Toho Kingdom

I've always found it very underrated for two reasons in particular:

1. It's one of the VERY few times in the showa series that a monster battle occurs in a city, and shows the demolition of said city. Almost every other battle occurs in the countryside, or starts in a city but then inexplicably migrates to the countryside (ie., Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Terror of Mechagodzilla). On top of that, the combat itself feels very animalistic and real.

2. The strategies to get rid of Godzilla are pretty unique, and there's genuine tension in watching them play out. Both the scene with the flares and the forced avalanche at the end are suspenseful, and the later of which ends with a poignant sacrifice. In addition, forgive me if this has been pointed out, but have you ever noticed that Godzilla's roar right before he is buried is the same as the one he gives before succumbing to the oxygen destroyer?

There's also a handful of other reasons I like it: the monster designs, Anguirus, Kobayashi, it's cool seeing Godzilla in B&W, I like the continuity with the original, etc.

I will concede though that the sound design for the film is pretty sloppy and inconsistent.

I re-watched both versions and I find myself appreciating some of the music added for the U.S. cut, I think it really helps for the introduction of the two monsters. It also works really well for when Godzilla defeats Anguirus. Typically I'm really against changing or adding music but these are the only exceptions for this film.

And yeah I do really like the way Godzilla is defeated for not feeling too deus ex machina or flimsy. I do agree with the commentator that they shouldn't have ground the film to a halt with that planning scene.

Film still could use another twenty minuts and Angurius getting a proper intro.

godzillalives88 wrote:2. The strategies to get rid of Godzilla are pretty unique, and there's genuine tension in watching them play out. Both the scene with the flares and the forced avalanche at the end are suspenseful, and the later of which ends with a poignant sacrifice.

something this movie gets right very well is the suspense and tension. everything has a build up, and a good one. i suspect it's why some people find it boring.

Raids is in the middle of the franchise for me. I really like the overall atmosphere and their use of ordinary working people as protagonists, really sets it apart from the rest of the franchise. One of the few times the leads aren't reporters, scientists, or JSDF goons. Still the rather sluggish pace and and some really shoddy FX work have a tendency to pull me out of the movie more often the not but I respect what they were going for.

I really wish someone would redo the English version, and re-dub it too... I know it'll never happen, but GOD, it needs to happen.

Lain Of The Wired wrote:I really wish someone would redo the English version, and re-dub it too... I know it'll never happen, but GOD, it needs to happen.

Toho doesn't seem to have the M&E track anymore either way.

An alright film, impressive for the limited time and budget but at times very dull. I love Anguirus' design - it's probably my favorite - though I don't like GyakushuGoji. I do wish we got some better looks at ShodaiAngira, so in that regard the black and white hurts the film the slightest bit, though it works well otherwise. I have a feeling the Japanese cut will prove to be superior and less dull than the American cut. I'll get around to watching it soon.

Just watched the Japanese cut, and my god, it is superior to the American cut in every way. No wonder the film has a reputation for being so dull - I started watching Gigantis with the commentary by Steve Ryfie, and he points out all the changes, and all of them slow the film to a crawl. The Japanese cut only drags a little bit in a couple places, but most Godzilla films do so it's not much of a strike against the film. I still wouldn't go so far as to consider Raids Again one of the greats of the Godzilla franchise, but it is pretty good. The brutal scrapping between Anguirus and Godzilla is a definite highlight.

i just watched the American version on Saturday and I for one enjoy it more than the Japanese version. There are just too many scenes that play without appropriate musical accompaniment, dialog, or sound FX that the US distributors, for all their errors, at least make the exercise a lot more entertaining. Besides, I prefer the theme to It! The Terror from Beyond Space to Sato's main theme.

H-Man wrote:i just watched the American version on Saturday and I for one enjoy it more than the Japanese version. There are just too many scenes that play without appropriate musical accompaniment, dialog, or sound FX that the US distributors, for all their errors, at least make the exercise a lot more entertaining. Besides, I prefer the theme to It! The Terror from Beyond Space to Sato's main theme.

yea, but then there's this (which, if the title of this video is to be believed *and i think it is*, then we're talking awesome).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVdSIyS1pmw

point being, when they get it right, they nail it harder than martin luther. this music with flares falling all over and Godzilla in the bay, at night, in black and white...is stunning, mystifying, and terrifying. it's endured as one of my favorite moments in the franchise, just because you have this sense of dread. the monster is back, and it's lurking right there, waist deep, staring at your city, watching.

The middle third of the film is definitely the strongest part of the film, but it still suffers from some odd pacing decisions like the whole prison break sequence. It does a great job at setting the mood though.

the prison break is just a cool plot device (not that you were suggesting it was anything else).

the pacing on it didn't feel weird, though.

three wrote:

H-Man wrote:i just watched the American version on Saturday and I for one enjoy it more than the Japanese version. There are just too many scenes that play without appropriate musical accompaniment, dialog, or sound FX that the US distributors, for all their errors, at least make the exercise a lot more entertaining. Besides, I prefer the theme to It! The Terror from Beyond Space to Sato's main theme.

yea, but then there's this (which, if the title of this video is to be believed *and i think it is*, then we're talking awesome).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVdSIyS1pmw

point being, when they get it right, they nail it harder than martin luther. this music with flares falling all over and Godzilla in the bay, at night, in black and white...is stunning, mystifying, and terrifying. it's endured as one of my favorite moments in the franchise, just because you have this sense of dread. the monster is back, and it's lurking right there, waist deep, staring at your city, watching.

Oh yeah, that's a great piece. I remember it being played too low in the Japanese version, but the American version turned up the volume on that piece. I think mixing this piece with the American sci-fi themes really gives a good classic B-movie atmosphere to the film.

I love that one cue that's also in Rodan when the convicts break out.

H-Man wrote:Oh yeah, that's a great piece. I remember it being played too low in the Japanese version, but the American version turned up the volume on that piece. I think mixing this piece with the American sci-fi themes really gives a good classic B-movie atmosphere to the film.

i've only ever seen the Japanese version, and that is the song that stuck in my head from the movie. just this atmosphere of slowly advancing dread. even if the movie was a cash grab, the original did everything right and it was obvious in some regards (namely the score) that they carried alot of it over.

This was the 2nd film of Godzilla and it was overall a very decent film of Godzilla battling Anguirus that was pretty darn good considering that this is TOHO first attempt in a battle of two overpowering monsters that shocked movie audiences back in 1955.

I just loved the acting pair of Minoru Chiaki and Hiroshi Koizumi - that's was brilliantly done and showed the human spirit of overcoming all obstacles in this movie that resulted the death of Kôji Kobayashi (Chiaki) and determination to make the finale is a beautifully filmed scene of the creature being thwarted on an island of mountains and ice.

It's moving, full of emotions, and most of all I throughly enjoyed this film that was made in 1955. Great blending of horror, humor, and interesting human characters that made this film enjoyable to all. I was impressed by it back in 1955.

MechaGodzillaShowa wrote:This was the 2nd film of Godzilla and it was overall a very decent film of Godzilla battling Anguirus that was pretty darn good considering that this is TOHO first attempt in a battle of two overpowering monsters that shocked movie audiences back in 1955.

I just loved the acting pair of Minoru Chiaki and Hiroshi Koizumi - that's was brilliantly done and showed the human spirit of overcoming all obstacles in this movie that resulted the death of Kôji Kobayashi (Chiaki) and determination to make the finale is a beautifully filmed scene of the creature being thwarted on an island of mountains and ice.

It's moving, full of emotions, and most of all I throughly enjoyed this film that was made in 1955. Great blending of horror, humor, and interesting human characters that made this film enjoyable to all. I was impressed by it back in 1955.

wow. another fan of this one. i kinda got the impression i was alone in not just liking it, but loving it. it gave off a strong humanist vibe. ( i sound like a hippie).

three wrote:wow. another fan of this one. i kinda got the impression i was alone in not just liking it, but loving it. it gave off a strong humanist vibe. ( i sound like a hippie).

It may be the Godzilla movie on which I'm most torn. On the one hand, I love the overall atmosphere, in concept there are some interesting character arcs, and a few sequences (including the Godzilla/Angilas fight) are really effective, but it also drags a lot in places, and some good ideas end up playing totally flat.

This is one's very close to the bottom of my list, frankly. The characters are what ruin it for me.. none of them really had any meat beyond 'this guy does this', from what I recall. It's even worse as a sequel to Gojira, if you can really call it that, as the characters are nowhere near as compelling or 'real' here as they were there - not to mention the whole thing kind of screams 'quick follow-up' (and who can blame it, it was made to cash in on Gojira's success).The monster scenes were the best part, for sure.

This is a movie that usually gets overlooked by me, I find the dub atrocious, and the original Japanese version is just boring. I'm also not a fan of the super-sped up fight scenes, although I DID like the brutal way that Godzilla dispatched Anguirus, although I wonder how they managed to get rid of Anguiruse's stinking corpse afterwards