Godzilla

Ishirô Honda's original 1954 film heralded the birth of an entire industry in Japan: namely, giant monster movies, with Godzilla not only spawning over 20 sequels but also opening the door for a whole host of oversized brethren, including Mothra, Rodan, and Gamera. But none of the sequels, spin-offs, or knock-offs ever matched the righteous anger or terrifying ferocity of the lizard king in his first film, in which the titular beast rose from the radioactive depths and descended upon Tokyo—a fire-breathing emblem of the nuclear era. In 1956, American viewers saw a somewhat different version of the film, with new sequences starring Raymond Burr as American reporter Steve Martin (serving as a kind of narrator), while scenes of Japanese scientists and politicians debating were edited out. Even with the addition of new scenes, the American version runs substantially shorter than the Japanese original. Criterion's edition bundles both Terry Morse's familiar American 1956 reworking (subtitled King of the Monsters) and Honda's more powerful original, which is a much darker film featuring a slower, more ominous build-up in the first act before Godzilla's first appearance, as well as clear references to Hiroshima, and an anti-atomic-bomb message. Presented in a superior new edition remastered for DVD and debuting on Blu-ray, extras include new audio commentary by film historian David Kalat, new and archival interviews with crew members, a featurette on special effects, an interview with film critic Tadao Sato, an illustrated audio essay on a real-life fishing boat disaster that inspired the opening scenes of the film, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)