Godzilla Raids Again I think is the most underappreciated film of the Godzilla franchise. Also after watching this video, you have given me a better appreciation for it. I actually used some of the information that you talked about in this video for my own review of the movie.
this is honestly the best review I've ever seen of the film, you have opened my mind, Excellent job on the analysis, i'm glade some one picked up on deep film making.
For anguirus’ design I would say the filmmakers still wanted a dinosaur like creature to battle Godzilla but wanted them to be very visual distinct. Much like you said Godzilla represents America with Anguirus design showing that the 2 are clear opposite, but both are still as dangerous as the other.
Thsi film introduced me to Godzilla, I got my hands in the dvd when I was little and wpuld watch it multiple times a day every day, good memories Im going to watch it again tonight
Speaking of the Cold War connection, while searching for Godzilla in his float-plane, Shoichi radios his position as 50 degrees North, 147 degrees 30 minutes East and is warned that he has gone too far and "You will be in the neighboring country" (Japanese subtitled version). This is actually very close to the position where KAL flight 700 was shot down by Soviet fighters in 1983.
This film certainly does deserve more notice. In the mid sixties, my local cinema showed Gigantis the Fire Monster and I loved it so much, I sat through two showings. In those days, they let you do that. It's my favourite Godzilla movie. Next was King Kong vs Godzilla which I saw at that same cinema later on. Then Godzilla vs The Thing. Ever since, I've been a Godzilla fan. I never got to see the original Godzilla King of the Monsters until it was broadcast on French TV. Couldn't understand all the dialogue, but enjoyed it anyway. BTW, great video!
Godzilla Raids Again was one of the movies in the franchise I felt had the better human characters. Every time I watched it I liked it more and more for that as opposed the the kaiju but never got why. Thanks for making me more aware why.
I do see Godzilla Raids Again having a Cold War allegory. But I think it would have been stronger if Angirius survived the battle in Osaka, Like the climax would have Godzilla and Angirius fighting on that remote icy island, while the planes bury them in ice. After both monsters are buried, the human characters lament that they managed to put the battle on ice for a while, but dread that the war is far from over, pararelling Japan's fear of the cold war.
Man, that was an awesome video, Omni Viewer! You had some pretty good points I've never heard being discussed before. I only remembered this film to be the one that branched off all the Kaiju fights, but putting it in this perspective is very interesting and really brings up that this movie should be discussed more.
Well, _Godzilla Raids Again_ is technically the first film in the Showa series (the original 1954 _Gojira_ being outside the Showa, Heisei, and Millenium series by virtue of being the film that each series is sequels to).
The first Godzilla film is definatly part of the Showa era since it was released during Emperor Showa's reign (Showa wasnt his actual name though, more of a title) :). Technically, every japanese godzilla film released from 1984 onwards is part of the Heisei era, but the jury's out on that one lol.
According to various sources online, Anguirus is Siberian, and is supposedly shown roaming Siberia at the beginning of 1974's "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla." So your theory that he is supposed to represent the USSR in "Godzilla Raids Again" may be correct after all.
This film has always fascinated me. It's a bit more cheerful than a lot of Godzilla films, especially the first one. I honestly can understand why most fans don't talk about it that much since it's a bit too cheerful for an early Godzilla film. It may be the black sheep of the Godzilla franchise, but I still enjoy it.
As implied in the video, I think a lot of the perception has to do with context. Lots of people just see a shameless cash-in sequel rushed into production, but knowing your history can put a whole new spin on it.
I've (and my kids) always enjoy Godzilla Raids Again/Gigantis The Fire Monster (1959). Found it at a flee market on VHS back in the mid-1990s and it was worn out quickly by my son who watch it almost daily, sometimes two or even three times, and I found a replacement VHS used at a game/video store, but that too got worn out and eaten by the VHS Machine. Then a few years ago I got a copy on DVD from a sci-fi TV Show (Dr. or Professor Lobo(?) but had him in the my like Svengoolie TV show. Then last year my son who grow up a fan, bought me the DVD you have. He's 27 now, and we still watch it together when he's not working or with his girl. Great movie, regardless of what other may think. All my best wishes...
Had to facepalm when I bought my copy of this on VHS many moons ago. The idiots at the video store had labeled the price tag as "Godzilla Rides Again."
Speaking of the 70s and all its attendant weirdness...someone could revisit the Dr. Demonicus arc. Mad scientist creating his own kaiju and all... Could be fun!
I''ll never forget the day I first watched this. I was 8 years old living in Laurel Hill, North Carolina. I was with my parents at our local K-Mart. My ritual back then was to raid every VHS movie bin in every store I could find in search for Godzilla movies. It was like Christmas that day. I found one I had never seen or heard of before and it just so happened to be Godzilla Raids Again. I got home... put it in and waited for the magic to start. Boy was I confused. This ended up being the american cut version "Gigantis the Fire Monster". The box Said Godzilla, but the title card and the dialogue referred to Godzilla as Gigantis and as a she. Regardless of the strange misinterpretation, I loved this film growing up. It wasn't until I was in my 20s before I found out there were 2 very different versions of this film and that Godzilla Raids Again was actually a legit thing.
truthfully this was one of my favorite godzilla movies and I loved to watch over and over again. But I actually found the fight exciting between the two more realistic than in the future godzilla movies.
In the ending of the film, they trap Godzilla under an avalanche of ice, near Osaka Japan. Flash ahead to 1962 when the film came out King Kong vs Godzilla, Godzilla broke out of a mountain of ice near Osaka Japan, was that the same place in the film Godzilla Raids Again.
You are right this movie had several first. One them is two monsters fight each other. It was good sequel to Gojira. Why this film is never discussed I do not know. I loved the film because of the unique characters that anyone can relate too.
I saw this movie a number o times on TV as a young child. I guess that version was Gigantis: The Fire Monster. But whenever I heard the name Gigantis, I just assumed that was the lady Godzilla. There was even that Pepsi commercial that had both a guy and lady Godzillas together. So that solidified it to me. As far as the sped up fights, I'd say it really works for the city fight. There was something really visceral about that particular battle that's been hard to capture in kaiju ever since.
a very well done review.I first saw the American version of this on a premium pay cable station in the early 90's and was intrigued by it.I had read about this movie but never saw it before then.the dvd release with the original Japanese version of the movie is a treasure if you are a fan of the big G.according to what I recall reading in Ed Godjezki's limited to 1000 copies Godzilla book the cameras were turned slower than normal rather than faster than normal during a lot of the kaiju fight scenes-but to me a comment that my brother made was pretty good-he said this looks almost like two present day animals fighting each other-like two cats or two dogs fighting. Mr. Nakijima said that he went to the Zoo to study larger animals in how they moved so any of the realistic looking motion is probably a big part of his contribution to the big G.
This was actually the first Godzilla movie I have seen...even though I wouldn't realize the fact until 1983. I remember seeing it when I was about 4 years old in the early 1960's, but all I could recall was only a few scenes (the film that was shown to the officials discussing the monsters, loaded with stock footage; the climax with what appeared to my young eyes as a T rex being buried in ice) but I recognized those scenes when I caught the film on Showtime some 17 years later. It was a surprise to find that the mystery movie of my early youth was a Godzilla movie that I only read about and wanted to see...
That is a very interesting insight to the film I had never thought of. Well said. I have always loved the film even as the bastardization of Gigantus. You know what he really is and you just ignore the misnomer and enjoy the film. Oh and I love your set. Your collection is large and powerful. CHEERS!
I have a Displate of Godzilla Raids Again. It's one of my favorites. I remember being a kid in the 90s, and all we had was Gigantis. I watched it on the recorded version from the Disney Channel.
In my opinion, the more lighthearted tone represents Japan moving on from the war. Just as with Europe, Japan soon began to rebuild their country, and began to move on with their lives. I feel like this film represents this. If you see footage of Germany in the aftermath of WW2, amongst all the rubble and debris you see people rebuilding, cooking in their half destroyed homes, tuning a radio, etc.
I've always thought that this was not a 'second' Godzilla but the same one. Some of the cells survived and the creature regrew and moved out of the de-oxygenated area.
I remember first seeing this movie and just almost falling asleep watching it (probably tired anyway), but now that I’ve seen this video (as late as I am), you’ve given me a reason to check it out again. 😃
Basically,3:43 it's a slice of life turned into chaos in the second and 3rd acts of this movie. Huh? Who'd knew? Also,storywise as time goes by and when Ghidorah comes into the fray and after Mothra whooped Godzilla's ass on behalf of humans everywhere,I can see why they wanted to have Godzilla as a friend as the story goes on. It's quite a journey they have and Destroy all monsters was ultimately the end of the story thematically. Not bad I must say.
This video totally opened my eyes to GRA. When I first saw it (as Gigantis) I thought it was a bad movie. This video made me totally rethink that. Amazing!
I came up with the allegory a few years ago, don't remember exactly when. It was one of many ideas I floated around for my channel when I started it. I officially wrote it on March 7, 2014, then it got lost in the shuffle for a while. I basically got sick of putting it off and decided it was high time to finally record it.
Never seen the film, so thanks for bringing it up like this and talking about its motifs. I'll definitely have to get it now and put it on my shelf next to Gojira.
Nice work. I have to admit I don't often think about GRA, though I did appreciate it when I (finally) saw it. I think I'll have to watch it again now. Thanks for the great video.
The Americanized version is borderline unwatchable. The Japanese version with subtitles is almost fun. I like it. It's available on the high seas and on Internet Archive if you don't do torrents.
Saw this on TV back around 1965 when I was a little kid and thought it was kind of creepy with the kaiju fighting in the city. Never could forget it and only found it on RUclips just recently.
I love Gigantis the Fire Monster, in all it’s cheesy glory. I bought about 5 copies of the Classic Media disc (which was easy since it quickly ended up in the Walmart discount DVD bin). I’m glad to have both versions but I admit I prefer the jacked-up Warner version with random, mindless stock footage and stock music tracks.
After watching Godzilla Minus One, I had to revisit the Toho Godzilla movie franchise starting with Gojira and then moving on to Godzilla Raids Again. I agree with your commentary. Many of us Goji geeks really do not discuss Godzilla Raids Again. Definitely a movie sequel to Gojira 1954. Godzilla Raids Again is much more appreciated by me now. Domo arigato gozaimasu for the upload.
6:21, to answer that question, much like Godzilla, Anguirus was lying dormant before being awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s, and was said to originate from Siberia, according to official sources
Hmm, very interesting. I think I may have to re-watch it! I remember when I was little I saw it and kinda skipped and never payed attention to the actual human perspectives lol. Great video!
3 года назад+4
8:30 If this was made in 2020, he would've stated the COVID-19 Pandemic instead of a natural disaster, since it affected the whole world, not just Japan.
I recently watched this movie thanks to RUclips's current promotion. And I noticed something that I believe gives you a bit more credence to this theory. You see when it comes to Kaiju Battles in the series, this one stands out as a bit of an anomaly. Usually when Godzilla fights an opponent, the area where they initially first contact becomes the battleground, with the damage to the city being relatively isolated to the area - exceptions do occur, like in Godzilla vs. Gigan. However, with this battle between Godzilla and Anguirus, the concept is entirely different. When you notice this fight, you realize that it's one of the few Godzilla battles that actually has _forward momentum;_ it is a fight that is constantly moving, rather than staying in one place. It might lend props to Anguirus in this movie, as it seems that he and Godzilla are almost perfectly matched as opponents throughout most of the movie. Their fight _literally tears through all of Osaka._ The reason why the fight itself is not particularly memorable, is because the fight itself is _not_ the spectacle of the scene. The true spectacle is the destruction the fight is causing; we focus more on the buildings being destroyed than we do the monsters. That - to me - fits with the theory that the monsters fighting in this movie is a metaphor for the Cold War between the USA and the USSR. The focus isn't on them fighting, but the damage their quarrel is causing - the fight to them is almost insignificant with very minimal damage caused to each other, but the collateral damage surrounding them is incalcuable. It's almost like in the trailers for the movie - even the shitty Gigantis Trailers - where the film implies, "Born to Destroy each other; but First they'll Destroy the World." So keeping all of that in mind, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this was the theme that Toho had in mind when making the film.
I'm afraid that doesn't change the fact that the fighting itself, while interestingly animalistic, remains largely forgettable. They could've kept the destruction the same whilst also splicing the monster choreography up a notch. The theory itself has not been confirmed, there is evidence to confirm & deny it. Godzilla Raids Again isn't a very good film, but it's not terrible.
I’m a fan of both versions of this movie, and this review just reinforced my appreciation of this admittedly mediocre sequel. The mediocrity doesn’t faze me, because this was one of the first Godzilla films I ever saw!
been watching you for a bit and never saw this video. It’s honestly amazing how i never even saw how this film was still inspired by real world events. I always felt the first and shin were two of maybe four films in the series that were heavily inspired by current events. im still not huge on this film for the obvious flaws but it’s definitely given me a different look on the film
about the America/Russia comparison their were some "official" sources (it's the internet take it with a grain of salt) that say that Anguirus (the one in this movie anyway) was said to have originated from Siberia so make of that what you will I guess
Godzilla Raids Again is important for one reason -- monster mash-ups. Never again would you want to see a giant monster flick without (at least) two monsters duking it out. However, huge let down from the original... a classic where the power of the atomic bomb is personified to a largely island-bound tale of two fishing scouts. Also, Godzilla Raids Again showed up ofen enough on "UHF" -- at least in my area. Didn't think it a rare film. Your suggestion that Godzilla is a symbol of the US and Angirus for Russia is interesting but I don't buy it. Nice video though.
Fantastic video! I'm always happy to see other appreciators of this film, especially when they discuss the movie's thematic subject matter. You and I have the same interpretation: the first movie was about the horrors of a great disaster; the sequel is about people attempting to move on with life in the aftermath of a great disaster. Godzilla and Anguirus destroy Osaka about halfway through the remainder of the film focuses on the characters relocating to another city and trying to make the best of their lives in spite of what happened to them. Surely this would have been an attitude in Japan in the 40s and 50s. Heck, Kurosawa even showed a little bit of that in his postwar film "One Wonderful Sunday." What I think this movie really needed was more time to be made. The writers needed more time to flesh out the characters, director Motoyoshi Oda needed more time to make the movie, Tsuburaya needed more time to polish the effects. They were rushed and it does show a bit in the final product, but the end result is still one of the most underappreciated films in the series.
Yeah, this movie was certainly rushed, there's no denying that. Much like Godzilla 2000, though, it's much better than a rush job has any right to be, especially regarding the themes. Glad you enjoyed the video.
The running commentary can be exhausting but I absolutely love the sequences of Godzilla and Anguiras fighting. The early Showa films will probably always be my favorite.
Good perspective, I enjoyed the review. I like the movie because Anguirus is my 2nd favorite Kaiju, I build model kits and have a lot of Anguirus kits. Hope to see you at G-Fest!
I wished they released a remastered version where the kaiju fights were slowed down a bit w/o slowing down the music & the ending was re-edited so that the pacing was much better.
Raids Again was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw. From the first frame in which the character appears, I became hooked on him. The growing pains of this film are to glaring to ignore, of course. But they do nothing to diminish my love for the film. It's very film noire, in a visual sense seeing as Osaka is entirely blacked out during Godzilla and Anguirus's final battle. Masaru Sato's score also adds to the creepy factor. All that other stuff you mentioned is also aswsome. :) On another note; There were never any Communist witch hunts in America. The Communist party in Hollywood conducted their own internal inquisition and then tried to rewrite history by making films and books that lied about what really happened.
really nice how you quickly analyze the movie and for me also really interesting how well these movies fit into history or rather the zeitgeist/surroundings at that time. Makes you think about modern movies no? What do they want to show us? What is the meaning beneath the "normal plot"? And what will future generations think into them? Although everyone still should be very careful with over-analyzing things. Especially the older they are/if you can't ask the original creator anymore
Indeed, over-analyzing everything is a problem. I actually went through a brief period several years back where I couldn't turn off the analytical side of my brain. One day, I realized that it was preventing me from enjoying just about everything, and I had to slam on the breaks and be more discerning. Sometimes there's a deeper meaning to what you're watching, but most of the time, you just want to see two monsters fighting. As for modern films, I do think there's an interesting trend happening. I'll make a proper video on it one day soon, but here's a taste. In the immediate wake of 9/11, superheroes became all the rage because, well, we need heroes in dark times. More recently, though, we've seen those heroes start to falter and fight among themselves, proving that they are just as fallible as anyone. Yet in recent Kaiju movies, or certain hero movies like Wonder Woman, the title characters are not just heroes; they are portrayed as gods. Assuming this trend continues, methinks it could mean humanity is starting to yearn for a bit of divine intervention.
I'm one of the lucky ones who own this seldom seen, underrated classic on DVD. Many viewers have decried this film as being "inferior" to the original, and I can even agree with a few of their points. But your analysis gives it a fresh, new perspective that I will definitely consider on my next viewing. Great review! PS: you're kinda cute, too! Just saying!
Godzilla Raids Again I think is the most underappreciated film of the Godzilla franchise. Also after watching this video, you have given me a better appreciation for it. I actually used some of the information that you talked about in this video for my own review of the movie.
That title would belong to Godzillas Revenge
I love Godzilla Raids Again!!!!
Watching this made me love the movie even more! Thanks so much!!!
You're quite welcome.
Dude I love this movie too it is awsome
Christian Manka So Do I This Is My Favourite Godzilla Film
Christian Manka agreed the movie is fantastic
very nice retrospective
never tought of this angle, now raids again have much more sense, thanks omniviewer
this is honestly the best review I've ever seen of the film, you have opened my mind, Excellent job on the analysis, i'm glade some one picked up on deep film making.
Glad to hear you liked it. Any day I can get people thinking about things differently is a successful one for me.
For anguirus’ design I would say the filmmakers still wanted a dinosaur like creature to battle Godzilla but wanted them to be very visual distinct. Much like you said Godzilla represents America with Anguirus design showing that the 2 are clear opposite, but both are still as dangerous as the other.
Thsi film introduced me to Godzilla, I got my hands in the dvd when I was little and wpuld watch it multiple times a day every day, good memories Im going to watch it again tonight
Speaking of the Cold War connection, while searching for Godzilla in his float-plane, Shoichi radios his position as 50 degrees North, 147 degrees 30 minutes East and is warned that he has gone too far and "You will be in the neighboring country" (Japanese subtitled version). This is actually very close to the position where KAL flight 700 was shot down by Soviet fighters in 1983.
Ooh, nice tidbit. Wish I'd known that when making the video.
I love Godzilla raids again it was the first Godzilla movie that Godzilla have fight another kajiu
Godzilla raids again wasn't hard to find on VHS back in the 90's.
This film certainly does deserve more notice. In the mid sixties, my local cinema showed Gigantis the Fire Monster and I loved it so much, I sat through two showings. In those days, they let you do that. It's my favourite Godzilla movie. Next was King Kong vs Godzilla which I saw at that same cinema later on. Then Godzilla vs The Thing. Ever since, I've been a Godzilla fan. I never got to see the original Godzilla King of the Monsters until it was broadcast on French TV. Couldn't understand all the dialogue, but enjoyed it anyway. BTW, great video!
Godzilla Raids Again was one of the movies in the franchise I felt had the better human characters. Every time I watched it I liked it more and more for that as opposed the the kaiju but never got why. Thanks for making me more aware why.
I do see Godzilla Raids Again having a Cold War allegory. But I think it would have been stronger if Angirius survived the battle in Osaka, Like the climax would have Godzilla and Angirius fighting on that remote icy island, while the planes bury them in ice. After both monsters are buried, the human characters lament that they managed to put the battle on ice for a while, but dread that the war is far from over, pararelling Japan's fear of the cold war.
I actually saw it for the first time as a kid on Disney in the early 90's. Grandma taped it for us. Man I loved it. Still do.
One of my favourite Godzilla movies. Thanks for the upload.
i was raised on godzilla. i think that godzilla costume is one of the cooler ones
Godzilla raids agean is my third favorite Showa film
I'm not sure where it falls numerically for me, but as you can see, I really like it as well.
what are the first two?
Man, that was an awesome video, Omni Viewer! You had some pretty good points I've never heard being discussed before. I only remembered this film to be the one that branched off all the Kaiju fights, but putting it in this perspective is very interesting and really brings up that this movie should be discussed more.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I kinda like Godzilla raids Again
Indeed, it deserves much better.
I LOVE THIS FILM !!!!!! "GIGANTIS" THE FIRE MONSTER" IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES !!!!!!!!!! GOOD MOVIE !!!!!!!!
Well, _Godzilla Raids Again_ is technically the first film in the Showa series (the original 1954 _Gojira_ being outside the Showa, Heisei, and Millenium series by virtue of being the film that each series is sequels to).
The first Godzilla film is definatly part of the Showa era since it was released during Emperor Showa's reign (Showa wasnt his actual name though, more of a title) :).
Technically, every japanese godzilla film released from 1984 onwards is part of the Heisei era, but the jury's out on that one lol.
Uh, No It’s Not; Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is the First Heisei G-Film
@King Kong Fan Historically speaking/writing the Showa Period ended in 1989
According to various sources online, Anguirus is Siberian, and is supposedly shown roaming Siberia at the beginning of 1974's "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla." So your theory that he is supposed to represent the USSR in "Godzilla Raids Again" may be correct after all.
Excellent analysis on what, as you said, is probably the most underrated/appreciated Godzilla movie!
Back then Warner Bros hate Godzilla sequels but now they love them!
How the times have changed. Makes me want to see Anguirus in the MonsterVerse even more, just to bring it full circle.
Omni Viewer Agreed
+Omni Viewer ikr
This film has always fascinated me. It's a bit more cheerful than a lot of Godzilla films, especially the first one. I honestly can understand why most fans don't talk about it that much since it's a bit too cheerful for an early Godzilla film. It may be the black sheep of the Godzilla franchise, but I still enjoy it.
As implied in the video, I think a lot of the perception has to do with context. Lots of people just see a shameless cash-in sequel rushed into production, but knowing your history can put a whole new spin on it.
all monsters attack is the worst godzilla film
Hello Stitch Family!
This movie is also important because it was the first appearance of angruis and the first time godzilla fought another kaiju.
haha. what you said at the end of the video is so true. still love the film tho!
Indeed. It was an experimental choice.
Omni Viewer They finally shown a glimpse of Godzilla for monster planet
I've (and my kids) always enjoy Godzilla Raids Again/Gigantis The Fire Monster (1959). Found it at a flee market on VHS back in the mid-1990s and it was worn out quickly by my son who watch it almost daily, sometimes two or even three times, and I found a replacement VHS used at a game/video store, but that too got worn out and eaten by the VHS Machine. Then a few years ago I got a copy on DVD from a sci-fi TV Show (Dr. or Professor Lobo(?) but had him in the my like Svengoolie TV show. Then last year my son who grow up a fan, bought me the DVD you have. He's 27 now, and we still watch it together when he's not working or with his girl. Great movie, regardless of what other may think. All my best wishes...
Had to facepalm when I bought my copy of this on VHS many moons ago. The idiots at the video store had labeled the price tag as "Godzilla Rides Again."
Sounds like the Godzilla Western we never got...unless you count those two issues of the Marvel Comics run.
Speaking of the 70s and all its attendant weirdness...someone could revisit the Dr. Demonicus arc. Mad scientist creating his own kaiju and all... Could be fun!
Some Random Bald Guy
Godzilla: yeehah!
Anguirus: why is this my life
That's a good title maybe they should have called the film that!
The Japanese title is called Godzilla’s counterattack which is the my second favorite gojira sequel behind gojira 1984 the return
Damn, this was actually a really interesting and well done analysis. Very in debt and thought provoking. Excellent job.
Thank you, as always.
In depth
Excellent video. Keep it up!
I shall, good sir!
Am I the only one that likes the godzilla 1955 like if you loved the movie I DID
The yellow T-Rex on his shelf to the right is
Sauron. From the amazing fighting arcade game(I owned it on Sega) Primal Rage.
I actually have this VHS which I bought back in 94 at kmart when I was 12.
I''ll never forget the day I first watched this. I was 8 years old living in Laurel Hill, North Carolina. I was with my parents at our local K-Mart. My ritual back then was to raid every VHS movie bin in every store I could find in search for Godzilla movies. It was like Christmas that day. I found one I had never seen or heard of before and it just so happened to be Godzilla Raids Again. I got home... put it in and waited for the magic to start. Boy was I confused. This ended up being the american cut version "Gigantis the Fire Monster". The box Said Godzilla, but the title card and the dialogue referred to Godzilla as Gigantis and as a she. Regardless of the strange misinterpretation, I loved this film growing up. It wasn't until I was in my 20s before I found out there were 2 very different versions of this film and that Godzilla Raids Again was actually a legit thing.
Godzilla's design was revealed for Godzilla: Monster Planet.
I remember watching this on tnt during monster vision with joe bob briggs and hidi the mail girl.
truthfully this was one of my favorite godzilla movies and I loved to watch over and over again. But I actually found the fight exciting between the two more realistic than in the future godzilla movies.
In the ending of the film, they trap Godzilla under an avalanche of ice, near Osaka Japan. Flash ahead to 1962 when the film came out King Kong vs Godzilla, Godzilla broke out of a mountain of ice near Osaka Japan, was that the same place in the film Godzilla Raids Again.
You are right this movie had several first. One them is two monsters fight each other. It was good sequel to Gojira. Why this film is never discussed I do not know. I loved the film because of the unique characters that anyone can relate too.
Well, my hope is to get more people reevaluating it, and it seems to be working. Glad you enjoyed both my review and the movie.
Thank you for defending this film, Omni. This is one of my all-time favorite Godzilla films from the Showa Era. I saw this before 1954.
I saw this movie a number o times on TV as a young child. I guess that version was Gigantis: The Fire Monster. But whenever I heard the name Gigantis, I just assumed that was the lady Godzilla. There was even that Pepsi commercial that had both a guy and lady Godzillas together. So that solidified it to me. As far as the sped up fights, I'd say it really works for the city fight. There was something really visceral about that particular battle that's been hard to capture in kaiju ever since.
a very well done review.I first saw the American version of this on a premium pay cable station in the early 90's and was intrigued by it.I had read about this movie but never saw it before then.the dvd release with the original Japanese version of the movie is a treasure if you are a fan of the big G.according to what I recall reading in Ed Godjezki's limited to 1000 copies Godzilla book the cameras were turned slower than normal rather than faster than normal during a lot of the kaiju fight scenes-but to me a comment that my brother made was pretty good-he said this looks almost like two present day animals fighting each other-like two cats or two dogs fighting. Mr. Nakijima said that he went to the Zoo to study larger animals in how they moved so any of the realistic looking motion is probably a big part of his contribution to the big G.
This was actually the first Godzilla movie I have seen...even though I wouldn't realize the fact until 1983.
I remember seeing it when I was about 4 years old in the early 1960's, but all I could recall was only a few scenes (the film that was shown to the officials discussing the monsters, loaded with stock footage; the climax with what appeared to my young eyes as a T rex being buried in ice) but I recognized those scenes when I caught the film on Showtime some 17 years later.
It was a surprise to find that the mystery movie of my early youth was a Godzilla movie that I only read about and wanted to see...
That is a very interesting insight to the film I had never thought of. Well said. I have always loved the film even as the bastardization of Gigantus. You know what he really is and you just ignore the misnomer and enjoy the film. Oh and I love your set. Your collection is large and powerful. CHEERS!
I know why did they call godzilla gigantus the fire monster
It was before Godzilla was the cultural icon that he is today and the American producers thought that no own would notice or care.
I have a Displate of Godzilla Raids Again. It's one of my favorites. I remember being a kid in the 90s, and all we had was Gigantis. I watched it on the recorded version from the Disney Channel.
In my opinion, the more lighthearted tone represents Japan moving on from the war. Just as with Europe, Japan soon began to rebuild their country, and began to move on with their lives. I feel like this film represents this. If you see footage of Germany in the aftermath of WW2, amongst all the rubble and debris you see people rebuilding, cooking in their half destroyed homes, tuning a radio, etc.
I remember learning about godzilla raids again so late. Ive been a godzilla fan since birth so finding out this movie existed was awesome as a kid
I loved Godzilla's design in this. And I laughed when I noticed the Mothman vs. Flatwoods Monster play set on the shelf in the background.
I've always thought that this was not a 'second' Godzilla but the same one. Some of the cells survived and the creature regrew and moved out of the de-oxygenated area.
@omniviewer I had a copy of this film on VHS from good times video. It was and is still one of my favorite Godzilla films.
8:03 Some solid life advice which is why I’m going to use it in a video
I remember first seeing this movie and just almost falling asleep watching it (probably tired anyway), but now that I’ve seen this video (as late as I am), you’ve given me a reason to check it out again. 😃
It holds a special place in my heart for being the first godzilla movie I ever saw
Great review! As a kid, this was the "How to wrestle an Ankylosaurus" movie. Nice to see good ol' Anguirus again.
Godzilla raids again is actually free on RUclips
Basically,3:43 it's a slice of life turned into chaos in the second and 3rd acts of this movie.
Huh? Who'd knew?
Also,storywise as time goes by and when Ghidorah comes into the fray and after Mothra whooped Godzilla's ass on behalf of humans everywhere,I can see why they wanted to have Godzilla as a friend as the story goes on. It's quite a journey they have and Destroy all monsters was ultimately the end of the story thematically. Not bad I must say.
I really love Godzilla raids again
This video totally opened my eyes to GRA. When I first saw it (as Gigantis) I thought it was a bad movie. This video made me totally rethink that. Amazing!
Just doing my part for the community. glad you enjoyed it.
Omni Viewer just a quick question... did you come up with this allegory for this video or did you come up with it sometime before this video?
I came up with the allegory a few years ago, don't remember exactly when. It was one of many ideas I floated around for my channel when I started it. I officially wrote it on March 7, 2014, then it got lost in the shuffle for a while. I basically got sick of putting it off and decided it was high time to finally record it.
Never seen the film, so thanks for bringing it up like this and talking about its motifs. I'll definitely have to get it now and put it on my shelf next to Gojira.
This video actually mad a lot of sense. Thank you for posting this
That was a nice video, you're very good at talking and explaining your points of view, honestly you deserve more subscribers
Thank you very much.
Thank you for sharing your insights to this movie. I know have a better appreciation for it.
Nice work. I have to admit I don't often think about GRA, though I did appreciate it when I (finally) saw it. I think I'll have to watch it again now. Thanks for the great video.
I got this movie back in about 1990's. I did not even know about it till I happen to see it on vhs in a supermarket. Bought it of course.
The Americanized version is borderline unwatchable. The Japanese version with subtitles is almost fun. I like it. It's available on the high seas and on Internet Archive if you don't do torrents.
Saw this on TV back around 1965 when I was a little kid and thought it was kind of creepy with the kaiju fighting in the city. Never could forget it and only found it on RUclips just recently.
I love Gigantis the Fire Monster, in all it’s cheesy glory. I bought about 5 copies of the Classic Media disc (which was easy since it quickly ended up in the Walmart discount DVD bin). I’m glad to have both versions but I admit I prefer the jacked-up Warner version with random, mindless stock footage and stock music tracks.
The reason why some of the kaiju-scenes in this movie are kinda sped-up is because the movie itself was a rushed job
does it deserve more appreciation, yes.
it is good, sadly no
legendary and warner bros should remake godzilla raids again/gigantis the fire monster
Just Godzilla raids again gigantis the fire monster can go burn in hell
Yea
I'd rather Toho did it. I've not been impressed at all by what America has done with the franchise.
Nexus I'm doing it I am currently making Godzilla and anguirus suits....I'm being serious.
Yea Toho should do it. +Lucas Houghton really?
After watching Godzilla Minus One, I had to revisit the Toho Godzilla movie franchise starting with Gojira and then moving on to Godzilla Raids Again. I agree with your commentary. Many of us Goji geeks really do not discuss Godzilla Raids Again. Definitely a movie sequel to Gojira 1954. Godzilla Raids Again is much more appreciated by me now. Domo arigato gozaimasu for the upload.
6:21, to answer that question, much like Godzilla, Anguirus was lying dormant before being awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s, and was said to originate from Siberia, according to official sources
he's right we have to love the 1998's godzilla it was the best childhood movies i ever seen
Hmm, very interesting. I think I may have to re-watch it! I remember when I was little I saw it and kinda skipped and never payed attention to the actual human perspectives lol. Great video!
8:30 If this was made in 2020, he would've stated the COVID-19 Pandemic instead of a natural disaster, since it affected the whole world, not just Japan.
I recently watched this movie thanks to RUclips's current promotion. And I noticed something that I believe gives you a bit more credence to this theory. You see when it comes to Kaiju Battles in the series, this one stands out as a bit of an anomaly. Usually when Godzilla fights an opponent, the area where they initially first contact becomes the battleground, with the damage to the city being relatively isolated to the area - exceptions do occur, like in Godzilla vs. Gigan.
However, with this battle between Godzilla and Anguirus, the concept is entirely different. When you notice this fight, you realize that it's one of the few Godzilla battles that actually has _forward momentum;_ it is a fight that is constantly moving, rather than staying in one place. It might lend props to Anguirus in this movie, as it seems that he and Godzilla are almost perfectly matched as opponents throughout most of the movie. Their fight _literally tears through all of Osaka._
The reason why the fight itself is not particularly memorable, is because the fight itself is _not_ the spectacle of the scene. The true spectacle is the destruction the fight is causing; we focus more on the buildings being destroyed than we do the monsters.
That - to me - fits with the theory that the monsters fighting in this movie is a metaphor for the Cold War between the USA and the USSR. The focus isn't on them fighting, but the damage their quarrel is causing - the fight to them is almost insignificant with very minimal damage caused to each other, but the collateral damage surrounding them is incalcuable.
It's almost like in the trailers for the movie - even the shitty Gigantis Trailers - where the film implies, "Born to Destroy each other; but First they'll Destroy the World."
So keeping all of that in mind, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this was the theme that Toho had in mind when making the film.
I'm afraid that doesn't change the fact that the fighting itself, while interestingly animalistic, remains largely forgettable. They could've kept the destruction the same whilst also splicing the monster choreography up a notch.
The theory itself has not been confirmed, there is evidence to confirm & deny it.
Godzilla Raids Again isn't a very good film, but it's not terrible.
Well, Anguirus DID come from Siberia, so maybe that's where the allegory comes from.
This was godzilla's first fight that's also why raids again is important
I’m a fan of both versions of this movie, and this review just reinforced my appreciation of this admittedly mediocre sequel. The mediocrity doesn’t faze me, because this was one of the first Godzilla films I ever saw!
been watching you for a bit and never saw this video. It’s honestly amazing how i never even saw how this film was still inspired by real world events. I always felt the first and shin were two of maybe four films in the series that were heavily inspired by current events.
im still not huge on this film for the obvious flaws but it’s definitely given me a different look on the film
I find Godzilla Raids Again is one of the best in the series.
about the America/Russia comparison their were some "official" sources (it's the internet take it with a grain of salt) that say that Anguirus (the one in this movie anyway) was said to have originated from Siberia so make of that what you will I guess
Well, they did find them up north, right?
@@dubuyajay9964 Where did they bury Godzilla in ice at the end?
Godzilla Raids Again is important for one reason -- monster mash-ups. Never again would you want to see a giant monster flick without (at least) two monsters duking it out. However, huge let down from the original... a classic where the power of the atomic bomb is personified to a largely island-bound tale of two fishing scouts. Also, Godzilla Raids Again showed up ofen enough on "UHF" -- at least in my area. Didn't think it a rare film. Your suggestion that Godzilla is a symbol of the US and Angirus for Russia is interesting but I don't buy it. Nice video though.
Fantastic video! I'm always happy to see other appreciators of this film, especially when they discuss the movie's thematic subject matter. You and I have the same interpretation: the first movie was about the horrors of a great disaster; the sequel is about people attempting to move on with life in the aftermath of a great disaster. Godzilla and Anguirus destroy Osaka about halfway through the remainder of the film focuses on the characters relocating to another city and trying to make the best of their lives in spite of what happened to them. Surely this would have been an attitude in Japan in the 40s and 50s. Heck, Kurosawa even showed a little bit of that in his postwar film "One Wonderful Sunday." What I think this movie really needed was more time to be made. The writers needed more time to flesh out the characters, director Motoyoshi Oda needed more time to make the movie, Tsuburaya needed more time to polish the effects. They were rushed and it does show a bit in the final product, but the end result is still one of the most underappreciated films in the series.
Yeah, this movie was certainly rushed, there's no denying that. Much like Godzilla 2000, though, it's much better than a rush job has any right to be, especially regarding the themes. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Godzilla kills one Angirus, and another Angirus becomes his best friend.
The running commentary can be exhausting but I absolutely love the sequences of Godzilla and Anguiras fighting. The early Showa films will probably always be my favorite.
The tedious running commentary is not present on the Japanese version
It’s essentially an Ozu-style family drama with postwar men questioning what bravery, duty and even love mean.
It's like Ozu if Ozu sucked at making movies.
Good perspective, I enjoyed the review. I like the movie because Anguirus is my 2nd favorite Kaiju, I build model kits and have a lot of Anguirus kits. Hope to see you at G-Fest!
Godzilla Raid Again I don't think was ever shown on free North America tv like all the others Godzilla movies. Especially with reruns.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important film in the Godzilla Universe. 乾杯 / Kanpai / Cheers! 🥂
When he says Godzilla king of the monsters is he talking about the original 1954 gojira or the American one.
The 1954 movie
It took me such a long time to get a copy of this movie. ....it was worth the wait!
Wow. Your analysis made me like and appreciate this film even more than I did previously. Good work my friend.
Great video! It's one of my favorite films!
Very nice setup btw.
I wished they released a remastered version where the kaiju fights were slowed down a bit w/o slowing down the music & the ending was re-edited so that the pacing was much better.
Raids Again was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw. From the first frame in which the character appears, I became hooked on him. The growing pains of this film are to glaring to ignore, of course. But they do nothing to diminish my love for the film. It's very film noire, in a visual sense seeing as Osaka is entirely blacked out during Godzilla and Anguirus's final battle. Masaru Sato's score also adds to the creepy factor. All that other stuff you mentioned is also aswsome. :)
On another note; There were never any Communist witch hunts in America. The Communist party in Hollywood conducted their own internal inquisition and then tried to rewrite history by making films and books that lied about what really happened.
Godzilla raids again dope as movie everything we love about godzilla science military weapons and politics
really nice how you quickly analyze the movie and for me also really interesting how well these movies fit into history or rather the zeitgeist/surroundings at that time. Makes you think about modern movies no? What do they want to show us? What is the meaning beneath the "normal plot"? And what will future generations think into them?
Although everyone still should be very careful with over-analyzing things. Especially the older they are/if you can't ask the original creator anymore
Indeed, over-analyzing everything is a problem. I actually went through a brief period several years back where I couldn't turn off the analytical side of my brain. One day, I realized that it was preventing me from enjoying just about everything, and I had to slam on the breaks and be more discerning. Sometimes there's a deeper meaning to what you're watching, but most of the time, you just want to see two monsters fighting.
As for modern films, I do think there's an interesting trend happening. I'll make a proper video on it one day soon, but here's a taste. In the immediate wake of 9/11, superheroes became all the rage because, well, we need heroes in dark times. More recently, though, we've seen those heroes start to falter and fight among themselves, proving that they are just as fallible as anyone. Yet in recent Kaiju movies, or certain hero movies like Wonder Woman, the title characters are not just heroes; they are portrayed as gods. Assuming this trend continues, methinks it could mean humanity is starting to yearn for a bit of divine intervention.
I'm one of the lucky ones who own this seldom seen, underrated classic on DVD. Many viewers have decried this film as being "inferior" to the original, and I can even agree with a few of their points. But your analysis gives it a fresh, new perspective that I will definitely consider on my next viewing. Great review! PS: you're kinda cute, too! Just saying!