GODZILLA: Godzilla 1985

Godzilla in the Media Godzilla 1985 is a Japanese American science fiction kaiju film produced by New World Pictures. It is an American production incorporating much of the footage of the Japanese film, The Return of Godzilla, originally produced by Toho in 1984. The Japanese version was directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and starred Ken Tanaka, Yasuko Sawaguchi, and Yosuke Natsuki.XXXBoth 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 the 1954 original, Godzilla 1985 serves as a sequel to Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the 1956 Americanization of the original film which 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 newly filmed footage featuring American actors, with Burr reprising his role as Steve Martin who has been summoned by the United States military to aide them in a counterattack against Godzilla after he resurfaces 30 years after his initial attack. In addition to keeping Reijiro Koroku's original score, the film samples cues from Christopher Young's Def-Con 4 film score.XXXThe 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 English version.

PLOT:
The Japanese fishing vessel Yahata Maru is trying to find its way to shore in a horrible storm while near an uninhabited island, when a giant monster appears out of the island and attacks the boat. Meanwhile, Steve Martin is sitting at the typewriter in his office, observing the storm outside his window. A day later, reporter Goro Maki finds the vessel intact but deserted. As he explores the vessel, he finds all the crew dead except for one young man called Hiroshi "Kenny" Okumura, who has been badly wounded. Suddenly a giant sea louse attacks but is eventually killed with some difficulty by Okumura.XXXIn Tokyo, the Japanese Prime Minister is informed of Godzilla's attack and orders that Godzilla's involvement be kept secret. Maki's report is not published by his newspaper as a "national security matter" over concerns about mass panic. Maki is ordered to keep it a secret and is told to interview bio-physicist Hayashida. Maki goes to the Hayashida Bioscience Institute labs where he finds Hayashida working on genetic mutation, part of his studies of Godzilla, who killed his parents in the 1954 attacks. Maki finds Naoko, Okamura's sister working as a lab assistant to Hayashida and informs her that her brother is safe, against his orders. She rushes to the hospital.XXXGodzilla attacks a second time and destroys a Soviet submarine. At the Pentagon, General Goodhoe is informed of the storms in the Pacific and the discovery of a giant sea louse. In a war-room, Goodhoe is informed of the attack on the Soviet submarine. The Russians believe the attack was orchestrated by the Americans and the situation threatens to escalate into war. In Tokyo, the Prime Minister is informed of the attack on the submarine and is shown evidence that Godzilla attacked the submarine. The Japanese intervene and hold a press conference to announce that Godzilla was behind the attack and Okamura gives his eyewitness account of the fishing boat attack. After the press conference, the Americans bring back their nuclear bombers, which had been sent aloft on high alert, and Goodhoe orders his officers to find someone "who knows what we are dealing with." The Japanese arrange a meeting with the Russian and American ambassadors and, after some debate over the issue, Prime Minister Mitamura decides nuclear weapons will not be allowed in Japanese territory even if Godzilla was to attack the Japanese mainland. The Soviets keep the nuclear option open despite Japan's forbidding it. A Russian control ship disguised as a freighter in Tokyo Harbor is prepared to launch a nuclear missile from an orbiting satellite should Godzilla attack.XXXHayashida explains to Maki and Okamura that Godzilla appears to require nuclear materials as an explanation for the attack on the submarine. Meanwhile, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) are put on alert and search for Godzilla with orders not to engage with Godzilla. Soon, Godzilla appears on an island off the coast of Japan and attacks a nuclear power plant there, where he is observed by Hayashida. Godzilla feeds off the reactor, absorbing its radioactivity until he is distracted by a flock of birds, and leaves the facility almost as quickly as he arrived.XXXThe US military show up at Martin's house to bring him to the Pentagon. The Japanese make plans for self-defense if Godzilla should attack Tokyo. The defence ministry reveals to the Japanese emergency task force the existence of the Super X, a piloted VTOL craft constructed in secret. It is shielded with titanium alloy and platinum circuitry and is extremely heat-resistant and is equipped with a variety of missiles.XXXThrough the use of "ultrasonic images", Hayashida determines that Godzilla's brain is bird-like, only mutated. Hayashida realizes that Godzilla had a conditioned response to the birds chirping and suggested that if they could duplicate the sound electronically that Godzilla might follow that sound. Hayashida sends Kenny away to work with Professor Minami, a geologist friend of his. Okamura assists Minami in studying a volcano, while Hayashida assists the Japanese emergency task force in a plan to coax Godzilla into the volcano by emitting the bird sound frequency in the hope Godzilla will follow it into the volcano, followed by a controlled eruption to trap Godzilla inside the volcano. The Prime Minister authorizes both the JSDF plan and the plan to use the volcano against Godzilla.XXXThe Americans study old film footage of the 1954 attack and review the strategic forces that can be used against Godzilla. Martin arrives to explain that Godzilla is invulnerable, that he is like "a hurricane, a force of nature and that we must attempt to understand him." He also states that the Japanese never found a corpse after the previous attack 30 years previous.XXXMaki learns the JSDF plans to use special missiles made of cadmium to fight Godzilla, which Hayashida states will be ineffective against Godzilla. "Godzilla is no reactor."XXXXGodzilla is later sighted at Tokyo Bay, forcing mass evacuations out of the city and a state of emergency is declared while preparations for defense and at the volcano are stepped up. Hayashida explains that Godzilla will not be killed if he falls into the volcano, only that Hayashida hopes to "send him home."XXXXThe JASDF attacks Godzilla with Mitsubishi F-1 fighter jets, but their missiles are useless against him. Godzilla then proceeds to the coast, where the waiting army, equipped with tanks, rocket launchers and soldiers armed with Howa Type 64 assault rifles, proceeds to fire on Godzilla, but they are quickly subdued by Godzilla using his atomic breath. The Soviet freighter, docked in Tokyo is damaged by the wave stirred by the attack and Godzilla's movements. The captain is able to reach his launch control and pushes the button to launch the missile.XXXBefore the Super-X is able to launch, Godzilla proceeds towards Tokyo's business district, wreaking havoc along the way. Using his atomic breath, he blows up a news helicopter that has strayed too close. A commuter train coming into downtown is stopped by Godzilla, who pulls apart the train and picks up a train car before dropping it to the ground. A homeless man looting a downtown restaurant observes Godzilla up close.XXXThe Americans observe the destruction from their war room at the Pentagon and one soldier observes "that's one hell of an urban renewal program they have going there." The General tells his aides that the Americans will lend whatever assistance they need while Martin cautions that weapons will only confuse and antagonize Godzilla further. According to Martin, Godzilla is searching for something in Tokyo and whatever it is needs to be identified before too late.XXXGodzilla is attracted to the electronic signal which Hayashida is testing at his laboratory. Before Godzilla reaches the laboratory in a downtown skyscraper, he is distracted by a laser attack but damages the skyscrapher with Hayashida, Maki and Naoko inside. Godzilla follows the laser-equipped military vehicles, which lead it away from downtown and the Super-X is finally launched. The Super-X arrives on the scene and fires the cadmium shells into Godzilla's mouth. Because Godzilla's heart is similar to a nuclear reactor, the cadmium shells that are fired into his mouth by the Super X seal and slow down his heart and Godzilla falls down unconscious. The Americans believe that Godzilla is dead, but Martin is not sure. At that moment, the Soviet missile is launched from the satellite and is immediately detected by the Americans. The Soviets inform the Japanese emergency team of missile, which is set to explode over Tokyo in thirty minutes with a warhead 50 times as powerful as the Hiroshima blast. The Japanese contact the Americans to ask for them to shoot down the missile. General Goodhoe takes the call and informs them that the interception would be unprecedented and wishes the Japanese minister good luck. The American missile is launched and the Japanese wait and hope.XXXHayashida and his signalling equipment is evacuated from the building by an aerial rescue from a helicopter. The American missile successfully intercepts the Soviet missile moments before its will arrive at Tokyo. It triggers an atmospheric nuclear blast, creating an electrical storm, which disrupts the Super-X and military communications. Godzilla awakens once more. Godzilla has a final battle with the Super X, eventually damaging the aircraft and forcing it to make an emergency landing where he destroys it by toppling a building on it.XXXGodzilla continues his rampage, until Professor Hayashida is successful with his invention and uses the bird call device to distract him. Godzilla leaves Tokyo and swims across the Japanese sea to volcanic Mt. Mihara, where he notices the signal device. As he walks towards it, he falls into the mouth of the volcano which is ringed by detonators, which are activated by Okumura, creating a controlled volcanic eruption that traps Godzilla.XXXThe movie ends with Martin's closing narration:XXX"Nature has a way sometimes of reminding man of just how small he is. She occasionally throws up the terrible offspring of our pride and carelessness to remind us of how puny we really are in the face of a tornado, an earthquake or a Godzilla. The reckless ambitions of man are often dwarfed by their dangerous consequences. For now, Godzilla, that strangely innocent and tragic monster, has gone to earth. Whether he returns or not or is never again seen by human eyes, the things he has taught us remain"