1998’s Divisive Sci-Fi Smash Is on Borrowed Time on Streaming

Before the MonsterVerse, before atomic breath redemption arcs, and long before critics embraced kaiju cinema again, there was 1998’s Godzilla — the blockbuster that made a ton of money and somehow still made everyone mad. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the American reboot earned a massive $379 million worldwide when it hit theaters. On paper, that’s franchise-launching numbers. In reality? It sparked one of the most heated debates in monster movie history.

Now, the controversial sci-fi spectacle is set to leave streaming next month — so if you’ve ever wanted to revisit (or re-litigate) this era of kaiju chaos, your window is closing. The film stars Matthew Broderick as nuclear regulatory scientist Nick Tatopoulos, alongside Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, and Kevin Dunn. The human ensemble scrambles to track and contain the mutated creature after it emerges from the Atlantic and tears through New York City.

But this was not good. The backlash was so loud that Toho, the original Japanese studio behind Godzilla, later rebranded this version of the creature as “Zilla” in subsequent appearances. You can figure out why for yourself.

Is 'Godzilla' Worth Watching?

Legendary critic Roger Ebert reviewed the movie at the time, stating that 1998’s Godzilla was a loud, hollow spectacle — a cold, mechanical blockbuster that mistook scale for soul. The review sharply criticized the film’s reliance on darkness and rain to obscure its creature effects, contrasting it with Jurassic Park, which boldly showcased its dinosaurs in daylight. Instead of awe, the movie offered murky glimpses and inconsistent scale — with Godzilla alternately towering over skyscrapers or squeezing improbably into subway tunnels. The logic never held, and the spectacle lacked imagination.

"There is nothing wrong with making a Godzilla movie, and nothing wrong with special effects. But don’t the filmmakers have some obligation to provide pop entertainment that at least lifts the spirits? There is real feeling in King Kong fighting off the planes that attack him, or the pathos of the monster in Bride of Frankenstein, who was so misunderstood. There is a true sense of wonder in Jurassic Park. Godzilla, by contrast, offers nothing but soulless technique: A big lizard is created by special effects, wreaks havoc and is destroyed. What a cold-hearted, mechanistic vision, so starved for emotion or wit. The primary audience for Godzilla is children and teenagers, and the filmmakers have given them a sterile exercise when they hunger for dreams."

Godzilla will leave Netflix at the end of the month.