King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)

Director: Ishiro Honda

Written by: Shin’ichi Sekizawa

Original Godzilla director Ishiro Honda returns to direct this epic throwdown between the two ‘biggest’ movie stars that the world has ever seen.

It’d been seven years since the lackluster sequel, Godzilla Raids Again, but with Kong up for grabs the King of the Monsters was quickly ushered back onto the screen after a hasty rewrite of a script entitled King Kong Meets Frankenstein.

After clashing with a giant octopus, Kong gets wasted on fermented berries and is shipped off to Japan on a giant raft. Meanwhile, Godzilla is inadvertently freed from his icy tomb and sets out on a furious rampage.

When the two titans first meet, it’s clear that Kong is out of his league and it’s only after absorbing 100’000 volts of electricity that the greatest of apes is finally strong enough to stand up to Godzilla in a final epic showdown.

Eat your vegetables!

I was only able to track down the dubbed American version of this film which has replaced a lot of key scenes with monotonous American news reports so I feel I may be missing out somewhat, but this has been my least enjoyed Godzilla outing so far.

The Monster suits, especially Kong, do not look great and when wet every crease and fold is painfully obvious. Not to mention Kong’s face looks awful, I know I shouldn’t expect much from a 60-year-old movie but when the 1933 classic looks better than a movie made 30 years later I feel it’s valid.

It’s greatto see Godzilla in color, though again the dips and folds in the suit look much more obvious here than in previous and forthcoming entries in the series.

The new suit, known as the KingGoji stood out starkly from its predecessors and successors in the Godzilla franchise. Its appearance leaned more towards reptilian, notably with a robust and stocky build, particularly evident in the lower body region. The head, characterized by its small size and streamlined design, featured human-like eyes positioned on the sides, reminiscent of reptilian anatomy.

Distinctive attributes of the KingGoji included oversized hands adorned with spike-like claws, with thumbs nearly matching the size of the other three fingers. Furthermore, it shared several characteristics with Godzilla suits up until the introduction of the 84Goji in 1984. These included the absence of visible external ears, the lack of fangs, a three-toed foot structure, a sleek underside of the tail, and a prominent main row of dorsal plates flanked by two smaller rows.

It is good to see the two titans clash, with Godzilla still in his villainous phase it should come as no surprise to see Kong emerge as the ultimate victor. But we would not have to wait long for the big G’s triumphant return.

**

Godzilla Raids Again (1955) aka Gigantis the Fire Monster

Director: Motoyoshi Oda

Written by: Takeo Murada, Shigeaki Hidaka

After the critical and commercial success of Godzilla’s first outing, it was inevitable that a sequel would happen, and sure enough, the following year Godzilla Raids Again…. Kinda. Or, for the American audience, Gigantis the Fire Monster! In a still present lack of respect for their own audiences, it was believed Americans would not want to watch a Godzilla sequel, hence Gigantis was born, in a renaming that would prove so popular it lasted for exactly one film...

It’s a different Godzilla, though almost identical to the first in every way, and this time he’s not alone. Fellow Kaiju, Anguirus makes his debut as another monster also awakened by the horrors of nuclear testing.

Who?

This hastily produced sequel lacks the magic and rawness of the original, though it does feature the first Kaiju battle as Godzilla and Anguirus clash multiple times.

With Godzilla approaching a plan is made to plunge the city into darkness and lure him out to sea with flares. All goes according to plan until a bunch of escaped convicts crashes into a power station, causing a massive explosion that lures not only Godzilla but Anguirus as well.

The human cast is less memorable, a trait that will continue throughout the series, especially as more and more giant monsters are added to the revolving roster.

Godzilla and Anguirus throw down.

Once more Godzilla wreaks havoc on Japan, destroying hundreds of painstakingly detailed miniatures in the process (as a wargamer I cry a little inside at every model building that gets torn to pieces) but it’s hard not to get caught up in the action as Godzilla and the quadrupedal Anguirus tear up the city.

Similar to the ShodaiGoji, the new suit, known as the GyakushuGoji boasted a slimmer physique and a diminutive head. This streamlined appearance was engineered to enhance flexibility during the intense clashes with Anguirus on screen. Notably, the GyakushuGoji incorporated adjustable eyes for added expressiveness. To capture intricate footwork, a distinct set of legs, resembling boots, was utilized for close-up shots of Godzilla's feet. Additionally, akin to the ShodaiGoji, a manually operated puppet was employed for detailed shots of Godzilla's visage. This puppet notably showcased protruding teeth, a characteristic absent in the main suit design.

Ultimately Godzilla is put on ice (literally) in the climax of the film but the King of Monsters would not stay that way for long.

***

Godzilla (1954)

Director: Ishiro Honda

Written by: Takeo Murata, Ishiro Honda

In 1954 a legend was born.

The film opens with that iconic ROAR, a sound that would leave an indelible mark on cinema*.

In the original 1954 version, the sound effects crew attempted, without success, to utilize animal noises to produce the iconic roar. However, the Japanese composer Akira Ifukube ingeniously proposed using a musical instrument to generate the familiar shriek.

They would employ a double bass, with a leather glove coated in pine-tar resin for friction, rubbing it against the strings to produce that unforgettable sound.

Many films are labelled as classics but few genuinely warrant that accolade. 1954’s Godzilla is one of those few, the birth of a cinematic icon who has endured and evolved over a 70-year legacy to remain relevant and attuned to the society that births him.

In the original masterpiece, Godzilla is a product of the atomic age, a cautionary tale about man’s irresponsible relationship with science and the repercussions of great knowledge and power.

Still hurt and raw from the end of WW2, the people of Japan are faced with yet another horror unleashed by the nuclear beast, this time to overcome it, the people are forced to embrace the powers that brought this horror to life. Dr. Serizawa’s lethal ‘Oxygen Destroyer’ is used to successfully slay the beast. Still, the troubled Dr. takes the extra step of destroying both his research and ending his life to ensure that his creation can never be used again.

In the film's climax, the sight of Godzilla reduced to a heap of melted bone is a powerful one, but this is not the loveable beast that has yet to come or the guardian of balance that would evolve later still. This incarnation of Godzilla is both terrifying and strangely innocent, a mindless beast driven from its home and lashing out at the strange creatures it encounters.

The original Godzilla suit, known as the ‘ShodaiGoji’ or ‘HatsuGoji’ was the first of its kind and it would set the standard for every iteration of Godzilla that would follow. To this day the basic design remains largely unchanged, a terrifying bipedal reptile with smaller forearms, a long tail, and signature spinal ridge plates form an unmistakable silhouette.

The HatsuGoji leaned far more into the horrific nature of Godzilla than the later sequels in the Showa era, with long needle-shaped fangs giving a vicious predatory appearance. This original suit features smaller forearms, reminiscent of a dinosaur, and small pointed ears.

*****

* - Seriously is there any other sound effect so iconic? I gave genuine thought to the matter and the only comparisons I could come up with were the Wilhelm Scream and a Lightsaber. (Note musical effects, such as those featured in Jaws and Psycho were discounted).