Godzilla 1985

Godzilla 1985
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	R.J. Kizer Koji Hashimoto
Produced by	Tony Randel
Written by	Shuichi Nagahara Straw Weisman (Japanese Sequences) (uncredited) Lisa Tomei (Japanese Sequences)
Story by	Tomoyuki Tanaka
Starring	Raymond Burr
Music by	Reijiro Koroku Christopher Young (stock music from Def-Con 4)
Cinematography	Kazutami Hara Steven Dubin
Edited by	Yoshitami Kuroiwa Michael Spence
Production company	New World Pictures Toho Pictures, Inc.
Distributed by	New World Pictures
Release date	August 23, 1985 (1985-08-23)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	Japan United States
Language	English Japanese Russian
Budget	$2 million
Box office	$4.1 million

Godzilla 1985 is a 1985 Japanese-American science-fiction kaiju film co-directed by R.J. Kizer and Koji Hashimoto. The film is a heavily re-edited American adaptation of the Japanese film The Return of Godzilla produced by Toho in 1984. In addition to the film being re-cut, re-titled, and dubbed in English, Godzilla 1985 featured additional footage produced by New World Pictures.

Both 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 original 1954 Godzilla film, Godzilla 1985 serves as a sequel to Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the 1956 Americanization of the original film which also starred Raymond Burr. Godzilla 1985 uses the same techniques used in Godzilla, King of The Monsters where the original Japanese footage is dubbed and edited together with the American footage. In addition to keeping Reijiro Koroku's original score, the film uses cues from Christopher Young's Def-Con 4 film score.

The 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 original were removed from the North American version. Godzilla 1985 was the last Godzilla film to be distributed theatrically in the United States until the release of Godzilla 2000.

Godzilla 1985 also hasn't been released in DVD or Blu-ray by Kraken Releasing, which it only included its original Japanese version known as The Return of Godzilla and its international dub of The Return of Godzilla. Also, all of the other American releases of the other Godzilla films were released on DVD, making Godzilla 1985 the only American version of the film that has been released on VHS, but hasn't been released on DVD yet.

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. A day later, reporter Goro Maki finds the vessel intact, along with its sole survivor Hiroshi "Kenny" Okumura.