Godzilla 1998 Enjoyer
I was a Godzilla larper for my whole childhood. This is the version of Godzilla I actually grew up with and personally was aware of before the MonsterVerse and the first original Japanese Godzilla film I’d ever watch.
While a disappointment power-wise, Godzilla 1998 isn’t so bad. I admire the sleek, theropod, giant Velociraptor design that favors speed and agility over the towering, brute strength most incarnations possess. This knack for speed along with burrowing capabilities is carried on by Godzilla Junior in the animated series and helps set this version of Godzilla apart from the rest.
This was the first American Godzilla we ever had before Legendary and he’s alright.
Also, the movie is genuinely great if you just pretend it’s not a “Godzilla” movie. Godzilla dying at the end still almost made me shed a tear like watching the Brachiosaurus from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom burning to death when the island’s volcano erupts. Who knew giant lizards dying can be so depressing?