★ 8 / 10
The big political atomic lizard is cheesed off
John Chard
The big political atomic lizard is cheesed off! After H bomb testing in the pacific, ships start to go missing and a remote island is apparently under attack…
The big political atomic lizard is cheesed off!
After H bomb testing in the pacific, ships start to go missing and a remote island is apparently under attack from a prehistoric monster. Japanese scientists hasten to find out just what is going on, what they find is Gojira, and he is mightily hell bent on destruction...next stop Tokyo.
Gojira is such an influential film, it has spawned many sequels, remakes, copyists, and numerous homages, and of course there is two versions of this film for the viewer to choose from. The American version is a decent enough watch, it has integrated Raymond Burr into this original versions plot, and although it's unintentionally funny at times, it holds up pretty well as a no brainer piece of fluff. But it fails to compare to this original Ishirô Honda classic because this has a wonderful ambiance of fear at its heart, coming some 10 years after the Hiroshima bomb, the Japanese audiences of the time would surely have noted the heavy aura of destruction seaming through the picture.
Watching it today, now that it's restored in all its original glory, is still a memorable and exhilarating experience, the build up is perfect, we are practically on the edge of our seats waiting to glimpse the giant atomic creature, and when he/it/she shows up for the first time, it gives us a truly memorable classic piece of cinema. Sadly the film is hampered a touch by a meandering romantic sub-plot, but the performances (notably Takeshi Shimura) are very engaging, while Akira Ifkube's score is poignantly perfect.
As man in a rubber suit movies go, Gojira has no peers, it's smart, fun, and above all else, memorable. 8/10
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★ 9 / 10
Wow, watching the Japanese version makes quite a bit of difference.
Aaron1375
Yes, I have seen the rather cheesy Americanized version of this film with the obviously inserted Raymond Burr scenes and while you do get to see Godzilla crush…
Yes, I have seen the rather cheesy Americanized version of this film with the obviously inserted Raymond Burr scenes and while you do get to see Godzilla crush Tokyo you miss most the the plot from the original Japanese version. The Japanese version is very well done and has a very good story, which for some reason we felt like changing. I don't know why, there really isn't any overtly anti-American messages to be found, rather a message against Japan's own nuclear testing and the dangers of said weapon to all people. So suffice to say this movie has a giant monster who comes out of the ocean, apparently a dinosaur that was entrapped in some underwater area where it remained undetected for millions of years...a nuclear test has not only released the beast it has horribly mutated it as well to a much bigger radioactive super beast. So scientist and military and politicians must now find a way to destroy the beast before it destroys all of Japan. The movie is very good and rather sad at the same time. The sweeping march on Tokyo is very well done as there is a rather good scene of a mother with her children surrounded by flames trying to comfort her kids by saying they will be with their father soon. Also a very good ending and very sad ending. It is also an ending in the Japanese version that warns that other Godzilla's may emerge and indeed they do as the next Godzilla to emerge would actually never be killed and end up being somewhat of a hero, kind of funny they did turn one of the most effective destructive monsters scarred by radiation into a hero, however I liked those Godzilla movies as well.
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