The Return of Godzilla

Godzilla 1985 is a Japanese-American science fiction kaiju film co-directed by R.J. Kizer and Koji Hashimoto. The film is a heavily re-edited American adaptation of the Japanese film The Return of Godzilla produced by Toho in 1984. In addition to the film being re-cut, re-titled, and dubbed in English, Godzilla 1985 included a small American production, produced by New World Pictures, featuring new footage shot exclusively for the film's North American release. The Japanese version was directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and starred Ken Tanaka, Yasuko Sawaguchi, and Yosuke Natsuki while the New World version's footage was directed by R. J. Kizer, written by Tony Randel and Lisa Tomei, and featured Raymond Burr reprising his role as Steve Martin, who has been summoned by the United States military to aid them in a counterattack against Godzilla after it resurfaces 30 years after its initial attack. Both the New World Pictures and Toho versions of the film serve as direct sequels to the original Godzilla film. However, while Toho's version serves as a sequel to Godzilla, the 1954 original, Godzilla 1985 serves as a sequel to Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the 1956 Americanization of the original film which also starred Raymond Burr. The film uses the same editing method used in Godzilla, King of The Monsters where the original Japanese footage is dubbed and cut together with the American footage. In addition to keeping Reijiro Koroku's original score, the film uses cues from Christopher Young's Def-Con 4 film score. This edit of the film is notorious for completely changing the position of the Americans in the film's plot. In the original film, the Americans are shown to be just as helpless as the Soviets when facing up against Godzilla, whereas in the edited film, they are given a far more heroic role, with great emphasis being placed on their launch of a nuclear missile to destroy a 'deliberately launched' Soviet missile (which in the original film was launched by accident). The film was met with mainly unfavorable reviews upon its release in the United States. Just like Godzilla, King of The Monsters, a majority of the nuclear themes and political overtones featured in the Japanese version were removed from the North American version. Godzilla 1985 was the last Godzilla film to be distributed theatrically in the United States until the release of Godzilla 2000.