Godzilla 1985 (1985)

The Return of Godzilla, released in Japan as Godzilla (ゴジラ, Gojira), is a Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, the film starred Ken Tanaka, Yasuko Sawaguchi, and Yosuke Natsuki.

The sixteenth film in Toho's Godzilla series, it marked the beginning of a rebooted series of Godzilla films that ignores all the films from 1955's Godzilla Raids Again through 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla. The film acts as a direct sequel to the original 1954 film Godzilla. Produced as part of Godzilla's 30th anniversary, the film returned the series to the darker themes and mood of some of the early films and returned Godzilla to his destructive antagonistic roots.

In 1985, New World Pictures released Godzilla 1985, a heavily re-edited American adaptation of the film which included new footage shot exclusively for its North American release, which featured Canadian actor Raymond Burr reprising his character from Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, which was also produced, re-shot, and re-edited with the same techniques.

Synopsis

After a volcanic eruption on Daikoku Island, the Yahata-Maru Japanese fishing vessel is caught in strong currents off its shores. As the boat drifts into shore, the island begins to erupt, and a giant monster lifts itself out of the volcano. A few days later, reporter Goro Maki is sailing in the area and finds the vessel intact but deserted. As he explores the vessel, he finds all the crew dead except for one young man called Hiroshi Okamura, who has been badly wounded. Suddenly a giant Shockirus sea louse attacks him but he is saved by Maki who kills it with a cleaver.

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