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 Omura	...	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:

Gojira (1954) became such a huge hit that Toho produced this sequel and got it into theaters, despite the numerous special effects scenes required, in less than six months after the original film was released.

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:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 2: The Deuce (2006) (V)

OK first sequel,but no classic like the original

Godzilla King Of The Monsters/Gojira remains one of the greatest monster movies ever which deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as King Kong. The first sequel is inevitably a disappointment,although it's still a pretty good,solid,monster movie on it's own. It just lacks much of the power and fear not to mention much of the allegorical aspects of the first film.

The tone is still basically serious,and it plays for much of the it's length like a semi-rehash of the first film,minus most of the atomic bomb references and with less interesting human characters {although one person from the original turns up}.Of course the addition of another monster,Angilas,creates some excitement. The highlight is undoubtedly the battle between Godzilla and Angilas which destroys most of a city,an impressive sequence despite being somewhat speeded up. Sadly the climax SPOILER WARNING of Godzilla being buried under ice is unexciting and overlong. Generally the effects are good although it's obvious the film was made on a lower budget than the original,and the filmmakers,which were a somewhat altered team to that of the previous one,slightly lack confidence.

All in all,an OK monster movie,but definitely one of the least interesting Godzilla movies. The US version,which features endless narration,comical dubbing, added stock footage and calls Godzilla Gigantis,is a mess and the Japanese version is far better- it cries out to get a proper release.