Godzilla - King of the Monsters! Movie Review

Starring: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada, Raymond Burr

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Review Summary

A giant dinosaur monster, created and mutated by atomic weapons testing and dubbed Gojira by the Japanese authorities, rises out of the ocean less than a decade after the Second World War. Dr. Yamane, the eminent paleontologist (Shimura), feels the monster should be studied, not killed, but things quickly get out of hand. The authorities fire on the creature, which mashes and tears up much of Tokyo as well as breathing radioactive fire. This is the movie that started it all -- the first of nearly two dozen Godzilla films to be made in Japan and the U.S. over the half-century that followed its release. (Director Tim Burton once said he had wanted to grow up to be the man in the Godzilla suit.) Originally screened in Japan as "Gojira" in 1954, it received its new title and some cleverly inserted footage of American newsman "Steve Martin" (Burr) to appeal to U.S. audiences two years later.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 50%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%

**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - science fiction story
Giant monster movie? Yes
Kind of monster - Giant Monster(s)

Main Character
Identity: - animal
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - fire/lightning/weather cntrl
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
How much in movie? - 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality - Japanese

Main Adversary
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average Intelligence
Physical condition - average physique
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th Century (1950-1970)
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Big cities? Yes
Kind of city - Beautiful sparkling advanced city

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Tone of movie - fearful
Check here if B&W Yes
Non-American film? Yes
What language? - Japanese
Subtitles? - No
Any profanity? - None
Kinds of F/X - exploding vehicles - exploding bombs
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Orchestra/classical

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