Review: Godzilla (** 1/2)

GODZILLA
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2


The original GODZILLA (GOJIRA) from 1954, the one that American audiences
never saw, is being re-released to the theaters for its fiftieth
anniversary. This one is subtitled and doesn't include the hokey footage of
Raymond Burr as a reporter, which was stuck onto the American version like a
piece of gum. In place of the Burr footage is the original Japanese
storyline about the dangers of nuclear weapons, which was scaled back in the
version we saw. The original Japanese version of the movie is a relatively
more serious science fiction film about a dinosaur from the Jurassic period
that is unleashed from his watery home by the testing of H-bombs.



So how does this GODZILLA hold up? It's probably better than the campy Burr
version, which I haven't seen in decades, but it's still a pretty silly saga
with some really, really cheesy special effects. The movie only works as a
cinematic curiosity. The guy next to me in the theater kept falling asleep
and starting to snore before his own noise would wake him again. I've got
to admit. I can't blame him. The directing is plodding and melodramatic.



Is this one-hundred-and-fifty foot monster, who went on to star in an
uncountable number of sequels, worth the price of admission? Maybe.



The movie ends with a warning that, unless we stop testing H-bombs, more
Godzillas will be unleashed. It's a nice twist on what the filmmakers were
really thinking, which was that, if enough viewers test out this monster
movie, we can make lots more.



GODZILLA runs a long 1:38. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles.
It is not rated but might be G or PG for toy monster violence and would be
acceptable for kids of all ages. If they can handle Barney, they'll
probably be okay watching GODZILLA.



The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the
Silicon Valley, it is showing at the Camera Cinemas.



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