Godzilla returns in “Godzilla Raids Again” but this time, he’s not alone. This was the first sequel in the “Godzilla” franchise and I actually think this one improved upon the first movie by giving him another monster to fight. This was also the last black and white entry in the series before the switch to colour with “King Kong vs. Godzilla”.

Godzilla and Anguirus are spotted battling on an island by members of Japan’s fishing fleet. The government and military hear about this and try to come up with a plan to defeat the monsters. The two monsters make their way to Japan and cause mayhem. As the destruction continues, the race is on to try to save the nation of Japan from total destruction.

The characters in this movie are okay. Takashi Shimura (“Ikiru”, “Godzilla”) is back so if you wanted to see him again, you will do. Of course, the real focus is on the monsters. Godzilla is more menacing here than he is in many of the later sequels. Anguirus is not one of the absolute best monsters from the franchise but I still like him. He appears in some of the sequels as an ally of Godzilla.

“Godzilla Raids Again” is a lot like the first movie but the addition of another monster really helps make this one more entertaining. I know I’m in the minority but I like this one better than the original film. It has a relatively dark tone like the first movie before the series transitioned to a far lighter style. It’s not one of the absolute best “Godzilla” movies out there but I enjoyed and I think it’s worth seeing. It’s also intriguing to see one of the black and white giant monster flicks from Japan before the switch to colour for “Rodan”, “Mothra” and the endless stream of “Godzilla” sequels.