Godzilla 1985 (1985): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1985, Godzilla 1985 is an action, thriller, drama and horror film directed by R.J. Kizer, running about 87 minutes. “Prepare yourself: the greatest star of all has returned.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Originally released in Japan as "The Return of Godzilla" in 1984, this is the heavily re-edited, re-titled "Godzilla 1985". Adding in new footage of Raymond Burr, this 16th Godzilla film ignores all previous sequels and serves as a direct follow-up to the 1956 "Godzilla King of the Monsters", which also featured scenes with Burr edited into 1954's "Godzilla". This film restores the darker tone of the original, as we witness the nuclear destruction of giant lizard terrorizing Japan.

Who’s in it. Godzilla 1985 stars Ken Tanaka as Goro Maki, Yasuko Sawaguchi as Naoko Okumura, Keiju Kobayashi as Prime Minister Mitamura and Shin Takuma as Hiroshi Okumura, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Godzilla 1985 has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $4.1M at the box office.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Godzilla 1985 page.

If you liked it. Fans of Godzilla 1985 tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.