FAR EAST FILMS
GOJIRA (1954)

Directed By:
Ishirô Honda

Not Rated
Genre: Science Fiction
Format Used: Netflix DVD
Contains: Graphic Violence
Country: Japan
Subtitled

THE PLOT:

While examining strange occurances on a nearby island, scientist discover a mutant dinosaur that the local Fishermen believe to their sea God come to life, Gojira.

It would seem that it was caused by American testing a Nuclear bomb in the late 1940's that caused this mutation. Now Gojira leaves the small island and makes a beeline to the big city, Tokyo.

A local scientist may have a way to stop the unstopable beast, but is unwilling to use it as Governments may turn his idea into a WMD or weapon of mass destruction.

ZEDD'S OPINION:

I got to admit I've seen Godzilla many, many times. But I never seen Gojira until recently and I can tell you that the original version of the film is far different. Of course, being basically the same movie as Godzilla, it suffers many of the same flaws. For one, the close ups of Gojira look like a quickly made hand puppet or Muppet. The CO2 cold for his atomic breath didn't work. Now for Gojira, it is a little slower in the plot department. I think they focused too much on the love story between the girl and the one-eyed scientist. Plus like Godzilla, it dragged on until we got to see Gojira the first time. But on the DVD there is an interesting documentary on the making of Gojira and it was the first of it's kind. The first giant monster movie in Japan, so keeping that in mind. I think they did a bang up job and the movies since then were much better. 7 STARS

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VOLTRON'S OPINION:

I agree with Zedd, I always wondered what Godzilla was like when it was just Gojira and now I know. I am surely disappointed, it was very draggy at points to the point of boring. But it is interesting and I give it 6 STARS.

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ON THE POSTIVE SIDE (+ HITS):

+ INNOVATIVE (The first of it's genre.)
+ UNIQUE (The first being the most unique.)
+ COOL (Very cool monster movie.)
+ FAR AWAY (The far away shots of Gojira is cool.)
+ FASCINATING (It was interesting to see it before America re-did it.)

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE (- MISSES):

- EFFECTS ERROR (The close up looked more like a Muppet.)
- LOVE STORY (The Gojira plot centers too much around the love story.)

...AND FINALLY...

- FAN BASED (If you aren't a Godzilla fan, then you won't like Gojira.)

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