Godzilla 1985

Godzilla 1985 is a kaiju film released in 1985, directed by R. J. Kizer for the American version, while the original Japanese film *The Return of Godzilla* was directed by Koji Hashimoto and released in 1984. It is a heavily reworked American version of the Japanese film *The Return of Godzilla*, which Toho Pictures produced and distributed in 1984. The American adaptation was recut, retitled, and dubbed into English, and New World Pictures created additional footage for it. Raymond Burr returned to play American journalist Steve Martin, a role he first performed in the 1956 film *Godzilla, King of the Monsters!*, which itself was a heavily reworked American version of the original 1954 Japanese *Godzilla*.

Both the New World Pictures version and the Toho original are direct sequels to the 1954 *Godzilla*, with *Godzilla 1985* also following *Godzilla, King of the Monsters!*. The same adaptation methods used for the 1956 film were applied here: Japanese footage was dubbed and edited together with new American scenes. The film keeps Reijiro Koroku’s original score but also includes parts of Christopher Young’s score from the 1985 American film *Def-Con 4*.

Upon its release in the United States, *Godzilla 1985* received mostly negative reviews. As with *Godzilla, King of the Monsters!*, much of the nuclear and political commentary from the original Japanese film was cut from the American version. This was the last Toho-produced Godzilla film to be released theatrically in the United States until *Godzilla 2000*.

**Plot**

During a violent storm, the Japanese fishing boat *Yahata Maru* is attacked by a giant monster that emerges from an eruption on a nearby uninhabited island. The next day, reporter Goro Maki finds the boat intact and its sole survivor, Hiroshi "Kenny" Okumura. Japanese Prime Minister Seiki Mitamura is told the monster is Godzilla and orders the attack kept secret. Maki’s newspaper refuses to publish his report, calling it a national security risk that could cause panic. Instead, Maki is sent to interview biophysicist Makoto Hayashida. Maki finds Naoko, Okumura’s sister, working as Hayashida’s lab assistant and tells her her brother is safe, against government orders. She goes to the hospital.

Godzilla attacks and destroys a Soviet submarine. The Soviets blame the Americans, and the situation nearly escalates into war.