Godzilla, King of the Monsters
* * * * (out of 5)
The great original, and in the opinions of many ( and arguably so) the greatest G-Flick ever made, and that ever will be made. Instead of some super hero cute reptile that rescues the poor defenseless humans from disaster, which became the bedrock from which all Japanese sci-fi was based, Godzilla here is actually terrifying and dreadful, a monster that could easily fill your darkest nightmares. Even though the age of the film, being made in the mid 50s, and the butchered effort of the American dubbing team make the film seem just as cheesy at times as some of the later efforts, the film never once seems childish in its delivery of Godzilla's rampage, and the black-and-white look gives the movie a sense of timelessness.
I really like what they did to incorporate Raymond Burr's American character into the story, though it is as easy as heck to see that he was just that...incorporated. Still, the presence of Steve Martin, American reporter (not the comedian) gives a sense of familiarity to the Western audience in the setting of the Japanese islands.
As for Godzilla, he has rarely looked meaner in a film appearance. Only the 1985 and American versions can compete for the ugly crown. But that's how he looks at his best. Vicious. Terrifying. And the Japanese, ravaged just ten years before by Hiroshima, certainly get their point across about their distaste for nukes. Strange though how Godzilla, the embodiment of everything they supposedly hate, would evolve into their greatest movie hero and an icon of the world.
Still, this film is without a doubt in (or should be ) the top ten of Sci-Fi's best, and is certainly the best of the giant monster-on-the-loose films.