Godzilla 1985
Release Date: 23rd August 1985
Monster: Godzilla
Description: Giant amphibious radioactive awesomeness.
Origin: The usual.
Destruction: Lured into a volcano.
Actor(s): Kengo Nakayama
Ancillary Monster: A giant nuclear tick found on Godzilla’s body.
The Return of Godzilla, released in Japan in 1984) was the first proper reboot of the Godzilla series, ignoring as it did, every film made since the original. The canon of monsters has been largely erased (no Anguirus, no King Ghidorah, no Minilla), and while we’ll see some familiar faces re-appear in this new Heisei era (even Mothra will return), the characters will announce that it is the first time they have seen them. This Godzilla is now dark and mean and tragic, very much like the Godzilla in the 1954 original. Godzilla is no longer a tough-as-nails bodyguard for Japan, but a mindless and destructive force very reminiscent of the A-bomb. The film is just as cheap as ever, but we’re now working with state-of-the-art special effects. I suppose it was wise to bring back Godzilla in 1984, as the Cold War was reaching a new dizzying height, and nuclear fear was running rampant through the culture. What better symbol for nuclear fear than the biggest and the original?
Just as they did with the original, American studios took The Return of Godzilla, drastically re-edited it for American audiences, incorporating footage of American actors to give the series a more American feeling, I suppose. In a fun addition, the American remake – released as Godzilla 1985 – even incorporated Raymond Burr as Steve Martin, his role from 1956’s Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
So we’re not going for fun or childish anymore, and the Godzilla series is trying to be dark and earnest again. In this version of the story, Godzilla was destroyed in 1954 (or 1956), and somehow managed to regenerate over the last 30 years. When Godzilla re-emerges, it was the first time we had seen him for decades, and he was pissed. This Godzilla, by the way, no has eyelids and articulated lips. He looks kind of the same, but a bit more advanced.
This was supposed to be a triumphant return of a beloved movie icon, but boy o boy does this movie look cheap. I cannot fault them on the special effects – y’know all the stuff made in Japan – but all the incorporated American footage is clearly made on cheap soundstages, and shot on the fly. The dialogue makes little to no sense, and the American actors – even Raymond Burr – don’t seem to be taking all of this very seriously. I understand that Godzilla movies aren’t the most sophisticated form of entertainment out there, but I would have preferred a skosh more reverence and maybe a bigger budget. I suppose when being handled by New World Entertainment (Roger Corman’s notoriously cheap studio), it’s hard to expect much. It’s also hard to take the movie seriously when I’m constantly being told to drink Dr. Pepper. Godzilla 1985 is one of the prime offenders of product placement in movies, and there are many, many shots of Dr. Pepper machines, and even shots of haggard American military guys drinking Dr. Pepper. It gets pretty obnoxious.
In previous Godzilla movies, our favorite monster was usually only seen stomping on small buildings, or blowing up seven-story office blocks. The largest structure he previously exploded was probably the life-size Godzilla statue in Godzilla vs. Gigan. In Godzilla 1985, he is seen up next to towering skyscrapers taller than he is, and he finally has to stumble into buildings that could actually house him. Sadly, he does not climb the buildings like King Kong. He is just pushed into them by military missiles and the like. The military this time around in armed with a ship they call the Super X, which can shoot nuclear lasers as Godzilla, weakening him. Just when he’s knocked cold, a bolt of nuclear lightning streaks from the sky and revives him. Godzilla is divinely protected.
Eventually, the humans have to lure Godzilla into a volcano to destroy him. He will remain frozen in stone until the next movie.
Godzilla 1985 isn’t very much fun. It’s dark and dreary, and lack the tragedy of the original, the political oomph of nuclear metaphor, and openly rejected the fun of the last 14 movies. I can’t wait to see the Japanese version, as I’m sure all of these elements will be handled with more deftness. I assure you that as soon as I find it, I will review The Return of Godzilla for you. For now, I’ll just have to content myself with Godzilla 1985.
Now a new series has begun, and we’ll have brand new topics to cover in terms of science fiction. Like genetics. We get to talk about genes, and how Godzilla’s genes are so resilient. Let’s look to one of the dumbest of the Godzilla films with…
