From out of the depths of the ocean it came, a creature of colossal size and destructive power. A monster born of nuclear radiation and wreaking devastation on the citizens of Tokyo. Indestructible, Unappeasable, can anything stop Godzilla before it destroys Japan and the rest of the world?
This is the all time classic, the original grand daddy of Monster movies and the film that started Japan's number one film franchise. And frankly it half lives up to the legend. Unfortunately the 2/3rds of the films that doesn't revolve around Godzilla are pretty slow and dull, mostly focussing on the humans trying to figure out what to do, and on one family who discover Godzilla in the middle of their own personal problems. And frankly none of the human characters are anywhere near as interesting as Godzilla: one of the major protagonists (Takashi Shimura) spends the whole film moping about how Godzilla should be left alone (as if anyone is going to listen to that). The story takes a while to get going and Godzilla doesn't make a full appearance until about an hour into the film. But when he finally takes centre stage, it is a sight to behold. Some people may be wondering if Godzilla is entirely stop motion (like King Kong) or props and animatronics (like half of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park) - well he's neither, its a very good actor in a well made rubber suit. But that shouldn't put anyone off this film - there is an art to filming things to look giant which only Japan has become an expert in, and the scenes where Godzilla is turning Tokyo into a burning crater are unforgettable. The music really helps to set the scene and the special effects are very impressive for the time (Godzilla's atomic breath being the major point to note). Also there is the grim undertone of the whole film: Godzilla is a creature spawned from nuclear bomb tests, from the only country to ever experience a nuclear attack. So a large part of the dialogue and story centre around this point and the dark message of the piece is well represented here.
One last point to note, Gojira is the original Japanese film and Godzilla King of the Monsters is the crappy english dub. So if you are trying to track down either make it the original classic that stands the test of time.
