As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up at a time when society at large wasn’t afforded so many entertainment choices. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were their own pop culture Dark Ages (if you ask me); and growing up on a farm then an equally small city meant that, at best, you were only going to have anywhere between eight-to-ten television channels … so long as you were provided good weather! Fortunately, one of those channels only afforded programming that was (apparently) fantastically cheap, so I “cut my teeth” on a plethora of black’n’white films, creature features, and monster movies, the favorite of which was any of the original Godzilla flicks.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the product packaging: “With a higher budget and more advanced special effects than any previous film in the serious, THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (aka GODZILLA 1984) returns Japan’s greatest monster to his intended role as an epic force of destruction and the film’s spectacular success re-launched the Godzilla franchise after nearly a decade in suspended animation …”
There’s more, but I’ll leave it at that.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the product packaging: “With a higher budget and more advanced special effects than any previous film in the serious, THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (aka GODZILLA 1984) returns Japan’s greatest monster to his intended role as an epic force of destruction and the film’s spectacular success re-launched the Godzilla franchise after nearly a decade in suspended animation …”
There’s more, but I’ll leave it at that.
Basically what matters historically is that this particular Godzilla film (in this particular form) has never been seen in the states; the version that did get promotion was heavily edited in order to allegedly amp up the humor (a concept I’ve rarely understood with the Hollywoodization of monster movies). The truth is that this version promotes the seminal monster largely as a monster – he isn’t here for any elevated purpose to save us from ourselves or another gigantic creature – and perhaps this is why those involved with its American release felt it needed some narrative ‘tweaking’ three decades back. (I’m not trying to excuse any tampering done to the story; instead I’m trying to suggest that perhaps – for its place in cinema history of the 1980’s – maybe they wanted something a bit more uplifting.)
As for the story, Godzilla has returned, and there’s a team of scientists intent upon stopping the behemoth’s destruction of Japan. The government does eventually unleash the Super-X – a levitating aircraft loaded with missiles and lasers – and a good portion of the film details the obvious back-and-forth between monster and man. In the end, however, it’s science that used to lure the creature to its inevitable demise, a scene that’ll put a lump in the throat of any monster maniac like myself. What’s an ogre to do to achieve a measure of respect from mankind?
Much to my chagrin, what didn’t work here were the characters. Granted, they’re always secondary to the creature, but GODZILLA 1984 unloaded a veritable salvo of generic players, each one less interesting than the last. Methinks that’s part of why more mainstream audiences never quite embraced the Godzilla franchise the way fans have: there’s simply nothing and no one they can relate to, and – were it possible to change this in post-production – that might go a long way toward elevating the status of these earlier motion pictures.
All of that said, GODZILLA 1984 will probably tickle the fancy of any monster movie aficionado.
Yes – for those of you wondering – it’s once again little more than “a guy in a suit,” but for all of those blemishes that’s part and parcel of what made that whole franchise so incessantly appealing. For those of us who relish that sort of thing, there’s simply no replacement for the practical in-camera effects of Japan’s destruction. It’s visceral and exciting, and maybe even on one level (subconsciously) we’re relieved that none of it is real.
As for the story, Godzilla has returned, and there’s a team of scientists intent upon stopping the behemoth’s destruction of Japan. The government does eventually unleash the Super-X – a levitating aircraft loaded with missiles and lasers – and a good portion of the film details the obvious back-and-forth between monster and man. In the end, however, it’s science that used to lure the creature to its inevitable demise, a scene that’ll put a lump in the throat of any monster maniac like myself. What’s an ogre to do to achieve a measure of respect from mankind?
Much to my chagrin, what didn’t work here were the characters. Granted, they’re always secondary to the creature, but GODZILLA 1984 unloaded a veritable salvo of generic players, each one less interesting than the last. Methinks that’s part of why more mainstream audiences never quite embraced the Godzilla franchise the way fans have: there’s simply nothing and no one they can relate to, and – were it possible to change this in post-production – that might go a long way toward elevating the status of these earlier motion pictures.
All of that said, GODZILLA 1984 will probably tickle the fancy of any monster movie aficionado.
Yes – for those of you wondering – it’s once again little more than “a guy in a suit,” but for all of those blemishes that’s part and parcel of what made that whole franchise so incessantly appealing. For those of us who relish that sort of thing, there’s simply no replacement for the practical in-camera effects of Japan’s destruction. It’s visceral and exciting, and maybe even on one level (subconsciously) we’re relieved that none of it is real.
GODZILLA 1984 was produced by Toho Company and Toho Eizo Company. DVD distribution for this release is being handled by Kraken Releasing. As for the technical specifications? Booyah! This cut looks and sounds stellar from start to finish, though there was one sequence which seemed to drop audio a bit (I couldn’t say why, though I replayed it twice to see if it was me but it wasn’t). Lastly, if you’re looking for special features, there’s the obligatory behind-the-scenes stuff for those interested. Me? I wanted the feature and nothing else.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Even as much a die-hard fan of the Godzilla franchise I may be, I’m still not afraid to admit there’s something benignly fascinating about knowing none of it is real. Practical effects like these don’t overload the senses the way CGI-laden epics today do, so there’s something to be said for those of us who appreciate subtlety over visual gluttony. I can’t much stomach any of the TRANSFORMERS flicks, but I’ll happily sit through GODZILLA 1984 a few times a year because it symbolizes a welcome return to more affordable death-and-destruction that doesn’t need to be delivered at hyperactive pace. This story might prove too slow for today’s ADHD audiences, but it’s grand for the ten-year-old kid still trapped inside of me.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Kraken Releasing provided me with a Blu-ray of GODZILLA 1984 by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Even as much a die-hard fan of the Godzilla franchise I may be, I’m still not afraid to admit there’s something benignly fascinating about knowing none of it is real. Practical effects like these don’t overload the senses the way CGI-laden epics today do, so there’s something to be said for those of us who appreciate subtlety over visual gluttony. I can’t much stomach any of the TRANSFORMERS flicks, but I’ll happily sit through GODZILLA 1984 a few times a year because it symbolizes a welcome return to more affordable death-and-destruction that doesn’t need to be delivered at hyperactive pace. This story might prove too slow for today’s ADHD audiences, but it’s grand for the ten-year-old kid still trapped inside of me.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Kraken Releasing provided me with a Blu-ray of GODZILLA 1984 by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
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