Godzilla returns... and the Heisei Era begins!
** Be sure to turn on CLOSED CAPTIONS for English subtitles **
It had been nearly 10 years since Godzilla last appeared on the big screen, but in 1984 the monster returned bigger and badder than ever. Without any ties to the films of the Showa Era except for the first, this version of Godzilla was meant to return to the monster's terrifying roots. Now nearly twice the size that it was in 1954 (in a way to help with the height of modern day skyscrapers), Godzilla had an all-new design and looked menacing. The tone of the film was to match the 1954 one as well, with Godzilla being treated as not just a monster, but as an allegory for humankind's ignorance regarding nature and weaponry.
A fishing boat encounters an "island" off the coast of Japan, but the deadly incident leaves one survivor from the crew. The crewmember is discovered by a reporter out sailboating and taken back to the mainland to recover. While in the hospital, the survivor realizes that the exploding island that he encountered was actually Godzilla! Having not been seen since the monster's devastating attack on Japan in 1954, the government tries to keep Godzilla's reappearance secret from the public as to not cause a panic. But when a Russian submarine disappears and the country blames the United States, the threat of a nuclear war is now at stake as well.
Soon enough, Godzilla does appear and Tokyo is evacuated. Using a host of new weapons, including a flying assault vehicle called the Super-X, Godzilla is merely slowed down by the counterattacks. However, the Super-X is loaded with cadmium missiles designed to alter Godzilla's natural radiation which would act like a poison to the monster's body. When the missiles are fired into Godzilla's mouth, the monster collapses into a building and its heart begins to slow to a stop. Godzilla may indeed be defeated. What is unknown at the time though, is that a nuclear missile has accidentally been launched towards Tokyo and only an aerial intercept with another missile will stop it. As the nuclear missile explodes in the sky, the fallout revives Godzilla and renders the Super-X vulnerable to the monster's attack. Before long, Godzilla destroys the Super-X and resumes its path through Tokyo. When military might proves to be no match for Godzilla, science and technology may be the key. There was an idea that Godzilla may be able to be lured through sound and a plan is activated to lure Godzilla into an active volcano. The plan works and Godzilla plunges into the molten pit, presumably to its death.
Like the original 1954 film, this also was released in the United States with numerous edits and featured actor Raymond Burr reprising his role from 1954. "Godzilla 1985" received a theatrical release and Godzilla was finding new popularity in the states including an advertising agreement with the soft drink brand Dr. Pepper. Although the "Godzilla 1985" film was not well-received in America, "The Return of Godzilla" was considered successful in Japan and would be the first film in a series of continuing films, each serving as a sequel to the previous one. The Heisei Era of Godzilla's filmography had just begun.
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