Word: godzilla
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...care lavished on re-creating the monster, the new plot is somewhat less revolutionary. As in 1954, Godzilla is the spawn of nuclear tests in the Pacific, and this time he makes his way quickly to New York City. Matthew Broderick plays an American scientist, Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (a nod to the new creator); Jean Reno is a mysterious agent for the French; Maria Pitillo is a newscaster wannabe; and Hank Azaria is a TV cameraman. Together they battle not just Godzilla but a teeming snake pit of little Godzillas. Though referred to as "he," the monster belongs to transgender...
Cinematic homages abound in the new Godzilla. There are obvious ones to King Kong (with Broderick as the Fay Wray equivalent); then there is the constant damp a la Blade Runner and Alien; an extended attempt to outdo the Jurassic Park raptors; even a wink at the Coneheads ("Where'd you find that guy?" "He's from France"). Critical reaction at early screenings has been mixed. But for a surefire blockbuster like this, reviewers be damned! The film even taunts the critics with a brazen in-joke: the mayor of New York City is a hothead named Ebert, whose campaign...
Devlin and Emmerich approached the project gingerly, having rejected four previous overtures from Sony to take charge of Godzilla. The monster appeared to be unmanageable. Jan De Bont (Speed) tried to tame the beast for a while but gave up after Sony balked at the budget he wanted for a script that had Godzilla battling a shape-shifting beast. James Cameron (Titanic), Tim Burton (Batman) and David Fincher (Alien 3) were among the directors at one time considered to update Godzilla. When Steven Spielberg, who knows from dinosaurs, heard that Devlin and Emmerich were contemplating the movie, he tried...
...heart-stopping moment," says Lee, who knew Toho could sink the proposed Godzilla then and there. Some quick talking took place. Says Emmerich: "I told the Japanese guys the biggest difference would be that the creature is very lean because he's very fast. I also told them, 'Guys, we either do it like this, or we don't do it at all. It's your trademark, but if you don't do it this way, I'll go make another movie, and you'll have to find someone else.'" That argument carried some weight: Toho was the Japanese distributor...
Careful not to invoke the name Sony (and thus stir up intra-Japanese competitiveness), Lee asked the Toho board members to think of the pair's model as the "Tristar Godzilla," a line extension of their own "Classic Godzilla" franchise. And most important, he says, "we left the model in the boardroom overnight so they could get used to it." Whether persuaded by all or part of the delegation's arguments, Toho gave its blessing the next day. Says Tatopoulos: "The Japanese told me that the new Godzilla is miles away from the old creature but that I kept...