Classic Godzilla: dubs or subs?

The only one of those dubs that is truly unwatchable is Godzilla Raids Again, simply because they call Godzilla "Gigantis", plus they replace Godzilla's trademark roar with Anguirus' roar. The dub in All Monsters Attack is pretty awful, but then again so is the movie. The American cut of Terror of Mechagodzilla also cuts out most of the human violence and a great deal of the climax of the movie, which really hurts the story and makes the ending pretty confusing. I would stick to the subtitled original versions if you want to see the full uncut versions of the movies with facts not changed in the dubbing, but the dubs aren't all horrible.

Actually the dubs for the earlier Godzilla movies are lightyears superior to the dubs from 1989-2004. Mothra vs. Godzilla probably has some of the most accurately translated dubbing in the series. Invasion of Astro-Monster isn't too bad either.

The thing is you're not just watching the movies dubbed in English. You're actually watching altered cuts if you watch them in English.

Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters - These are practically two different movies. About a third of Gojira is missing from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, notably parts that have to do with the bomb, the immediate post-war...etc... And of course Godzilla: King of the Monsters is known for poorly inserting Raymond Burr into the storyline.

Godzilla Raids Again - The English version is pretty much one giant middle finger to the original film. Almost every line is rewritten to say something different. Godzilla is called "Gigantis" throughout the film and Dr. Yamane's presentation with footage from Gojira is replaced with cheap footage from other science fiction movies. This altered presentation gives Godzilla, or Gigantis in this case, alternate origins as "Volcano Monsters". And if I recall both Godzilla and Anguirus have their roars switched in the English version

Mothra vs. Godzilla - This is generally considered the best dub of the entire Godzilla series. Asian accents are applied to the characters in the movie and the dialogue more or less matches the Japanese version. The English version also includes a scene that was not in the Japanese theatrical version: An American attack on Godzilla. It's kind of cool that this movie has an exclusive scene for the English version. Usually scenes get taken out.

Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster - The dubbing for this movie is passable and adds humor in some places. The Japanese version has some editing issues that the English version actually fixes; it rearranges some scenes so things are a bit more consistent. The problem is the English version also replaces 30% of Akira Ifukube's musical score which just doesn't sit well with me.

Invasion of Astro-Monster - Both versions have their ups and downs. The Japanese version has a different opening with the Monster Zero March and more clearly explains the setting. It also includes scenes where the Xians turn off the universal translater and are speaking in their alien language. (Which makes sense when they're trying to hide things from Glenn and Fuji.) Some minor plot points are also explained better in the Japanese version. Unfortunately the Japanese version also dubs over Nick Adams' voice and as a result his lines are changed for the worst. The English version has a much slower, less exciting opening credits sequence and cuts out the bits where the Xians speak in their native language. But at least Nick Adams isn't dubbed over!

All Monsters Attack - Although I don't agree this movie is a fraction as bad as others do, the movie is much better in Japanese since it better explains the relationships of the characters more clearly and Minya has a proper child-like voice. The Japanese version also has an opening song. The English version has a different opening and Minya is given a decidedly Barney-like voice. It's inappropriate for the character in this context and quite goofy.

Terror of MechaGodzilla - It has a different opening featuring scenes from previous Godzilla movies and I can't remember if the English version on this disc includes the infamous "boobs" during the surgical scene. It also cuts out a scene in which MechaGodzilla and Titanosaurus kill some children. The Japanese version has a shorter opening and the surgical scene and the kids getting stepped on are intact.

Another thing you may want to consider is that ALL of the Japanese versions are of much better picture quality than the English versions. Some of the English versions have some washed out color and odd cropping. Not all of them are in the original aspect ratio as the Japanese theatrical versions. The quality difference isn't huge, but I should warn that the English versions look inferior.

Ultimately, though, I recommend watching both versions of each movie when you have a chance. They both played important parts in the franchise's history. And if nothing else at least listen to the audio commentary on the English versions which explains the differences. There's a lot of fantastic things to learn from those commentaries. Enjoy the discs. They're some of the best releases of the franchise.

CJFITZGE - Welcome to the site! I certainly hope you enjoy it here. Please, make yourself comfortable and start posting away - we love to hear new topics and points of view!

    As for your question: I was about to weigh-in and give you a little advice. However, GMAN2887 has provided a substantial and clearly comprehensive list of data for you to view! If there is one thing you can trust, it's this: GMAN2887 knows his material backwards and forwards when it comes to the Godzilla series - no matter how obscure! :)

GMAN2887 basically explained what I said in a much more thorough and accurate way. However, I will add that facts are somewhat changed in the English versions. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, King Ghidorah is referred to as "Ghidrah", and Mothra is called a "he." The Venusian prophetess is also said to be from Mars in the dub. Terror of Mechagodzilla has a pretty adequate dub job, but the scenes that GMAN mentioned are missing. Also missing is the entire gunfight between INTERPOL and the Simians in Mafune's lab, as well as the scene where Katsura sacrififces herself to stop Mechagodzilla. As a result, Mechagodzilla suddenly shuts down in the middle of the battle with no explanation and the aliens just disappear in the English version.

^Thanks for adding, can't believe I missed thos Terror of MechaGodzilla bits and completely forgot the title and pronoun changes in Ghidorah.

Well some dubs are ok for the most part, but when watching the regular and original japanese masterpieces, it is very hard to beat.