by canofhumdingers » Mon Dec 28, 2015 11:41 am
Hrmm. These were two of my earliest G films and definately two of my most frequently watched as a kid. This was largely due to their readily available-ness at the local blockbuster and the fact that Sea Monster was the second (after Godzilla's Revenge) G VHS I owned. But we're not voting on KOTM but rather the original Japanese cut here, which I didn't see until that classic media double DVD set that came out when I was well into adulthood. So if I were voting on nostalgia alone Sea Monster would get it.
These two films (well, the American cuts of them) were also largely responsible for defining to my childhood self just who Godzilla was (ironic considering Sea Monster was originally written for kong...). And this is still largely what I gravitate to when defining the core qualities that make godzilla who he is. He was terrifying and something to be feared. He was no friend of humans (even the good guys) and he was always ready for a fight. And he was absolutely, intrinsically linked to the sea. It was his home and he was just as, if not more comfortable under water as he was on land.
While the Original. G54 is no doubt the better film, I'd argue Sea Monster is more fun. The human cast is awesome, the 60's James Bond vibe is fun, the Red Bamboo are great villains, and I've always loved Ebirah. Combine those strengths with the tremendous amount of nostalgia I have for this movie and I think I'm gonna have to vote for Godzilla vs the Sea Monster.