Godzilla


Godzilla

Overview:

Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships explode and are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by paleontologist Professor Kyohei Yemani soon discover something more devastating than imagined in the form of a 164 foot tall monster whom the natives call Gojira. Now the monster begins a rampage that threatens to destroy not only Japan, but the rest of the world as well.

Votes 187 (6.9/10)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Release Date 1954-11-03

Budget: $1,000,000.00

Tagline: It's Alive!

Production company:

  • Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Production country:

  • Japan

Genres:

  • Thriller
  • Horror
  • Science Fiction

Trailer

Further Information

Hideto Ogata
Akira Takarada
Akira Takarada
Emiko Yamane
Momoko Kôchi
Momoko Kôchi
Daisuke Serizawa-hakase
Akihiko Hirata
Akihiko Hirata
Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Takashi Shimura
Takashi Shimura
Professor Tanabe
Fuyuki Murakami
Fuyuki Murakami
Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Sachio Sakai
Sachio Sakai
Masaji Sieji
Ren Yamamoto
Ren Yamamoto
Shinkichi Sieji
Toyoaki Suzuki
Toyoaki Suzuki
President of Company
Toranosuke Ogawa
Toranosuke Ogawa
Chairman of Diet Committee
Hiroshi Hayashi
Hiroshi Hayashi
Parliamentarian Oyama
Seijirô Onda
Seijirô Onda
Ozawa-san
Kin Sugai
Kin Sugai
The Old Fisherman
Kokuten Kôdô
Kokuten Kôdô
Prof. Tababe's Assistant
Tadashi Okabe
Tadashi Okabe
Employee of Nankai Salvage Company
Jirô Mitsuaki
Jirô Mitsuaki
Radio Operator
Ren Imaizumi
Ren Imaizumi
Chief of Maritime Safety Agency
Sôkichi Maki
Sôkichi Maki
Young Lover on Ship
Kenji Sahara
Kenji Sahara
Godzilla
Haruo Nakajima
Haruo Nakajima
Soldier
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Mrs. Sieji
Tsuruko Mano
Tsuruko Mano
Chief of Emergency Headquarters
Takeo Oikawa
Takeo Oikawa
Power Station Engineer
Junpei Natsuki
Junpei Natsuki
Godzilla
Katsumi Tezuka
Katsumi Tezuka
News Reporter
Saburô Iketani
Saburô Iketani
Woman with Children
Shizuko Azuma
Shizuko Azuma
Partygoer
Shizuko Higashi
Shizuko Higashi
Partygoer's Escort
Kiyoshi Kamata
Kiyoshi Kamata
Mayor Inada
Keiji Sakakida
Keiji Sakakida
Mother
Tamae Sengo
Tamae Sengo
Director
Ishirô Honda
Ishirô Honda
Author
Ishirô Honda
Ishirô Honda
Director of Photography
Masao Tamai
Masao Tamai
Editor
Kazuji Taira
Kazuji Taira
Special Effects
Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
Screenplay
Takeo Murata
Takeo Murata
Producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Original Music Composer
Akira Ifukube
Akira Ifukube

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 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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