Review of Godzilla 1985 (1985) by Luke B — 07 Apr 2011

I saw the original Japanese version. It was fantastic. This is a reboot to the dark and destructive ways of Godzilla. Sure, I enjoyed the time spent with aliens, robots, other monsters etc. But it was nice to take it back to basics.

In context of the movie, this is the first time Godzilla has been spotted since the 1954 original. Here, he is a mistake of the humans, and he's here to smash shit up, not protect it. The film is more reminiscent of disaster movies of the era.

The Towering Inferno sprung to mind. The film jumps around from scientists, to the Prime Minister of Japan. We get some hard issues to face, as Japan must argue with Russia and America on whether to use nuclear weapons to destroy Godzilla.

The effects are incredible. A new suit brings Godzilla to life once more, plus some shots of a detailed animatronic version. The sets are remarkable in their detail and realism. This feels like Godzilla tearing through buildings, and not just models.

If you want to keep your Godzilla films serious and dark, just watch the original and this.