Talkback Thread #2: Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

[Arrow]

Godzilla Raids Again



Well like I said, I'd be doing one of these every day or so. So here we come to the next one - Godzilla Raids Again, which features the first appearance of Angurius into the Godzilla series.

I like Godzilla Raids Again. It's not perfect and it does have it's flaws, but it was a great way to introduce the "Godzilla vs..." formula that these films became known for (although I think Mothra vs. Godzilla is the best example of that formula). The human characters are nothing special, but the acting is solid. GRA has it's flaws, but overall it's a good story and definitely underrated. I don't think I'd call it a 'classic', but it's certainly a good movie.

Gigantis, the Fire Monster should be killed with fire.

[OptimusPrimevs.g]

Gigantis, the Fire Monster should be killed with fire.

Yeah that version butchered the entire movie. Anyway, not one of my favorites but I still like it. Anguirus is one of my favorites and the score wasn't bad. Although the monster closeup puppets looked silly and the battle between Godzilla and Anguirus was outright hilarious, it's still a good movie.

[HayesAJones]

I love this movie for introducing both my second favorite kaiju ever and the long-lived tradition of two monsters battling it out! It's no classic, but it's still very enjoyable.

[Hedorah]

I have only seen the American version, so maybe if I watch the original it will be redeemed in my eyes, but currently I despise this movie.

[Arrow]

I have only seen the American version, so maybe if I watch the original it will be redeemed in my eyes, but currently I despise this movie.

Dude... watch the original A.S.A.P.

Seriously, the bastardization of a movie as the American dub does not, and should not, reflect on the Japanese film. Don't get me wrong, GRA isn't perfect, but it beats the shitty Gigantis any day of the damn week.

[Legionmaster]

Meh. Almost everything about it shows the rush that it was made in. The batte sequences aren't slowed down, the suits are as good quality, the characters aren't as interesting, the plot isn't as dynamic, the narrative doesn't carry the same moral weight, and overall just isn't as good a film as Gojira. At all, really. The rushed period of time it was made in hurts what potential it had. The score is good though.

[g2kmaster]

Like Hedorah, I have only seen the US varriation. However, knowing what edits the American editors made, I think that the film was an interesting film with the only thing truly odd being a joke cracked by the cast right after the monsters just demolished Osaka. Other than that, it is an ok film. On par with the late 1960's films. Not one of my favorites though.

3/5

[Hedorah]

I have only seen the American version, so maybe if I watch the original it will be redeemed in my eyes, but currently I despise this movie.

Dude... watch the original A.S.A.P.

Seriously, the bastardization of a movie as the American dub does not, and should not, reflect on the Japanese film. Don't get me wrong, GRA isn't perfect, but it beats the shitty Gigantis any day of the damn week.

I gotta find a way to watch it, but I seriosuly couldn't stand Gigantis, they made Kobayashi sound mentally challenged, Godzilla had Anguirus's roar, Anguirus had Anguirus's roar, all around it was terrible.

[ZigraDude]

I thought the movie was ok. It never really was a favorite of mine. I do like the battle between Anguirus and Godzilla. It was cool to see a more tooth-and-claw battle than beam wars (*cough*Heisei Series*cough*). I also liked the way the military defeated Godzilla at the end of the movie. Most of the time the military needs a super weapon of some sort to defeat Godzilla but it was cool to see more conventional weapons used and also using the environment to their advantage.

[Ethan]

This has to be one of the most ignored and excluded films in the franchise. Truth to be told, the Japanese version is fairly decent. Though partially, the criticism comes as a result of being sandwitched between such classics as Gojira and Rodan. And while the rushed production becomes visible in a script that has depicts some rather undeveloped characters and places the climax in the middle of the picture, there is enough to overweight that.

Tsuburaya's effects are excellent. Godzilla's battle with Angilas in the fiery Osaka is nothing short of impressive, something almost on par with the monster's rampage in the previous film. My only real complaint is the head prop for the close-ups, which looks nothing like that of the suit.

There is a consistently eerie tone throughout the film, which is build by Sato's excellent score and the ominous silence that generates a very documentary-like atmosphere. Much like the first film, it resembles newsreels from the War.

Also, for the first time, Godzilla is depicted as a true victim of the circumstances; a theme that would expanded greatly in the 4 films that followed. Here the creature only resorts to violence when attacked by Angilas and the military, and finally shows his true anger when he bites off his enemy's neck. Later it becomes obvious he only wants to be left alone as he retreats to a solitary island, where human again attack him.

The Volcano Monsters might have been much better than Gigantis, with the talents of Ib Melchior behind it. It could have easily been on par with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, though the Americanization we got was at least amusing.

[GotengoXGodzilla]

Personally, I can't stand Godzilla Raids Again. The characters aren't interesting, the plot takes forever to get going, and the fight sequences just don't entertain me. The film just screams "boring" for me.

[Legionmaster]

This is only Godzilla movie I did not watch as a kid, and did not see it until I got the movie as a gift in 2007 for my birthday. When I watch the dub for the first time, I turn it off after the 30 minutes in the movie. This movie has one of the worst dubbing I have seen any movie.

Sulu is saddened by your sentiments.

[JVM]

It's got slow pacing, but I enjoyed the monster scenes when they did appear. It's the only Godzilla film where I explicitly chose the Japanese version over the U. S.

[DaikaijuSokogeki!]

Dull. That's this movie in one word. Dull. Seriously, the only duller kaiju flick is Varan. The characters, the pacing, the lack of kaiju activity, the movie is just simply boring. It fails as an interesting continuation of the first film. The monster fight in Osaka is amazing, but it's simply too short and put in an awkward place in the film...the middle.

Simply uninteresting.

[spinzilla]

Dull. That's this movie in one word. Dull. Seriously, the only duller kaiju flick is Varan. The characters, the pacing, the lack of kaiju activity, the movie is just simply boring. It fails as an interesting continuation of the first film. The monster fight in Osaka is amazing, but it's simply too short and put in an awkward place in the film...the middle.

Simply uninteresting.

I don't even need to post now. If everything wasn't so slow moving it might be a bit better. The entire unnecessary over-narration makes the film feel like a really bad silver age Marvel comic.

At least it gave birth to banana oil.

[JVM]

I'd like to see a new Americanization of the film. You know, with some good editing going on, like G2K - from what I've been told Sony's edit of G2K is actually superior.

[tokyostateofmind]

Never saw it. I want to, but I feel like it isn't as amazing as I think.

[Hellblaze]

I have the movie on DVD and when I watched it first thing on VHS and now on DVD, I have to say it's hard to see what's going on it's too black and white but I saw Godzilla and Anguirus good while they battled. One thing I did not like and had a problem with the film is the roar of Godzilla was the same as Anguirus. It was disappointing to me to hear him roar like that it wasn't his trademark roar.

[Mecha-Anguirus]

what the fudge

Stealer!

I really like GRA. It introduced Anguirus, it showed us how Gvs... worked, and it continued the story where Gojira left off. However it seemed like a mediocre sequel. Like Son of Kong.

[The Dark Uniter]

I kinda like the film, however, I wish that the movie have better editing and placed the Anguirus/ Godzilla film at the later half of the film. Also, I do agree that the film no doubt has some of the worst dubbing I've heard, too.