Godzilla 1998 Open Matte Best [ Certified ]

Unlike "Pan and Scan"—which crops the sides of a widescreen image to fit a square TV— reveals image data captured by the camera but intentionally masked for theaters. Godzilla was filmed using Super 35 (specifically common-top), a process that captures a much taller image than what is eventually shown on a 2.39:1 cinema screen. Why Fandom Prefers the Expanded View

This is the "forbidden fruit" aspect that fans love. In 1998, CGI was advanced but not perfect. The visual effects team rendered the dinosaurs and the monster specifically for the 2.35:1 theatrical frame. They didn't bother animating or texturing the parts of the image that the audience would never see. Godzilla 1998 Open Matte