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Akira Takarada | ... | |
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Momoko Kôchi | ... | |
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Akihiko Hirata | ... | |
| Takashi Shimura | ... | ||
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Fuyuki Murakami | ... | |
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Sachio Sakai | ... | |
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Toranosuke Ogawa | ... |
President of Company
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Ren Yamamoto | ... | |
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Hiroshi Hayashi | ... |
Chairman of Diet Committee
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Seijirô Onda | ... | |
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Tsuruko Mano | ... | |
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Takeo Oikawa | ... |
Chief of Emergency Headquarters
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Toyoaki Suzuki | ... | |
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Kokuten Kôdô | ... |
The Old Fisherman
(as Kuninori Kôdô)
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Tadashi Okabe | ... |
Prof. Tanabe's Assistant
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Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships explode and are sunk. At first, the authorities think its either underwater mines or underwater volcanic activity. The authorities soon head to Odo Island, close to where several of the ships were sunk. One night, something comes onshore and destroys several houses and kills several people. A later expedition to the island led by paleontologist Professor Kyôhei Yamane, his daughter Emiko, and young navy frogman Hideto Ogata (who also happens to be Emiko's lover, even though she is betrothed to Dr. Daisuke Serizawa) soon discover something more devastating than imagined in the form of a 164-foot-tall (50-meter-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. Can the monster be destroyed before it is too late, and what role will the mysterious Serizawa play in the battle? Written by Brian Washington <Sargebri@att.net>
Finally, I had the pleasure of finally seeing the original Japanese version of this classic and I have to say that it is much better than the "Raymond Burr" version. This film pretty much makes one think about what we are doing to mother Earth with all the pollution and war going on. Perhaps the thing that made this film great was that not only did it have great effects, but it also had a great story that made a great social commentary on what could have happened if the arms race continued to go unchecked. Besides the story about Gojira, you also had a pretty decent love story. Akihiko Hirata, does a good job of playing Serizawa, who is really the tragic figure in this film who must decide whether or not to use his weapon, which potentially was more dangerous than the monster itself. This film is definitely one of the all time classics and fortunately the original version will be released on DVD in September 2006.