Godzilla (1998 Movie)

The film's opening credits play over a montage of French nuclear tests in French Polynesia (which are actually historical footages of American nuclear tests), observed by various species of lizard. One egg was irradiated by the tests.

Years later, a Japanese fishing ship is attacked by an unseen, giant monster that attacks from below the water: only one sailor survives. Traumatized, he is questioned in a hospital by a Frenchman (Jean Reno) leading a team of French scientists as to what he saw. His only reply is, "Gojira."

Another seaborne attack just by the Eastern Seaboard culminates in the eventual destruction of a fleet of fishing ships. The crew survive, after witnessing their boat sinking, but it shoots up from underneath and lands with a huge splash in the surface.

Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick), an NRC scientist, who happened to be in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (Ukraine) researching the effects of radiation on wildlife, is interrupted by the arrival of an agent of the U.S. State Department. He is sent to Panama, escorted by the military, to observe the wreckage of the recovered Japanese fishing ship (which had three gigantic claw marks on one side) and a set of massive dinosaur-like footprints in the grassy soil. The Frenchman is also there, observing the scene and introduces himself as an insurance agent. Aboard a military aircraft, Tatapolous identifies skin samples he recovered as belonging to an animal "unknown to science." He dismisses the military's theory that the creature is a reawakened dinosaur, theorising its origins in French Polynesia make it a mutated hybrid created by nuclear testing.

The creature then heads to Manhattan, and it creates havoc in the city, killing dozens of people. The beast is revealed to be a gigantic, bipedal lizard, that towers over much of the New York skyline. The city is evacuated and the military attempt to kill the monster, first luring it out with a huge pile of fish (having learned that was the creature's staple diet). It takes the bait, but is scared off by small arms fire and uses its POWER BREATH to destroy two tanks.

It is chased by three AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. They fire Sidewinder missiles, only to destroy the top two dozen stories off the Chrysler Building (the monster's cold-blooded physiology makes heat-seeking weapons ineffective). The helicopters stop at a giant hole in a building, then shoot at the inside of it, making them think that they killed the monster. But the monster comes out from behind the helicopters, swats two of them down, and bites the last, defeating its attackers and escaping. After this, Nick collects a blood sample and runs tests to reveal that the monster reproduces asexually, and is collecting food not only for itself, but also for its offspring. Nick is determined to find its nest.

However, a videotape from Panama is stolen by Nick's ex-girlfriend, Audrey Timmonds (Maria Pitillo), a would-be TV journalist for news channel "WIDF." Audrey originally intended to broadcast the tape herself, but her boss broadcasted it instead and mispronounced "Gojira" as "Godzilla." The military is outraged by the broadcasting of the classified tape and Nick is thrown off the team. Nick is then kidnapped by the Frenchman who introduces himself as Philippe Roaché, an agent of the DGSE, the French Secret Service. He and his team have been keeping close watch on events, and are now ready to help clear up the mess they feel responsible for, but cannot acknowledge.

The military lures out Godzilla again, trying to trap him in the open ground of Central Park. However, Godzilla does not take the bait, and flees when the military prematurely open fire. The creature dives into the waters of the Hudson River, where it is attacked by three U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. Two subs fire torpedoes at Godzilla. However, through some quick evasion, Godzilla manages to have the torpedoes hit the sub Anchorage instead. The other subs fire again, and this time, Godzilla is shot, and sinks to the bottom of the sea. The military celebrate their seeming victory.

Meanwhile Nick and a French team, led by Roaché, surreptitiously followed by Audrey and cameraman Victor "Animal" Palotti (Hank Azaria), track through the subway tunnels to Madison Square Garden, finding hundreds of eggs. They start to lay explosives, but the eggs start to hatch. The babies begin to look for food, and since the team smell like fish, they become inevitable targets. After failing to contain the infants and losing several members of the team, the remaining four of them (Nick, Phillipe, Animal and Audrey) take refuge in a TV broadcast booth. Knowing that the infant Godzillas will eventually force humanity into extinction if they escape, Nick, Audrey, and Animal alert the authorities, who order an immediate strike by a trio of F/A-18 Hornets. The four escape just before the building is destroyed, and the infant Godzillas are burned to death.

But seconds later, an extremely enraged Godzilla (who managed to survive the assault in the river) emerges from the wreckage. The four make a getaway in a taxicab, and alert the military to Godzilla's survival. The heroes lure Godzilla to the Brooklyn Bridge where it becomes helplessly trapped in the steel suspension cables, and is an easy target for the returning fighter planes. Godzilla is then hit mercilessly by twelve missles, then falls to the ground. With everyone watching, especially Nick, Godzilla's heart beats slower, and slower, and slower, until he closes his eyes and dies.

The crowd and the military celebrates Godzilla's demise. As Nick, Audrey and Animal reconcile, Roaché quietly walks off with the videotape Animal had recorded, detailing the entire incident. Phillipe calls Nick to tell him he will return it after "certain information" has been removed, and disappears into the night, saying "Au revoir" and thanking Nick for his help.

All seems well, but in the smoking ruins of Madison Square Garden, it is revealed a single egg has survived the bombing. As the film concludes, the egg begins to shake and crack. A baby Godzilla hatches, setting up for Godzilla: The Series.