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Parents' Guide to

Godzilla

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Violent updated classic could be too intense for young kids.

Movie PG-13 1998 139 minutes
Godzilla Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Rosiemom1227
Rosiemom1227 Parent of 1, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 14-year-old
October 1, 2020
age 15+

A lot more language than warning listed, some sexual references

We had seen this in Spanish on tv, and thought it was kind of cool, but the English version, when we could understand the dialogue, ruined it for me. Lots of swearing, using the names of Christ and Jesus profanely, and some sexual references. Just made it not worth it for the quality of the movie.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
Maxsteel141
Maxsteel141 Adult
February 8, 2020
age 10+

The best movie ever

It’s very good and not very inappropriate

This title has:

Great messages
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Nuclear testing has resulted in the mutation of a fish-loving lizard who seeks out Manhattan as an ideal place to lay eggs (he is a self-reproducing hermaphrodite). While GODZILLA roars around knocking down buildings, bespectacled scientist Nick Tatapolous (Matthew Broderick) works with the U.S. Army and a mysterious group of Frenchmen to try to stop him, and Audrey (Maria Petillo), the girl who broke Nick's heart in college, tries to break into the broadcast reporting big leagues by getting the inside story.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (38 ):

The classic Japanese monster film has been updated by the team that produced and directed Stargate and Independence Day, and what we get is basically Jurassic Park with one very, very big dinosaur.

On the scariness scale, Godzilla fits in at around the Jurassic Park level, with a few jump-out-at-you surprises and some tense moments. The special effects are state-of-the art, but not particularly innovative. There are some striking visuals and a few clever plot turns. But the movie sorely misses the quirky charm of Independence Day's Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, and the story never captures the heart. The real special effect in this movie is making it appear that Manhattan was evacuated almost instantaneously.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this 1998 version differs from the original 1956 Godzilla movie. What's most compelling, the story or the nonstop action?

  • If you're used to seeing Matthew Broderick in romantic comedies and quirky dramas, what do you think of him in an action movie loaded with special effects?

  • Why do you think so many movies have been made about the disastrous effects of nuclear testing?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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