
I think the blurb on the back cover is fair in its description of the US version. New World Pictures did cut over 20 minutes of footage, insert additional scenes, change key plot points, and add more humor. That is what happened. They wanted to "Americanize" the movie for 1985 American audiences and they did just that.
Kraken is right to trumpet the previously unavailable nature of what they're releasing here. Back in 2004-2007, it was a big deal when Sony and Classic Media started releasing the uncut Japanese versions of Godzilla movies on DVD in North America. For decades they had only been available on these shores with English dubbing, often edited, and in the VHS era usually only in pan-and-scan. That hasn't been the case for most Godzilla movies in the US for quite a while now but
The Return of Godzilla is one of the few remaining holdouts. Up until this time, it's only been available on VHS in its edited, dubbed, pan-and-scan form.
I wish the US version could have been included on this upcoming release and I sympathize with those who prefer that cut. Maybe it will happen one day but right now Kraken is releasing what it can.
The Return of Godzilla is finally coming to DVD and bluray in North America in its native language, uncut and widescreen, and that is significant. It'll even include the international English dub! Aside from the international dub of
Godzilla 2000, I'd call that the rarest English-dubbed version of any Godzilla movie until now.