Godzilla - Die Rückkehr des Monsters

This Godzilla (Gojira) film holds a special place in my heart, for it is the first Godzilla movie I've watched. When I was a little kid, I was a dinosaur fanatic. My mom used to rent a dinosaur cartoon movie (made by some unknown studio) and I would watch it all the time. However, when that movie was unavailable for rental, my mom introduced Gojira to me. The film was titled "Godzilla 1985" and understandably, as I didn't understand subtitles back then, it was the US version of the Japanese 1984 film (the one with Raymond Burr in it). Though I heard the original Japanese version contains numerous scenes that were cut from the US version, the US version is still pleasant to watch. I would never have thought that this movie would lead me into years of collecting Godzilla and other Toho sci-fi movies, and even soundtrack CDs. The video version of this movie I rented included the short "Bambi Meets Godzilla" cartoon. Poor Bambi!

I think Shuichi Nagahara wrote a nice screenplay, depicting suspense, humor, power, and politics. Koji Hashimoto did a good job directing(keeping the plot intact), and Teruyoshi Nakano did great on the special effects (probably his best work). Reijiro Koroku provided a terrific music score, creating what I think is one of the best non-Ifukube scores.

Even though this movie features Godzilla only, it remains one of my all-time favorites. The scenes of Godzilla rising out of Tokyo bay, rendering the military helpless, and causing a path of destruction in Tokyo as citizens run for their lives are powerful. The scene where Godzilla derails a train with people still in it is still appalling for me to watch. I used to fast-forward the sea louse scene, for it scared the heck out of me. Now, the scene it pretty tamed to watch. The part where Godzilla falls inside the volcano was sad to watch, and aroused my sympathy in the monster. When the character Professor Hayashida said that "when mankind falls into conflict with nature, monsters are born," I think it is a really moral message (thinking back that it was nuclear bombs that brought Godzilla's wrath). And, the part where Burr said at the climax of the film that hints Godzilla is a natural force better explains Godzilla's purpose.

Overall, a great way to revive the Godzilla series after a 9-year hiatus, and a great introduction to the Godzilla "Heisei" series, which ran from 1984-1995. Also, it is a great introduction for me into the world of Godzilla.

Grade A

I have seen this film many times when I was young, but only the Raymond Burr version named "Godzilla 1985" which I later realized that the Raymond Burr scenes are entirely pointless and some of his lines are off and don't make sense, including ridiculous scenes in the American base where there's a Pepsi machine and a character drinks Pepsi when a serious moment happens just for advertisement, bad dubbing, bad dialogue, and the people working on the film removed the scenes with horrors of nuclear devastation, but I'm not giving an eight to the American version, I'm giving it to the Japanese version, which I have seen recently on DVD and I got to say this version is more superior. First of all, you can take the film more serious, and the film doesn't add crappy humor, and no Raymond Burr scenes. I also like the haunting score by Reijiro Koroku, and the fact that they makers of film brought Godzilla back to his roots, and the film also has a bigger budget so, the special effects, Godzilla suit, and miniatures are more better made (not perfect though). This is in my opinion, this is second greatest Godzilla movie next to original un-cut Gojira.

Picking up 30 odd years later and ignoring all the films that were made in between, Godzilla returns to trample Tokyo. The Tokyo natives think up all sorts of goofy plans to get rid of Godzilla, one which involves a highly advanced flying tank called Super-X, the other involving the use of birds to activate an often unused portion of Godzilla's brain that resembles a bird's to lead him out of Tokyo and into a volcano, where he remains until the sequel, "Godzilla VS Biollante".

The "1985" American version includes scenes of us damned Americans trying to figure out what do and features Raymond Burr reprising his Steve Martin character from the American version of the first film. However, his first name is never used on account of comedian Steve Martin's then hot popularity. This version also gives Russians a bad name because they made the Russian commander launch the missile before he died when in the original version he died heroically trying to stop the missile's launching but failed. The death of the tramp is also shown in the original version.

Maybe it's the lighting or lack there of, the smoke, or just the dated quality of my VHS tape, but this is a very dark and atmospheric monster on the rampage epic and one that I hold very close to my heart for reasons I can't quite explain. Special effects run the usual gamut from good to ridiculous, and the music is pretty good. Whether or not the original version will ever be released in America remains to be seen. I'd settle for just being able to see this one on DVD somewhere.

I would recommend that anyone who has only seen one version of this film make an effort to see whichever version you haven't seen. The changes that have been made between the Japanese/International version and the American version are very telling, in themselves.

Quite a few people criticize the suit design in this movie, but I think it's my favorite out of all the suits from 1954-1995. It looks the least like any 'real' reptile and more like a maddened, nuke-scorched monster. Or maybe just a big, green charcoal briquette with eyes. Anyway, it's feral and mindless, which is what Godzilla originally was. None of this superhero-friend-to-children-single-dad B.S. He's indestructible, he's angry, and he's going to destroy things. Why? Because.

I agree with the criticism of the FX. Even though we don't expect miracles from a Godzilla movie, this one had some rough spots that typically didn't appear in even the cheapest of the series' offerings. One scene in particular comes to mind: when Godzilla does a firesweep of the military equipment firing on him as he comes out of Tokyo bay, the angle of the animated firebreath doesn't match the aim of the monster's head.

I also agree that there isn't enough city-smashing. Some people prefer monster vs. monster battles, some prefer monster vs. military, I'm one of the group that likes to see major metropolitan areas levelled. Frankly, this movie didn't fully satisfy ANY of the three groups, as far as I can tell.

All that said, this is my second-favorite Godzilla film, after the original King of the Monsters and before Godzilla vs. King Kong. De gustibus non est disputandum.

Godzilla 1984 stands out as one of the best and most politically imbued Godzilla films ever made and deserves more credit for what it accomplished. Godzilla

1984 single-handedly revitalized the Godzilla franchise into the machine it is today and ushered in a new concept for what the monster could be; gone are

the kiddie children and the super-robots, the monster melees and monster

dancing - here is a return to what Godzilla truly is: and unstoppable force of nature. The original Japanese version is far superior to the butchered American cut and their political agenda is far more subtle than the American's tactless editing of the Russian nuclear launch sequence. Fans would do well to view

the original as it retains the history and dignity of the first Godzilla film.