What better way to start a flick than with the modern masterpiece, Marv Newland's animated short: "Bambi Meets Godzilla"! Heh heh, a would-be Disney classic. As for the movie, here's the basic idea: turns out that Godzilla didn't die back in 1954 due to the Oxygen Destroyer, and that guy in GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN to TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA was all one of Bob Newheart's dreams or something. Guess the real Godzilla was just sleeping, and the bones we saw in the ocean were... uhm... fuck it. Anyway, just like with the original, the American producers decided to stick in scenes of Raymond Burr, so I like to call this movie "Perry Mason Raids Again". Our opening scene features a fishing boat caught in a storm at sea, then everyone screams as we hear a familiar roar as else where, Raymond Burr sits at his window... The next day, a sailor/reporter finds the aforementioned fishing boat and is greeted by the mangled, half eaten bodies of it's crew. He manages to find one survivor, as well as a big bug (the apparent crew killer), which he soon kills with his knife. But, the reporter's big story about the ship's wreck at the hands, err, CLAWS of Godzilla is canned by so as to prevent public unrest, so he instead goes to hang out with a bio-physicist and get some background on the big G. Meanwhile, back in the deep blue sea (LL Cool J must DIE!), a Soviet sub gets a personal meeting with G. You can imagine the results! The problem is, with the Japs trying to keep Godzilla's resurfacing their dirty little secret, the Ruskies think the US is the cause of their sub's destruction! So, to prevent the defrosting of the Cold War, the Japs spill the beans on the big lizard's reappearance. Only problem now though, is that the USA and USSR are BOTH breathing down Japan's neck to give in and use nukes on Godzilla's scaly ass! But, when the Japanese say no to nukes, those pushy Russian commies decide it best to set up their own secret nuclear launch HQ in Tokyo Harbor, should the big guy make himself known! When Godzilla does finally hit mainland, the scene makes a BIG impact on me! The camera work isn't anything spectacular, but it's something we've yet to see in a Godzilla flick before this one! The "bottom to top" pan shot just instantly lets you know that this isn't the "super hero" Godzilla, but establishes him as a new villain for the 90's!... err, 80's! Anyway, after stomping around a little and recharging his batteries at a nuclear reactor, Godzilla returns to the Ocean, leaving the humans to formulate possible counter-attacks. They come up with two... Plan A: using the new experimental military craft, the Super X, they hope they can take Godzilla down for good! Plan B: should the Super X lose (you know it will!), lure Godzilla to an active volcano, using sonic bird calls or something. Then, when he gets there, BLOW the edge and hope the lava burns him alive! Plan A goes into effect, giving us some genuinely awe-inspiring visuals as G battles the Super X in a night time brawl amongst some rather tall buildings in downtown Tokyo! For once the Japanese military actually does something right, as the Super X puts the big reptile down, courtesy of it's anti-radiation Cadmium missiles, shot down the G Man's throat in a surprising K.O.! But, those bastards Russians fuck up again, as their Tokyo Bay porta-base is set off, launching their outer space nukes directly for the big city of little people! The Japs call the US for help, and we fire some missiles of our own into space to intercept the Ruskies' atomic surprise. This plan works, though the radiation from the blast infests Tokyo's atmosphere, recharging Godzilla to full health, and giving him the opportunity to amend his lose and waste that super smug Super X! After proving himself better than technology, "Wonder Lizard's victory is short-lived, as he falls for Plan B, eventually ending up tumbling into the bottom of a volcano, blown up and sealed away until GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE. As I mentioned before, despite was many G Fans may feel, this movie was awesome! The camera work and dark feel to Godzilla's attacks give you the same feel of unavoidable destruction and looming terror that the original had! The score was incredible! It was intense and even a little goose bump inducing, coming a LONG way from SON OF GODZILLA! HAHA! All around, one of the best Godzilla movies out there, even though the Godzilla suit is done better later on. Also, you actually feel sorry for the big lizard when he's "claimed" by the volcano, as his last screams of defeat and Raymond Burr's ending speech made even death filled eyes such as mine shed a tear :*). Long live the King!

Sequels: GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE, GODZILLA VS. KING GHIDORAH, GODZILLA AND MOTHRA: BATTLE FOR THE EARTH, GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA II, GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA, GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE or GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS