Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

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Khaliel P After the success of Godzilla in 1954, American producer Edmund Goldman bought the rights to adapt the film for the U.S. market. His plan was to dub it in English, cut and add scenes, and insert a Western actor, convinced that American audiences wouldn’t care about Asian actors. Raymond Burr was hired to star in a film that already existed, while director Terry O. Morse created a new storyline combining original footage with Burr’s new scenes. Only the main actors were dubbed in English; the rest retained their original voices, though the subtitles often told a completely different story. The English dubbing was completed in just five hours, and Burr filmed all his scenes in a single day. In France, this American version was shown until 1997, when the original 1954 Japanese version finally became available. The U.S. reused the approach in 1985 for Godzilla 1985, adding Burr to the remake of Godzilla Raids Again, but only for American audiences. This American version removes Serizawa’s arc and the nuclear fear, including references to radiation and Hiroshima, fundamentally changing the film. Godzilla, King of the Monsters tells a completely different story centered on a Western journalist who happens to be there, a technical feat for the time but one that strips the original film of its soul and power. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/17/25 Full Review Ted B 3.0 stars; The original Godzilla movie. You have to give the movie credit for its originality, considering the time frame in which it was made. The American version suffers quite a bit due to the way it was edited into the original Japanese movie. Raymond Burr, prior to his Perry Mason series, basically just does a walk-through acting job. I read where he did all of his takes in just a couple of weeks, just to add an American flavor to the Japanese movie. the musical score was very good for a 'monster' movie. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Dallas H With knowledgeable hindsight, I understand why they decided to incorporate newly created scenes with Raymond Burr to be interwoven with the original Japanese production. I will forever treasure Godzilla Minus One (2023) as an honorable "redo" for this original mashup. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Raymond The Godzilla Fan R This movie is a welcomed version of the original Gojira film. although being quite the different version of the film, it somehow transforms Godzilla from being a big evil monster into o confused animal. I cant tell if this one or the original version is better!!!! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/06/24 Full Review Audience Member A rip-off of the 1954 Japanese original with English dubbing and some scenes of Raymond Burr edited in for American consumption. You still get to see Tokyo get curb stomped, though. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/24 Full Review Gary H One of my favorite movies growing up. This was the one that got me hooked. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

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