After spotting a school of Bonito Fish, a pilot working for a fishing company experiences engine problems and makes an emergency landing at Iwato Island. His pilot friend, who also works for the fishing company; goes out to rescue him. Once there though, the two pilots make a horrifying discovery; as they spot the giant monster Godzilla, who was supposedly killed less than a year earlier. However, things get even worse, when they discover that Godzilla is engaged in a fight with another monster!
Released in 1955 (just a little over five months since the first film‘s release), and directed by Motoyoshi Oda; Godzilla Raids Again is the second film in the Godzilla series, and the first one to feature more than one monster, as well as of course the first one to feature a fight between Godzilla and another monster. Other than both Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima) and Anguirus (Katsumi Tezuka); the film stars (series regular) Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, and Akira Kurosawa regular casting: Minoru Chiaki. The film also features Mayuri Mokushō, Yukio Kasama, and Yoshio Tsuchiya in supporting roles, as well as a cameo appearance by Takashi Shimura reprising his role as Dr. Kyohei Yamane.
Following on from the success of the first film; Toho decided to produce a sequel to capitalize on it’s success. This did cause a few issues however. Firstly, the first film was a pretty enclosed/complete film, that in no way helps set up any sequel at all. According to Ishirô Honda: “We had no plans for a sequel and naively hoped that the end of Godzilla was going to coincide with the end of nuclear testing.” This though was not the only issue, as Honda himself was unavailable at the time due to commitments directing Lovetide. So, to this end, horror director Motoyoshi Oda was brought in to direct Godzilla Raids Again. As for the issue of Godzilla’s death in the first film, well; it’s not really explained how there is a second one; but Yamane does sort of highlight the possibility of others at the end of the first film, but still doesn’t guarantee it.
To this day, the original Godzilla film is still regarded by many to be the best film in the entire series. Following on up from this film then was always going to be a tricky assignment; however, due to there being no planned series at this time, therefore meant that there was no real format for the director to follow; which meant there was still plenty of room for creativity and experiment. To this end then we get something of an enigma in the series, and one of it’s more unique entries.
Raids Again’s premise and plot is heavily centered on the first fight in the series; that being Godzilla vs Anguirus. The build-up to the fight is well set-up, creating tension and intrigue as you don’t know what to expect. This ranges from the military searching for the monsters, to the blackout in Osaka, to the fight itself. And, famously; thanks to one of the camera’s being set at entirely different speed to the others, the fight is a more primal affair, thanks to the monsters appearing more nimble than the speed they were shot at. The fight is a really enjoyable watch, as it looks more like two creatures with very different opposing styles, really trying to realistically kill each other; rather than trying to put on a wrestling match, as is the argument many have classed other fights in the series as.
The issue though with the film’s positioning of the fight though, is that it’s smack bang right in the middle of the film’s run time. Which means that when it’s over, it’s over; and there’s this awkward lull following on from this as you try to figure out where this film is going, as it just carries on. This then leads to a decently epic conclusion, but one which just feels more awkward as the filmmakers try to create a conclusion which would then allow them to make even more films. It’s ironically very similar to the ending of the original Gamera movie (in ungainliness, not visuals)!
But; the film is a largely entertainingly valuable affair. It’s strange, but it’s packed with lots of weird things that make it memorable and fun, which means (up until post fight anyway), you are never bored. OK, the avalanche scene does get very lethargic, very quickly, but is largely more forgettable in comparison to the film’s more rewarding points.
The prisoner escape for instance is very engrossing, and comical, but for the wrong reasons. Now I am not encouraging prison breaks by saying this (although I would hope that modern prison vans are better equipped to prevent this sort of thing), but; if you manage to knockout the two supervising guards, and then take their weapons, wouldn’t it make more sense then, to shoot out the two drivers through their easy to reach hatch; rather than drawing their attention away by shooting out the lock? Surely this way you would not attract their attention, and make an easier getaway by stealing a prison van!
And another thing, did Japanese prisoners of this time (1950’s) wear clogs or tap dancing shoes? I only ask given the tap dancing esque sound they seem to make as they run away. Also, did the rivers in Japan at this time have a magical quality to them; given how when the river floods the underground station; the prisoners disappear out of reality?
As mentioned above, the film didn’t have much of a standard format to follow as a series was still not in existence; after all this was just another film, not an ongoing series. To this end then, it’s hard not to ignore how the soundtrack (composed by Masaru Satô), and even the monster roars, were handled. For instance Godzilla’s iconic roar, is barely heard at all in the film, save for I think the very end of the film, with the King of the Monsters choosing to growl most of the time. Also, the soundtrack is a very different creature in comparison to the previous entry. In the space of moments where the original used loud, or more adrenaline fuelled pieces to increase excitement, here the film chooses to use more quiet pieces, or commonly nothing at all. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, as though whilst it’s not much of an exciting soundtrack, it does convey a sense of tension and anticipation, as you don’t know what’s coming next!
Following on from a big successful film is a tough job to pull off; I mean can you imagine how filmmakers felt when trying to produce The Empire Strikes Back for instance? But even though this film is not as big, or as triumphant as the original, the filmmakers still succeeded in creating a very entertaining film. It carries a lot of entertainment value, and because it doesn’t follow a set format for films to come, it allows a more creative approach, with a director trying to make as good a film as they can, rather than trying to make a sequel as good a sequel can be, just to tick a few boxes. And though whilst it is the second film in the series, it still victoriously pulls off several firsts!
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