Despite Toho’s best efforts, Terror of Mechagodzilla failed to make its budget at the box office despite receiving decent reviews. Towards the end of the 70s, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka started working on a franchise reboot that harkened to the original. Tanaka recognized that the decision to make Godzilla more kid-friendly and heroic was a mistake and wanted to correct that. Ishiro Honda was approached to direct, but he declined, so in his place, his assistant Koji Hashimoto was hired. Teruyoshi Nakano, who directed the special effects for several of the previous Godzilla movies, was brought back for this installment. New World Pictures acquired the North American distribution rights, redubbing the film and adding new scenes with Raymond Burr. The Japanese version was released as Godzilla in late 1984, though it was also known as The Return of Godzilla. The American edit came out the following year as Godzilla 1985.
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Rating
Synopsis
Off the coast of Daikoku Island, a fishing boat struggles against the tides when some giant monster emerges to attack. Days later, the ship is found by reporter Goro Maki (Ken Tanaka), who finds all the occupants dead except one. The lone survivor, Naoko Okumura (Yasuko Sawaguchi), claims that Godzilla attacked the boat, but the government keeps the story secret. Meanwhile, Maki visits Professor Hayashida (Yosuke Natsuki) to learn more about Godzilla and meets Naoko’s sister Hiroshi (Shin Takuma). However, the situation escalates after a Soviet sub is destroyed near Japan, so the government reveals Godzilla’s return. Soon enough, Godzilla starts laying waste to Tokyo, so the military sends out their newest weapon, the Super X. While Hayashida tries using a homing signal to lure Godzilla into a volcano, the Soviets launch a nuke toward Japan. Will Godzilla be defeated, or will Tokyo be obliterated?
Review
The Return of Godzilla was an attempt by Toho to make Godzilla scary again, and it succeeded. Throughout the movie, every scene has this gloomy, almost apocalyptic feel, even during the daytime. Koji Hashimoto does a great job at capturing this look and staging the destruction sequences once Godzilla shows up. The Godzilla suit designed by Teruyoshi Nakano is a vast improvement over the ones used in past movies. Towards the end of the Showa era, the suits looked like they were falling apart and too big to wear. The suit seems slimmer, has well-defined features, and resembles a modern version of the 1954 monster. Also, the miniature and model work and some fantastic explosions are impressive, making for some fantastic scenes of destruction. For a 40-year-old movie, the effects hold up surprisingly well, even if a bit outdated. Still, you can’t beat the classics.
Some longtime fans might be disappointed that this doesn’t have the goofy charm of the late Showa era. I prefer this film’s darker, more serious tone, though some humor is sprinkled in if you prefer that. During Godzilla’s rampage, a bum wanders the city streets and comments on the destruction, providing the film’s comic relief. Supposedly, New World wanted to make the movie more of a comedy during their edits, but Raymond Burr objected. Considering the film’s darker tone, I’m unsure how you could’ve made this a comedy unless you tried hard. The Japanese cast all do a solid job, and the movie succeeds at making you care about the human characters. Some references to the Cold War further date the film, but it works in context, considering Godzilla represents nuclear destruction. It also seems like a natural progression from the original’s post-WWII setting.
If I had any complaints, they’d be minor, as I feel this is one of the best entries. For as good as the effects are, a few close-up shots of Godzilla look a bit goofy. Side views look menacing, wildly when he roars, but he looks like The Cookie Monster from the front. Also, the pacing sometimes drags, especially in the more human-focused scenes, though it’s not enough to ruin the experience. While it’s disappointing that Godzilla doesn’t fight another monster, focusing solely on Godzilla was the right call. While I haven’t watched the Godzilla 1985 version, I can say that this is an excellent reintroduction to the character. Though the 1954 original is better, this is still a great starting point if you want to get into Godzilla. Overall, The Return of Godzilla succeeds at reminding audiences why Godzilla is the King of the Monsters!
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