants to study Godzilla to discover the secrets to life. Actress Naomi Nishida very well plays the part of O-Parts magazine photographer Yuuki Ichinose, who joins GPN to get pictures of Godzilla for the magazine. TV & movie heartthrob Hiroshi Abe totally steals the show as the ruthless Mitsuo Katagiri, who runs CCI (Crisis Control Intelligence Agency), the faction that wants Godzilla destroyed, period. Godzilla's rooftop confrontation with Abe at the film's end is a shining moment! And there's actor and longtime Godzilla fan Shirou Sano as Shirou Miyasaka, Shinoda's old college buddy/CCI executive, who provides a conflict between the two factions.

The music by Takayuki Hattori is an improvement over his own score for GODZILLA VS. SPACE GODZILLA, but in the film, it was done absolutely no justice. When one listens to the CD soundtrack, one finds that some of the best tracks aren't even used in the film, thus Toho's music editors do the same slapdash job of cutting & pasting tracks all over the place, but some of the important tracks are left in the right place. And as much as it livens the film, Toho's throwing in a token stock track of Akira Ifukube's "Godzilla Theme" (just to tell us that this is a Godzilla film) does detract from the film. It seems the fogeys over at Toho have a problem with simply doing new arrangements of Ifukube's music (cost-effective, maybe?).

Then, there's Takao Ookawara directing his last Godzilla film before quitting the series. Ookawara doesn't care much for Godzilla, though his work is actually okay. He's better than Kazuki Oomori (not only the worst Godzilla director, in my opinion, but he is completely embarrassed with monsters and stuff), though.

And last, but not least, Tri-Star's US English-language version. Well, I've seen the Japanese version on tape, and when comparing it with the US version, the Japanese version actually makes more sense. Some of the US editing patronizes the original material by cutting out some important scenes and changing parts of the dialogue for PC reasons (like changing "Organizer G1" to "Regenerator G1," and editing out all references to "Millennium"). However, the US version makes up for it with tighter pacing and some really fun dialogue, not to mention one bit of profanity ("Nice try, a**hole!")! About time Godzilla movies started growing up! The US music by J. Peter Robinson is okay, but really cheesy most of the time (noticably, much of the score was recycled from the 1998 TV movie, GARGANTUA, which was made by Fox to one-up GINO). Hattori's original score is about 50-75% intact, though. Robinson actually rearranges Ifukube music with two tracks, the best in the scene where Orga makes his appearance, the worst being the scene in the end (after which, said token stock Ifukube track is repeated before cuing the complete original ending credits track). Speaking of which, the worst part of the Americanization was the tacky "THE ? END" title card at the end of the theatrical version of the film (blessedly removed for TV/Video/DVD versions). I was really embarrassed.

Speaking of embarrassing, a lot of people in the US seem to have lost sleep over the closing dialogue, the last part of which is a direct translation in the US version: "Godzilla is . . . inside all of us!" And yes, Japanese fans were pretty embarrassed with that scene! I didn't mind it, though. The US version is still fun to sit through, and still manages to have respect for the original film. I did hear, though, that the US version was put together at the last minute (to meet a tight deadline), which explains a lot.

Before I close this review, well, everyone pretty much knows the plot, but here's my version anyway: It's basically Godzilla crossed with QUATERMASS AND THE PIT. This movie is a direct follow-up to the original 1954 GODZILLA, but HOW Godzilla came back is unexplained (a MAJOR weakness for the film). For what it's worth, GPN (Godzilla Prediction Network) led by Yuuji Shinoda and his daughter Io, try to predict Godzilla's city attacks so that he can evacuate precious lives in advance. In foggy Nemuro, Godzilla crunches a fishing ship with his powerful jaws in front of a lighthouse, smashes a bar, attacks a city and for some reason, destroys a power station (all this being among the best highlights of the film). According to Shinoda (in the Japanese version), "Does Godzilla hate the energy that mankind produces?" Meanwhile, CCI (Crisis Control Intelligence Agency), led by Mitsuo Katagiri, discovers a HUGE rock fragment beneath the Japan Trench, and try to transport it, but the rock transports ITSELF by floating to the surface of the ocean! CCI member Shirou Miyasaka suggests that the rock might contain an alien life form, and to their surprise, it does some weird things like stand right side up over the ocean. At the same time, despite Shinoda's warnings, Katagiri, CCI and the Japan Self Defense Forces prepare to attack Godzilla in Tokaimura (where, at the same time of filming, a nuclear accident happened in real life) with a new set of super-missiles called Full Metal Missiles (Yes, they're called that in the Japanese version! No doubt a tribute to Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET). The weird thing is that when Godzilla appears, he does absolutely nothing! He just lets the JSDF hit him with everything but the kitchen sink, to no good effect, although the Full Metal Missiles did kinda' do a number on him. Just then, Miyasaka finds that the giant rock follows the sun, so it starts to fly away and heads toward Godzilla, the two titans shoot rays at each other, and in the process, Godzilla is defeated, and the rock is revealed to be a huge, solar-powered metallic UFO! It flies to Shinjuku, where it lands on a network building (same building as O-Parts Magazine!), and starts draining info from the Internet so that it can find out more about Godzilla (it discovered that Godzilla has quick-regeneration process; Upon further study with Miyasaka, Shinoda calls it Organizer G1). It also starts transmitting message words such as "Millennium," "Kingdom," etc. Come evening, Katagiri even suggested blowing up the building with the UFO still on it (where a crazy mix-up gets Shinoda into DIE HARD-style hijinks), but guess what? The UFO stands triumphant and destroys the rest of the building! Shinoda emerges a survivor, and shows everyone why the UFO wants Godzilla: The Millennium Aliens (Millennians) want to start an empire on Earth by converting our planet's air to make it more suitable for them. When they crashed on Earth in prehistoric times, they lost their solid composure and were reduced to anti-matter in the process. They need Godzilla's cells to regenerate their bodies. Then, Godzilla shows up from Tokyo Bay, and has a fight with the UFO, which overpowers him (telepathically using underground cables to lasso him) and clones Organizer G1 from his body, thus, the Millennians emerge from the UFO, regenerating into their original form, a single giant squidlike alien! But unfortunately, Godzilla's DNA overtook the alien's shape and causes a painful Hulk-like transformation, thus Orga (named from "Organizer G1" - Get it?) was the tragic result. After Godzilla trashes the UFO, Orga proceeds to beat him silly (also telepathically controlling what's left of the UFO to bash him around with it!). Can Godzilla destroy a giant alien mutant with many times his own healing speed?

Whew! That was a lengthy review! Well, I still think that the next Godzilla movie, GODZILLA X MEGAGUIRUS: THE G ANNIHILATION STRATEGY, is even better, and that it was the type of movie Toho should've made (and the movie that should've been shown in US theaters)! Nevertheless, enjoy GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM, either in its more straightforward Japanese version and/or the campy-but-fun US version! A VERY flawed, yet entertaining step back in the right direction.

"GOJIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!"

First G movie for 21st century

[ebiros2 · 5/10 · 21 October 2005]

This is the first of the installment for Godzilla sporting its new looks for the 21st century. Toho after doing few good Mothra movies decided to get back to its Godzilla roots again. For some reason, the special effects weren't as good as the '90s G series on this movie. Orga floating on water looked like it was computer generated and didn't look real at all. Then the rampage and battle happened as it should in Godzilla movies, and things got better but.... I'm not sure how Toho pools their talent when making movies. Since this movie came on the heel of Gamera 1999 (Special effects director Shinji Higuchi on a loan to Daiei) with spectacular CGI effects, this movie should have or could have been just as good, but it wasn't. But it was the return of Godzilla and entertaining just for what it is.

a monster movie ne plus ultra review

[robotman-2 · 10/10 · 28 August 2000]

This is the latest in the Toho Films series, and it should be noted that this movie is a GODZILLA movie, a genre unto itself. Not only is it an intelligent film, with likeable characters ( the Godzilla Prediction Unit is great, in the enthusiasm of scientists trying to understand Godzilla as a force of nature; besides that, who wouldn't want to be part of the GDU and have that cool Godzilla logo on the side of their transport vehicle? ) and a truly kinetic, enthusiastic script by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura--the most telling line of dialogue in the movie, which could be used to describe the love and respect the writers have, occurs when a television reporter comments that the entire proceeding is "like something out of a 1950s science fiction film."

And that is the point of this movie, to remind every one of us who grew up on monster movies that in the midst of all the ALIEN-stylized cinematic drool, that the giant UFO perched menacingly over Tokyo, shimmering with mysterious electronic pulsations while Godzilla ( with an underwater swimming scene for Godzilla that is priceless) stomps in for a classic samauri-like duel with the alien craft and its occupant, with all the Man In Suit and b-movie special effects you can stand, is the reason why many of us "creature feature" lovers continue going to the movies TODAY, because we're looking for something like GODZILLA 2000. A movie crafted with exquisite passion and respect, both for its subject and for its audience.

Go see this movie in a theatre, or be sorry you didn't. Thrill to the magnificent musical score (the best I've heard in a film this year), and the superior direction that provides Godzilla with power and heroism (yes, heroism; Godzilla's reasons for alternately destroying Tokyo, but fighting against alien forces to save it, demonstrates what all us monster freaks know: Godzilla is intelligent, and has his reasons). I dare you to go and see Godzilla blast away with his atomic breath and not be ready to come up out of your seat with joy. This movie is undiluted greatness, from beginning to end.

Godzilla for a New Generation

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 27 May 2014]

Godzilla saves Tokyo from a flying saucer that transforms into the beast Orga.

There are some noteworthy firsts in this film: we have the first green Godzilla (no longer the dark gray we are used to), and the first Toho Godzilla using CGI (for better or worse) in some scenes.

No, could this be the best looking man-in-suit Godzilla yet? I think so. While a bit more "rock star" this time around, he looks incredibly mean and aggressive, the monster you do not want to mess with.

This may have been the last good Godzilla movie made (as of 2014). Although, I suppose that is all a matter of taste. Some people probably dislike this one while others probably love the Gareth Edwards version.

First of the Godzilla "Millennium" series.

[OllieSuave-007 · 4/10 · 21 December 2004]

Four years after the supposed last Godzilla movie, Toho brought back the Big G to star in another series of films called the "Millennium" series. This movie was made as a direct sequel to the original Godzilla film, but the monster simply appeared on cue - his origins and cause of his return were never explained. Aside from slight references mentioned by the characters of the monster's prior appearances in the 1960s and 1980s, you cannot really tell that this film has any relation to the original Godzilla movie. To me, I think there should be a suspense built-up to signal the return of Godzilla since 1954, like it was portrayed in "Godzilla 1985" (1984). Instead, Godzilla was just spotted as he began his rampage, with the military trying to stop him - nothing new here.

Meanwhile, a UFO lands on Earth, and Godzilla does battle with it. Thrown in the mix are people from the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN), out to study Godzilla and spare him from the military; I think they really weren't relevant to the story, though. The acting was lame, especially Shirô Sano's character. There is really no new material or anything special about this film, aside from the introduction of a new monster. The plot was boring, which lead to an unexciting story and an unremarkable movie.

Kenji Suzuki's special effects, though, were amazing and Takayuki Hattori's music score was OK. I didn't really care for the monster suit for Godzilla - not really well executed. His radioactive breath, though, is given a more powerful purpose, as he only used it a few times in the movie.

Overall, a very dull movie to be made as the direct sequel to the original Godzilla film. This movie is simply another "monster-on-the-loose" flick, which ended up being my least favorite Godzilla movie.

Grade D-

Hey pretty cool.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 12 September 2001]

I enjoyed this flick. Sure it wasn't the best movie made and it surely would not win an award, but it was a fun film. There are a couple of the Godzilla movies in the 90's I liked more, but this one did not disappoint. The dubbing is rather good for everyone except the guy who is trying to kill Godzilla. He sounds a bit to deep voiced and at one point when he laughs he goes "Ha, Ha, Ha", but other than him the dubbing is good. There is also a bit of dead zone where godzilla isn't around between godzilla's first encounter the flying saucer and the final battle, but it is not to bad. Also, they kind of ignore the movie Godzilla vs. Destroyah even though they show Godzilla's son taking over the reigns this fact is ignored and all the characters from the 90 films are ignored as well. All and all it is a fun movie and there is a good battle at the end.

A noble addition to the collection.

[senortuffy · 7/10 · 10 November 2003]

All kidding aside, this is great addition to the series, that is if you care for Godzilla movies. Personally, I could watch these films all day long. There's something endearing about a huge radioactive lizard who trashes everything but then protects mankind from evil spacemen and other monsters.

"Godzilla 2000" features the big guy taking on a flying rock that's really the cover for a space vehicle - they want to take over the planet, natch. As a side plot, there's a friendly scientist, Shinoda, and his daughter, Io, who run a Godzilla tracking network, and an evil businessman, Katagiri. Shinoda wants to protect Godzilla and learn from him, Katagiri wants to kill him.

There's not a heck of a lot to the plot. Katagiri's men uncover what they think is a huge meteorite from the ocean, but it turns out to be the spacemen's saucer. Once freed and able to draw power from the sun, it takes off for Tokyo where it begins to drain all the data out of the computers so as to learn how to seize control of the Earth for themselves. Godzilla is one one of his regular rampages and goes after the saucer - big fight ensues with much collateral damage.

After trashing the space monster (the saucer morphs into some sort of thing that kinda looks like a big version of the creature from "Alien"), Godzilla goes after Katagiri and finishes him off. Film ends with Shinoda and the girl wondering why Godzilla keeps saving man when all we try to do is kill him. The answer: we created him and there's a little bit of Godzilla in all of us.

OK, some gratuitous philosophy amidst all the carnage, but maybe this is the beginning of a zen-like take on the Godzilla myth. Maybe future Godzilla films will have the big guy seeking to balance the planet and save mankind from himself.

Personally, I love this movie!

[Angel_Meiru · 17 February 2004]

Heh heh, what isn't there for me to love "Godzilla 2000"? Minimal computer graphics, well built city models, awesome looking makeover for the big G and a neat and fierce looking foe named Orgah. Oh, and not to mention a cute little girl named Iyo, who shows a big interest for Godzilla and Orgah (perhaps a nostalgic refrence to the monster loving kids Ken Yano and Rokku-chan?).

Alot of people seem to hate this movie due to it not having too much CG, no "super sexy" model actor or actresses or were just spoiled off of the recent Hollywood trash cinema. OMG, and someone even compaired the recent Godzilla movies to Evangellion (GAG ME!).

I however, stand up for Toho. Long live Toho! Long live the King of Monsters!

Slightly Above Mediocre

[coconutkungfu-30704 · 6/10 · 17 February 2020]

Goji 200 is a rather poorly paced film with uninteresting human characters and a rather bland telling of the "Goji Attacks Japan" story. The effects however are cool and I am very fond of the Goji 2000 design, so it gets 6 Missiles out of 10 from me.

Slow, and takes itself too seriously

[cricketbat · 5/10 · 7 April 2021]

The problem with Godzilla 2000 is that it's too slow and it takes itself too seriously. It takes about a half-hour for any actual action to occur, and even then, Godzilla just walks around for most of the movie. The plot jumps from place to place and person to person without any real rhyme or reason, and it focuses too much on the humans. Plus, the visual effects look very dated now. This was kind of a drag.

Best movie of the summer

[billesvs · 7/10 · 31 August 2000]

Having seen a few flicks this year, I must confess that this is the best movie of the summer....near as I can tell. Four of us went...one 52 years old, one 37, one 14 and the other 11 and we all agreed that the movie was terrific...and that is what it is..a real summer "movie"...a totally wonderful waste of time. Cheesey is the word that comes to mind...cheesey dubbing, chessey effects, and of course the patented "Godzilla walk". The plot, such as it is, makes little sense...but who cares? The absolute definition of a "popcorn movie"....this is a must see for all ages....at least if you have a sense of humour.

Simply Horrible!

[DP-4 · 4/10 · 27 December 2000]

Funny how a movie can be made 30 years after an original and not change at all. This was a classic Godzilla movie, and if you are in the mood for a 1960's type of movie then this is for you. I expected an updated version with great graphics and special effects. Instead, I got 60's type of special effects, a 60's type of story line and a HUGE disappointment. The acting and script were particularly horrible. Too bad. They could have done something great with this. Perhaps our friends out East need some lessons in how to make a modern film? This was sort of like a "Power Rangers" movie except Godzilla is the star.

Good film

[Kiryu2K · 10/10 · 5 August 2004]

This is my second favorite Godzilla film.

It has a good enough story, a great enemy, and good enough special effects. If you own this on DVD and you live in the USA, then please watch it on the "Audio Commentary". It will change your view of the movie. Plus it's a great come back against "Godzilla (1998)" which disgraced Godzilla. If you are a big Godzilla Fan, I fully recommend this film to you. It's a great start to begin the Millennium series which also has some really good films, among my favorite.

Anyway, I give this film an A-. If you watch it with the "Audio Commentary", you will too.

Far better then the American Version

[studd66 · 7/10 · 6 December 2000]

I can remember leaving the theater frustrated that I wasted 4 bucks on the worst film of 1998, Godzilla. (In fact, I thought Godzilla was about as silly as The Naked Gun-which was supposed to be)! I received a free pass to Godzilla 2000 and was surprised how enjoyable it was. Rather then ripping off Jurassic Park as the 1998 version did, it went back to the old formula; simple plot, simple characters, and great monsters. The only problem? Godzilla wasn't given enough to do. But when he's on, its SHOWTIME!!!!!!!

Same Stuff

[kenandraf · 2/10 · 23 March 2003]

Same old standard Japanese production Godzilla movie that tries to get back to basics with a little bit of newer CGI effects here and there.An ANTI-RADICAL CHANGE for Godzilla movie if you will. Only for big fans of this genre. They could have done much better for this movie. I have seen much better production for the TV Series POWER RANGERS compared to what was presented in this B-Movie......

Godzilla 2000 is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!

[davidemartin · 10/10 · 14 June 2001]

I am kicking myself for not getting to a theater to see this when it was out last Spring. But at least the video came out. I've just watched it for the second time and it just gets better!

The new Godzilla is definitely edgier than his father. The look is more bestial, the creature's actions more savage. After victory, the earlier Godzilla would walk off to the sea. THIS one kills the human who tried to kill him and then burns down another half mile of Tokyo as an afterthought!

Traditionally Godzilla is considered a metaphor for nuclear warfare. With the new one, I wonder if Godzilla is more a metaphor for the gods we worship. This Godzilla knows who you are and can kill you any time he wants. Just like a god.

Very enjoyable despite not being a masterpiece

[DarkMog · 7/10 · 20 August 2000]

Let me first say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I'm not saying it is an original film, or a profound film, or a masterwork of Japanese cinema. No, it isn't any of those things. It is, in summary, a movie about two big monsters duking it out in the middle of a major Japanese city and destroying as many buildings as possible in the process. It's loud, fast-paced, and is probably the best, production value-wise, of any of the recent Godzilla movies. It's also poorly dubbed and has a plot like most of the other Godzilla (or other kaiju) films, but who cares? It's fun to watch, and that's what counts! Ironically, this is also a much better movie, dubbing and all, than the 1998 Godzilla... Hollywood should take note that sometimes impressive special effects do not equal "fun."

Godzilla's return --and Okawara at his worst.

[Gman2887 · 5/10 · 16 April 2002]

**possible minor spoilers**

While it was fantastic to see a Godzilla film in theaters, and I will always enjoy it it's still not very well made. Takeo Okawara has done worlds better in directing, frankly I'm not sure what he was getting at here. He gives us his used tired formula of a film in the most obvious way this time around, and in trying to give us a "new Godzilla, for a new millennium" he gives us the same anti-hero character of Godzilla we got in the heisei series, only his looks have changed. We have the Godzilla Prediction Network, a small network following Godzilla and seeing where he'll strike next to warn people, but at the same time not destroy Godzilla and find a way to contain and study him. However Crisis Control Agency aims to flat out destroy Godzilla without thinking twice. At the same time the CCI uncover a mysterious rock. (Which they immediately predict to be a vessel from space..uh-huh...) While the military attacks Godzilla the rock flies over to find suitable cells to become the supreme being on earth...well it chooses Godzilla! Eventually this UFO reveals that a giant alien is inside it, and the alien, now with Godzilla's cells, turns itself into 'Orga' a half alien half Godzilla...but to be a total Godzilla it he needs Godzilla's entire body. The result is a battle, that comes off as a notch cooler than the Heisei battles, and some cool surprises. Okawara has done much better, but he gives a few new things to enjoy including some of his best crafted characters. However the writing is so lackluster, the old "alien takes over earth" plot has been used in Godzilla too many times, it's death to do it again. At least the alien was unique this time in that humans had to figure out it's motives rather than be told. Godzilla 2000 is a fun, entertaining movie, but not a very good return and Okawara's last G movie being his worst. ** out of ****