It's funny, when you think about it, that a film that did so much to establish what the majority of Godzilla films would be, wasn't a good film itself.
In my opinion Raids again isn’t simply just a cash grab ,it’s about people over coming the tragedies of the past and people doing their best to keep their chins up in dyer times ,Godzilla and Angurious represents America and The Soviet Union ,and Japan’s fear of the Cold War escalating to a physical conflict ,and having that conflict come to Japan’s shore. I also find the fights in Godzilla Raids again to be more realistic as the monsters act like animals ,and don’t jump around like rubber balls in a blow up bouncy house. This film in my opinions deserves more respect
This is definitely a movie of 2 halves. The first half, perfectly serviceable and sets up a lot of tropes for the movies to come. Fine to watch and it's only 40 minutes of your time and you can go 'Ah! So this is where the Kaiju movie came from!' After that, the last 30 - 40 minutes are not needed, the fight with Anguirus should have been the climax. However, I really like the low-fi warped soundtrack in this, the creepy kind of sweeping cymbal crashes and reversed piano chords, the subtle drone of the soundtrack make it really nightmarish.
i agree, the first half is miles better than the second half of the movie. also the person who composed the soundtrack is the same person who composed mechagodzilla's 1974 theme.
Dennis Mitchell to me it feels like it’s one of the most underrated and under appreciated films next to 1984 return of Godzilla. In Japanese format with subtitles those two movies are fantastic hell even the classic gojira is far darker in the Japanese format compared to Godzilla
This film gets bashed everywhere. It's not that bad. (baby Godzilla, HELLO??) And I enjoy watching the earlier films the same way I did as a child, in B+W. Removing those bright (1960's-70's) colors makes the films seem more serious, to me. The exception being "Hedorah", where the colors were an integral part of the film (unfortunately)
I love this movie. But then again I love all of the Godzilla movies except the American 1998 one. I even love the son of Godzilla, Godzilla’s revenge, Megalon and all the goofy ones.
I think SFDebris put it pretty well. This film has all the ingredients needed to be a good Godzilla film, but it wasnt given the time or budget it needed to properly "cook." Had they not rushed the film in a matter of months, the mistakes like the undercranking of the Monster footage could have been fixed, allowing the monsters to shine like they should and provide the sense of scale like they should. The theme of rebuilding after war is a good theme for the film to use...but it doesnt really do anything with it. Its just there, much like the characters, nothing remotely as interesting as Serizawa's moral struggles elevates the drama, and there's no focus on the tragic aftermath of the battle like the previous film either, the characters just...rebuild and move on. Still, the effects work is really impressive, especially given the age and lack of time given to them, and while not as good as the previous film's score, the film has a subtle, haunting soundtrack that does aid in maintaining the horror tones of the film. I do like it, I'm glad I own it, but this movie is just such a shining example of "What could have been."
You know, I find this critical reaction of Godzilla raids again very similar to Pacific Rim Uprising. How both sequels are labeled inferior and not as well made as the 1st movie, heck even both have similar tones. The 1954 Godzilla and the 1st pacific Rim had themes of pathos, apocalyptic tones and a very gritty approach on the monster movie genre, while pacific Rim Uprising and Godzilla raids again are viewed as over the top, light hearted movies. But I think that's significant, as both changes of tone show how the world moves on after those tragic events.
The tragedy of "Godzilla Raids Again" is that it was released just after masterpiece "Godzilla". The original "Godzilla" was so impressive that it had weakened its sequel. I think this movie itself is excellent and it was the beginning of Kaiju vs Kaiju route.
I don’t see Raids Again as a cash grab, rather (In keeping with the nuclear allegory) is the Nagasaki to Gojira’s Hiroshima. Both are devastating and world changing but the former overshadows the latter. Raids again gave us the monster brawl and help set the tone and formula we would see in later Toho suitmation films in their golden age.
Not only did this film start the tradition of Godzilla fighting another monster, but it also started the tradition of Godzilla fighting back against the military. Sure he did so a little bit in the original 1954 film (both versions) when he drove the tanks away by creating a wall of flames with his atomic breath, but here is where he started shooting down planes with his atomic breath and swatting them out of the sky. Also the tradition of a pagoda always getting destroyed started in this movie. So despite its flaws, this is a very important entry in the Godzilla series because it establishes the formula that the rest of the franchise would follow going forward.
This movie is underrated and the fight is one of the best in the franchise due to the animalistic actions and if you look at it differently it has some good messages. Very underrated movie.
To be honest I think this movie is pretty underrated. Aside from introducing Anguirus and kaiju battles, Minoru Chiaki is good as Kobayashi, and there are some great visuals, like Hidemi seeing Osaka on fire from afar and when Godzilla and Anguirus size each other up near Osaka castle. If the final battle was shot at the proper frame rate this would definitely be regarded more highly
I wonder why you didn't like this fight . Actually it's the most realistic fight scene of the entire franchise because when they fight they really look like 2 animals do fighting not like later fights that they look like humans wrestling
I respect his opinion but I personally really like Godzilla Raids Again. I enjoy the fights and Anguirus was a worthy monster for the time and I liked the humans
Raids again is my all time favorite movie ever, it has flaws, but I’m the type of person who likes flaws in movies. As long as it doesn’t destroy the entire movie
The last act of the film really drags once Anguirus is defeated, but I have some sort of a soft spot for Kobayashi's character. I'd give this movie 2 out of 5 stars.
I have a theory on why the monster fights in this movie are in fast motion. Now, you said no effort was given to make the monsters look large. It’s way more than that. I appreciate what you said, and you’re not wrong in your thinking. The way to give large scale to smaller things, you’d shoot them with a fast frame rate. Then, when you project the footage at 24 fps, the scene is slow. The example being dropping a penny off the Empire State Building vs dropping a penny off of a 6 foot model building. You have to speed up the film to the correct frame rate to make the scene slow down to the point that the penny takes as long to fall from the model as it does from the actual building. The slower something is, the bigger it looks. Here’s my theory. I think someone poorly explained this to a certain cameraman. All the monster footage isn’t fast, just bits and pieces. I think one cameraman didn’t understand the slowing down the scene concept. Maybe the DOP gave a poor, shorthand explanation. “Hmmm. We want the monsters to look big, so we slow it down. Got it.” And instead of speeding up the film to get it slow later, he slowed down the frame rate, which sped up the final product. To quote Bill Maher, I can’t it, I just know.
According to some diggin, that's exactly what happened. The first film used overcrank in the Godzilla films, so that in playback he would move slower. Here, it was undercranked by accident, but because of budget and deadlines, they couldn't go back and refilm it, so we have the overly quick movements we have.
@@FlyingFocs Actually, they did notice it fairly easily on, but the director liked the look (himself not "getting" the reason for having slowed down in the first place) and had the cameraman do that for the rest of the film. The rest is fairly correct though.
I've heard, and mind this is only one source, that the monster fights were meant to be filmed by overcranking as is the norm, but was undercranked by accident. And they couldn't go back and film given the time they had, so they went with what they got.
To be honest this was the last Showa era movie I saw (yeah I saw the original run totally out of order) and I like this one because of the characters. I loved Kobayashi who was played by Minoru Chiaki who is secretly in love with Hidemi and Kobyashi's friendship with Tsukioka. Granted it's still low on my list but IMO this has some of the better human characters.
I own Japanese blu rays version of this movie. I still like Godzilla's design. This is the second Godzilla appearing throughout the Showa series. It's also first time having Godzilla battle other monsters in the Godzilla franchise.
Personally, I think the direction was solid: Motoyoshi Oda wasn't inexperienced, he was a classmate of Akira Kurosawa and Ishiro Honda and was Hondas' Assistant Director/Second Unit Director on "Eagle of the Pacific". And I think the Score by Masaru Sato deserves some mention. What I find interesting is that it contains next to no action music, instead Satos' music is rather low-key and eerie, creating suspense instead of bombast. This gives the Battles between Godzilla and Anguirus a unique feel.
Most of the people hate this movie. I get this movie is a complete cash grab no arguement but I can at least find entertainment out of it. Anguirus is one of my favorite kaiju. Btw this movie feels like the beginning of the cheap godzilla era.
This was a great movie before the movies that were made in the 1960s was for kids so this was the last time until 1985 movie and what was made after to now
This movie is so odd and I feel like it is so underrated, the score has this thundering awkward sad loneliness as the creatures fight, it’s such a weird entry but I love it. Possibly because this movie was next to impossible to get a hold of as a kid, I was always sooooo curious to see it and I think I was about 8-9 when it finally came in the mail from eBay, I ran to the VCR and I was glued to the tv. The look of Godzilla and anguirus are so interesting in black and white. And something about the original and the sequel that have these shots of them emerging from the sea is so haunting. Love it. 4/5 for me
The biggest problem with this movie is the way they recorded the fights. Like you mentioned. The main problem with that recording is they decided to try a different camera speed. This; mixed with lighter weight kaiju suits, made for ridiculous looking brawling scenes between the two monsters. And that always throws me off when I try to watch this movie. lol.
This is one of my Top 10 Godzilla films (not even the Original is on that list), as this one is always fun to watch and just enjoyable from beginning to end. The worst part, they killed off Kobayashi, that was so sad and unnecessary.
Yamada in Raids Again and Sarazawa in King of the Monsters make the same statement Gojira species or the Titans were on earth before the dinosaurs when the radiation levels were higher so King of the Monsters tipped its hat to Raids again by making the reference canon.
Probably my least watched Godzilla film. I still enjoy it for what it is, but it's a shame this film didn't carry on anything more from the first Godzilla. Question, are you also going to do a brief review of Godzilla King of the Monsters (the 1956 one)?
I only saw this movie after the release of the Ultimate Godzilla collection which included all the Showa era movies and a subtitled version of Gojira. I think it might have been a good thing I missed this during my formative years. It could have been a more toxic influence on my view of Godzilla in general. Dispite that I'm still glad it was made if only because of what it did to shape what was to come.
Just watched this moive and you may have *slightly* underrated it. Its by no means fantastic and doesnt hold a candle to its predecessor but it deserves credit for still being largely serious and realistic and for the fact that it explicitly connects to the previous movie, which is a rarity for the Showa-era. The direction is solid, the acting is fine, the characters are two-dimentional but likeable enough and the Score (Masaru Satos' first for the franchise) is creepily foreboding. The effects are great when it comes to pyrotechnics and miniatures but the monster-vs-monster-Scenes are a mixed bag as many shots look comically sped up and thus feel like they used either hand puppets or shroddy stop-motion... but I learned the latter is the result of a technical error and they didnt have the money nor time to fix it. And besides, this gives the Fights a more raw, visceral quality. It really comes across that these are just wild, ferocious animals biting and clawing at each other.
Personally Godzilla raids again (or the Japanese title Godzilla’s counterattack) is one of my favorites it’s a very important film in the series it being the first time Godzilla fought another monster but I will admit the sped up fighting does look a little odd funny considering it was a mistake but tsuburaya decided to keep it in probably because they couldn’t re shoot it and it doesn’t look bad it’s just kinda weird
Come on, Up From the Depths, get out of the cellar, Godzilla Raids Again is far from perfect, yet I found it to be still entertaining. I take it as a period piece with a so so love story interwoven with the usual Kaiju antics. Yes, it's not the best entry in the Showa era films, but I find it to be a film whose heart is in the right place. I really loved how the humans for once used jet planes to bombard Godzilla with bombs that eventually bury him in ice.
Blows my mind that they did this in 6 months! Great review, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts, if you're interested, I reviewed this on my channel as well. No worries if you’re not interested 😀
I am not happy with this opinion, this movie was great and I was so pissed when you were talking about the fight scene. I honestly preferred the original fights in this movie because why would monsters know how to wrestle, so they will fight like actual monsters instead of professional wrestlers!
2 stars for Godzilla's revenge, 1 star for this... I mean neither are great, but at least least this movie isn't completely fucking stupid, at least this movie introduced a memorable monster in Angurius, and wasn't made from mostly stock footage.
Interesting to note that the film was such a blatant cash-grab piggybacking off the success of the original that the initial American release actually rewrote it and even gave it a totally different name to distance it from Gojira- it was released as "Gigantis, the Fire Monster" (the American version creator said they didn't want audiences getting the monster confused with the Godzilla from 'Gojira' because Godzilla had been irrevocably killed the by the oxygen destroyer and they didn't think audience would buy just "another Godzilla"). This was the name I first heard of it under when I read a (really old) book about giant movie monsters in my school library back when I was a little kid. I remember that book fondly, it was part of a series of books introducing children to movie monsters: one was about the Dracula movies, one about the Frankenstein ones, but it was the one on Kaiju movies that I was most fascinated by. That's why I grew up knowing about Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidora years before I would get any chance to see any of the films, or the rise of the internet.
Just saw this movie today and I have to say, it was pretty fun, but only for the first half. Not all that great for the reasons you mention, but I also want to say that the reused and flipped shots get really boring really quickly. The best thing was definitely the fight between Godzilla and Anguirus, but it got a little bland as it was the same thing again and again and again, and then they'd switch it up and then there would be some reapeats, it wasn't until they destroyed the temple that it got interesting again, and then I was shocked when Godzilla roasted Anguirus because there was still another half of the movie to go. What a twist! So Godzilla's gonna attack another city right? Oh, he's on an island and they bury him in an avalanche and rockslide with the same footage for ten minutes. Ugh. I'd totally rewatch the first half though, it was fun. Better than a 1 star in my opinion, but about the 2.5/4 the guide for TCM said it was.
I disagree. After watching your review I rewatched the movie and I still think this is a good Godzilla movie. It had pretty big shoes to fill and it certainly tried its best. It’s not the best Godzilla film by a long shot but it’s not a 1 star movie. Here’s what I think: The way I see it is that Godzilla Raids Again goes for a different kind of style. It doesn’t have to be like the first movie because it can’t be. It’s about two Giant larger than life (literally and figuratively) monsters fighting each other over who’s more powerful. This is a common thing in nature so it makes sense that dinosaurs like Godzilla and Angurius would this. Since these are dinosaur-like monsters it’s natural they fight each other for survival or for dominance. These guys aren’t fighting to punish humanity, they are fighting because they are monsters. Sure we created them by mutating them with nuclear bomb testing and radiation but these monsters were attacking each other, not the people. They just so happen to be in a city where many use to live. I think this is actually a good thing because in a way it shows how we fucked up with weapons we can’t control. So yeah I guess it’s a form of punishment but it’s more of a figurative punishment rather than a punishment done on purpose. As a result of fucking with nature our punishment is seeing a beautiful city destroyed. After Godzilla defeats Angurius he goes back in the ocean. His job is done. He killed Angurius and proved he is the King of the Monsters. He didn’t continue fighting the military because he didn’t need to. He did attack them at first but once Angurius shows up that’s when his attention is shifted. As for the ending, I thought it was pretty good too. We know that without the Oxygen Destroyer we can’t kill Godzilla but since he’s on an iceberg island they think it would be a good idea to trap him and freeze him there. It’s the best solution they have honestly. As for the fights we saw, what else were you expecting? They fought like dinosaurs. We saw similar fights in the Jurassic Park/World movies. I think this movie had a bigger impact on dinosaur/monster fights for the future. Godzilla used his breath and Angurius used his raw power to battle, there’s nothing else you need for this fight. Other great Godzilla movies do this better obviously but this sort of landed down the foundation for those future fights. So without this movie who knows other monster movie battles would look like. To say this is a cash grab is, in my opinion, is wrong and unnecessary. This had a lot of effort put into it. Now Godzilla’s Revenge/All Monsters Attack was a cash grab. That movie was bad because most of the movie was footage from other Godzilla movies and barely had a story or any normal fights. This movie however, had a lot of great things about it. And in terms of the story, I didn’t watch the Japanese version of this movie so I can’t comment on if that story is different than the dubbed American one but I can say with confidence that this story is good. Yes I do admit it does take a while to start but honestly so did a lot of other monster movies at the time and even future Godzilla movies had this problem so it’s not exclusive to this movie. Not saying it’s a good thing though, I’m just pointing that out. I like the characters and how things were played out. I’m going to be honest, story isn’t something a lot of Godzilla care about (at least that’s how I see it). It’s a monster movie. You watch it for the monsters. The Jurassic Park movies are the exceptions to this because they need more context as to why there’s a park and how the dinos were made but still when I watch a Jurassic Park movie I’m mostly there to see people getting eaten, ripped apart or getting stepped on by a dinosaur. The dinosaur at the end of the day is the reason it’s called “Jurassic Park”. Anyway I got off topic. In conclusion Godzilla Raids Again isn’t a bad movie. It’s not a cash grab or a poorly thought out movie. This movie was meant to continue the story of Godzilla and without it there wouldn’t be many other Godzilla movies or many other movies inspired by it. It’s not the greatest Godzilla film and it does have many flaws, the fucking audio is the worst part about this movie among other issues. But overall it’s a decent Godzilla film and I think it’s worth your time. I give Godzilla Raids Again 3 and a half Stars If you are reading this, thank you. Tell me how I did. I appreciate any and all feedback you guys have for me.
Calling it a cash grab is a little mellow dramatic for sure. But the fact is that the film was made very quickly in order to capitalize on the first film's success, and I think it shows in the execution. Everything you said isn't wrong, but I just find the film poorly execution is a lot of ways, but that's because they were experimenting very quickly. And so even though I don't particularly care for Raids Again, I acknowledge its importance in the development of not just the Godzilla franchise, but the entire kaiju genre. It's the growing pains of the art form of tokusatsu. It was necessary. I'm glad that you like it though. I'd suggest trying to see the Japanese version, because from what I understand the American version is a VERY different movie.
This movie is the best sequel of the original film but the idea for the American version that changed the title card to gigantis the fire monster is the stupidest idea
If Raids Again is just a cash grab, so is every other film in the Showa era. They pumped out these movies constantly. At least Raids Again felt like it was the same Godzilla and same continuity as the original. Once we get to King Kong vs Godzilla, the following film, the character and the film turns into a complete parody of itself.
There is an interesting read on this movie that pitches Godzilla as representing The USA and Anguirus representing the USSR, with Japan sort of caught hopelessly in between the conflict. I'm also of the opinion that movies that feature other monsters with Godzilla actually fall into 2 categories....the films that are truly 'shared' between Godzilla and the other monster...and the films that feel more like a Godzilla Solo film with another monster included in either a limited role or a role that feels very much like an extension of Godzilla himself. Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla vs Biollante, and Godzilla 2000 feel very much like 'Mostly Godzilla' movies, with monsters like Biollante and Orga almost being products of Godzilla. Anguirus is dispatched long before the end of Raids Again. I think Raids Again is obviously very flawed, but does have highlights. Despite being more light-hearted it still feels relatively grounded compared to the surprisingly humorous and campy King Kong vs Godzilla. It is also an example of a movie where humans must overcome Godzilla with essentially conventional means...unable to use another monster or any kind of super weapon to defeat Godzilla. But the final product does leave one wanting in a pretty big way.
When I first saw Raids Again, I was really disappointed. Now I take it for what it is. Just like you said, it’s just another monster movie. I didn’t like how they kept the monsters movements at normal speed. Slowing it down gives them more weight.
Actually what happened was the cameraman mistakenly undercranked, thinking that would slow the action down instead of over cranking to get the desired effect. But I, like many others, like the fast paced fight in this because it makes them look like vicious animals really going at it.
Oh boy, it’s GIGANTUS THE FIRE MONSTER... you know, because you just localized arguably the best Monster movie of all time so why keep the title for the sequel?
It feels like it should be good but it's executed poorly. Similar characters to the first movie but much flatter. The monsters do not move or fight convincingly. The second half after Ankylosaurus dies slogs, especially where we slowly watch the planes bomb and avalanche godzilla over a scene that could have been wrapped up in 2 minutes. The romance subplot is significantly weaker, and I find it really unconvincing that godzilla would die from... suffocating in ice, when it itself is an aquatic creature and a nuclear one. The lack of depth to the new creature is sad because it's easily the best part of the film. There's also basically no soundtrack for most of the movie, as opposed to the tension and rising action of the main motif of the first movie. The only improvement is the special effects and vehicle stunts. The explosions and crumblings look great. The airplanes and bombings look great. The car chases, flames, and explosions are great. That's it. Otherwise it's inferior but still entertaining. It kept my attitude except for the time between godzilla defeating ankylosaurus and the avalanches attack.
As per Yamane's fears at the end of the first, it's a second Godzilla. That's the official explanation as far as I know. And it is the most commonly taken fan path as well.
I've been getting into giant monster movies and watched this after watching Son of Kong, another rushed cash grab film. I saw a lot of people comparing that film to this which had me worried for this film. I ended up enjoying this film until after the Godzilla vs Anguirus fight. Up until that point, I thought the film was a fun watch with likable characters and the fight, while sloppy, was still enjoyably cheesy. After the fight though, the film comes to a screeching halt where nothing happens. Yeah they bury Godzilla in snow, but he just stands there for the entire thing, occasionally firing his atomic breath at the planes. Then it just kinda...ends. No celebration or anything. Just a "The End" screen. This is all to say that while both films are just mindless cash-grabs, at least this one tried to be entertaining.
Gotta say I liked this more than you. Not a great film by any means, but 1 star? Far better than Godzilla vs. Megalon cheese. Also, historically important for setting the basic format for most that was to follow in the series. While I disagree with your conclusion, as always I love your review work. Please keep it up.
Bruh Godzilla's revenge and Godzilla 1998 got 2 stars and this got 1 star bruh it should at least have 2 stars im not hating im just saying it should have a better rating bc I kinda love this movie maybe bc Godzilla's design and the OST but fr it should have more stars
My issue was the very dragging pace of the film, multiple times the film ruins its own tension and dread, the subpar soundtrack, and poorly filmed action scenes. The only redeeming thing is the first kaiju brawl in the series. It’s the highlight of the film, but the series has far better ones. Skip to King Kong vs Godzilla in your goji marathons kids.
It's funny, when you think about it, that a film that did so much to establish what the majority of Godzilla films would be, wasn't a good film itself.
The American version of the movie is god awful, but the Japanese version is much much better. One of my favorite Godzilla films.
In my opinion Raids again isn’t simply just a cash grab ,it’s about people over coming the tragedies of the past and people doing their best to keep their chins up in dyer times ,Godzilla and Angurious represents America and The Soviet Union ,and Japan’s fear of the Cold War escalating to a physical conflict ,and having that conflict come to Japan’s shore. I also find the fights in Godzilla Raids again to be more realistic as the monsters act like animals ,and don’t jump around like rubber balls in a blow up bouncy house. This film in my opinions deserves more respect
Buffalo Tank
Exactly!
Thank you!
Couldn't have said it better myself!
wow
Ah, I see you watched Omni viewer's video on the film.
@Raymond Rocha Actually I'm just a yank who has too much spare time, and a deep passion for world history.
Nah. It's a cash grab.
This is definitely a movie of 2 halves.
The first half, perfectly serviceable and sets up a lot of tropes for the movies to come. Fine to watch and it's only 40 minutes of your time and you can go 'Ah! So this is where the Kaiju movie came from!'
After that, the last 30 - 40 minutes are not needed, the fight with Anguirus should have been the climax.
However, I really like the low-fi warped soundtrack in this, the creepy kind of sweeping cymbal crashes and reversed piano chords, the subtle drone of the soundtrack make it really nightmarish.
i agree, the first half is miles better than the second half of the movie. also the person who composed the soundtrack is the same person who composed mechagodzilla's 1974 theme.
@@computertable3746 and son of godzilla's ost
The sped up footage in this film makes for a good laugh. When the prisoners were on the run it looked like an episode of the Three Stooges.
Godzilla Raids Again, in my opinion, is simply this: UNDERRATED!!!!!
I really like this movie, it’s still pretty dark and features two antagonist well one could say anguiras was a protagonist
Dennis Mitchell to me it feels like it’s one of the most underrated and under appreciated films next to 1984 return of Godzilla. In Japanese format with subtitles those two movies are fantastic hell even the classic gojira is far darker in the Japanese format compared to Godzilla
This film gets bashed everywhere. It's not that bad. (baby Godzilla, HELLO??)
And I enjoy watching the earlier films the same way I did as a child, in B+W. Removing those bright (1960's-70's) colors makes the films seem more serious, to me. The exception being "Hedorah", where the colors were an integral part of the film (unfortunately)
I love this movie. But then again I love all of the Godzilla movies except the American 1998 one. I even love the son of Godzilla, Godzilla’s revenge, Megalon and all the goofy ones.
@@obdeisibcirrus993 Me too appear the 1998 wich was the nemesis of the franchise but i like every godzilla movie!
I think SFDebris put it pretty well. This film has all the ingredients needed to be a good Godzilla film, but it wasnt given the time or budget it needed to properly "cook." Had they not rushed the film in a matter of months, the mistakes like the undercranking of the Monster footage could have been fixed, allowing the monsters to shine like they should and provide the sense of scale like they should.
The theme of rebuilding after war is a good theme for the film to use...but it doesnt really do anything with it. Its just there, much like the characters, nothing remotely as interesting as Serizawa's moral struggles elevates the drama, and there's no focus on the tragic aftermath of the battle like the previous film either, the characters just...rebuild and move on.
Still, the effects work is really impressive, especially given the age and lack of time given to them, and while not as good as the previous film's score, the film has a subtle, haunting soundtrack that does aid in maintaining the horror tones of the film.
I do like it, I'm glad I own it, but this movie is just such a shining example of "What could have been."
If Ishiro Honda was director, then imagine what this film would look like.
You know, I find this critical reaction of Godzilla raids again very similar to Pacific Rim Uprising. How both sequels are labeled inferior and not as well made as the 1st movie, heck even both have similar tones. The 1954 Godzilla and the 1st pacific Rim had themes of pathos, apocalyptic tones and a very gritty approach on the monster movie genre, while pacific Rim Uprising and Godzilla raids again are viewed as over the top, light hearted movies. But I think that's significant, as both changes of tone show how the world moves on after those tragic events.
And I liked pacific Rim Uprising, despite some dumbasses wanting me to hate it and agree with them....
@@SaurianStudios1207 There's no way they could of fucked it up any more badly
@@smithwesson1896 There are several things that could have made Uprising much worse.
@@maleficking6556 I don't know. Charlie Day, being the bad guy of the movie is pretty bottom of the barrel
Sebastian Cintron Could have been "Kaiju are just suddenly back cause no reason".
I remember laughing when I first saw the godzilla vs anguirus fight. It looks like two kittens having a spat
The tragedy of "Godzilla Raids Again" is that it was released just after masterpiece "Godzilla". The original "Godzilla" was so impressive that it had weakened its sequel. I think this movie itself is excellent and it was the beginning of Kaiju vs Kaiju route.
I don’t see Raids Again as a cash grab, rather (In keeping with the nuclear allegory) is the Nagasaki to Gojira’s Hiroshima. Both are devastating and world changing but the former overshadows the latter. Raids again gave us the monster brawl and help set the tone and formula we would see in later Toho suitmation films in their golden age.
I understand your opinion but Raids Again is like a guilty pleasure for me, it's bad but I like it.
Not only did this film start the tradition of Godzilla fighting another monster, but it also started the tradition of Godzilla fighting back against the military. Sure he did so a little bit in the original 1954 film (both versions) when he drove the tanks away by creating a wall of flames with his atomic breath, but here is where he started shooting down planes with his atomic breath and swatting them out of the sky. Also the tradition of a pagoda always getting destroyed started in this movie. So despite its flaws, this is a very important entry in the Godzilla series because it establishes the formula that the rest of the franchise would follow going forward.
This movie is underrated and the fight is one of the best in the franchise due to the animalistic actions and if you look at it differently it has some good messages. Very underrated movie.
To be honest I think this movie is pretty underrated. Aside from introducing Anguirus and kaiju battles, Minoru Chiaki is good as Kobayashi, and there are some great visuals, like Hidemi seeing Osaka on fire from afar and when Godzilla and Anguirus size each other up near Osaka castle. If the final battle was shot at the proper frame rate this would definitely be regarded more highly
Man,i really like this movie,i think 1 star its not what that sequel deserves.
I really like this film. For me it's top 10
This is the movie that started all the Kaiju brawl movies.
I wonder why you didn't like this fight . Actually it's the most realistic fight scene of the entire franchise because when they fight they really look like 2 animals do fighting not like later fights that they look like humans wrestling
1 star? Just one star?! Come on man, it's not that bad.
True and it’s better than Godzilla’s revenge
I respect his opinion but I personally really like Godzilla Raids Again. I enjoy the fights and Anguirus was a worthy monster for the time and I liked the humans
Raids again is my all time favorite movie ever, it has flaws, but I’m the type of person who likes flaws in movies. As long as it doesn’t destroy the entire movie
The last act of the film really drags once Anguirus is defeated, but I have some sort of a soft spot for Kobayashi's character. I'd give this movie 2 out of 5 stars.
I agree, Kobayashi left a mark.
One of my top 5 favorites in the franchise
Behold Angurious, the Krillin of the Godzilla world.
This film has really grown on me. Obviously rushed, but better than it's reputation.
I have a theory on why the monster fights in this movie are in fast motion. Now, you said no effort was given to make the monsters look large. It’s way more than that. I appreciate what you said, and you’re not wrong in your thinking. The way to give large scale to smaller things, you’d shoot them with a fast frame rate. Then, when you project the footage at 24 fps, the scene is slow. The example being dropping a penny off the Empire State Building vs dropping a penny off of a 6 foot model building. You have to speed up the film to the correct frame rate to make the scene slow down to the point that the penny takes as long to fall from the model as it does from the actual building. The slower something is, the bigger it looks.
Here’s my theory. I think someone poorly explained this to a certain cameraman. All the monster footage isn’t fast, just bits and pieces. I think one cameraman didn’t understand the slowing down the scene concept. Maybe the DOP gave a poor, shorthand explanation. “Hmmm. We want the monsters to look big, so we slow it down. Got it.” And instead of speeding up the film to get it slow later, he slowed down the frame rate, which sped up the final product. To quote Bill Maher, I can’t it, I just know.
According to some diggin, that's exactly what happened. The first film used overcrank in the Godzilla films, so that in playback he would move slower. Here, it was undercranked by accident, but because of budget and deadlines, they couldn't go back and refilm it, so we have the overly quick movements we have.
@@FlyingFocs Actually, they did notice it fairly easily on, but the director liked the look (himself not "getting" the reason for having slowed down in the first place) and had the cameraman do that for the rest of the film. The rest is fairly correct though.
My favorite Godzilla film
I've heard, and mind this is only one source, that the monster fights were meant to be filmed by overcranking as is the norm, but was undercranked by accident. And they couldn't go back and film given the time they had, so they went with what they got.
To be honest this was the last Showa era movie I saw (yeah I saw the original run totally out of order) and I like this one because of the characters. I loved Kobayashi who was played by Minoru Chiaki who is secretly in love with Hidemi and Kobyashi's friendship with Tsukioka. Granted it's still low on my list but IMO this has some of the better human characters.
Same here. I actually cared when Kobayashi ended up sacrificing himself to help defeat Godzilla.
Same here.
This is not the worst Godzilla movie
I own Japanese blu rays version of this movie. I still like Godzilla's design. This is the second Godzilla appearing throughout the Showa series. It's also first time having Godzilla battle other monsters in the Godzilla franchise.
Personally, I think the direction was solid: Motoyoshi Oda wasn't inexperienced, he was a classmate of Akira Kurosawa and Ishiro Honda and was Hondas' Assistant Director/Second Unit Director on "Eagle of the Pacific".
And I think the Score by Masaru Sato deserves some mention. What I find interesting is that it contains next to no action music, instead Satos' music is rather low-key and eerie, creating suspense instead of bombast. This gives the Battles between Godzilla and Anguirus a unique feel.
Great review haven’t seen this in a while!
Most of the people hate this movie. I get this movie is a complete cash grab no arguement but I can at least find entertainment out of it. Anguirus is one of my favorite kaiju. Btw this movie feels like the beginning of the cheap godzilla era.
I really liked it, It was a really fun watch!
A fun movie no matter what...I love them all! Go godzilla
7 years later Godzilla is done hibernating
Godzilla raids again 1955: ☆
Wow, so harsh! I have to disagree. It was different in tone than the original, but Raids Again is one of my favorite Showa era Goji films.
This was a great movie before the movies that were made in the 1960s was for kids so this was the last time until 1985 movie and what was made after to now
This movie is so odd and I feel like it is so underrated, the score has this thundering awkward sad loneliness as the creatures fight, it’s such a weird entry but I love it. Possibly because this movie was next to impossible to get a hold of as a kid, I was always sooooo curious to see it and I think I was about 8-9 when it finally came in the mail from eBay, I ran to the VCR and I was glued to the tv. The look of Godzilla and anguirus are so interesting in black and white. And something about the original and the sequel that have these shots of them emerging from the sea is so haunting. Love it. 4/5 for me
The biggest problem with this movie is the way they recorded the fights. Like you mentioned. The main problem with that recording is they decided to try a different camera speed. This; mixed with lighter weight kaiju suits, made for ridiculous looking brawling scenes between the two monsters. And that always throws me off when I try to watch this movie. lol.
I would say skip this movie and jump to king kong vs godzilla but you can't ah well at least rodan is way better
Well how would Godzilla randomly appearing from an iceberg make sense?
See, you can't simply skip this film.
@@ninelie2996 hes appeared out of some weird ass places over the years
This is one of my Top 10 Godzilla films (not even the Original is on that list), as this one is always fun to watch and just enjoyable from beginning to end. The worst part, they killed off Kobayashi, that was so sad and unnecessary.
Yamada in Raids Again and Sarazawa in King of the Monsters make the same statement Gojira species or the Titans were on earth before the dinosaurs when the radiation levels were higher so King of the Monsters tipped its hat to Raids again by making the reference canon.
Probably my least watched Godzilla film. I still enjoy it for what it is, but it's a shame this film didn't carry on anything more from the first Godzilla.
Question, are you also going to do a brief review of Godzilla King of the Monsters (the 1956 one)?
I don't have plans to as of now, but maybe in the near future.
I only saw this movie after the release of the Ultimate Godzilla collection which included all the Showa era movies and a subtitled version of Gojira. I think it might have been a good thing I missed this during my formative years. It could have been a more toxic influence on my view of Godzilla in general. Dispite that I'm still glad it was made if only because of what it did to shape what was to come.
We needed this film; it's basically Toho's first attempt at monster fighting.
I feel like I'm the only one who likes this one tbh
I love it probably my 6th favourite godzilla movie
I don’t know why you hate this film more than Godzilla’s Revenge personally I love this film it’s my third favourite film in the franchise
This movie is amazing and I love how the fight scenes aren't like professional wrestling, and it's actually how monsters would battle.
Just watched this moive and you may have *slightly* underrated it. Its by no means fantastic and doesnt hold a candle to its predecessor but it deserves credit for still being largely serious and realistic and for the fact that it explicitly connects to the previous movie, which is a rarity for the Showa-era. The direction is solid, the acting is fine, the characters are two-dimentional but likeable enough and the Score (Masaru Satos' first for the franchise) is creepily foreboding. The effects are great when it comes to pyrotechnics and miniatures but the monster-vs-monster-Scenes are a mixed bag as many shots look comically sped up and thus feel like they used either hand puppets or shroddy stop-motion... but I learned the latter is the result of a technical error and they didnt have the money nor time to fix it. And besides, this gives the Fights a more raw, visceral quality. It really comes across that these are just wild, ferocious animals biting and clawing at each other.
The fight in this movie is the most releastic fight is the whole franchise
I'm surprised noones brought up "banana oil".
i actually enjoyed this one...tryna watch all the movies in order...ive seen the first 3 and this was my fav one so far
I DONT CARE IF THIS IS A SHITTY VERSION OF GODZILA ITS SO FUCKING GOOD
TAKE IT BACK
Personally Godzilla raids again (or the Japanese title Godzilla’s counterattack) is one of my favorites it’s a very important film in the series it being the first time Godzilla fought another monster but I will admit the sped up fighting does look a little odd funny considering it was a mistake but tsuburaya decided to keep it in probably because they couldn’t re shoot it and it doesn’t look bad it’s just kinda weird
Come on, Up From the Depths, get out of the cellar, Godzilla Raids Again is far from perfect, yet I found it to be still entertaining. I take it as a period piece with a so so love story interwoven with the usual Kaiju antics. Yes, it's not the best entry in the Showa era films, but I find it to be a film whose heart is in the right place. I really loved how the humans for once used jet planes to bombard Godzilla with bombs that eventually bury him in ice.
Ah banana oil.
I do agree with half with your opinions but I do like this movie more than most
Blows my mind that they did this in 6 months! Great review, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts, if you're interested, I reviewed this on my channel as well. No worries if you’re not interested 😀
I am not happy with this opinion, this movie was great and I was so pissed when you were talking about the fight scene. I honestly preferred the original fights in this movie because why would monsters know how to wrestle, so they will fight like actual monsters instead of professional wrestlers!
???
@The Film Makers 2004 wha-what? Did I do something to offend you?
2 stars for Godzilla's revenge, 1 star for this... I mean neither are great, but at least least this movie isn't completely fucking stupid, at least this movie introduced a memorable monster in Angurius, and wasn't made from mostly stock footage.
I love this movie
I forgot this movie exists
Yeah so apparently the monster footage in this movie was sped up due to one of the camera men putting it on the wrong speed. Is this true?
Interesting to note that the film was such a blatant cash-grab piggybacking off the success of the original that the initial American release actually rewrote it and even gave it a totally different name to distance it from Gojira- it was released as "Gigantis, the Fire Monster" (the American version creator said they didn't want audiences getting the monster confused with the Godzilla from 'Gojira' because Godzilla had been irrevocably killed the by the oxygen destroyer and they didn't think audience would buy just "another Godzilla"). This was the name I first heard of it under when I read a (really old) book about giant movie monsters in my school library back when I was a little kid. I remember that book fondly, it was part of a series of books introducing children to movie monsters: one was about the Dracula movies, one about the Frankenstein ones, but it was the one on Kaiju movies that I was most fascinated by. That's why I grew up knowing about Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidora years before I would get any chance to see any of the films, or the rise of the internet.
I’m a big G fan and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen this film.
I like the movie very much !
This is tokyo, the Anguirus.
Only complaint is they could’ve slowed down the fights
Godzilla 1955!
Just saw this movie today and I have to say, it was pretty fun, but only for the first half. Not all that great for the reasons you mention, but I also want to say that the reused and flipped shots get really boring really quickly. The best thing was definitely the fight between Godzilla and Anguirus, but it got a little bland as it was the same thing again and again and again, and then they'd switch it up and then there would be some reapeats, it wasn't until they destroyed the temple that it got interesting again, and then I was shocked when Godzilla roasted Anguirus because there was still another half of the movie to go. What a twist! So Godzilla's gonna attack another city right? Oh, he's on an island and they bury him in an avalanche and rockslide with the same footage for ten minutes. Ugh. I'd totally rewatch the first half though, it was fun. Better than a 1 star in my opinion, but about the 2.5/4 the guide for TCM said it was.
I disagree. After watching your review I rewatched the movie and I still think this is a good Godzilla movie. It had pretty big shoes to fill and it certainly tried its best. It’s not the best Godzilla film by a long shot but it’s not a 1 star movie. Here’s what I think:
The way I see it is that Godzilla Raids Again goes for a different kind of style. It doesn’t have to be like the first movie because it can’t be. It’s about two Giant larger than life (literally and figuratively) monsters fighting each other over who’s more powerful. This is a common thing in nature so it makes sense that dinosaurs like Godzilla and Angurius would this. Since these are dinosaur-like monsters it’s natural they fight each other for survival or for dominance. These guys aren’t fighting to punish humanity, they are fighting because they are monsters. Sure we created them by mutating them with nuclear bomb testing and radiation but these monsters were attacking each other, not the people. They just so happen to be in a city where many use to live. I think this is actually a good thing because in a way it shows how we fucked up with weapons we can’t control. So yeah I guess it’s a form of punishment but it’s more of a figurative punishment rather than a punishment done on purpose. As a result of fucking with nature our punishment is seeing a beautiful city destroyed. After Godzilla defeats Angurius he goes back in the ocean. His job is done. He killed Angurius and proved he is the King of the Monsters. He didn’t continue fighting the military because he didn’t need to. He did attack them at first but once Angurius shows up that’s when his attention is shifted. As for the ending, I thought it was pretty good too. We know that without the Oxygen Destroyer we can’t kill Godzilla but since he’s on an iceberg island they think it would be a good idea to trap him and freeze him there. It’s the best solution they have honestly. As for the fights we saw, what else were you expecting? They fought like dinosaurs. We saw similar fights in the Jurassic Park/World movies. I think this movie had a bigger impact on dinosaur/monster fights for the future. Godzilla used his breath and Angurius used his raw power to battle, there’s nothing else you need for this fight. Other great Godzilla movies do this better obviously but this sort of landed down the foundation for those future fights. So without this movie who knows other monster movie battles would look like. To say this is a cash grab is, in my opinion, is wrong and unnecessary. This had a lot of effort put into it. Now Godzilla’s Revenge/All Monsters Attack was a cash grab. That movie was bad because most of the movie was footage from other Godzilla movies and barely had a story or any normal fights. This movie however, had a lot of great things about it. And in terms of the story, I didn’t watch the Japanese version of this movie so I can’t comment on if that story is different than the dubbed American one but I can say with confidence that this story is good. Yes I do admit it does take a while to start but honestly so did a lot of other monster movies at the time and even future Godzilla movies had this problem so it’s not exclusive to this movie. Not saying it’s a good thing though, I’m just pointing that out. I like the characters and how things were played out. I’m going to be honest, story isn’t something a lot of Godzilla care about (at least that’s how I see it). It’s a monster movie. You watch it for the monsters. The Jurassic Park movies are the exceptions to this because they need more context as to why there’s a park and how the dinos were made but still when I watch a Jurassic Park movie I’m mostly there to see people getting eaten, ripped apart or getting stepped on by a dinosaur. The dinosaur at the end of the day is the reason it’s called “Jurassic Park”. Anyway I got off topic. In conclusion Godzilla Raids Again isn’t a bad movie. It’s not a cash grab or a poorly thought out movie. This movie was meant to continue the story of Godzilla and without it there wouldn’t be many other Godzilla movies or many other movies inspired by it. It’s not the greatest Godzilla film and it does have many flaws, the fucking audio is the worst part about this movie among other issues. But overall it’s a decent Godzilla film and I think it’s worth your time.
I give Godzilla Raids Again
3 and a half Stars
If you are reading this, thank you. Tell me how I did. I appreciate any and all feedback you guys have for me.
Calling it a cash grab is a little mellow dramatic for sure. But the fact is that the film was made very quickly in order to capitalize on the first film's success, and I think it shows in the execution. Everything you said isn't wrong, but I just find the film poorly execution is a lot of ways, but that's because they were experimenting very quickly. And so even though I don't particularly care for Raids Again, I acknowledge its importance in the development of not just the Godzilla franchise, but the entire kaiju genre. It's the growing pains of the art form of tokusatsu. It was necessary.
I'm glad that you like it though. I'd suggest trying to see the Japanese version, because from what I understand the American version is a VERY different movie.
This movie is the best sequel of the original film but the idea for the American version that changed the title card to gigantis the fire monster is the stupidest idea
Why is it in the English dub Godzilla also has Angurius’ roar?
If Raids Again is just a cash grab, so is every other film in the Showa era. They pumped out these movies constantly.
At least Raids Again felt like it was the same Godzilla and same continuity as the original. Once we get to King Kong vs Godzilla, the following film, the character and the film turns into a complete parody of itself.
There is an interesting read on this movie that pitches Godzilla as representing The USA and Anguirus representing the USSR, with Japan sort of caught hopelessly in between the conflict.
I'm also of the opinion that movies that feature other monsters with Godzilla actually fall into 2 categories....the films that are truly 'shared' between Godzilla and the other monster...and the films that feel more like a Godzilla Solo film with another monster included in either a limited role or a role that feels very much like an extension of Godzilla himself.
Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla vs Biollante, and Godzilla 2000 feel very much like 'Mostly Godzilla' movies, with monsters like Biollante and Orga almost being products of Godzilla. Anguirus is dispatched long before the end of Raids Again.
I think Raids Again is obviously very flawed, but does have highlights. Despite being more light-hearted it still feels relatively grounded compared to the surprisingly humorous and campy King Kong vs Godzilla. It is also an example of a movie where humans must overcome Godzilla with essentially conventional means...unable to use another monster or any kind of super weapon to defeat Godzilla.
But the final product does leave one wanting in a pretty big way.
When I first saw Raids Again, I was really disappointed. Now I take it for what it is. Just like you said, it’s just another monster movie.
I didn’t like how they kept the monsters movements at normal speed. Slowing it down gives them more weight.
Actually what happened was the cameraman mistakenly undercranked, thinking that would slow the action down instead of over cranking to get the desired effect. But I, like many others, like the fast paced fight in this because it makes them look like vicious animals really going at it.
This movies awesome 10/10
Oh boy, it’s GIGANTUS THE FIRE MONSTER... you know, because you just localized arguably the best Monster movie of all time so why keep the title for the sequel?
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Personal Rating: *****
I usually enjoy his chanel but, I really didn't agree with a single sentiment in this review
It feels like it should be good but it's executed poorly. Similar characters to the first movie but much flatter. The monsters do not move or fight convincingly.
The second half after Ankylosaurus dies slogs, especially where we slowly watch the planes bomb and avalanche godzilla over a scene that could have been wrapped up in 2 minutes. The romance subplot is significantly weaker, and I find it really unconvincing that godzilla would die from... suffocating in ice, when it itself is an aquatic creature and a nuclear one.
The lack of depth to the new creature is sad because it's easily the best part of the film. There's also basically no soundtrack for most of the movie, as opposed to the tension and rising action of the main motif of the first movie.
The only improvement is the special effects and vehicle stunts. The explosions and crumblings look great. The airplanes and bombings look great. The car chases, flames, and explosions are great. That's it. Otherwise it's inferior but still entertaining. It kept my attitude except for the time between godzilla defeating ankylosaurus and the avalanches attack.
I thought it was fun. CuffColl.
I like it ! a dark its eerie it a monster film what the hell dose this narrator expect Star Wars
Is there an official explanation how Godzilla comes back to life after King of the monsters ?
As per Yamane's fears at the end of the first, it's a second Godzilla. That's the official explanation as far as I know. And it is the most commonly taken fan path as well.
I've been getting into giant monster movies and watched this after watching Son of Kong, another rushed cash grab film. I saw a lot of people comparing that film to this which had me worried for this film. I ended up enjoying this film until after the Godzilla vs Anguirus fight. Up until that point, I thought the film was a fun watch with likable characters and the fight, while sloppy, was still enjoyably cheesy.
After the fight though, the film comes to a screeching halt where nothing happens. Yeah they bury Godzilla in snow, but he just stands there for the entire thing, occasionally firing his atomic breath at the planes. Then it just kinda...ends. No celebration or anything. Just a "The End" screen.
This is all to say that while both films are just mindless cash-grabs, at least this one tried to be entertaining.
I dont know if this film looks too bad
It looks like they stole the suit from 1954
Gotta say I liked this more than you. Not a great film by any means, but 1 star? Far better than Godzilla vs. Megalon cheese. Also, historically important for setting the basic format for most that was to follow in the series. While I disagree with your conclusion, as always I love your review work. Please keep it up.
Agreed. I'd personally give it no less than 2 out of 5 stars. It's bad, but not *that* bad.
Looks like Godzilla's an alcoholic hoho.
Bruh Godzilla's revenge and Godzilla 1998 got 2 stars and this got 1 star bruh it should at least have 2 stars im not hating im just saying it should have a better rating bc I kinda love this movie maybe bc Godzilla's design and the OST but fr it should have more stars
My issue was the very dragging pace of the film, multiple times the film ruins its own tension and dread, the subpar soundtrack, and poorly filmed action scenes. The only redeeming thing is the first kaiju brawl in the series. It’s the highlight of the film, but the series has far better ones. Skip to King Kong vs Godzilla in your goji marathons kids.
More like Godzilla wins again
Come on man at least you get to admit that this is the only fight that is more animalistic then the rest in the series
Is This Your Lesser Liked Godzilla Movie Of All Time
Yes, I'd say so.
Ok You Have Your Opinions Ive Seen Some People That Like This Movie
Welp you can say the same thing for AMA
What Is AMA?
All Monsters Attack
In my opinion just skip to king kong vs godzilla and not much change
While I don't hate it, this is my least favorite out of the Godzilla movies I have seen.