3 ms·

Godzilla 1998 popped up on streaming feeds recently. I watched it for the first time in decades and was happy with it. It got so many things right for a dumb

Godzilla 1998 popped up on streaming feeds recently. I watched it for the first time in decades and was happy with it. It got so many things right for a dumb blockbuster. I noticed Mayor Eberts as the bumbling mayor. This prompted me, like many others I'm sure, to read Eberts' review of Godzilla 1998. He panned it. Almost all of the critiques felt like they would be considered praise when compared against the blockbusters of today. The final line of critique, and imo the most valid, was the lack of message/theming in the conclusion of the movie. I like Eberts' reviews. He brought good thoughts to the conversation. I think his harsh criticism of Emmerich movies was unwarranted. For a few years Emmerich had it imo.

MilnerRoute 5y ago
That was one of the last movies that Gene Siskel reviewed with Ebert on his show. Siskel actually had to phone in to the show from a hospital - and he didn't like the movie either. But I remember that Ebert specifically asked Siskel how he'd felt about the fact that there were two characters in the movie named Ebert and Siskel - that were obviously intended to make fun of them. Siskel called it cheap. But then he added, as a purely objective criticism, that the bit never actually paid off. That he was expecting Godzilla to attack the characters, but instead they're just still standing around talking at the end of the film. What was the point? But whatever you think of any of that, that's what was so great about their show (and about this review, for that matter). That it creates this "middle space" between viewer and film-maker, for this additional giddy social mix of reactions and opinions -- all the "best of the year!" and "what were they thinking?" Or maybe I'm just saying that sometimes I really miss Ebert.

3 ms·

Godzilla 1998 popped up on streaming feeds recently. I watched it for the first time in decades and was happy with it. It got so many things right for a dumb

by willis936 5y ago

MilnerRoute 5y ago
That was one of the last movies that Gene Siskel reviewed with Ebert on his show. Siskel actually had to phone in to the show from a hospital - and he didn't like the movie either. But I remember that Ebert specifically asked Siskel how he'd felt about the fact that there were two characters in the movie named Ebert and Siskel - that were obviously intended to make fun of them. Siskel called it cheap. But then he added, as a purely objective criticism, that the bit never actually paid off. That he was expecting Godzilla to attack the characters, but instead they're just still standing around talking at the end of the film. What was the point? But whatever you think of any of that, that's what was so great about their show (and about this review, for that matter). That it creates this "middle space" between viewer and film-maker, for this additional giddy social mix of reactions and opinions -- all the "best of the year!" and "what were they thinking?" Or maybe I'm just saying that sometimes I really miss Ebert.