Category: Godzilla Retrospective

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Following the release of Son of Godzilla, the decision was made to end the franchise due to its waning popularity. Ishiro Honda, who was absent from the series following Invasion of Astro-Monster, returned to direct this intended finale. Given that this was meant to be the last film, Toho decided to go all out and include several monsters. In addition to past Godzilla monsters, they also brought in monsters from King Kong Escapes, Atragon, and Varan the Unbelievable. Unfortunately, due to rights issues and budgetary limits, certain monsters couldn’t be used, including King Kong, Gaira, and Sanda. Speaking of, Honda wanted to explore concepts such as undersea farming and hybrid monsters but couldn’t because of the budget. This film also used stock footage from Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, a trend that would continue in future installments. Destroy All Monsters was released to Japanese theaters in August of 1968.

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Synopsis

In the far future of 1999, the United Nations Science Committee has confined all of Earth’s monsters to one location. Said location, an island known as “Monsterland”, is monitored by a team of researchers working to keep the monsters contained. Unfortunately, the island is attacked, and both the research team and the monsters have been kidnapped by a mysterious group. Dr. Yoshido (Jun Tazaki) tasks Captain Katsuo Yamabe (Akira Kubo) with leading a team to investigate the island. Once at the island, they discover that the researchers and monsters are under the control of aliens called the Kilaaks. The Kilaaks send the monsters to attack major cities: Rodan attacks Moscow, Mothra invades Beijing, and Gorosaurus decimates Paris. Eventually, the UNSC regains control of the monsters, but the Kilaaks have another ace up their sleeve: King Ghidorah. It’s an all-out brawl with Earth’s monsters versus the three-headed space dragon.

Review

Given that this was originally meant to be the last film in the series, Destroy All Monsters is pretty disappointing. While it’s a step up from Son of Godzilla, it doesn’t quite give fans the send-off they were promising. Aside from some brief appearances and quick cameos, there’s hardly any monster footage for a majority of the runtime. Most of it is spent focusing on the human characters, and the monsters take a back seat for their story. Of course, the other films have had side stories focused on the human characters, but those were usually B-plots. Here, almost the first hour of the film is devoted to the humans up until the last 20 minutes. After a while, the human plot starts to get boring as you’re waiting for the monsters to show up. It’s odd considering the film literally has the word “monsters” in the title.

In fairness, the last 20 minutes are the highlight of the film as the monsters go up against King Ghidorah. Just seeing some of Japan’s most famous monsters duke it out is a treat for any Kaiju fans. Unfortunately, it comes a little too late as you have to sit through an hour of boring human stuff. It wouldn’t be as bad if more monster footage was sprinkled in, but even then, it’s only a few seconds. Granted, the lack of monster footage could be attributed to a lower budget given the dwindling returns. For what it’s worth, the monsters still look good, there are some fun destruction scenes, and the score is great. The movie is fairly brief at 88 minutes, and the last 20 minutes almost make it worth watching. Overall, Destroy All Monsters isn’t the worst, but it had plenty of potential for a solid monster movie.

Buy Destroy All Monsters from Amazon: https://amzn.to/36R6day

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By this point in the series, the Godzilla series started appealing more kid-friendly than the original. In addition, the budgets were getting smaller and smaller, as evidenced in 1966’s Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. While series helmer Ishiro Honda was off working on King Kong Escapes, Jun Fukuda was hired for the next installment. Toho wanted to introduce a baby Godzilla for this installment to appeal to what they considered the “date crowd”. This would add a father-son dynamic that further humanized the monsters, something Honda had opposed in earlier films. ‘Little Man’ Mancha, a fairly popular dwarf wrestler at the time, was hired to portray the diminutive Minilla. Haruo Nakajima, who normally wore the Godzilla suit, only worked for two scenes due to the size of the costume. In December of 1967, Son of Godzilla was released in Japanese cinemas but wasn’t released in the US.

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Synopsis

On the remote island of Sollgel, a team of researchers is conducting experiments on a weather-controlling system for the UN. One day, a nosy reporter named Maki Goro (Akira Kubo) who’s looking for a new story despite the project’s secrecy. While investigating the island, Goro runs into Saeko Matsumiya (Beverly Maeda), a young woman who’s living there with her father. Her father, unfortunately, passed away, but he left notes about creatures living on the island, including giant mantises and spiders. The mantises, called Kamacuras, uncover an egg that hatches, revealing a baby Godzilla that they try to kill. Fortunately for the baby, Godzilla shows up to defend his son from the Kamacuras and a giant spider called Kumonga. While the researchers continue their work, Godzilla teaches his son how to roar and use his atomic breath. The King of Monsters fights the biggest monster of all: being a father.

Review

Son of Godzilla is considered a very divisive entry in the series, and it’s easy to see why. Your enjoyment of this is going to depend on your tolerance for Minilla or Minya depending on who you ask. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of him, but apparently, he’s very popular in Japan, so who knows? For me, whenever he was on screen, it felt like the movie halted to focus on his goofy antics. It’s somewhat jarring going from the series’ darker, more serious origins to the goofier, more kid-friendly direction taken here. Admittedly, it is a nice change of pace to have Godzilla fighting monsters that aren’t just guys in suits. The puppets for the Kamacuras and Kumonga are impressive given the amount of articulation and attention to detail. Then again, it starts taking you out of it when you see the wires operating the puppets.

Despite my issues with Minilla, the movie itself isn’t terrible, but it’s mostly forgettable and fairly run-of-the-mill. The cast all do a decent job, with appearances from veterans Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Akihiko Hirata, and Yoshio Tsuchiya. The story, while original, is pretty dull and the film takes a while for it to get going. Though Godzilla doesn’t show up until roughly 30 minutes in, the inclusion of the giant mantises offers some monster action. When he does show up, he looks noticeably goofy with his cross-eyes and more humanlike appearance, obviously for the kids. At slightly under 90 minutes long, the film does move at a decent pace, though it tends to drag. As I’ve hinted at in this review, this is one I can only recommend to hardcore Godzilla fans. Overall, Son of Godzilla isn’t the worst, but it’s definitely a step down for the series.

Buy Son of Godzilla from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wZkyMX.

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Where to watch Son of Godzilla (1967)

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Following the release of Invasion of Astro-Monster, Toho decided to start working on a new King Kong movie. Originally titled Operation Robinson Crusoe: King Kong vs. Ebirah, Rankin/Bass Productions rejected it and Godzilla was added instead. After directing the previous four entries, Ishiro Honda stepped down and Jun Fukuda stepped in the director’s chair. This entry was given a much lower budget than the previous films, as Toho wanted to cut back on expenses. For instance, instead of being set in Tokyo, the setting was changed to an island in the Pacific. Also, many actors from previous Godzilla films, including Akira Takarada and Kumi Mizuno, returned to play completely different characters. Sadamasa Arikawa, who directed the special effects, noted how frustrating the experience was given the limited budget. Finally, 1966 saw the release of Ebirah, Horror of The Deep, aka Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.

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Synopsis

Ryota (Tôru Watanabe) is searching for his brother after he’s lost at sea following a boating accident. He steals a yacht with his friends Ichino (Chotaro Togin) and Nita (Hideo Sunazuka) alongside bank robber Yoshimura (Akira Takarada). They end up stranded on a remote island being run by the Red Bamboo, led by Captain Yamoto (Akihiko Hirata). Turns out the Red Bamboo has enslaved the locals and has a monster known as Ebirah under their control. With help from a local girl named Daiyo (Kumi Mizuno), they find Godzilla trapped in a cave. Using a makeshift lightning rod, they awaken Godzilla to fight off the Red Bamboo and take on Ebirah. Soon enough, Ryota is reunited with his brother Yata (Toru Ibuki) and they try to escape the island. Mothra also arrives to save the locals and our heroes, as well as fight off Godzilla before the island explodes.

Review

Often considered one of the lesser entries in the series, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is more a middle-of-the-road entry. Compared to King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, Ebirah is a fairly uninteresting monster, basically just a jumbo shrimp. On top of that, Godzilla doesn’t do anything until the 50-minute mark, and even then, the fight isn’t that exciting. Still, there are some amusing moments, such as one where Godzilla and Ebirah play catch with a boulder. Also, while it’s great seeing Mothra make a return, her role in this is more or less a cameo. You can tell this was originally a King Kong movie given how differently Godzilla acts in this film. Like Kong, he’s found in a cave, awoken by lightning, and has an odd attraction to the female lead. It makes me wonder what this movie would’ve been like had the main monster been King Kong instead.

As far as the human plot goes, it’s definitely one of the more unique storylines in a Godzilla film. The addition of a corrupt paramilitary group enslaving an island’s natives is a nice touch that makes this stand out. It’s interesting how Akihiko Hirata, who portrayed Dr. Daisuke Serizawa in the original Godzilla, once again dons an eyepatch. Here, he plays a villain and gives a solid performance, and Kumi Mizuno from Invasion of Astro-Monster does solid work. The other cast members do their jobs well, but none of them really stand out aside from those mentioned earlier. While the effects are noticeably cheaper given the reduced budget, it’s still fun watching Godzilla trample over military vehicles. At an hour and 23 minutes, the film moves at a decent pace and provides decent kaiju entertainment. Overall, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is a flawed but enjoyable entry in the series.

Buy Ebirah, Horror of the Deep on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3efrqjg.

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Where to watch Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

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United Productions of America, aka UPA, were famous for their Mr. Magoo and Dick Tracy animated shorts in the 1960s. However, the company wanted to move in a different direction, so producer Henry G. Saperstein was sent to Toho Studios. Given the popularity of the Godzilla films, UPA was hoping to acquire distribution rights to them in the USA. Saperstein ended up having tons of input in the production, from screenplay changes to casting American actor Nick Adams. Due to the lower budget, stock footage from previous films like Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster was incorporated. While the suits for Rodan and King Ghidorah were reused, the Godzilla suit used was newly built for the film. Series regular Ishiro Honda once again directed though he would step away from the franchise for some time. In late 1965, Invasion of Astro-Monster was released to Japanese theaters.

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Synopsis

In the year 196X, astronauts Glenn (Nick Adams) and Fuji (Akira Takarada) are investigating the mysterious Planet X. There, they meet the Xiliens, a race of highly-intelligent humanoid aliens led by The Controller (Yoshio Tsuchiya). The Xiliens have been routinely attacked by what they call “Monster Zero”, which is actually King Ghidorah, and need help. They give the astronauts a message: if Earth allows them to borrow Godzilla and Rodan, they’ll offer a universal cure. Earth’s leaders agree to their teams, and the Xiliens take Godzilla and Rodan to Planet X to fight King Ghidorah. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a trick by the Xiliens to take control of Godzilla and Rodan to conquer Earth. As Earth is being attacked, our heroes must find a way to break the Xiliens’ control over the other monsters. Will our heroes succeed, or will the Xiliens rule over the Earth?

Review

Invasion of Astro-Monster, though again a major departure from what the series started as, is still a fun monster movie. Much like Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, this offers an ensemble of Toho’s finest monsters pitted against one another. The fight scenes on Planet X and Earth are a spectacle, the Planet X fight memorable for Godzilla’s victory dance. As silly as it is, it’s odd going from the seriousness of the original Godzilla to such a sight. While it’s clear the Ghidorah and Rodan suits are reused, the new Godzilla suit looks good and streamlined. Though they’re working with a smaller budget, the effects still look solid, with plenty of miniatures and pyrotechnics. The destruction scenes, along with the fight scenes, are fun as always, and the design of Planet X is unique. Plus, the ridiculous outfits of the Xiliens add to the film’s goofy, campy charm.

As far as the human characters go, the acting is solid all around, including American actor Nick Adams. Though he was added for American appeal, he does a good job and has great chemistry with his Japanese co-stars. Like the previous entries that he directed, Ishiro Honda manages to sneak some subtext in, namely being controlled by machines. Still, you can’t help but feel like he’s somewhat embarrassed to see his original symbol of destruction being more lighthearted. There’s also a subplot involving a Xilien woman sent as a spy who falls in love with Glenn added in. It further adds to the theme of people being controlled by machines and being able to break free. At roughly 90 minutes, the film goes by quickly, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and is enjoyable throughout. Overall, Invasion of Astro-Monster is goofy and silly, but still fun to watch.

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Where to watch Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

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Following the success of King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka wanted to include more monsters. Due to production on Kurosawa’s Red Beard running behind, Toho decided to push forward with a new Godzilla film. For the next film, they reunited Godzilla and Mothra, as well as bringing in Rodan, who first appeared in 1956. To push things further, a new monster was introduced called King Ghidorah, based on the legendary Yamata no Orochi. Director Ishiro Honda returned once again, though he didn’t agree with the direction the series was going towards. He was uncomfortable giving the monsters personalities when he felt they worked better as metaphors for the atrocities of war. Once again, Eiji Tsuburaya directed the special effects sequences alongside assistant Teruyoshi Nakano, though Ghidorah was designed by Akira Watanabe. Eight months after the last film, Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster was released in 1964.

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Synopsis

Meteor showers start appearing around Japan, the largest meteor landing in Mount Kurodake where Professor Miura (Hiroshi Koizumi) investigates. Meanwhile, Detective Shindo (Yosuke Natsuki) is assigned to be the bodyguard for Princess Salno of Selgina (Akiko Wakabayashi). An assassin named Malmess (Hisaya Ito) has been hired to kill her and attempts to by blowing up her plane. Fortunately, an alien entity from Venus saves her before the plane explodes, though it takes over her body. The entity uses her to try and warn humanity of an impending threat, but no one believes her. Soon enough, Godzilla and Rodan show up and start causing havoc across Japan, Mothra trying to take control of things. At the same time, the meteor near Mount Kurodake explodes to reveal King Ghidorah, a monster who destroyed Venus. It’s up to Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra to try and stop Ghidorah from destroying the world.

Review

Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster is one of the most important entries in the Godzilla series for several reasons. For one, King Ghidorah would go on to be one of Godzilla’s most popular foes, arguably his biggest foe. Also, this would be the first time Godzilla was a good guy, though he still causes tons of damage. Unfortunately, as Honda predicted, this would start the trend of making the monsters characters and giving them human personalities. While it does lead to some comedic moments, it definitely is a far cry from the original’s dark tone. That said, while it does take a while to get going, the climactic battle towards the end is pretty fun. This film helped to introduce the monster rumble, with Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra going toe-to-toe with King Ghidorah. It’s one of the best fights in the Godzilla series so far.

As for the human plot, it’s surprisingly captivating with plenty of subplots going on to keep things moving. The whole political assassination plot ties in well with the monster plot and features plenty of twists and turns. Akiko Wakabayashi does a solid job as the princess turned prophet as she tries to warn people about Ghidorah’s arrival. Yosuke Natsuki is also good as the sympathetic hero trying to do his job and has some fun banter throughout. At roughly 94 minutes, the film moves at a decent pace, though it does tend to slow down at points. Thankfully, there’s plenty of monster mayhem and political action to keep audiences invested without having to shoehorn anything superfluous. For kaiju fans, this is an essential entry as it introduced elements that would carry into later entries. Overall, Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster is an entertaining monster movie that’s worth a watch.

Buy Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Lqrh0k.

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Where to watch Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

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Following the success of King Kong vs. Godzilla, Toho wanted to immediately fast-track another film right away. For the next installment, they had Godzilla go up against Mothra, who debuted in her own film back in 1961. Ishiro Honda was once again hired to direct with the intent of making the film accessible for children and adults. Television was becoming popular in Japan at the time, so Honda wanted to compete and draw in a bigger audience. Eiji Tsuburaya would be returning to handle the effects, including building a lighter Godzilla suit and creating mechanical props. Like the previous films he directed, Honda wanted to tackle some issues as well as making a fun kaiju film. For its American release, it was distributed through AIP (American International Pictures) as Godzilla vs. The Thing to provoke curiosity. In April of 1964, Mothra vs. Godzilla made its Japanese premiere.

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Synopsis

While investigating some wreckage following a typhoon, reporter Ichiro Sakai (Akira Takarada) and photographer Junko Nakanishi (Yuriko Hoshi) find something. They find some bluish-gray object in the debris before a giant egg is found on the shore by the natives. While Professor Shunsuke Miura (Hiroshi Koizumi) wants to study the egg, businessman Kumayama (Yoshifumi Tajima) wants to exploit the egg. He meets with business partner Jiro Torahata (Kenji Sahara), only for two twin fairies to plead for the egg’s return. After escaping, the fairies convince Sakai, Junko, and Miura to help them return the egg to its mother, Mothra. Meanwhile, Godzilla emerges from the ground and goes on a rampage, so our heroes ask for Mothra’s help. Though the natives and the fairies are skeptical, they agree to let Mothra fight Godzilla despite her age and health. Unfortunately, Mothra loses, but maybe something more powerful will hatch from the egg.

Review

Mothra vs. Godzilla is considered to be one of the best in the franchise, and it’s easy to see why. Not only do we get the monster action we’ve come to expect, but the human plotline is also worthwhile. Yoshifumi Tajima does a good job as a corporate villain, playing him in a way that he’s fun to hate. The whole subplot of him making profits off the egg is a great commentary on how corporations exploit natural resources. The rest of the cast, namely Takarada, Hoshi, and Koizumi, come off as likable and are solid leads. With an 89-minute runtime, the film moves at a decent pace, and it never really drags at any point. There’s also plenty of build-up to the monsters first making their appearance, and that build-up is more than paid off. This leads to the big monster brawl in the last act.

The actual fight between Godzilla and Mothra is the film’s biggest highlight, both monsters putting up a good fight. Before then, there are tons of great scenes of Godzilla rampaging through Japan as the military tries taking him down. This film truly establishes just how powerful Godzilla is, just trampling over the military like it’s nobody’s business. While they’re clearly using miniatures and costumes for these sequences, they’re filmed well-enough and it adds to the film’s charm. Credit has to go to the actor in the Godzilla suit considering all the pyrotechnics going off around him. At one point, the head of the costume catches fire, though thankfully the actor inside wasn’t seriously injured. The addition of Mothra’s larvae helps add some variety to the fight, capping off a great installment in the series. Overall, Mothra vs. Godzilla is another high point in the long-running series.

Buy Mothra Vs. Godzilla on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lq3xFm.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

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