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I don't know why this movie is rated so low. It's not great but it is entertaining. It feels like a 90's episode of The Lost World, but in a good way. Every ten minutes a new plot twist is implemented, and the action is fun. Cheesy, but fun. I can point out its flaws such as the cardboard acting, forgettable stereotypical characters, low budget sets, etc., but it all adds to the entertainment value. If you like conspiracy theories, movie making, and/or 90's style adventure this movie is for you. And, as others have surely harped on, the stop motion is great. It feels slow-mo in places, but it's something that can be overlooked. I enjoyed this movie.

I never thought in my life I'd see a Godzilla movie that would make me emotional, and yet here it is. This movie is incredibly well written. It has no business being this good, but I'm glad it is. TOHO knocked it out of the park, as did the director, cinematographer, set designer, actors, writers, effects artists, they should all be proud of the work they did here. No line of dialogue, nor scene, nor action happens without good reason and callback. I have only a few minor complaints that don't really add up to much but here they are. For one, CG is not scary or realistic looking. It's all very well done, but it still looks like CG, that's just how it is and always will be. The actors still did a great job reacting to it, so it's passable enough. For two, there were only a couple of moments that seemed out of place for the characters, yet they dissipated over time and were forgotten easily enough, as they blended into the overall story. In the end, I loved this movie and hope the follow-up will be just as good. Some may complain that there wasn't enough Godzilla. I'll admit Godzilla seemed more like a background character that showed up a couple of times, but it was acceptable enough for the type of movie this became. The messaging of survival, family, sacrifice, forgiveness, were all felt and admirable. I teared up more times than I'd like to admit. Amazing job TOHO team!!!

Is it accurate? I don't know. But it is very good. The story telling is spot on perfect for the casual watcher. The makeup is great, the set designs are pretty good, the casting and acting is very good. The one and only gripe I can make is the CG department. The filmmakers obviously didn't have the budget of a high quality triple-A film, but that's okay, the story and the characters carry it well enough to suspend disbelief just enough to get by. 1997 was in that weird period of bad visual effects anyway. This is a story about a man who not only fights as a commanding general in a 10 year war, but spends the majority of the time trying his damndest to get back home to his wife and son, both of which are having their own heart wrenching struggles. If you have time to sit for the three hour presentation you won't be disappointed. I've seen it twice now, and came away both times with tears in my eyes. Beautiful storytelling on the part of the director.