Originally released in Japan as "The Return of Godzilla" in 1984, this is the heavily re-edited, re-titled "Godzilla 1985". Adding in new footage of Raymond Burr, this 16th Godzilla film ignores all previous sequels and serves as a direct follow-up to the 1956 "Godzilla King of the Monsters", which also featured scenes with Burr edited into 1954's "Godzilla". This film restores the darker tone of the original, as we witness the nuclear destruction of giant lizard terrorizing Japan.
Practical Effects
The 16-foot animatronic Godzilla head still slaps.
Direction
Hashimoto's shadowy compositions echo 1954's dread.
Score
Reijiro Koroku's brassy, apocalyptic theme.
Director
Koji Hashimoto
Raymond Burr
Steven Martin
Keiju Kobayashi
Prime Minister Mitamura
Ken Tanaka
Goro Maki
Yasuko Sawaguchi
Naoko Okumura
Shin Takuma
Hiroshi "Ken" Okumura
Warren J. Kemmerling
General Goodhue
Eitarō Ozawa
Finance Minister Kanzaki
Taketoshi Naitō
Takegami, Chief Cabinet Secretary
Nobuo Kaneko
Home Affairs Minister Isomura
Mizuho Suzuki
Foreign Minister Emori
Takeshi Katō
Internal Trade and Industry Minister Kasaoka
Junkichi Orimoto
Director-General of the Defense Agency
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The American version cut 20 minutes and added Burr's scenes in just six days of shooting.
This was Japan's direct response to Reagan-era nuclear anxiety, released the same year as Threads and The Day After.
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