Gojira no gyakushû (1955)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Motoyoshi Oda

Writers:

Shigeaki Hidaka (writer)
Shigeru Kayama (novel)

Release Date:

21 May 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Godzilla battles an irradiated Ankylosaur and destroys Osaka in the process.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Godzilla | Pilot | Island | Fishing

Cast

Hiroshi Koizumi	...	Shoichi Tsukioka
Setsuko Wakayama	...	Hidemi Yamaji
Minoru Chiaki	...	Kôji Kobayashi
Takashi Shimura	...	Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Masao Shimizu	...	Zoologist Dr. Tadokoro
Seijiro Onda	...	Captain Terasawa of Osaka Defense Corps
Sonosuke Sawamura	...	Hokkaido Branch Manager Shingo Shibeki
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Tajima, Member of Osaka Defense Corps
Mayuri Mokusho	...	Radio Operator Yasuko Inouye
Minosuke Yamada	...	Chief of Civil Defense
Yukio Kasama	...	Koehi Wamaji, President of the Fishery
Senkichi Ômura	...	Small Escaped Convict
Ren Yamamoto	...	Commander of Landing Craft
Shin Otomo	...	Convict Leader
Takeo Oikawa	...	Osaka Municipal Police Commissioner

Also Known As:

Counterattack of the Monsters (USA) (promotional title)
Fire Monster
Gigantis
Gigantis the Fire Monster (USA)
Godzilla Raids Again (USA) (video title)
Godzilla's Counter Attack (International: English title) (literal title)
Gojira Strikes Again
Gojira's Counterattack
The Return of Godzilla
The Volcano Monster

Runtime:

82 min | USA:78 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf)

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

This is the first film in which Godzilla fights another monster.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Osaka's blackout is put into effect, all lights turn off including the car lights.

Quotes:

[last line; Japanese version]
Shoichi Tsukioka: Kobayashi... we beat Godzilla for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gojira: Fainaru uôzu (2004)

Good...No, Awesome Godzilla Movie!

Let me just begin this review by saying that I never intended to like this movie. I only got the DVD to add to my Godzilla collection. I knew that it was old and some of the stuff in the movie looks cheesy and the gave Godzilla the name Gigantis, but I misjudged this movie.

Godzilla Raids Again is definitely one of the top contenders for my favorite Godzilla movie (right with Final Wars, Gojira and Godzilla 2000.) Seeing as this is one of Godzilla's rarer movies, I consider myself lucky that I saw it.

So, to sum up my review in 1 sentence, I guess I'll say this. This movie wasn't what I expected, in a good way.