Hot-buttered opinion on the latest flicks

Godzilla

Fri., May. 14, 2004 12:00 AM PDT

At a time when the phrase director's cut often means "one pointless deleted scene needlessly reinserted," it's nice to see a classic film really restored. Never seen stateside, this version of the green guy's 1954 debut--in which he takes a stroll along the Japanese coast--comes without all the poorly dubbed, lame-sounding dialogue. So, instead, when frightened citizens cry out, "Oh no, there goes Tokyo," it's in Japanese and often with the original anti-atomic message, removed for the first U.S. edition. This version also restores 40 minutes cut from the American release, removes the shoehorned-in Raymond Burr scenes and makes the lively lizard's adventures more socially conscious. Die-hard sci-fi geeks will love it; everybody else will appreciate its display of the true power of the giant rubber monster suit.