[Dr Kain]

There are a lot of memories surrounding this movie as the US version, Godzilla 1985, was the first Godzilla movie I had ever seen. It peaked my interest in the series a lot, but it was a movie I did not share any warm feelings for. In fact, as a child, I found it to be out right boring. Even to this day I still do not give this movie the credit it deserves. Until now.

This movie is extremely well done. It has some truly outstanding effects, great miniatures, and an excellent array of film techniques used to make it feel bigger than everything is. I am not sure what it was before I was missing about this movie, but there is so much here to love. First off, it does something unique at the time by erasing the previous Godzilla movies from continuity except for the original, which really helps sell the movie. It brings Godzilla back to his roots, a walking terror and not a super hero, the way he was always meant to be. The Godzilla costume in this movie does an excellent job of stating such. Godzilla’s look is monstrous. It also helps that they made him resemble the original a lot closer than its Showa era sequels did, bringing back the elongated fangs in his front teeth, removing the child-like eyes, and even giving him back his fourth toe on each foot. If there is anything I do have to complain about this costume it is that I feel the snout is a little too short. That aside though, this Godzilla is no joke. I also think the animatronics they used for his face are fantastic.

The story itself is not bad either. It starts off with a really nice build up to bring Godzilla’s presence back from the dead with the Japanese government unsure as to what to do with the notion that the monster is alive and well. In fact, most of the movie is quite enjoyable, but it does have some pacing issues. I cannot help but feel that it stalls a bit in the middle like a Russian missile launch. About five to ten minutes probably could have been shaved from the movie and the plot would not have been effected one bit. The movie does a nice job of showing the mental impact the concept of a nuclear missile touching Japan again can have on someone, and I liked how they brought in other countries to show that the threat of Godzilla is not just Japan’s fear. It is a shame that they make both the Americans and Russians look trigger happy, but that is probably something that would really happen if Godzilla was real. I do have to wonder though, how many of those Russian soldiers were actually Russian, if any of them.

Speaking of people, the characters in this movie are decent. They are not the greatest characters ever, but they get the job done. Maki and Naoko are fine characters despite their bad fashion sense (and Naoko’s lack of emotion). Dr. Hayashida does feel more like he is Yamane 2.0, but I’ll forgive the movie for that. The concept that Godzilla has ADD when it comes to birds is interesting, but feels pointless since it is never touched upon again in any of the sequels to this one. Actually, I think the most interesting character in the movie is the drunken homeless dude. He is just hilarious to watch every time I see this movie. It would have been nice had Godzilla stepped on him, but that is okay.

On the negative, aside from the slowdown I feel the movie encounters, there is one other issue I have this movie, and it is the Super-X. Early on in the movie the government touts this machine as being something amazing. Yet, it is under used and seems to be quite weak. While I can understand it turning out to not be a threat against Godzilla, it would have been nice had this thing been utilized and developed on screen. Instead, it feels more like a cheap way of saying, “Tanks are boring and useless, so we’ll use this vehicle never heard of before to the audience as a way to make them think this is something worth fighting Godzilla.” It also does not help that all it seems to do is fly around in circles and shoot missiles and lasers. The Super-X could have been cool, but instead, it feels like a cheap gimmick to stall the movie. In fact, that is really the point of the movie where I feel it stalls, when the Super-X is on screen through the missile crisis portion.

Overall, I am not sure why it took me years to really see how well this movie is, but I have now done so. I doubt it will still be near the top of my Heisei favorites, but I definitely feel that it has risen much higher on my favorites list as a Godzilla movie in general. I give Godzilla (84) a nice 7/10.