Gojira, aka Godzilla, is the first a a long line of giant monster movies by Toho
Co. Ltd in Japan. In a nutshell, the film's about a prehistory creature who is unleashed upon the world by an atomic explosion, and attacks Japan. It was created as a metaphor for the dangers of nuclear weapons, and is much darker and more serious than later movies in the series.
The special effects are nothing compared to today's standards, but I still appreciate all the work that went into the miniature sets and all that the suit actor had to go through. Did you know that the Godzilla suit was originally over 200 pounds? The actor, Haruo Nakajima, passed out from the heat every now and then.
The music by Akira Ifikube, is magnificent. One of the greatest soundtracks of all time.
If you don't have the patience for slow movies it might not be for you, otherwise it's highly recommended. Also if you don't like reading subtitles, than you might want to watch Godzilla, King of the Monsters! instead. It's more or less the same movie, just with scenes of an American guy added in. I personally think the Japanese version is better, but if you don't like reading subtitles than you might like that version more.
My Rating: 8.5/10
