godzilla box

THE FLICK: From the first thundering echo of footsteps over a black screen, you just know Godzilla is different from other films in the atomic monster genre. There’s an ominous sense of doom, dread and tragic destiny at work that’s at odds with your expectations of a man in a rubber suit crushing scale-model buildings. And the long-awaited release of the original Japanese version of Gojira (sans Raymond Burr and the re-shot American footage) only serves to prove this point further. Director Ishiro Honda may have been working in a B-movie domain, but he was delivering an A-movie message. Rising from the depths in a boiling fury of atomic age retribution, Godzilla himself is a fairly clear-cut embodiment of Japanese fears of reckless nuclear testing in the aftermath of their own personal losses during WWII. And unlike later films in the series, Gojira is a serious, somber metaphor of the consequences mankind may endure if he doesn’t smarten up. This is no light-hearted monster mash. Now included as part of Classic Media’s 7-volume Godzilla Collection Box Set, the special edition not only includes the Region 1 premiere of the original Gojira, but also presents the better-known Americanized Godzilla, King of the Monsters, which restructures the story to incorporate Raymond Burr as a reporter covering the monster’s destruction. Cleverly inserting new scenes with body doubles and trick photography, the U.S. version softens the message in favor of action and suspense, which makes it a valuable companion piece in it’s own right. Indeed, the Godzilla “experts” on the DVD commentary even admit that this version is the one responsible for the big G’s worldwide success. However, it’s Gojira with its newsreel intensity that turns the monster’s attack into a natural disaster of epic proportions, complete with hallways full of radiation burn victims and bodies buried in rubble. The Godzilla series wouldn’t see such serious treatment again until 1998’s All Out Monster Attack. Running nearly 10-minutes longer than its American counterpart, Gojira represents the defining cinematic image of a culture coming to terms with a national tragedy. I find it’s simpler to pass judgment on any of the subsequent 28 films in the Godzilla series by tackling them in two halves: the human element (almost always a weak spot) and the monster element (i.e. how much screen time the big guy gets). This doesn’t necessarily mean that a low score in either category dooms the film to failure – hell, G vs. Megalon is one of my personal favorites and it’s an embarrassment on both scales – but kaiju eiga (the Japanese term for the giant monster genre) that manages to strike a balance between man and monster is almost always the most successful. Godzilla Raids Again, as DVD commentator Steve Ryfle explains, was a rush job, turned around on the cheap to capitalize on the surprise success of the first film. It’s similar in tone to Ishiro Honda’s atomic monster tale, but has none of the depth, elegance or emotional impact. In short, it’s a sequel. But as the first sequel in one of the longest running series of films in the world there’s a great deal that was established here that would set the standard for years to come. First and foremost, Godzilla Raids Again introduces the most crucial element to any Godzilla film: the all-out, mano y mano monster battle! Of course, Toho would continually up the ante of monsters, but Anguirus first appearance here is a model for every city-smashing wrestle-fest through the decades. The actual fight is quite underwhelming by Godzilla standards – clumsy and poorly choreographed – but it’s a start. Monster score: 4 As plot goes, the film takes its human story fairly seriously, working a love story and poetic tragedy into the proceedings with all the right intentions. In fact, it’s refreshing to see a G film whose main characters are everyday joes instead of the standard journalist, scientist or stuffy defense force general. There are some obvious flaws, the lack of an Ifukube musical score chief among them. But the American version (also included) whitewashes everything with non-stop voice-over narration. Watch it only for comparison’s sake. Human score: 6 Godzilla vs. Mothra has long been hailed as one of the most solid entries in the series. And Classic Media’s presentation of the Japanese version makes an even stronger case by preserving the anti-capitalism focus of the plot in the original dialogue. Yes, this starts us on the long road of journalist/scientist tag-team protagonists, but the colorful side characters and interesting ethical quandries are actually...well, interesting! Human score: 7 Godzilla himself makes one of his best entrances on film, thrusting up from the dirt in front on an unsuspecting crowd. It takes around 45-minutes to get to the good stuff, but once the wheels are set in motion, G vs. Mothra delivers quite a bit of monster action. However it must be said, most of Godzilla’s damage is purely accidental (the big guy is a tad clumsy in this one) and Mothra doesn’t make for the most threatening of foes. The film’s most memorable conflict is between the king of the monsters and Mothra’s two surviving larvae. Monster score: 7 With Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster we have the introduction of the longest-running bad guy in Godzilla history. Meanwhile, the plot itself is all over the map...in a good way. From predictions of doom from a princess prophetess to the return of the Infant Island fairies, things come together rather neatly for the first monster four-way in history. Human score: 8 Ghidorah itself is Eiji Tsuburaya’s most ingenious creation – part traditional Japanese dragon, part outer-space monster, just watching the effects that bring it to life is enough to entertain most fans for an hour-and-a-half. Things are a bit slow to develop, but the big finale featuring Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra joining forces (after a brief debate) to defend Earth is primo kaiju eiga! Monster score: 9 Invasion of Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) was the template for several G films to come, with Earth threatened by an alien menace from Planet X who take control of Japan’s monsters and use them for world domination. Luckily, American astronaut Nick Adams is there to chew bubble gum and kick some ass! His tough talking performance anchors the film, even overshadowing the big G himself. Human score: 10 Famous for Godzilla’s “happy dance,” here we have the very first inklings of anthropomorphism for the big guy and his monster pals. The tag team battle on Planet X against Ghidorah (fighting under the “Monster Zero” pseudonym) features some of the most imaginative set design and matte work of the entire Showa era. The fight itself however is a bit less exciting than the human angle, probably for the first and last time in the series. Monster score: 6 One of two titles exclusive to the box-set, All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge) is the most universally reviled film in the series. But it’s also the most misunderstood. Featuring a pudgy school kid named Ichiro, who’s imaginary adventures on Monster Island with Minilla (Godzilla’s pug-like progeny) come in handy to dispatch a pair of bank robbers in the ‘real world,” the film is like catnip for kids of a certain age. Of course, adult fans find point to the short-shorts and stock-footage as Godzilla’s obvious “jump the shark” moment. Human score (8 yrs. old & under): 7 Made up primarily of footage from previous films, the only new monster mashing is between Minilla and a one-shot villain named Gabara, all set on the mythical monster island, which means the same recycled jungle sets from Son of Godzilla. If you haven’t seen this stuff it’s new to you. Unfortunately, most of us have. Monster score: 2 Terror of Mechagodzilla is Ishiro Honda’s final entry in the series, but the director really should have left well enough alone. Once more, aliens have infiltrated Earth and recruited a human scientist and his android daughter to help them secure a new homeworld (apparently the third planet in the black hole wasn’t good enough). This is the most downbeat Godzilla film of the Showa era, with nary an interesting human character to mention. Human score: 3 Mechagodzilla is reconstructed here, but he plays second fiddle to a lame fishy dinosaur named Titanosaurus. Never much of a threat by sea or land, this is Godzilla’s most neutered foe. The swinging ‘70s score keeps the action suitably up tempo , but the fight choreography is never very creative. Monster score: 5 THE FEATURES: Elegantly packaged in a sturdy box with Japanese characters, this is the sort of super-set that only imports could equal previously. Each release is enclosed separately with original artwork and a great selection of extras. For fans, the biggest perks are the Japanese language tracks and unedited original versions in their original aspect ratios. Everything else is just gravy. Gojira: Starting with a classy set of liner notes by Steve Ryfle, the two-disc set features expert commentary on both versions of the film (by Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski) as well as two featurettes: Story Development and Making the Godzilla Suit. What the features lack in flash, they make up for in sheer content. I consider myself a bonafide Godzilla expert and I still found myself saying, “Really?...I never knew that!” several times during the proceedings. From the details of the original source material to scrapped scenes and storyboards, these fellas have done their homework. And their facts are backed up by some priceless photos, sketches and publicity shots that had my inner child drooling. Godzilla Raids Again: The Japanese cut runs a scant 2 1⁄2 minutes longer than the American version but is considerably different. The transfer itself is moderately worn with a good bit of dirt and scratches. It is however a vast improvement of the long out-of-print VHS edition. Extras include an invaluable commentary by Steve Ryfle along with a slide of show original movie posters and the 15-minute featurette, Art of Suit Acting, a fascinating look at the fellows who operated inside the “dinosaur-shaped-sweat-box.” Godzilla vs. Mothra looks nothing short of astounding! Again, both the Japanese and English editions are included, however only the Japanese version is presented in its full 2.35:1 aspect ration. The US cut sports a compromised 1.77 ratio as it was the best print available. Extras include another excellent audio commentary, poster slide show and 8-minute biography of composer Akira Ifukube. Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster sports a commentary from David Kalat, an image gallery and poster slide-show, a Tsuburaya biography and original Japanese trailer. Again, the Japanese version of the film run nearly 10-minutes longer than the American cut. Invasion of Astro Monster lets Stuart Galbraith IV run the show via his commentary with another set of stills, trailers and posters along with a Tomoyuki Tanaka biography. You get a few extra minutes on the Japanese print. All Monsters Attack is considerably different in its original Japanese form although the running times are nearly identical. However, I found the jazzy opening score and horrendous voice dubbing of the American version to be far more entertaining. Extras include a commentary from Richard Pusateri, image / poster gallery, Ishiro Honda biography and trailer. Terror of Mechagodzilla opens with a 5-minute recap of the entire Godzilla series on the American print. Save yourself the trouble and watch the shorter original version with audio commentary by Keith Aiken and Bob Johnson plus trailers and an image gallery.