These are some thoughts regarding the Japanese version of the film titled "The Return of Godzilla" or "Gojira (1984)" or something equally confusing.

It was great to see Godzilla as a ruthless punisher of Man again. Godzilla rises from a volcanic eruption looking for some nuclear munchies and no one will stand in his way. It's simply Humans vs. Godzilla in this one.

Japan, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. all get involved in trying to halt Big G's assault on Tokyo. Well, the Soviets nearly screw up the intricate Japanese plan to neutralize the monster, but the U.S. ends up bailing everyone out.

The Godzilla of this movie is much more expressive thanks to some early robotics. Without researching anything too much, I'll state that there must have been several different mechanical models used. The beast makes some pretty scary faces and teeth-bearing growls, complete with quivering upper lip. There are moments when the camera focuses on Godzilla, with no accompanying music or sounds, when he's actually frightening.

You can see evidence of an increased budget from earlier films. The miniature city is impressive. Godzilla stands near several skyscrapers and plays a game of cat and mouse with the rather cool "Super X" aircraft. There are lots of matte paintings and even some animation, so if you're a fan of practical effects, you owe it to yourself to watch this.

There is a lot of Godzilla action in this. He first appears about 30 minutes in and is on camera most of the time. The ending could be a slightly moist-eyed affair for those prone to a lump in the throat.

I did see the Americanized version called "Godzilla 1985" starring Raymond Burr in the theater during its original run 30 years ago. I should probably rewatch it because I remember liking it quite a bit. I'm betting my satisfaction will sink in comparison to Japan's pretty remarkable effort.

It's good to have the moody atomic beast back!

After an extended break, Godzilla as a movie force made its comeback with this the 16th Godzilla film and the first of what would be the Heisei series. It's a reboot that basically follows on from the original Gojira film of 1954. Plot has Godzilla back as a destroyer of mankind, setting its eyes on stomping Tokyo into oblivion. As Zilla goes about its destructive way, and Tokyo attempts to repel the onslaught, there's a backdrop of a diplomatic crisis reaching boiling point as the Soviets and the Americans get ready for nuclear war. Thankfully the Japanese are able to convince the sane politicians that it is in fact Godzilla at the crux of things. Can the world powers join together to defeat the mightiest of lizards?

If a Godzilla fan you could be forgiven for going into this one fearing the worst, and yet it ticks many of the boxes for those who prefer Zilla as the destroyer of mankind as opposed to the saviour of mankind that the Showa period ended up as. There's the standard amount of miniatures and sets destruction, splendidly constructed as usual, nifty effects work and a whole bunch of iconic images to take from the experience (Zilla atomic breath destruction, stomping through the city, nuclear reinvigoration, back from the dead with awesome carnage following). There's good sci-fi within as well, such as the Japanese scientists having created a super fortress known as Super X, while sometimes all you need is to hear that brilliant roar followed by lizard devastation.

This was a return to the dark roots of Godzilla, complete with anti-nuclear sentiments. It didn't reinvent the wheel, but it did restart it successfully. 7/10

A reboot that stuck to what made Godzilla great in the first place.

Godzilla is a threat once again and not only that, he is represented in the style of putting the blame on ourselves. We are the cause for Godzilla and we are to pay.

As it stands, it's a good reboot for new audiences to enjoy, even if you have not seen the classic 1954 original which this movie is a new-branching sequel to.

Action is great and the bump in the budget is very noticeable. While Godzilla's size is dwarfed by the now-massive skyscrapers he is surrounded by in his concrete jungle; he gets a larger playground to wreak havoc in.

But our favourite titan isn't the only one who gets an updated look and new toys, the human element also adds more to the table. With new advanced technology, Godzilla won't be swatting planes away for the entire time. He has an actually competent opponent in that of the human side of things this time around.

As for the rest of the human stuff, it's okay. Again still haven't gotten around to fixing this issue yet, and they'd play it overly serious too much for the silly things it adds. Trying to recreate the feel of the horror of the original, but taking away from that when you add sci-fi goofiness.

Overall, a good attempt to bring back Toho's beloved kaiju to the masses after his well-deserved rest.

**7/10**