Brand Failures

42 Brand failures
the possible exception of a mildly enjoyable car chase near the end, there
isn’t a sequence in this film that raises the pulse. Even the scenes with
dozens of aircraft attacking the monster are so devoid of tension and
suspense that they are yawn-provoking. Independence Day may have
been dumb, but it was full of ‘adrenaline moments’ capable of getting
the audience involved in the action. In this aspect of its production, as
in so many others, Godzilla is lacking. Actually, part of the problem is
that we’re never sure who we’re supposed to be rooting for: the green
monster with an attitude or the paper-thin humans trying to stop him.
Towards the end of the review, Berardinelli emphasized the insignificance of
his opinion:
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what I (or any other critic, for that
matter) have to say about the movie. Sony’s TriStar has assumed that
Godzilla, like all self-proclaimed summer event motion pictures, is
pretty much critic-proof. It may also be word-of-mouth-proof. Those
who want to see the movie will see it no matter what I write or their
friends say. So, when I go on record to assert that Godzilla is one of the
most idiotic blockbuster movies of all time, it’s like spitting into the
wind.
Maybe if Berardinelli’s had been the only bad review he would have had a
point. But when there were thousands of other everyday moviegoers – not
high-minded newspaper critics – venting their negative opinions, the
Godzilla brand was soon losing its bite. One online discussion group even
included a list of 63 fundamental flaws within the movie (typical example:
‘Godzilla can outrun helicopters but he can’t keep up with a taxicab’).
1998 was the year the movie industry finally realized the influential power
of the Internet had over the movie-going public. Not only did it play a
fundamental role in making sure Godzilla’s excessive marketing budget had
been a waste of money, but it was also proving (through the example of the
Blair Witch Project and its cult online following) that large marketing budgets
weren’t always necessary in the first place.
Given the critical mauling Godzilla received, it is interesting to note that
three years later Sony was receiving much more positive reviews for its
summer blockbusters. Quotes from David Manning, the reviewer from the
Ridgefield Press, were included on posters promoting the comedies A Knight’s