Godzilla Raids Again

Godzilla Raids Again (Japanese) Poster Available DVDs Press Kit Fun Facts

Also Known As

• Counterattack of the Monsters (USA - promotional title)
• Fire Monster
• Gigantis
• Gigantis: the Fire Monster (USA)
• Godzilla contraataca (Spain- reissue title)
• Godzilla kehrt zurück (Germany)
• O Godzilla xanahtypa (Greece)
• Godzilla's Counter Attack (International - English title)
• Gojira Strikes Again
• Gojira's Counterattack
• Il Re dei mostri (Italy)
• Retour de Godzilla (France)
• El Rey de los monstruos (Spain)
• The Return of Godzilla
• The Volcano Monster

Main Details

• Released in 1955 (Japan)/ 1959 (USA)

• Black and White

• Running Time: 81:34 Min (Japan)/79:00 Min (USA)

• Production Co: Toho

• Distribution Co: Toho Company (1955) (worldwide) (all media) | Les Films du Verseau (1957) (France) (theatrical) | Warner Bros. Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed) | Eros Films Ltd. (1960) (UK) (theatrical) (dubbed)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Motoyoshi Oda

• Written by Shigeaki Hidaka, Shigeru Kayama, Takeo Murata

• Starring Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, Kôji Kobayashi, Takashi Shimura

• Produced by Edmund Goldman, Paul Schreibman (US "Gigantis" version), Tomoyuki Tanaka

• Original Music by Masaru Satô

• Cinematography by Seiichi Endo

• Film Editing by Hugo Grimaldi & Kazuji Taira

Film Review

While out scouting for fish over the ocean off the coast of Japan, two airplane pilots named Tsukioka (Hiroshi Koizumi) and Kobayashi (Minoru Chiaki) come across Godzilla and another giant spiked back creature known as Angorus battling on an island. The monsters fight until they both fall right off a cliff into the ocean, dissapearing beneath the foamy water. The two men quickly head back to Osaka and tell the local police and Dr. Tadokoro (Masao Shimizu) a zooologist about their amazing encounter. Dr Tadokoro gives the men a book on dinosaurs and they look through it until they find a photo of the type of dinosaur that Angorus is.

The two monsters soon reappear in Osaka in which they continue their fighting destroying the city including Osaka castle. Soon the city is blacked out because they have found out Godzilla is attracted to light. During this sequence we get introduced to some criminals who are being held by the police. To distance themselves from the destruction of Godzilla and Angorus in Osaka and to keep their business running, Tsukioka, Kokbayashi and their friend/co-worker Hidemi (Setsuko Wakayama) at the fish plant move to the northern part of Japan to get away from Godzilla and Angourus. The monsters (strangely) follow them there and have another battle. Tsukioka and the Air Defense to the rescue! In the snowy mountains, Godzilla is taken down when the forces drop bombs causing an avalanche to bury Ol Godzilla under tons of snow. How long will it be before Godzilla comes back? You'll have to check out the next installment of the Godzilla series.

While Godzilla Raids Again is certainly an entertaining film, its basically a retread of the first film with different characters. Where the first film was said to be a metaphor for the horrors of Hiroshima, this one could be compared to the devastation of Nagasaki. For Kaiju enthusiasts, its still a must see/own for your Godzilla collection.

AMERICAN & JAPANESE VERSIONS

The American version of Godzilla Raids Again, released in theaters in 1959 as "Gigantis: The Fire Monster" was heavily edited, using lots of strange stock footage, lengthy voiceover narration by Tsukioka, constant music scoring (taken from several other sci fi films like Kronos and The Deer Slayer) and of course, the dubbed voices of notable Asian actors such as Keye Luke (Master Po on Kung Fu) and George Takei (Sulu on Star Trek). The comedic tone of the US version is heightened from the more downbeat, serious Japanese version which has none of the extra stock footage, voiceovers or constant music score. The Japanese version is also a bit longer in running time.

Reviewed by Popeye Pete - 2/7/08

Followed by

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