Reviews

After Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), producer Tomoyuki Tanaka did not want any more surprises. So the directing reigns went to long-time Toho Studios director Jun Fukuda, making it his third Godzilla film. The intention was to make a movie that harkened back to the glory days of Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964) and Monster Zero (1965). Unfortunately, Toho could no longer afford to produce such extravagant (for the time) special effects. So instead, we get an overabundance of stock footage from the two films mentioned, in addition to footage from Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968). As for the new footage, well there's a ridiculous scene in which Godzilla and Anguirus talk. In the original Japanese version, the two beasts make weird sounds like someone messing with a record player, accompanied by comic book speech bubbles. When the film was brought to the US, some genius decided to dub in barely comprehensible monster voices.

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) is that it has an excellent score - an Akira Ifukube greatest hits compilation. The battle with Godzilla and Anguirus in one corner and Gigan and Ghidrah in the other corner is entertaining if you can get past the fact that the Godzilla suit is on the verge of coming apart at every seam. After being used in the last three Godzilla films, dating back to '68, it's in a pretty shabby state by 1972. This isn't one I would highly recommend, but it's better than the one that came after it, Godzilla vs. Megalon.

Despite being enjoyable films, the last two Godzilla installments had not matched the success of Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964) and had fallen below expectations at the box office. In an effort to boost audience attendance, Toho Studios made the decision to soften the king of the monsters and give him a cute baby son. The first Godzilla film to be geared directly towards children, Son of Godzilla (1967) is harmless fun and sweet - the cinematic equivalent of a gum drop. Alas, the film proved to be the most poorly attended Godzilla film yet. Either Toho's kiddie approach had backfired or the film just couldn't compete with the rising popularity of television.

Son of Godzilla (1967) shouldn't be the first Godzilla movie you see, or even the second or third. With the Godzilla suit from Invasion of the Astro Monster (1965) torn and frayed, a new one was constructed. Unfortunately, it is one of the most poorly designed suits in the series - bulky legs, large doll-like eyes, and a toad's head. However, it is arguably better than the one audiences would behold six years later in Godzilla vs. Megalon. If you have small children and want to introduce them to kaiju films, I recommend Son of Godzilla.

After two clashes with Ghidorah, Godzilla takes an island vacation for some much needed rest. Unfortunately, his sleep at Letchi Island is short-lived. Terrorist organization Red Bamboo has enslaved the natives of the neighboring Infant Island to make a liquid repellent that holds off Ebirah, a giant lobster. Any attempt to escape is met with severe penalties, mainly being fed to Ebirah, who has an insatiable appetite for islanders. A group of friends sailing the South Pacific arrive at Letchi Island and soon find Godzilla sleeping in a cave. To combat the Red Bamboo, they wake up Godzilla who is not happy about his disturbed sleep.

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966) marks a shift in the Godzilla Showa series. Gone are the city-stomping scenes. To cut model and pyrotechnic costs, the setting was changed to a tropical island. The Godzilla suit from Invasion of the Astro Monster was reused and after much water and pyrotechnic damage it looks a little worse for wear, particularly in the scene when Godzilla attacks the Red Bamboo's base. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was also the first film since Godzilla Raids Again (1955) to not be directed by Inoshiro Honda. This time the directing reigns went to Jun Fukuda, who makes his directorial debut in the series. Masaru Sato returns to score his first Godzilla film since Godzilla Raids Again as well. The score sounds like a combination of early James Bond music and The Ventures, so Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was definitely a change in style from the previous installments. This is one of the more under-rated Godzilla flicks. You could do a lot worse than Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.

After finally regaining audience favor with Destroy All Monsters (1968), how disappointing it must have been to see the series slip again so soon. While one has to respect director Ishiro Honda for not simply repeating Destroy All Monsters, the return to the kiddie approach of Son of Godzilla was ill advised when that film had been the biggest flop in the series. Maybe Honda wanted to address school bullying and make a light-hearted film that kids could enjoy and logic be damned. Whatever the case, Godzilla's Revenge, or All Monster's Attack (1969) is a children's film and should be evaluated as such.

With all the monster action taking place inside a child's imagination, Godzila's Revenge (1969) isn't really a Godzilla film at all, but rather a juvenile fantasy romp sprinkled with camp and dipped in cheese. The highlight of the film is the stock footage from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966). We get to see Godzilla's battle with the Red Bamboo's fighter jets unscored without the inappropriate surf rock music. As a children's fantasy, Godzilla's Revenge succeeds. Avoid this one, unless you have small children and want to introduce them to kaiju films. It certainly has made my 4-year old nephew a fan.

Invasion of the Astro Monster (a.k.a Monster Zero, a.k.a Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) is one of the most colorful and delightfully campy entries in the long-running Godzilla series. Aliens from planet X (located just behind Jupiter) borrow Godzilla and Rodan to combat Ghidorah, the three-headed dragon. Mothra is nowhere to be seen this time around. Unfortunately, Toho did not have the budget to throw Mothra into the mix.

This film marks the end of an era in the Showa series. Despite having to use a little stock footage from Rodan (1956) and Mothra (1961), it still appears to be the last entry in the Showa era to have a fairly decent budget. Sure, Destroy All Monsters features an all-star cast of monsters, but the miniature effects are arguably inferior. The economic strains of the time soon became apparent in the next 2 installments - Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Son of Godzilla - where the action is regulated to a tropical island. This flick is a sci fi blast from the past and one of my favorites.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (a.k.a Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) is one weird movie. It's a trippy giant monster acid trip that combines the kid-friendliness of Godzilla's Revenge (1969) with the dark, somber tone of the original Godzilla film. This strange mixture resulted in the most unique of all Godzilla adventures. I mean, c'mon. Where else do we get psychedelic rock and marching band music, poetry, cartoons, and a fish head hallucination combined with a serious warning about global pollution? And yet, of the 1970s Godzilla films, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is one of the best.

Almost immediately, I knew this was going to be a different kind of Godzilla movie. With the exception of producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, none of the key players who had helped make the Godzilla films so popular in the 1960s were involved. Director Ishiro Honda was semi-retired, so the directing duties went to a newcomer, Yoshimitsu Banno. This is Banno's one and only directing credit in the Godzilla series and one can easily see why. Rumor has it that when Tanaka watched the film, he was really disappointed and told Banno that he had "ruined Godzilla." Composer Akira Ifukube was unable to score the film, so another newcomer was brought in, Riichiro Manabe. Manabe's style was completely different from Ifukube's. He opted to substitute Godzilla's magnificent theme with something that sounds like a high school marching band. Fortunately, Manabe would return to score only one more Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Despite Banno's really odd style choices, Godzilla vs. Hedorah nevertheless could have been one of the very best Godzilla films. Imagine how much better it would be if Ifukube had scored it. Still, Godzilla vs. Hedorah was an improvement over Godzilla's Revenge. Japanese audiences seemed to think so as well as the film performed a little better at the box office. This is one of the better entries in the latter period of the Showa era.

Inspired by the huge success of Warner Bros' The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Toho set out to make its own monster movie - with a creature that manifested a deep concern among the Japanese. While it is easy to laugh at the tongue-in-cheek sequels of the 1960s and 1970s, the original Godzilla is actually a pretty somber film. Shot in stark black and white, Godzilla's first rampage is dark and brooding - a sincere attempt to deal with the serious issues of the period, mainly the nuclear arms race in the aftermath of World War II. Before he became a beloved icon, Godzilla was a colossal nightmare - a physical manifestation of a nuclear bomb. The solemn and thought-provoking Japanese original version is offered here in this set, along with the 1956 American version starring Raymond Burr. Also included are informative audio commentaries and featurettes. This is the perfect movie to start your Godzilla collection.

Once Toho Co., Ltd. realized that the big fire-spitting, charcoal-gray lizard was a major box office draw, audiences didn't have to wait long for the follow up. Godzilla Raids Again followed a year later in 1955 and features a new monster, Angurius, a porcupine-like beast and Godzilla's first foe. Godzilla Raids Again is the first of a never-ending series of sequels and the only sequel to be filmed in glorious black and white.

As with most sequels, Godzilla Raids Again is not nearly as great a film as it's predecessor. Ishiro Hondo could not return to direct and composer Akira Ikufube was working on another film. With a different director and composer, Godzilla Raids Again has a less serious mood than the first film and has a more action/adventure tone. With few exceptions, this would be the template for all subsequent Godzilla films.

For some silly reason, when Godzilla Raids Again was released in the US in 1959, it was renamed Gigantis: The Fire Monster. Godzilla was re-dubbed Gigantis and his roar was even changed to sound like Angurius' roar! Numerous other changes were made, making the film, to put it kindly, a bit of a mess. The original Japanese version and the US Gigantis: The Fire Monster (retitled back to Godzilla Raids Again, but with no other corrections) are included in this set. After this film, Godzilla hibernated for 7 years and returned in one Toho's most famous monster battles.

After a 7 year break, Godzilla returned to do battle with one of Hollywood's most famous beasts. Godzilla breaks out from the ice where he was left at the climax of Godzilla Raids Again and battles King Kong, who has grown over 100 feet since 1933. While not nearly as great a film as it could have been, King Kong vs. Godzilla is nevertheless good popcorn entertainment. It's a real pity that the original Japanese version is not included, as more drastic changes were made to it than any other Godzilla film to be released in the US. While the US King Kong vs Godzilla is a nostalgic trip, the Japanese cut is the superior film.

A lot has been said about the Kong suit in this film, mainly how terrible it is. While Toho's special effects team were able to make one of the most famous Godzilla suits ever for this film, the Kong suit is well, a bit embarrassing. The puppet used in close-up shots was able to blink its eyes and open and close its mouth which was fine, but for most of the film the stuntman is wearing an immobile mask. However, it is still a better suit than the one designed for King Kong Escapes.

If you are interested in the Japanese version, it can be found on ebay. Meanwhile, the US version is available in superb picture quality and a widescreen format.

Widely considered by many fans as the best of all Godzilla sequels, Mothra vs. Godzilla is pure nostalgic popcorn entertainment. Made long before the days of CGI, Mothra vs. Godzilla hearkens back to a time when stunt men in rubber monster suits stomped on miniature buildings, wrecking havoc on the big screen while audiences watched in awe. More enjoyable than Godzilla Raids Again and King Kong vs. Godzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla was a welcome return to form. It also shows for the first time since the 1954 original just how indestructible the charcoal gray beast is. The Japanese military (with help from the US navy in the American version) try everything from bombs, missiles, tanks, and electricity to stop Godzilla. Of course, none of these methods work so its up to Mothra to save the day.

The American cut is actually pretty faithful to the Japanese original. Very little was edited out, but for marketing reasons the title was changed to Godzilla vs. The Thing. This was a silly marketing ploy to spark audience interest as to who the mysterious "thing" was. Both versions are presented on this DVD. A sequel, Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, soon followed.

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster was a turning point in the Godzilla series. This is where the monster rumble was born. Godzilla, Mothra (in larvae form), and Rodan team up to battle a new monster named Ghidrah (or Ghidorah in the Japanese version). Ghidorah is an impressive beast - a colossal 3-headed dragon that spits yellow gravity beams. This is Rodan's first appearance since 1956. Unfortunately, the design of the suit was changed to look less menacing. This is when the series begins to gear towards children. Godzilla becomes a reluctant hero. In a rare instance of continuity in the series, Mothra vs. Godzilla is referenced. Invasion of the Astro-Monster (or Monster Zero) followed a year later and these 3 films really form a trilogy.

The DVD includes both the Japanese and American versions of Ghidorah. The Japanese versions runs about 93 minutes and the English dubbed version runs about 85. This was the last Godzilla film to be extensively altered when brought to America. Both versions have their positives. Also included is an Image Gallery and Slide Show of movie posters, an Eiji Tsuburaya biography, and the original Japanese trailer.