The Return of Godzilla
Seen it?1984 | 103 min | Science Fiction, Action, Horror
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With just 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for horror fans, sci-fi fans and action fans. If you loved Alien, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
After a fishing boat is attacked, the sole surviving crew member realizes it is none other than a resurrected Godzilla. However, efforts to bring the story to light are suppressed by the Japanese government amid growing political tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, who are both willing to bomb Japan to stop the monster.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
27% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$14 million worldwide on a $6 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 72K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Koji Hashimoto
- Keiju KobayashiPrime Minister Seiki Mitamura
- Ken TanakaGoro Maki
- Yasuko SawaguchiNaoko Okumura
- Shin TakumaHiroshi Okumura
- Yōsuke NatsukiProfessor Makoto Hayashida
- Eitarō OzawaMinister of Finance Kanzaki
- Taketoshi NaitōChief Cabinet Secretary Takegami
- Nobuo KanekoHome Affairs Minister Isomura
- Mizuho SuzukiForeign Minister Emori
- Junkichi OrimotoDirector-General of the Defense Agency