These are some thoughts regarding the Japanese version of the film titled "The Return of Godzilla" or "Gojira (1984)" or something equally confusing.

It was great to see Godzilla as a ruthless punisher of Man again. Godzilla rises from a volcanic eruption looking for some nuclear munchies and no one will stand in his way. It's simply Humans vs. Godzilla in this one.

Japan, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. all get involved in trying to halt Big G's assault on Tokyo. Well, the Soviets nearly screw up the intricate Japanese plan to neutralize the monster, but the U.S. ends up bailing everyone out.

The Godzilla of this movie is much more expressive thanks to some early robotics. Without researching anything too much, I'll state that there must have been several different mechanical models used. The beast makes some pretty scary faces and teeth-bearing growls, complete with quivering upper lip. There are moments when the camera focuses on Godzilla, with no accompanying music or sounds, when he's actually frightening.

You can see evidence of an increased budget from earlier films. The miniature city is impressive. Godzilla stands near several skyscrapers and plays a game of cat and mouse with the rather cool "Super X" aircraft. There are lots of matte paintings and even some animation, so if you're a fan of practical effects, you owe it to yourself to watch this.

There is a lot of Godzilla action in this. He first appears about 30 minutes in and is on camera most of the time. The ending could be a slightly moist-eyed affair for those prone to a lump in the throat.

I did see the Americanized version called "Godzilla 1985" starring Raymond Burr in the theater during its original run 30 years ago. I should probably rewatch it because I remember liking it quite a bit. I'm betting my satisfaction will sink in comparison to Japan's pretty remarkable effort.