Yes, this is my latest stupid boy project, watching all of the Godzilla films. There's 30+ of them and I think I have about half of those at my disposal. This may take a while, as I intend to watch them in order. For the record, only LIVE ACTION Godzilla is being watched, no Saturday morning cartoons, nor anime.
The early Godzilla films have original Japanese edits and dubbed, shorter American edits. I have to wonder if the shorter editing time was to fit in more easily on Sunday morning television with commercial interruptions. The original film, however, isn't just a re-edit but includes about a half hour of original footage cut into it, centering the story, and the narration, around an American.
Name: Godzilla: King of the Monsters!
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Director: Terry O. Morse and Ishiro Honda
Studio: Toho and Jewell Enterprises
Year: 1956
The Story: American Steve Martin is a wild and crazy guy reporter, who recounts his tale of journeying to Japan to investigate the story of a series of mysterious ship disappearances. This trip takes him to Odo Island where he learns of the folklore of Godzilla, an ancient beast from the deep ocean, who has now awakened.
The Jerk Steve Martin befriends, from a distance, Dr. Yamane and his daughter Emiko, and joins them on their investigation of Odo Island, only to witness himself first hand the awe and terror of Godzilla as it attacks the island.
Back on land, he learns of Emiko's strained relationship with her fiancee, the scientist Dr. Serizawa, and since All Of Me's Steve Martin's narration is actually a recounting in hindsight and not of-the-moment, he knows all about Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer and what it shall do.
Steve Martin and his three amigos, Dr. Yamane, Emiko and Emiko's secret lover Hideo Ogata argue over whether Godzilla should be destroyed. Since Steve Martin is a dirty rotten scoundrel reporter, he's given press access to the new Japan Self-Defence Force, and learns of their plans to electrocute Godzilla should he come to shore again. But when Godzilla breaks through that defence, revealing even more depths of terror with a fire breath, Steve Martin dictates his last L.A. Story from Tokyo as he watches the destruction and rampage first hand.
Steve Martin should be a Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid man but he survives, finding himself in a makeshift medical refuge where Emiko helps out. She reveals to him and Ogata about Serizawa's deadly Oxygen Destroyer, and they set off to convince Serizawa to use his deadly weapon. Which he does. Sacrificing himself in the process, but effectively killing Godzilla, and Steve Martin thinks the world can breathe easy knowing that Godzilla is no longer Bringing Down The House a threat.
The Creatures:
Godzilla. No new footage of the creature for this hacked American version of the original 1954 film, so the same comments as last time.
The Humans:
Raymond Burr's Steve Martin is the Man with Two Brains dominant character of the film, basically inserting himself into scenes of the original film, but telling the entire story from entirely his point of view. As little amount of characterization we get out of Dr. Yamane, Emiko, Ogata or Serizawa in the original, they're utterly neutered as here by Steve Martin's overbearing presence. Serizawa's particularly potent crisis of conscience from the original, the film's best character moment, is just gone.
The Sounds:
The soundtrack and the special effects are the same as the original, but they're impacted by the inserted scenes of Burr, and the attempt to try and make them seem like they're a part of the original film.
There is some original Japanese dialogue remaining but also some dubbing (apparently James Hong was involved), but it all feels really burdensome on the script and cheaply cobbled together.
The Message:
The message of anti-nuclear proliferation is entirely lost as any reference to the war, the bombings or nuclear testing was omitted from the film. Basically the sole purpose for the film existing is defanged to rewrite history and whitewash for American audiences, turning it from a mildly effective anti-bomb polemic into another 50's B-movie creature feature.
Rating (out of 5 Zs):
Zz -- not the way to watch this story.
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