| abstract
| - In the 1990s, a nuclear test is carried out near to Infant Island, and a lizard nest is hit by the fallout. All but one of the eggs are cooked to death. Twenty years later, a Japanese fishing trawler wanders off course and finds itself close to Infant Island. Suddenly, something unknown rises from the ocean and the trawler loses contact shortly thereafter. A recovery ship is dispatched to investigate, and it sends out a radio message explaining that they have located the sunken wreckage of the trawler before they also go missing. Dr Phil Welker, a renowned archaeologist, mounts a government approved expedition to Infant Island to further investigate. The Global Mirror, a popular international newspaper, learns of the expedition and send their best reporter, the famed Tom Martin, to join them. Before departing, Tom is introduced to Welker's daughter Emily, who has just broken off her engagement to Welker's colleague Dr Daisuke Serizawa, a respected scientist who lost his left eye in a lab explosion. Tom is smitten with Emily and they briefly flirt before he, Welker and the rest of the expedition leave for the island. On Infant Island, Tom meets an old man who recounts an old legend about a sea monster called Gojira who he thinks is responsible for the missing ships. Tom is skeptical, but Welker finds a large radioactive footprint in the sand. That night, a terrible storm hits the island, during which several villagers, including Tom's friend, video technician Wayne, are killed. Tom briefly witnesses what killed them; a large shadow vanishing into the ocean, and snaps a photo of it. The following day they leave the island. Welker present his findings, along with Tom's photograph, to the American government and explains that he believes the monster was spawned from a nuclear explosion. The military send a fleet to Infant Island to find and destroy the monster. Tom translates Gojira into Godzilla and writes a story about it, but the government prevent it from being published. Later, Welker invites Tom around for dinner with he and Emily, during which she and Tom grow closer together. The fleet surrounds Infant Island and fire off depth charges to kill the monster. Suddenly, Godzilla rises from the sea and unleashes a blast of atomic breath, wiping out half of the fleet in one fell swoop. The other ships try to flee, but they are also destroyed. Only one ship, a battleship carrying Admiral Clegg, escapes, but it is unknowingly followed back to America by Godzilla. Tom's jealous colleague Dave Ross steals his story and leaks it on the Internet, causing a panic throughout the world. Tom is placed under house arrest in the Welker home in New York for his involvement. That night, Godzilla rises from the harbour and destroys it, killing several fishermen. Clegg devises a plan to electrocute Godzilla to death by erecting several large electricial towers along the Manhattan shoreline. Still under house arrest, Tom talks to Emily about what caused her to break it off with Serizawa. She explains that he became very caught up in his work, ignoring her, and then shocked her when he demonstrated what he had created. Suddenly, a rumble is heard and Godzilla emerges from the water. The creature becomes entangled in the electrical wiring and Clegg sends fifty thousand volts into it. However, Godzilla survives and tears the towers down. The monster then rampages through New York, and Dave is amongst those killed. Tom and Emily flee during the chaos and escape to a homeless shelter, while the house is destroyed. After derailing a train and killing numerous civilains, Godzilla returns to the bay, while Clegg calls in a last minute air strike to try and take Godzilla out. However, Godzilla once again survives and disappears back under the water. At the shelter, Tom asks Emily what Serizawa created. She explains that it a device which destroys oxygen atoms in water, which in turn causes all organisms in the water to die. He showed her this by using it on a fish tank, reducing all fish to skeletons. Tom realises that they may be able to use the Oxygen Destroyer to defeat Godzilla. He and Emily visit Serizawa in his lab, but he refuses to use the device for anything. After they leave, he watches a news report about Godzilla's attack and after witnessing the extent of the destruction the creature caused, has a change of heart. He burns all of his research and destroys his lab so that no one will find his formula. Tom, Emily, Welker and Serizawa approach Clegg and suggest using the Oxygen Destroyer on Godzilla. Clegg is reluctant, but his advisors tells him to ask permission from the President as the device is an untested weapon. While they await a decision, night falls and Godzilla rises again. During another rampage, the air force arrives again but Godzilla destroys the fleet. Clegg himself is killed in the attack. Tom and Serizawa dive into the water when Godzilla retreats. Serizawa prepares to activate the Oxygen Destroyer and tells Tom to be with Emily. He then cuts Tom's breathing tube, forcing him to return to the surface. Serizawa then activates the device and cuts his own cord, chosing to die with Godzilla. Godzilla bursts from the water and lets out one final roar before it's flesh disintergrates, leaving only a skeleton behind, which sinks to the bottom. In the aftermath, Tom finally asks Emiy out on a date. A memorial service is held for those who died and Serizawa is honoured as a national hero. Welker muses that perhaps humanity doesn't have all the answers that it thought it had. The film ends with Tom giving a speech about the events on a news report.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)