Philippines: Legacy of Godzilla Comes Alive

Above, the giant Godzilla poster-sign at Warner Bros. in Burbank. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the new American production of Godzilla hitting theaters in a little over two weeks from now, the excitement is becoming more palpable worldwide. It is interesting to read different countries' take on Godzilla.

The Philippines, who suffered under the wrath of the Imperial Japanese military in World War II, is the latest country to weigh in on the return of "the King of the Monsters." Their opening day for the movie is May 15, a day earlier than the U.S.

The Philstar.com, the online version of Manila's Philippine Star, has an article on the movie and it begins with this:

MANILA, Philippines - Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash the epic-action adventure Godzilla, a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring monster rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless. 

Godzilla stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, with David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston. 

In 1954, Japan’s Toho Co., Ltd., released Ishiro Honda’s groundbreaking monster movie Godzilla in a country still reeling from the devastation of World War II. The film became a massive hit in Japan, and 60 years later, continues to resonate around the world for distilling the fears and horrors of the atomic age into an awe-inspiring force of nature...Godzilla.

And, recognizing Godzilla's impact on pop-culture around the world, they said this about the original 1954 movie's impact:

Partially reshot, softening some of its metaphorical bite and dubbed into multiple languages, the film was released abroad two years later and a legend was born. For the past six decades, the towering “King of the Monsters” has cut a swath through pop culture, spawning numerous sequels, an army of toys and incarnations in everything from comic books to video games. A whole new genre of movies emerged — kaiju eiga — and Godzilla became one of the most beloved and recognizable movie heroes of the 20th and now, 21st centuries.

 To read the full article, go here.