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Usually ships in 1 business days | | Only 1 left in stock, order soon! | | | | | | Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 09/05/2006 | | | |
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| | Product Details | | Actors: | Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura | | Director: | Terry Morse | | Format: | Collector's Edition, Black & White, NTSC, Full Screen, Subtitled | | Language: | English, Japanese | | Subtitle: | English | | Number of Discs: | 2 | | Studio: | Classic Media | | Run Time: | 175 minutes | | DVD Release Date: | September 05, 2006 | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 147 reviews |
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| | Features | The testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific Ocean triggers the awakening of a dreadful, 400-foot-tall, fire-breathing prehistoric lizard who commences to wreak havoc on the city of Tokyo. The original Japanese version of GODZILLA, without the Americanized addition of Raymond Burr. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR Age: 828768455999 UPC: 82876845599
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 147 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
184 of 192 found the following review helpful:
 The original, and the best Apr 29, 2006
By Zack Davisson
"japanreviewed"
If you are like most Americans, you have probably never seen the original, unadulterated "Godzilla" (Original title "Gojira." the name being a mix of the Japanese words for "gorilla" and "whale.") More familiar with the campy, badly dubbed and edited version that graced TV screens in the 70s, we have seen Raymond Burr awkwardly inserted into the plot, anti-American political sentiments removed, and a horde of mismatched dialogs and ridiculous translations. Well, we are in for a real treat!
The Japanese "Godzilla" is a serious film, starring Kurosawa veteran Takashi Shimura ("Seven Samurai," "Ikura"). (In fact, two of Shimura's films, "Godzilla" and "Seven Samurai" competed for the 1954 Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture.) Only nine years after the atomic bombs devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the threat of nuclear power was very much in the minds of the average Japanese citizen. Contamination, mutation, radiation...this was far from science fiction. This is the fire from which sprang the King of Monsters.
In a now-familiar plot, American nuclear testing has given rise to a 150-foot tall engine of destruction, breathing atomic fire and hell-bent on destroying Tokyo before taking on the world. Assembling the army, and all of the modern science Japan can muster, they battle the rampaging monster to the inevitable conclusion.
Standing along side the original 1933 "King Kong," "Godzilla" is a classic monster movie, as well as a fine film in its own right. A suspenseful horror-drama, the acting, filming and special effects are all far above other entries in the genre. The black and white filming is used superbly, with the fire-cast shadows making the monster all the more menacing.
What is great about this set, is that not only do you get a restored and beautiful version of the original classic, you get an additional disk with the American edit complete with the stuffy professor Raymond Burr and the additional footage thought necessary for American audiences. It is a rare chance to compare the two versions, and see how politics in the US affected what audiences were allowed to view in the 1950s.
I have been waiting a long time for the original "Godzilla" to get a DVD release, and it is great to see it finally being treated with the respect it deserves.
32 of 34 found the following review helpful:
The way Toho intended for Gojira to be seen. Jul 19, 2006
By Asian Mack
"Art"
Bottom line: If any of you grew up watching or watched recently: "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", the chopped up "U.S." version, take it out of your mind and forget about it. You are in for a cinematic masterpiece when this DVD releases. I had the honor of watching the original "Gojira" at a theater in my town. This is the film that started it all. When it was relased in the U.S., it was butchered, altered and changed into an average science fiction film with Raymond Burr fill-ins. He wasn't even in the original film. The original "Gojira" is a sci-fi/horror masterpiece. The film creates feelings of dread and sorrow. The "original" version is a much darker, sinister film. AWESOME! The film also focuses more on the suffering of the Japanese people during the atomic age. The film makes you feel their tension and suffering. There is one scene where Gojira is staring at a big ben style clock. He is staring at it for no apparent reason. The scene makes you wonder what Gojira is thinking at the time. Then, for no reason, he tries to take a bite out of it. That scene alone changes the feeling of the film to something more than a lumbering beast destroying everything. MUST SEE! MUST BUY!
100 of 124 found the following review helpful:
finally, after 52 years May 27, 2006
By Jason Long
After 52 years, the US finally receives an official home release for the original Gojira. Please forget everything you remember about the horrible US butchering and purchase this product.
The film is a scathing political commentary on the United States' practice of nuclear testing (and certainly the previous use) in the Pacific. The film is NOT a silly sci-fi about a giant angry monster attacking cities at random. There is a reason that the doomsday weapon used to kill Gojira is called the "Oxygen Destroyer" in perfect English.
Takashi Shimura, best known for his work with Akira Kurosawa, is terrific as usual. The musical score by Akira Ikifube is my personal favorite of his compositions.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Gojira on DVD is the king of home video! Sep 29, 2006
By Valnastar
"Man With No Name"
Finally, English-speaking fans of Godzilla can see the original film, Gojira, in its original language without any of the American release edits. The print for this spectacular Japanese language with optional English subtitles release has been nicely cleaned up with most (but not all) of the flaws from the more than 50-year-old source material eliminated. The stereo mix of the soundtrack sounds great and you'll get chills just listening to the original Gojira roar over the opening credits! The second disc in the set contains the full length American version of the film, Godzilla. This is the English language theatrical release with Raymond Burr that we've all come to know and love.
The enclosed booklet has a wealth of information about the making of the film, both versions, and the extra features on the DVDs regarding the creation of the Gojira story, costume, and more are most welcome. If you're a fan of Godzilla, young or old, you will love this DVD set and at the very reasonable prices I've seen this set at, from about $13 to $16 as of this writing, it is a bargain you will enjoy for years to come. Take "the king of the monsters" home and pop it in your DVD player as soon as possible!
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A classic finally gets its due Sep 07, 2006
By The Minister of Martinis
If you've spent years wishing for a quality US release of Gojira, your long wait is over. Sony Classic Media has finally done justice to the world's most famous giant radioactive lizard.
This is one of the all-time monster classics, responsible for spawning a half-century of sequels (although none of them as starkly effective as the original). Unlike later movies where Gojira becomes the friend of children, this version is much darker, and the only way Gojira helps anyone is by sending them to the next world. The scenes where the monster destroys Tokyo in a sea of flames are genuinely disturbing. These images certainly resonated with a citizenry that had survived massive firebombings and two atomic bombs. The Oxygen Destroyer weapon (created by the iconic Dr. Serizawa) looks like something that might have come out of Los Alamos.
While I can't say how this transfer compares to other DVD versions of the movie, it looks pretty good to me. Images are generally clean and bright, with good contrast throughout. There is a problem with speckles, which becomes more apparent during the nighttime scenes and with some of the stock footage. On the good side, this version has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means you get to see the top of Gojira's head (Rialto's recent release was in fake widescreen, which cut off the top part of many scenes). The subtitle translation from the Rialto version has been toned down, losing a reference to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The subtitles are all spelled correctly, but the letters are often too close together, especially when an "O" follows an "L" ("trilobite" looks like "tribbite").
Even the 1956 version of the film looks good. The new footage appears to have been contrast balanced to better match the original movie. (I had a video release several years back where the difference between the two film prints was like night and day.) While it's no secret the American version is weaker than the Japanese original, it's not entirely bad. Some scenes actually have better pacing, particularly Godzilla's appearance atop Odo Island. However, all of the scenes where Steve Martin interacts with the characters from the original movie (stand-ins are used) are painful to watch; the phone conversation with Dr. Serizawa is comically bad. Also, the voice actor dubbing Takashi Shimura is awful, and simply cannot say the word "phenomenon" correctly. Luckily, Akira Ifukube's groundbreaking score was also used in the American version of Godzilla.
While I haven't played the commentaries, the two documentaries are informative, especially the one on the creation of the Gojira suit. Both films also include their respective trailers. Interestingly, the Japanese version concentrates more on the characters, while the U.S. trailer is all about the monster. The packaging is very well-designed, and includes a nice booklet. It's all just the thing for passing some time on Monster Island.
See all 147 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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