Zilla
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Godzilla film series character | |
|---|---|
| Zilla | |
 |
|
| Species | Mutant marine iguana |
| Alias | Godzilla American Godzilla GINO (Godzilla In Name Only) Deanzilla Newzilla Tristarzilla Tuna-Head |
| Height | 60[1]-90[2] m (197-295 ft) |
| Weight | 500 tons[1] |
| Abilities | Speed Swimming Asexual reproduction Burrowing Jumping Wind breath Atomic flame breath (Godzilla: The Series only) |
| Origins | Nuclear testing in French Polynesia |
| First appearance | Godzilla |
| Created by | Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin and Patrick Tatopoulos |
Zilla (ジラ Jira) is Toho Studios's official name for the title character of the 1998 TriStar Pictures film Godzilla.
Created from a French nuclear test, Zilla is a mutated marine iguana. Before Toho officially dubbed the creature Zilla, many fans developed several nicknames to differentiate this American Godzilla from the original Japanese Godzilla.
Contents |
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Film
In the American Godzilla an iguana egg is irradiated by French nuclear tests in French Polynesia, Godzilla makes its presence known years later when it attacks a Japanese fishing ship. It then heads to New York City, dragging three trawlers under the sea on the way, then creating havoc in the Fulton Fish Market, before rampaging through the city. Manhattan is evacuated and the military attempt to kill Godzilla, first luring it out with a huge pile of fish. It takes the bait, but then is scared off by small arms fire that instead destroys the Flatiron Building since godzilla ducks down. Then godzilla is chased by three AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. They fire, only to knock the top two dozen stories, including the top spires off the Chrysler Building. Godzilla escapes, but not before it is realized that it reproduces asexually, and is collecting food not only for itself, but also for its offspring. The military lures Godzilla out again, into the waters of the Hudson River and seemingly kill it with a torpedo. Meanwhile, hundreds of eggs are discovered in Madison Square Garden. The baby Godzillas begin to look for food, but are incinerated when the building is bombarded. The adult Godzilla emerges from the wreckage, and is lured to the Brooklyn Bridge where it becomes entangled in the steel suspension cables, and is an easy target for the fighters. After it is hit with several missiles, it screams in pain and falls to the ground, its heart beating slowly until it breathes its last breath.
All seems well until we see in the smoking ruins of the Garden, a single egg has survived and hatches revealing another baby Godzilla.
[edit] Animated series
Godzilla: The Series, a Saturday morning cartoon not to be confused with the original series from Hanna-Barbera, continued the story of Godzilla's surviving offspring from the American film in a role reminiscent of the Japanese films of the late Shōwa era.
The series revolves around the only surviving offspring of the first Godzilla seen in the climax of the film. It imprints on Nick Tatopoulos and with Tatopoulos' monster hunting team HEAT, they travel around the world battling giant monsters.
The Godzilla from the series differs from the one from the film. The animated Godzilla cannot reproduce asexually and is slightly smaller, but is slightly more cunning, a bit faster, and can breath powerful blasts of radioactive fire. The creators of the show intended this Godzilla to be much more like the original Japanese Godzilla.
[edit] Other appearances
- The American Godzilla made an appearance in a 2006 Doritos commercial, in which it picks up a truck of Doritos and shakes chips into its mouth. In another Doritos commercial, it devours a spicy variant of Doritos, roars in pain, and dives into the Hudson River. Both were meant to parody the bait scene in the 1998 movie.
- At the time of the release of the American film, Godzilla made several commercials for Taco Bell, crossing paths with the Taco Bell chihuahua.
- Toys of the American Godzilla appear in Armageddon alongside Japanese Godzilla toys during the opening sequence in New York. This was a friendly jab at Roland Emmerich.
- In the Robot Chicken episode That Hurts Me, the segment Godzilla Remade Again features Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich remaking Godzilla once more; the segment goes on to show a scene of baby Godzillas attacking, only to begin inexplicably roller skating and dancing in a rink. When the studio head bemoans the fact that he trusted Devlin and Emmerich to make a decent Godzilla film, for a second time, and that they instead have produced an unmarketable pile of crap, for a second time, Devlin and Emmerich give each other a high-five.
- The events of the American Godzilla remake are jokingly referenced in the opening of the 2001 Millennium Godzilla film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
- The American Godzilla, as Zilla, makes an appearance in the 2004 Millennium Godzilla film Godzilla: Final Wars, attacking Sydney, Australia. In its fight against the original Godzilla it is quickly killed and the Xillien leader throws a fit, declaring "I knew that tuna head wasn't up to much!"
- In the opening video for the 2008 Oscars, Zilla appears fighting the 2005 King Kong.
[edit] Video games
- Godzilla Generations for the Sega Dreamcast
- Godzilla Trading Battle for the PlayStation
- Godzilla: The Series and Godzilla: The Series - Monster Wars for the Game Boy Color
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Godzilla [American]". http://www.tohokingdom.com/kaiju/godzilla_us.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
- ^ Zilla [Millennium]
