Along with the 1933-version of "King Kong", this original Japanese release of "Gojira" is THE most essential giant monster movie ever and one the very few horror movies that every film lover in general has to see at least once. Why? Because, it's so much more than just silly drive-in cinema with a cheap looking monster! This is dark and apocalyptic Sci-Fi with a nearly allegorical rant about nuclear warfare and the honest fear for new types of weaponry. But I really don't feel like going into the deeper meaning behind "Gojira", as it primarily is an adrenalin rushing and overpowering action classic that doesn't need intellectual defense at all. One of the many reasons why I love this film so much (and same goes for "King Kong") is that we don't have to wait a dreadfully long time and/or endure a large amount of tedious speeches before we see the monster we want to see! Godzilla makes his highly memorable first appearance after approximately 20 minutes (by stretching his neck over a cliff!) and, from then on, this is deliciously hectic and paranoid monster-madness! The little bugger is presumably the result of too much H-bomb radiation and lives in the depths of the ocean, near the island of Odo. But now he's heading for Tokyo with his unnameable strength, fiery breath and – oh yeah – insatiable appetite for destruction! Particularly this extended sequence in which Godzilla blasts his way through the Japanese capital, crushing buildings and setting monuments on fire, is very impressive and legendary. The actor-in-monster-costume works a lot better than any form of computer engineered effects and the carefully imitated Tokyo sets are truly enchanting. The absolute best aspect about this production is its powerful score, which makes Godzilla even more threatening. Great stuff!

This milestone simultaneously meant the go-ahead for an innumerable amount of quickly shot sequels ("Son of Gozilla", "Godzilla vs. Mothra"),spin-offs ("Godzilla VS. King Kong"),remakes ("Godzilla 1984", the hi-tech American version) and of course an overload of pathetic imitations ("Reptilicus", "Monster from a Prehistoric Planet"). I still have to see all the direct sequels but don't really know what to expect from them. I guess that even if they're only half as good as this original, I'll be very satisfied.

If you want to know how I feel about most Godzilla movies, try reading my review of King Kong Versus Godzilla. Saying I HATE THEM would be very charitable to say the least! However, because of the intensity of my hatred of this genre, I must in good conscience say that the original Godzilla flick is pretty good. At this point, the franchise had not yet been ruined by pointless repetition and the crappy special effects were just fine for the 1950s. However, even in the most recent incarnations, the special effects have NOT improved. What was acceptable in the 1950s is unforgivable going into the 21st century! So, going back to the original. The Japanese decided to intersperse some new material integrating Raymond Burr into the flick to make it more understandable and more palatable to Western audiences. This was a good decision, though a few of the Burr scenes do look VERY much like an afterthought. This was parodied hilariously in a Pinky and the Brain episode where every few minutes, the exact same scene with Raymond Burr is spliced into it--"yes,...yes,...I see" was repeated each time! Despite this, it is still original, interesting and worth a look. However, DON'T assume that this gets better with repetition. Not every movie deserves a sequel!!

PLEASE NOTE: Do not confuse this review of the American version of Godzilla with the Japanese version. Due to MASSIVE editing, they are far different films.

UPDATE: I watched "Gojira" (the Japanese version) and it is a better film. The interruptions by Raymond Burr's character were distracting and I'd score it a 9 in the original form.

Forget the sappy 1998 remake, for this stands as the true version of GODZILLA, the way it should always be told. Shorn of the surplus Raymond Burr footage added on for the American version entitled GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS!, this is a bleak, powerful and harrowing allegory concerning the use of nuclear weaponry, made only nine years after Hiroshima was destroyed by the atomic bomb.

Unlike the later films in the series, made for children, which went for all-out comedy, this has none of that. Instead, the film has a distinctly sombre tone, helped no doubt by the stark black and white footage. While the story has been diluted by the countless other 'giant monster on the rampage' film that we've seen over the years, the messages that this film contains are still as fresh as ever. Godzilla himself, as I'm sure you already know, is just an allegory for the atomic bomb, or even America itself, and the horror of nuclear weapons is the focus point for the end of the film. It involves a professor, who has created a weapon called the 'Oxygen Destroyer' which destroys all life in water when it is immersed, from fish to plankton, everything. Everyone wants him to use this weapon to destroy Godzilla, but he can't live with the knowledge of having a weapon just as powerful as the atomic bomb in his grasp.

The film is helped by some good acting from the Japanese cast, with the great and underrated Takashi Shimura giving another sympathetic and understated turn. Godzilla looks more realistic than he did when he was in colour, and the special effects won awards. The only problem I had was that all the destruction scenes took place at night, this made them hard to see. I suppose the reason for this was to hide the low budget. Still, there is a lot more to this film than simple destruction, and the film succeeds due to the strength of the story and the powerful way in which it is told. A classic, and more deservedly so than the American counterparts, due to the reasoning behind it.