Gojira no gyakushû (1955)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Motoyoshi Oda

Writers:

Shigeaki Hidaka (writer)
Shigeru Kayama (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

21 May 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Godzilla battles an irradiated Ankylosaur and destroys Osaka in the process.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Godzilla | Pilot | Island | Fishing

Cast

Hiroshi Koizumi	...	Shoichi Tsukioka
Setsuko Wakayama	...	Hidemi Yamaji
Minoru Chiaki	...	Kôji Kobayashi
Takashi Shimura	...	Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Masao Shimizu	...	Zoologist Dr. Tadokoro
Seijiro Onda	...	Captain Terasawa of Osaka Defense Corps
Sonosuke Sawamura	...	Hokkaido Branch Manager Shingo Shibeki
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Tajima, Member of Osaka Defense Corps
Mayuri Mokusho	...	Radio Operator Yasuko Inouye
Minosuke Yamada	...	Chief of Civil Defense
Yukio Kasama	...	Koehi Wamaji, President of the Fishery
Senkichi Ômura	...	Small Escaped Convict
Ren Yamamoto	...	Commander of Landing Craft
Shin Otomo	...	Convict Leader
Takeo Oikawa	...	Osaka Municipal Police Commissioner
Shoichi Hirose	...	Convict
Junpei Natsuki	...	Escaped Convict
Katsumi Tezuka	...	Angirasu
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira
Marvin Miller	...	Narrator (voice: English version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Toku Ihara	...	Policeman
Takuzo Kumagaya	...	Captain of Hokkai-maru (as Jirô Kumagai)
Hoshino Miyoko	...	Singer of cabaret
Tadao Nakamaru	...	Policeman
Hideo Shibuya	...	Visitor of cabaret
Sunagawa Shigemi	...	Visitor of cabaret
Masaaki Tachibana	...	Policeman
Shin Yoshida	...	Convict
Paul Frees	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice: English version)
Keye Luke	...	Hiroshi Koizumi (uncredited) (voice: English version)
George Takei	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice: English version)

Directed by
Motoyoshi Oda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shigeaki Hidaka		writer
Shigeru Kayama		novel "Gojira"
Takeo Murata		writer

Produced by
Edmund Goldman	....	producer
Paul Schreibman	....	producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	producer

Original Music by
Masaru Satô

Cinematography by
Seiichi Endo

Film Editing by
Hugo Grimaldi
Kazuji Taira

Production Design by
Teruaki Abe
Takeo Kita

Production Management
Kazuo Baba	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eiji Iwaya	....	chief assistant director

Sound Department
Ichirô Minawa	....	sound re-recording mixer
Masanobu Miyazaki	....	sound recordist
Alvin Sarno	....	sound effects editor: US version

Special Effects by
Hiroshi Mukoyama	....	matte work
Eiji Tsuburaya	....	director of special effects
Akira Watanabe	....	special effects art director

Visual Effects by
Sadamasa Arikawa	....	special effects assistant camera (uncredited)
Edward Nassour	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)

Stunts
Haruo Nakajima	....	stunt choreographer

Camera and Electrical Department
Masayoshi Onuma	....	lighting technician

Music Department
Rex Lipton	....	music editor (US version)

Other crew
Paul Frees	....	voice dubbing: multiple characters (U.S. version)
Hugo Grimaldi	....	dubbing director (US version)

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Company (1955) (worldwide) (all media)
• Les Films du Verseau (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Eros Films (1960) (UK) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmax Home Video (video)
• Genius Products (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Kuk Dong
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony BMG Music Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Treasures (1989) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Counterattack of the Monsters (USA) (promotional title)
Fire Monster
Gigantis
Gigantis the Fire Monster (USA)
Godzilla Raids Again (USA) (video title)
Godzilla's Counter Attack (International: English title) (literal title)
Gojira Strikes Again
Gojira's Counterattack
The Return of Godzilla
The Volcano Monster

Runtime:

82 min | USA:78 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf)

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

Many times during the American dubbed version, Godzilla uses Anguirus' trademark roar more often than he uses his own.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the shot where a few people are washed away in a flood in an underground-station, they appear to be transparent, as their images were apparently printed upon the background where the flood was actually filmed.

Quotes:

[last line; Japanese version]
Shoichi Tsukioka: Kobayashi... we beat Godzilla for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gojira: Fainaru uôzu (2004)

Not as haunting as the first Godzilla film, but still a solid sequel.

Another of Godzilla's species is discovered on an island, along with a spiky creature called Angilusaurus (or Angilus for short). Before long the two monsters are wrecking havoc.

Though this film was rushed out, it has the advantages of being made in the age when Godzilla films were serious-themed. The scenes in which city populations are told to turn their lights off to avoid Godzilla's attention at night are atmospheric and recall World War 2, when city lights were turned off to avoid the attention of enemy bombers. The music is haunting and the scenery, especially on the island, is suitably eerie. The film does tail away towards the end, but it's still one of the stronger sequels.

As with the original, and most other Godzilla films, the original non-dubbed version with subtitles is recommended.