The Return of Godzilla - Making Up for Lost Time

9 years had gone by since the release of Terror of Mechagodzilla and since then it was time for another anniversary. 30 years since the character's debut, Toho decided it was time to bring back Godzilla in a major way. A sequel to the original movie ignoring all previous movies excluding Godzilla, the new series would begin in 1984. With a fresh coat of paint and social commentary, the Big G was ready to make a comeback. The Return of Godzilla is a pretty solid entry in the series. Returning to the roots of Godzilla, the Return of Godzilla, aims to make Godzilla a bad guy again. After a solid 20 year run as the world's greatest dinosaur superhero, it was time to get back down to the core of what made Godzilla so terrifying: being a giant manifestation of the devastation that can arise if nuclear weapons are left unchecked. Set in 1984 of course, the Cold War impacts the movie a lot, with both the United States and the USSR managing their way into the crosshairs of the new Godzilla conflict. With intricate care put into the new Godzilla suit, effects and a refined story to essentially attempt a remake of Godzilla to fit the 80's, the Return of Godzilla is definitely not an entry to overlook.

An island erupts at sea and is witnessed by the crew of the missing boat Yahata Maru. Only one crew member survives and is soon discovered by reporter Goro Maki. After returning to the mainland with survivor Hiroshi Okumura, he soon comes to the horrifying realization his ships attacker was indeed Godzilla. Caught between the international pressure of both the USSR and the US, it is either nuke Godzilla or find another means to kill him before it is too late and Godzilla makes his way towards the rest of the world.

The movie does a really solid job of keeping a tone of realism and grit throughout. With Godzilla returning as a destroyer and not the ally he was for the last 20 years or so, it was important to get the feel of this movie right. And it keeps a really consistent tone throughout. This new Godzilla is bigger and more powerful than the first one, and unlike in 1954, there is no surefire way to kill him, as the Oxygen Destroyer went with Serizawa. And and the grim feeling is really tight throughout the movie. It's not pure horror like Godzilla was, and it's definitely not an action movie like the first series from Mothra vs. Godzilla and on. It's much more alike to a standard thriller, as the stakes keep getting raised and new solutions have to keep being found to the Godzilla menace. HOWEVER, I find this more realistic tone is not perfectly consistent mainly for one big reason: the Super X. The Super X is the main weapon used by the military to fight Godzilla. It's cool and all, and definitely livens up the monotonous "Godzilla fights the army" scenes, but what is sacrificed is overall consistency. This thing is loaded with bullets, bombs, missiles and cadmium shells that almost basically kill Godzilla and it floats. It loses a lot of honest to goodness realism that is usually really solid in the movie when a floating little ship A, just starts blasting the crap out of Godzilla and starts winning, but B, is floating using technology that doesn't exist. It's definitely a cool ship and a good weapon, but what was the cost? Perfect consistency. That is what was lost.

This film is one of the first movies in awhile with a really solid human cast that fully keeps audience members invested and watching. Solid performances are across the board, with some of my favorites being Keiju Kobayashi as Prime Minister Miyami Mitamura, series veteran Yosuke Natsuki as Dr. Makoto Hayashida, and my personal favorite, Goro Maki, played by Ken Tanaka (pictured left). Goro Maki is a name that should sound familiar. That's right. This is indeed the same name of my favorite performance from Son of Godzilla. This new Goro Maki is a reporter like the original, but instead of chasing after a story on an island experimenting with weather, he's trying to shed the truth on the reemergence of the once thought dead Godzilla. He's a solid character, and we spend a lot of time with him. From finding Hiroshi and on, he is indeed our central protagonist, and he does enough to not get lost amongst the other solid performances of the cast and stand out as a leading man. He doesn't necessarily do anything game changing, but he gets some real solid moments, consoling in the face of sure destruction, searching for the truth and doing the best he can to help out Dr. Hayashida with his anti-Godzilla technology.

Speaking of Godzilla, you might be wondering how he fares in this movie, well, for a solid 80% of his screentime, he's really good. As of this point in the series, this is the best he has ever looked. And while he definitely only gets better from here, this is a solid design. Godzilla as a monster is pretty strong in this movie, and although he does get put down by cadmium missiles from the Super X, he eventually gets right back up, revitalized from the fallout of the USSR's nuke. He does a lot of damage too, blasting all parts of Toyko with his signature atomic breath and laying his vengeance on trains, cars, even terrorizing some people like he's focused on them specifically. The only issues with Godzilla however are in his animatronic head, and the film's ending. Godzilla most of the time is pretty scary. He looks really menacing most of the time, but his animatronic face does stick out. Some of his shots show his eyes looking in two opposite directions, and while most of the time his snarling lips look really good, some up close shots of the top look really stiff and not as free moving as most other shots of him in the whole movie. As for the ending, well, this one is mainly me. 'Cause I like the way the movie ends and all, but it looks hilarious. Watching Godzilla basically just throw himself into a volcano, like, I'm sorry. There's no world in which that wouldn't look hilarious. Fortunately this series is gonna go on for years, so thank goodness that wasn't the last we saw of this new monster king.

All in all, the Return of Godzilla isn't bad. I don't think it's as memorable or as stellar as some say, but I do think it is pretty solid. It does have a few notable quirks due to its age, and sometimes the Cold War aesthetic can be a little much, but it's not a bad watch. If you got a solid two hours to kill, why not give it a watch?

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Up to bat tomorrow we have a solid entry in Godzilla vs. Biollante. Honestly, this is the movie I've watched the least in my life, only having seen it once. But rewatching it, I'll give it the best review I can, and I look forward to rewatching, reviewing, and sharing how I feel with you all. See you tomorrow!