Godzilla (Gojira) (1954)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 16 nominations
More than straight monster-movie fare, Gojira offers potent, sobering postwar commentary.
Godzilla is the OG monster movie that started it all, and it still holds up today. Sure, the effects might not be as flashy as modern blockbusters, but there’s something charming about the practical effects and miniature sets. Plus, the movie has a surprising amount of depth, exploring the trauma of a country still reeling from the atomic bomb. And let’s not forget about the big guy himself – Godzilla is an absolute unit, with a tail that could knock down buildings and a roar that will send shivers down your spine. All in all, Godzilla is a classic that deserves its place in the monster movie pantheon.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Star Thrower Entertainment, Westbrook Studios,
Distributor
Rialto Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Village Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language
Year of Release
1954
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos IMAX 6-Track Auro 11.1 Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):English, American, Sign, L
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 1954 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 20, 2014
Genre(s)
Sci-Fi
Keyword(s)
Godzilla, sci-fi, Japanese, fire-breathing, monster, atomic bomb, postwar commentary, Ishirô Honda, directed by, Tomoyuki Tanaka, produced by, Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama, written by, Takashi Shimura, starring, Momoko Kochi, Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Sachio Sakai, Fuyuki Murakami, MPAA rating, Rialto Pictures, box office performance, budget, reviewed by, Adam Kempenaar, Chris Vognar, Andrew O’Hehir, Zachary Wigon, Keith Uhlich, Budd Wilkins, Sean Axmaker, Mike Massie, Harris Dang, Witney Seibold, Joe Bendel, David Nusair, genre, sci-fi, original language, Japanese, release date, theaters, streaming, distributor, Takashi Shimura, Dr Kyohei Yamane, Momoko Kochi, Emiko Yamane, Akira Takarada, Hideto Ogata, Akihiko Hirata, Dr Daisuke Serizawa, Sachio Sakai, Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara, Fuyuki Murakami, Dr Tabata
Worldwide gross: $468,216,094
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $509,234,971
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 283
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 55,532,712
US/Canada gross: $100,916,094
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $109,757,022
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 686
US/Canada opening weekend: $31,625,971
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $34,396,619
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 379
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $200,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $217,521,344
Production budget ranking: 74
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $117,135,244
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $174,578,383
ROI to date (est.): 52%
ROI ranking: 1,134
Momoko Kochi – Emiko Yamane
Akira Takarada – Hideto Ogata
Akihiko Hirata – Dr. Daisuke Serizawa
Sachio Sakai – Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Fuyuki Murakami – Dr. Tabata
Director(s)
Ishirô Honda
Writer(s)
Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama
Producer(s)
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 16 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (5)
…a portrait of a country less than a decade removed from the horrors of the atomic bomb, reckoning – in a movie that is still fun and thrilling – with that trauma.
April 3, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Adam Kempenaar
Filmspotting
TOP CRITIC
It’s a terse, lean terror with a big, swinging tail.
May 8, 2014 | Rating: B+
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
While the acting is hit-and-miss and the story jumps around somewhat confusingly, Honda’s film is a one-of-a-kind experience all the way through, one that stands the test of time better than I had expected.
April 18, 2014
Andrew O’Hehir
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
Clever storytelling manages to confront tragedy from any number of angles, and sometimes swinging at it from the side can be the most affecting.
April 16, 2014
Zachary Wigon
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Honda’s satire is cutting, with several characters resigned to living with the threat of constant cataclysm.
April 15, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Rarely has the open wound of widespread devastation been transposed to celluloid with greater visceral impact.
April 13, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Budd Wilkins
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
None of the sequels, spin-offs, remakes, or knock-offs ever matched the righteous anger or terrifying ferocity of the lizard king in his first film, rising from the radioactive depths and descending upon Tokyo like some biblical retribution.
June 25, 2022
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
Still a well-paced, nicely balanced monster movie that sticks with a fittingly serious, somber tone.
August 22, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Despite the problems with pacing, effects and some characterizations, Godzilla (1954) does manage to work pretty well and thanks to its mix of social commentary and action, it delivers a satisfying adventure.
November 7, 2019
Harris Dang
The AU Review
This is a monster film that more or less launched the entire kaiju genre, but it’s also dark, sad, and downright tragic.
May 21, 2019
Witney Seibold
Nerdist
Sixty years later, Godzilla is still one of the baddest cats to grace a movie screen.
July 17, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Joe Bendel
Epoch Times
It’s ultimately rather difficult to discern why Godzilla has amassed a reputation as a classic of the genre…
January 9, 2015 | Rating: 1.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews…
Plot
Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins and mankind’s survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast and crew of Godzilla includes Takashi Shimura as Dr. Kyohei Yamane, Momoko Kochi as Emiko Yamane, and Akira Takarada as Hideto Ogata.
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