On his 70th birthday, Godzilla has roared back to relevance

At the age of 70 some might think about retiring, if they have not done so already. Not Godzilla. Since the giant lizard made his screen debut in “Godzilla”, a Japanese film released in 1954, he has crashed his way through nearly 40 movies. (Guinness World Records certifies Godzilla as the longest-running movie franchise.) Nor does he shows any sign of slowing down. In December “Godzilla Minus One”, a Japanese film, became a box-office hit. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” has recently hit cinemas, too.