Gojira no gyakushû (1955)

Director:

Motoyoshi Oda

Writers:

Shigeaki Hidaka (writer)
Shigeru Kayama (novel)
(more)

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 | Fishing | Giant Monster

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 Ôtomo	...	Convict Leader
Takeo Oikawa	...	Osaka Municipal Police Commissioner
Shôichi Hirose	...	Convict
Junpei Natsuki	...	Escaped Convict
Katsumi Tezuka	...	Angirasu
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira
Marvin Miller	...	Narrator (voice: English version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Toku Ihara	...	Policeman
Takuzô Kumagai	...	Captain of Hokkai-maru (as Jirô Kumagai)
Hoshino Miyoko	...	Singer of cabaret
Tadao Nakamaru	...	Policeman
Hideo Shibuya	...	Visitor of cabaret
Shigemi Sunagawa	...	Visitor of cabaret
Masaaki Tachibana	...	Policeman
Shin Yoshida	...	Convict
Paul Frees	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice: English version)
Keye Luke	...	Hiroshi Koizumi (uncredited) (voice: English version)
George Takei	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice: English version)

Directed by
Motoyoshi Oda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shigeaki Hidaka		writer
Shigeru Kayama		novel "Gojira"
Takeo Murata		writer

Produced by
Edmund Goldman	....	producer
Paul Schreibman	....	producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	producer

Original Music by
Masaru Satô

Cinematography by
Seiichi Endo

Film Editing by
Hugo Grimaldi
Kazuji Taira

Production Design by
Teruaki Abe
Takeo Kita

Production Management
Kazuo Baba	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eiji Iwaya	....	chief assistant director

Sound Department
Ichirô Minawa	....	sound re-recording mixer
Masanobu Miyazaki	....	sound recordist
Alvin Sarno	....	sound effects editor: US version

Special Effects by
Hiroshi Mukoyama	....	matte work
Eiji Tsuburaya	....	director of special effects
Akira Watanabe	....	special effects art director

Visual Effects by
Sadamasa Arikawa	....	special effects assistant camera (uncredited)
Edward Nassour	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)

Stunts
Haruo Nakajima	....	stunt choreographer

Camera and Electrical Department
Masayoshi Onuma	....	lighting technician

Music Department
Rex Lipton	....	music editor (US version)

Other crew
Paul Frees	....	voice dubbing: multiple characters (U.S. version)
Hugo Grimaldi	....	dubbing director (US version)

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Company (1955) (worldwide) (all media)
• Les Films du Verseau (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Eros Films (1960) (UK) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmax Home Video (video)
• Genius Products (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Kuk Dong
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony BMG Music Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Treasures (1989) (USA) (VHS)

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:

Many times during the American dubbed version, Godzilla uses Anguirus' trademark roar more often than he uses his own.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the shot where a few people are washed away in a flood in an underground-station, they appear to be transparent, as their images were apparently printed upon the background where the flood was actually filmed.

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.