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Godzilla

Play trailer 1:39 Poster for Godzilla 1954 1h 36m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 78 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A fire-breathing behemoth terrorizes Japan after an atomic bomb awakens it from its centuries-old sleep.
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Godzilla

Godzilla

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Critics Consensus

More than straight monster-movie fare, Gojira offers potent, sobering postwar commentary.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting 04/03/2021
4.5/5
...a portrait of a country less than a decade removed from the horrors of the atomic bomb, reckoning - in a movie that is still fun and thrilling - with that trauma. Go to Full Review
Chris Vognar Dallas Morning News 05/08/2014
B+
It's a terse, lean terror with a big, swinging tail. Go to Full Review
Andrew O'Hehir Salon.com 04/18/2014
While the acting is hit-and-miss and the story jumps around somewhat confusingly, Honda's film is a one-of-a-kind experience all the way through, one that stands the test of time better than I had expected. Go to Full Review
Aaron Neuwirth Why So Blu 12/02/2024
5/5
You’re not going to hear any real negatives when it comes to Gojira. The original entry in the massive Godzilla franchise is a fantastic start and one of the few in the series to really take itself seriously and attempt to address significant topics. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 06/24/2024
A-
Its anti-war message still resonates. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 06/18/2024
3.5/4
It resonates as a true tale of horror rather than just another creature feature. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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11/04/2022 Very good classic Monster Movie See more 11/04/2021 The classic that started it all is more than just a monster flick. Godzilla was first intended as much more than a scary monster. This film was released less than a decade after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The people who made and performed in this movie lived through the war, and the emotions are strongly felt in this very poignant, powerful drama. This important and beautiful film is not to be missed. See more 11/04/2021 Best classic Godzilla in 4k See more Jason J @JasonJoshua Jan 2 Blown away by the visual effects and the story is truly masterful and definitely portrays the horrors of what war does and its aftermath 98 See more Jaden B @howdoibreath412 Nov 15 One of the best monster movies of all time See more Michael A @PhantomReviewer87 Nov 12 A classic post-war monster movie masterpiece. A film that gave us the kaiju genre and one of the most interesting and prominent monsters in pop culture history. A story that treats its World War 2 history with careful tongs and births us with a film so chilling and well made that you can't deny its impact in film history or even Japanese film history for that matter. Godzilla truly is the King of the Monsters. See more Read all reviews
Godzilla

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Movie Info

Synopsis A fire-breathing behemoth terrorizes Japan after an atomic bomb awakens it from its centuries-old sleep.
Director
Ishirô Honda
Producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Screenwriter
Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama
Distributor
Rialto Pictures
Production Co
Toho Company Ltd., Jewell Enterprises
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 3, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 20, 2014
Runtime
1h 36m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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