<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Kaiju Eiga, literally translated as “giant monster” (kaiju) and “movie” (eiga)—see also Giant Monsters in Movies—became the most popular sub-genre of Japanese film until the advent of anime. The effects in these films began with men in elaborately designed suits, shot in forced perspective to make them appear gigantic as they destroyed the countryside. Over time, puppetry, stop-motion, and even computer-generated effects have been added as these films have reinvented themselves.

The very first kaiju eiga is Gojira, directed by Ishirô Honda. It is a frightening fable about the dangers of atomic radiation and the (literal) monsters it can produce. It was re-edited and released to the US and world markets two years later as Godzilla (also Godzilla, King of the Monsters!), with much of the most frightening footage cut and replaced with a new, hastily shot subplot featuring Raymond Burr to give the film an American point-of-view character.

The great international success of this film led its studio, Toho, to produce a quick series of follow-ups; an inferior sequel, Godzilla Raids Again (aka Gigantis the Fire Monster), along with Mothra (a giant moth) and Rodan (a dinosaur that flew!). A rival studio, Toei, created a monster of its own, a giant turtle named Gamera. This movie was also re-cut into an English language version, this time featuring Brian Donlevy. Toei also produced the Damaijin series, which featured a giant statue that would come to life, and, for three films, combined the kaiju with the chambara (historical samurai) genre.

Hollywood producers decided to get in on the action, and began to co-produce films with Japan, beginning with King Kong Meets Godzilla, the most profitable film to date. Often simplified for the international market, these films soon became targeted specifically at children, with both lower budgets and recycled footage. Beginning with Son of Godzilla, the producers even introduced Minya, a baby dinosaur that blew smoke rings. The Japanese film industry churned out dozens of these films over the years, pitting Godzilla against everything from a giant shrimp (Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster) to a creature made of industrial waste (Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster). The films have gone in and out of favor in Japan over the years—Godzilla has had two comebacks so far, not to mention a failed American remake.

The real rebirth of the kaiju eiga, however, came with the return of Gamera in the mid-1990s, as director Shusuke Keneko brought modern cinematography and editing to the kaiju film in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, and two sequels, which are generally considered, along with the original Gojira, to be the best kaiju eiga ever made.

With this increased interest in kaiju eiga, a new group of Godzilla films came to the international movie market, including one directed by Keneko. With the recently released Godzilla: Final Wars, something of a remake of the earlier monster free-for-all Destroy All Monsters, Toho has announced that Godzilla is dead once more.