Review of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) by Nicolas C — 17 Jun 2007

A fantastic monster classic, introducing the world to the one and only Tokyo-stomping juggernaut. The original Japanese version is a superbly crafted tale of horror, betrayal, and sacrifice. This time around, Godzilla is the way he's meant to be: pure evil, an allegory of the nuclear bomb. Sure, the special effects are nothing when compared to today's CGI, but keep in mind that this was in fact the very first monster movie to utilize a man in a suit crushing miniature sets, and it was considered high-tech stuff (when done properly, which several of the later sequels failed to do) really until Jurassic Park redefined the monster movie in 1993. If you can look past the effects, though, you'll see a truly grim story shot in a realistic, almost documentary style.

The 1956 American version retains some of the terror of the original, with pre-Perry Mason Raymond Burr witnessing the events and telling it to the audience narratively, but any direct connection to the A-Bomb is removed due to cultural differences. While still an entertaining feature that keeps some of the more emotional moments, it pales in comparison to the original. If you want to see what started the Godzilla phenomenon and why he's endured for over half a century and almost 30 films, this should give you a clue.