On November 3, 1954, Toho released this dark anti-nuclear parable that would become the foundation of a lasting series of films ranging from the serious to the silly. Thanks to Gareth Edwards, Gojira has been resurrected once again to serve as a metaphorical warning concerning mankind’s hubris and rash disrespect for our planet’s ecosystem that could lead to the destruction of our species as well as many others.
I celebrate the continuing legacy of the King of the Monsters, a potent archetype that lumbers through the consciousness of many, a cross-cultural behemoth who should goad us towards more responsible behavior, lest extinction loom as Earth shrugs us off to welcome our successors.
—Magus Peter H. Gilmore