Gojira Minira Gabara Ôru kaijû daishingeki

This is my fave Godzilla movie. My second fave is the one this movie takes clips from "Son of Godzilla".

I like this movie because the story about little Ichiro is so sweet. I like how he learns lessons from Minya (baby Godzilla) about dealing with bullies. And the 'real life' danger the boy faces is both interesting and handled in a comical manner to appeal to children.

But overall, it appeals tob this adult just because it's a cute story, with good actors.

Godzilla's Revenge is often regarded as one of the worst Godzilla films,and it's reputation was not helped by coming after the terrifically entertaining Destroy All Monsters. The film was obviously made on a tiny budget,with the majority of the monster stuff footage from Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster,Son Of Godzilla and even King Kong Escapes! However,look closer and the film is actually quite interesting,especially if you remember it was aimed at very young children.

Having all of the monster footage exist in the mind of a small boy almost justifies the stock footage in a way,as if he was remembering previous stuff he'd seen. The 'real'footage takes place in a much more realistic environment than usual,and addresses concerns that might mean a lot to young children-parents spending not enough time with them,loneliness,bullying,etc. Of course things like the son of Godzilla shrinking down to human size and talking irritate some older Godzilla fans,and none of the 'new'monster footage is particularly good,but some films one just has to judge by thinking of the target audience,and as a kid's film it's really quite good,perhaps a perfect film for parents to introduce Godzilla to their children!

People who claim Godzilla movies are all the same should see this and maybe the surreal Godzilla Vs Hedorah,both are very unusual and original variations on the kaiju formula.

Okay, alot of people said this film was the worst ever made, but I disagree. I say the English version released by UPA did the film NO justice what-so-ever.

Here, let me give you all the run-down:

Sound Effects: US version- They sound very weird and almost muted out. And the sounds that Ichiro's voice actress keeps making does not go with what the child star is saying.

Sound Effects: Japanese version- Ah, now that I can hear better. I don't need to tune up the volume now!

Picture: US version- Pan and Scan.

Picture: Japanese version- Widescreen format. You get to see alot more on what's going on.

Music: US version- Probably one of the few descent things. The theme song is quite upbeat and quite unusual. However, the music may be good, but does it really sound like a Kaiju Eiga soundtrack though?

Music: Japanese Version- Some have thought of it being cutesy poo, but I liked it. Ichiro's actor's voice is soooooo cute! Fits the movie more.

And most importantly......

Minilla's voice: US version- GAAAAAAH! No, no, no, no, no! Is this what gave the Barney creator's their sinister idea? The voice actor gave Minilla-kun no justice!

Minilla's voice: Japanese version- Ahhhh, now that is BETTER! Sounds cuter and more child like. More fitting for Minilla. NOTE: The late Michiko Hirai, who voiced Sally Yumeno in an old school anime series called "Mahô tsukai Sally (aka. Witch girl Sally) did Minilla's voice in Japan.

Overall: Get the Japanese version. It is more pleasant.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Ishiro Honda; Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, for Toho; released in America as "Godzilla's Revenge" by Maron Films. Screenplay by Shinichi Sekizawa; Photography by Sokei Tomioka; Edited by Masahisa Himi; Music by Kunio Miyauchi. Starring: Kenji Sahara, Machiko Naka, Shigeki Ishida, Tomonori Yazaki and Hideyo Amamoto.

Latterday entry in Honda's series of childish monster films, quickly shuttled to television. The film is kiddie/boy scout-oriented, with "Ultraman"-styled monster fights on Monster Island, where biggies from "Destroy All Monsters" congregate, including Godzilla, Manda, a new-styled Gamera and Minya, Godzilla's son who is boy-sized this time out. The story is dream-style and weak on plot, with flashy, pointless, modernistic techniu.

First off, I have to give this film a 7/10 not because I liked it, but because my youngest kids (4 and 6) loved it. You know the sort of movie that puts you to sleep but your kindergarten kids just soak right in? Films like Bionicles or HotWheels are better than a sedative, but this one isn't quite so bad thanks to the Godzilla footage and little side-stories the kids will ignore, but the adults will enjoy (admittedly not many of these, but at least they tried).

the most interesting of these side stories involves the boy's friend and neighbour, the typical mussy-haired scientist-tinkerer we find in most Godzilla films. In one scene worth the price of the movie (which I got on VHS at Giant Tiger for $4) our friendly neighbourhood scientist demonstrates his new invention, an integrated monitor and keyboard desktop computer. Keep in mind this is 1968/69, Xerox PARC was only just starting to toy with such ideas in a strictly-business domain, but here in Godzilla-land they are, as usual, decades ahead of the rest of us: IIRC, the boy recommends re-tooling the workstation ... so it will play not just one, but a variety of games! Toho invented the XBox! Back to the movie, it IS possible for older audiences to watch it, but you do need to suspend your belief just a bit more than the usual acceptance of 100-foot monsters.

So ... should a baby-gozilla be 4 feet high, blow smoke-rings and walk and talk? Absolutely. The key to watching this film is just as another reviewer noted, by keeping in mind that the entire film occurs inside the daydreams of a very young person. Given that, it all makes perfect sense, the plot, the dialog, the flashbacks and everything, and if you happen to actually BE a very young person, then it not only makes sense, but it enters your own life.

We were setting place-mats and pillows for Minya for months after they first watched this movie.

Minya fans will also be happy to know that the diminutive atomic monster returns as a principle character in the 2004 Final Wars, albeit with a non-speaking part :)