Godzillapalooza #7: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)

Monster Profiles:

EBIRAH

-HEIGHT: 164 feet
-MASS: 25,300 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Ebirah has no particularly special powers to speak of other than physical weapons like claws.
-BACKGROUND: Ebirah is essentially a giant lobster originating from Letchi Island. It is unknown why Ebirah is so large, but it is possible that radiation leaks from the Red Bamboo co. on the Island may have caused this. Ebirah wrecked havoc on any ships in the area around its island, however it was pacified by a special orange berry juice that could be sprayed into the water.
-BATTLE RECORD: 0-2

OTHER MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• MOTHRA (see movie #4)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

"Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster", a.k.a. "Ebirah, Horror of the Deep", follows Ryota and his quest to find his older brother Yata, who was lost at sea. Ryota is pretty determined and single-minded when it comes to finding his brother, but for some reason he puts his two goofy buddies, Nita and Ichino, to work to win a boat for him in a dance contest... lazy bum. Anyway, his friends are hilarious, but of course they don't win the dance contest. So Ryota decides to just straight up steal a boat, but he just tells his friends he wants to look at one. The group boards the Yahlen just to look around and are met and threatened by its "owner" Yoshimura, whom they later find out is a criminal on the run. For some reason, Yoshimura decides to let the three guys sleep on the boat for the night, bad idea. They wake up and Ryota has already set sail and they find themselves in the middle of the Pacific. A storm hits their small vessel and they are washed ashore on the Island of Letchi. They soon learn that the evil Red Bamboo organization (which makes nuclear weapons) has established a slave labor camp on the Island using the people of Mothra's Infant Island as slaves. By the way, the leader of the camp has pretty much the coolest eyepatch ever. Back to the story, Ebirah basically guards the Island, allowing no traffic in or out unless it gets some berry juice. The four friends befriend an escaped Infant Island captive named Daiyo, who tells Ryota that Yata is indeed safe in her homeland. But you know Ryota, that's not enough for him, so he steals a weather balloon and flies himself to Infant Island, leaving his friends behind... freaking Ryota. The three still on the Island discover that Godzilla is also sleeping there, so they decide to wake him up to throw a major wrench in everyones plans. So Godzilla kicks Ebirah's ass and destroys the Red Bamboo base, just in time for Mothra to show up and save her people and the three other friends. Just before the whole island blows up, Godzilla does a nifty jump into the ocean and Mothra flies away. Everybody's happy.

With Ishiro Honda no longer directing Godzilla films, the series took a clear shift under the watchful eye of Jun Fukuda. Masaru Sato's score sounds like James Bond and Godzilla go surfing... weird stuff. Another negative is that this movie represents the first in which the Godzilla suit just looks retarded. Pretty much from this movie straight through to "Godzilla vs. Gigan" (with the exception of "Destroy All Monsters") the suit looks like total crap. It kind of looks like a goofy, bug-eyed Cookie Monster. Godzilla doesn't even show up until pretty late in the movie. Anyway, all that being said, I have mixed emotions about this film.

King Kong was originally supposed to be the leading monster in this film, but was replaced by Godzilla at the last minute. This explains a lot of moments that seem very un-Godzilla when watching the movie. The battles with Ebirah are pretty good, but have some strange moments, and Mothra's role is more of a cameo than anything else. Most of the best and funniest parts are provided by Ryota's friends. Overall, it's an alright Godzilla movie. Definitely see it if your a big Godzilla fan or want a few good laughs, but otherwise, don't feel bad about skipping.

Best Part:

I'd say my favorite part of this movie is the chunk from the dance contest until the shipwreck. Nita and Ichino almost kill themselves in a marathon dance contest and it's pretty hilarious. And then the whole situation of being stuck on an unintentionally commandeered boat with a felon makes for some great moments. To give you a flavor of the movie, with some funny commentary, here's Mystery Science Theater 3000's favorite moments...

My Ranking: #23


Up next, we meet Minya for the first time. Fantastic... "Son of Godzilla"

Godzillapalooza #6: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)

Monster Profiles:

MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• KING GHIDORAH (see movie #5)
• RODAN (see movie #5)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

Planet X, a mysterious new planet, is discovered close to Jupiter and a United Nations spaceship is sent to investigate. Onboard the shuttle are American astronaut Glenn and Japanese astronaut Fuji. Fuji is no-nonsense and protective, while Glenn is a smooth-talking maverick who enjoys a good time. Upon meeting the inhabitants of Planet X, Glenn and Fuji are told that Ghidorah (whom the aliens call Monster Zero) has been attacking their planet. The aliens request that they borrow Godzilla and Rodan from Earth to fight Monster Zero, and in return they would give the people of Earth a miracle cure for all disease. After much debate, Earth's leaders decide to grant the aliens request, but things look fishy when UFO's are already in place to extract the monsters. Godzilla and Rodan fight Ghidorah on Planet X for a fairly easy victory. Glenn and Fuji are given a tape which they are told contains the formula for the miracle drug, but in reality it holds an ultimatum of surrender for the people of Earth. It turns out that the aliens were controlling Ghidorah all along and now they had control of Godzilla and Rodan as well. Never trust aliens, they'll always screw you and try to take over the world. Anyway, the three monsters are set loose on Earth. Now before I continue the plot, there's something I have to explain: Fuji's sister is dating an eccentric inventor (Tetsuo) whom Fuji does not approve of, and Glenn is dating Miss Namikawa, who while posing as an executive for the toy company buying Tetsuo's invention, is actually a spy from Planet X. So anyway, long story way short, everyone finds out that the aliens weakness is the God-awful noise that Tetsuo's invention makes. So a scheme is devised to defeat the aliens and break their hold on the monsters' minds. Once freed, Godzilla and Rodan fight and defeat Ghidorah, saving the Earth yet again.

Monster Zero set the precedent for the most frequently recurring theme in Godzilla movies and Japanese fantasy in general: alien invasion and use of monsters to dominate Earth. The storyline of this film in particular is very entertaining and moves quickly to appeal to the younger demographic of Godzilla fans at the time. Another cool fact concerning aliens in this movie is that this is the only film in the G-series in which Godzilla battles another monster on a planet other than Earth. 

This would be the last time that Honda, Ifukube, and Tsuburaya would all three create a Godzilla film together, and they did very well for the dream team's last. It's is somewhat of a hot debate, but I am among those who consider Monster Zero to be better than the original Ghidorah. There is a heavy Sci-fi influence, which was popular in the mid-60s, but I believe that only adds to the fun. All the characters are great and well portrayed and of course the battles are awesome. After all, that's the main reason you watch a Godzilla movie.  There's a lot to love about this movie if your a G-fan and I'd recommend it as another introduction to the series for someone looking to get started.

Best Part:

Probably my favorite part of this movie is the battle between Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah on Planet X. It's a pretty awesome battle on a locale that is very unique compared to any other Godzilla battleground. What else can you say other than there's some awesome action and Godzilla kicks ass. Oh ya, there is one other thing. In one of the series most famous and weird moments, Godzilla performs a "victory dance" after Ghidorah retreats that is so strange and utterly unrelated to anything involving the plot or anything of relevance to Godzilla, it's just hilarious. You just watch it and that "Haha, what the hell is he doing?" Here it is...

My Ranking: #8

Up next, Godzilla takes to the high seas and Mothra makes a comeback.... "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster"

Godzillapalooza #5: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Monster Profiles:

RODAN

-HEIGHT: 164 feet (394 wingspan). Heisei updated version was 230 feet tall, same wingspan.
-MASS: 16,500 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Mach 1.5 flight speed and hurricane winds besides general physical attacks. Like so many monsters, he received an update in the Heisei series, gaining an oral Uranium Heat Beam that is pretty destructive.
-BACKGROUND: Like Anguirus, Rodan is an oversized prehistoric leftover, preserved deep within the earth, with questionable origins. Rodan actually starred in his own movie before being assimilated into the Godzilla franchise. Until the mid '90's, Rodan had very little in the way of powers, but (again, like Anguirus) makes up for it with fighting spirit and also advanced agility. Godzilla and Rodan don't get along at all at first, but it doesn't take long for them to come around and become great friends. Even though they fight again in MechGodzilla 2, Rodan ultimately gives up his power to revive Godzilla, but that's a ways down the road.
-BATTLE RECORD: 4-4-1

KING GHIDORAH


-HEIGHT: 328 feet (492 feet in Heisei and on), 492 foot wingspan (574 feet in Heisei)
-MASS: 33,000 tons (77,000 tons Heisei)
-SPECIAL POWERS: Flight at Mach 3 and hurricane force winds from wings. Ghidorah's most devastating weapon is the lightning (a.k.a. gravity beams) it shoots from it's three heads.
-BACKGROUND: Ghidorah's background receives a revision in the Heisei series, but I will touch on that when the time comes. As far as the Showa series is concerned, Ghidorah is an ancient, evil monster from space that has a history of destroying planets. It first arrives on earth encased in a magnetic meteor that acts like an egg until Ghidorah is ready to emerge. While Ghidorah has wrecked havoc on many planets throughout it's career, aliens bent on earth domination have frequently harnessed it's destructive power with great success, only to be stopped by Godzilla.
-BATTLE RECORD: 3-7

OTHER MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• MOTHRA (see movie #4)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

A strange magnetic, egg-like object is deposited in the Kurobe Gorge during a meteor shower and good ol' Professor Miura is on the case (the same character featured in Mothra vs. Godzilla). Meanwhile, Japanese intelligence learns of a plan to assassinate Princess Salno (from a made up Himalayan country with really goofy outfits) while she is on a state visit to Japan. Detective Shindo is assigned to protect her, but before they can rendezvous, Salno's plane explodes. Not to worry though, martians take control of the Princess' mind and order her to jump out of the plane just before it explodes. So the Princess ditches her royal digs and the martians use her to warn the people of earth of the impending doom they face from an onslaught of monsters. What ensues is kind of like "Roman Holiday", except the Princess is an alien controlled prophetess. So really, it's nothing like "Roman Holiday". Anyway... Shindo finally finds the Princess, who claims to be from Mars, when his sister, a reporter, is using her for a story. Also meanwhile, Mothra's Twin Fairies have apparently struck up a pretty great relationship with Japan since the last movie. Now they are making promotional appearances and are treated like celebrities. They've also forsaken their clothes that look like they came from Paris Fashion Week in favor of outfits that are much more tropical and appropriate looking for twin fairies from a primitive island. So back to the story, every time Salno warns of the appearance of a monster, it happens, so it isn't long before Godzilla and Rodan start roaming around Japan and attacking each other. During all of this, the assassins have also found the Princess and continue to try to kill her. Why the martians picked such an already endangered target, I don't know, but that's beside the point. It isn't long before Ghidorah "hatches" from the meteor and brings his mission of interstellar chaos on earth. With the help of the Twin Fairies, Shindo, his sister, Miura, and the powers that be in Japan hatch a plan to have Mothra convince Rodan and Godzilla to all team up to defeat the biggest threat: Ghidorah. It takes some serious convincing and Mothra almost getting beaten alone before all the monsters join together. After a Battle Royal, Ghidorah is defeated and retreats, while the Princesses assassins are also killed and her memory is restored thanks to some good ol' head trauma. 

This is a very important movie in the G-series and a movie of firsts for Godzilla films. First of all, it introduces Godzilla's most reprised and arguably most famous enemy: King Ghidorah. Rodan also merges into the G-series nicely and the standard is set for a true monster rumble in a 3-on-1 final battle. This is also the first movie were Godzilla begins to shift from an evil image to that of a savior of the Earth. This also meant that Godzilla movies started to be more geared towards kids. Continuity within the series also became an important them starting with this movie, as it references specifically "Mothra vs. Godzilla". 


This movie has lots of great monster action; definitely the most of any G-movie to date. The highlights are Godzilla's brawl with Rodan (including a shot where Rodan drops Godzilla on an electrical tower that slams him right in the crotch), and of course the final battle with Ghidorah featuring some solid tag-team action. Godzilla is definitely the good guy, which is great, and audiences have no problem pulling for him against the menace from space. This is a great movie, and while it just missed out on my top 10, it is most certainly worth a look. Check it out!


Best Part:  

There's some pretty funny parts as far as the humans are concerned early on in this movie, namely the two goofy variety show hosts and the weird dude (who actually plays the Faro Island translator in King Kong) who goes to get some guys hat out of a volcano where Rodan sleeps. My favorite part though, has got to be just before the big finale starts. Mothra goes to convince Rodan and Godzilla to team up rather than fighting each other. First they don't want to listen, so Mothra webs Godzilla (which cracks up Rodan) and then does the same to Rodan (which Godzilla thinks is pretty freaking funny). They start having a conversation, translated by the Twin Fairies. It's cool because it humanizes the monsters and really gives them a personality. I love it when the Twin Fairies say: "Oh Godzilla, what terrible language!" It's great. Then Mothra's finally like "Screw y'all," and goes to fight Ghidorah alone. But Godzilla and Rodan do what's right and come to the rescue. Godzilla takes a particular interest in Mothra's safety during the fight. It's awesome, and unlike any other Monster battle up to this point. 


My Ranking: #11


Up next, Ghidorah is back for more and this time the aliens aren't very helpful either... "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero"

Godzillapalooza #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Monster Profile:

MOTHRA (ADULT)

-LENGTH: 213 feet (for Mothra's first four G-series appearances, she has a wingspan of 443 feet. For the later movies, it was increased to 574 feet)
-MASS: 16,500 tons (from '92 on, her mass was increased to 22,000 tons)
-SPECIAL POWERS: Flight at Mach 3 and hurricane force winds. Mothra also can release a poison powder from her wings. In Mothra's first appearance in the Heisei series (1984-1999), she received considerable upgrades, including antenna ray blasts and reflective wing scales that can counter enemy attacks.
-BACKGROUND: Mothra is the protector and Deity of her people on Infant Island and her twin fairy priestesses. She is a monster of peace and always has a purpose or mission rather than going on blind rampages. For this reason, Mothra always exhibits great bravery (especially in larva form) against enemies much stronger than herself. Because of her whole peace and love angle, she is a fan favorite and the people in the movies always root for her against Godzilla. Jerks. Mothra is a pretty cool character in the G-series though, and was the second of Godzilla's foes to have starred in her own movie first.
-BATTLE RECORD: 3-4-3

MOTHRA (LARVA)


-LENGTH: 174 feet (increased to 394 feet in '92)
-MASS: 16,500 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Web string attack from mouth




Synopsis:

A giant egg washes onto Japan's shore after a violent storm. Sakai, the reporter, and his young photographer, Junko, are on the scene with Professor Miura to investigate. These three become the film's main protagonists. Everything's going fine until, you guessed it, this corporate asshole shows up claiming he owns the egg and wants to make money off it. Sometimes capitalism bites when a giant monster egg is involved. Anyway, Mothra's twin fairy priestesses warn the jerk to return the egg and naturally he refuses and kidnaps them as well. However, our three heroes get wise that holding onto this egg is a bad idea, and when they find out all the trouble this businessman's causing, they rescue the fairies, who then return to Infant Island empty handed. All attempts by the reporters and the professor to free the egg are unsuccessful. Never piss off people with a monster. Godzilla shows up (in his most unorthodox method in the series) rising from underground, a proceeds to do what he does best: go on a rampage through Japan. Before you have time to ask, "How the hell did Godzilla get underground anyway," you are preoccupied by some very entertaining footage of Godzilla thwarting every possible attempt by the military to harm him. Once again, seeing the gravity of the whole situation, Sakai, Junko, and Miura fly to Infant Island to petition the Natives for Mothra's help against Godzilla. As you'd expect, the Natives first tell them to go screw themselves, but the twin fairies come around and send Mothra (who is about to die anyway) out to fight. Mothra and Godzilla have a pretty good tussle in front of the egg, resulting in Mothra's death. But just when it looks like all hope is lost, the egg hatches and twin Mothra larvae emerge to defeat Godzilla with teamwork and their Web spray. Godzilla tumbles into the sea, Japan is saved, and the twin fairies ride on the new Mothras back to Infant Island.

This is considered by many, including myself, to be the best movie of the Showa series (1955-1975), excluding of course the very first Godzilla. The Honda, Ifukube, Tsuburaya dream-team together again and with great effectiveness. More so than the first movie, this entry truly establishes the theme of just how indestructible Godzilla is and that the military is useless against him. We see Godzilla slowly stomp through three elaborately planned military attacks without receiving so much as a scratch, before official decide to evacuate the city. At one point during filming one of these sequences, the Godzilla suit actually catches fire, which made it into the movie. Luckily no one was hurt, but it makes for an awesome addition to the film, albeit unintentional. At this point, the Japanese people begin to understand Godzilla as a force of nature. "Godzilla, mankind learns, is like a hurricane: you get out of the way and pick up the pieces once it's passed." Godzilla looks awesome and really mean, and maybe I'm just weird for enjoying human destruction, but I couldn't help but love him in this movie as a little kid.

The special effects are well done for their time and the surprisingly fashionable twin fairies from primitive Infant Island are probably in their best incarnation in this movie. We hear them sing the slightly goofy, but hilariously catchy "Mothra song" for the first of many times in this movie. Few things are funnier than getting caught humming the Mothra song in public. The twin fairies and the plight of Infant Island, destroyed by nuclear tests, give a slight environmental tone to the film, but it would seem that the central theme is loving every human and treating them as brothers. Good stuff for a monster movie.

Godzilla's battles against both Mothra incarnations are very entertaining and well done. Mothra flies around, knocks Godzilla over, and releases poison powder. Before she dies, in a last act of selflessness, she lands so that she can still shield her egg. You can't help but feel bad for the first Mothra when she gets her butt kicked, but the little ones more than make up for the loss. This is such a great Godzilla movie and most definitely worth a look!

Best Part:
There is some great comic relief provided by a reporter who works in the same newsroom as Sakai and Junko. The dude is always eating eggs when they are talking about the big monster egg story. My favorite line of his is when he is sent to the front-lines to cover the Godzilla attack: "I'm not as afraid of Godzilla as I am of the editor... he's meaner."

Truly though, the best part of this movie has to be the end. Mothra lies dead and Godzilla's rampage threatens a group of randomly located school children. There's an awesome homage to the first movie when Godzilla pops up behind a mountain in this part. But then, when you're ready to give up, the two baby Mothras hatch and take Godzilla down a notch in a most entertaining monster battle. Godzilla's gotta hate that stupid web crap, it gets him every time. Just wait until later in the series.

Here's a rundown of the movie's conclusion:

My Ranking: #5


Up next, Godzilla's first encounter with his most classic and reprised foe... "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" 

Godzillapalooza #3: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Monster Profile:

KING KONG

-HEIGHT: 148 feet (the original 1930's King Kong was only about 25 feet tall, so his size was increased for the sake of this movie)

-MASS: 27,500 tons

-SPECIAL POWERS: This version of Kong is slightly more athletic than his diminutive 30's predecessor. He also has the special power of gaining strength from lightning or electricity and coursing it through his fingers, like a giant, hairy Emperor Palpatine. Many believe Kong has this power in this movie because he replaced Frankenstein's monster as Godzilla's opponent at the last minute.

-BACKGROUND: Toho's version of King Kong resides on the remote Pacific locale of Faro Island. On Faro, he is the native Deity and somewhat of a protector for the people there. He is also a berry juice junkie, so rather than offer sacrifices, the native people make him narcotic berry juice all day. Whenever he drinks it, he promptly falls asleep.
-BATTLE RECORD (G-Series only): 1-1-1

Synopsis:

This is about as good as monster mashes get on paper: the American created 8th Wonder of the World vs. the Japanese created King of the Monsters! It would have been stunningly disappointing if this didn't turn out to be a good G-movie. The Pacific Pharmaceuticals company sends an expedition to Faro Island to obtain samples of a narcotic, but medicinal native red berry. The head of the company, Mr. Tako, also wants to capture the legendary King Kong, who resides on Faro, and use him to boost the company's visibility. Mr. Tako is very high strung and eccentric, so he provides a great deal of comic relief for the film. After a short time with the native tribe, the expedition sees King Kong for the first time when he defeats a giant octopus attacking the village. Kong drinks the red berry juice, ground up by the natives, and promptly falls asleep, allowing the expedition to strap him to a raft and take him back to Tokyo. Meanwhile, Godzilla is awoken by a nuclear submarine where we last left him, frozen in the Bering Sea. Godzilla promptly heads for Japan, where he meets up with King Kong, who has recently escaped from his captors. Godzilla beats Kong decisively, and the overgrown ape heads toward Tokyo while Godzilla turns to Mount Fuji. In classic King Kong fashion, he finds a woman and climbs with her to the top of the Japanese capital building. Once again, Kong is knocked unconscious using a red berry mist, and is then airlifted to Mt. Fuji for a final battle with Godzilla. With the help of some lightning, Kong makes this a much more even fight. At the battle's end, both monsters tumble into the ocean. There is no clear victor, but Kong is seen at the film's end swimming back home to his beloved Faro.

For the first time in color, both King Kong and Godzilla appeared in arguably the most profitable Japanese film of all time. After a lack luster second Godzilla movie, King Kong picks up the slack thanks to the reunification of the Japanese all star team of monster movies: Director Ishiro Honda, Composer Akira Ifukube, and Special Effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The Godzilla suit was also slightly altered for this movie to give him a more reptilian look, and it works really well. The American release added "news breaks" from the UN newsroom or something that basically breaks down everything that happens. It's funny how the American reporter characters are completely oblivious to all things concerning Godzilla, and the movie could probably do without these scenes. Other than that, the movie is great, and exactly what you'd expect from a solid, old Godzilla movie.

I also can't do a review of this movie without talking about the final battle scene. It's awesome; easily one of the best monster battles of the Showa Series. King Kong is a big time underdog, but he never quits. I don't know how else to describe it in writing, but it's a great fight, and the movie is worth a look for the ending if for no other reason.

Best Part: 

Like I said, the final battle between King Kong and Godzilla is awesome and very entertaining. But, when picking my absolute favorite scene in the movie, I have to go with when the expedition reaches Faro and comes into contact with the natives. It's such a goofy and hilarious part, from the intimidating and superstitious chief, to the frightened translator and overconfident expedition leader. I'm not sure how comical this scene was intended to be, but it definitely makes me laugh. The best part is when the Japanese leader shows the chief his "magic" radio and gives everyone cigarettes, thus winning the tribes affections. Check it out!

I'll leave you with this 1962 trailer for the film, and a strong encouragement/recommendation to see this movie if you haven't already and are a G-fan on any level.

My Ranking: #9


Up next, probably the very best of the Showa series... "Godzilla vs. Mothra"

Godzillapalooza #2: Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Monster Profile:

ANGUIRUS

Anguirus in "Destroy All Monsters"

-HEIGHT: 197 feet (328 feet long)
-MASS: 33,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: No supernatural powers to speak of. Spiked back and tail as well as horns give him tremendous defense and attack possibilities. Probably has one of the best fighting spirits of any monster. Anguirus totally has a chip on his shoulder.
-BACKGROUND: Anguirus does not really have a concrete background in the Godzilla series. He is assumed to be some giant mutated version of an Ankylosaurus that somehow survived extinction. Whether he is revived after this movie or he is simply not the only one of his kind is uncertain, but regardless, Anguirus and Godzilla eventually put aside their differences and Anguirus becomes Godzilla's most stalwart ally later in the series.
-BATTLE RECORD: 2-2-1

Synopsis:
The plot centers around two scout pilots for a large fishing company, Tsukioka and Kobayashi. During a routine flight, they are forced to land on an island due to engine malfunctions. While on the island they see two giant monsters beating the crap out of each other before they fall into the sea. These monsters are, of course, Godzilla and Anguirus. Godzilla is the second of his kind, as Dr. Yamane recalls the attack on Tokyo at one point in the film. For the sake of continuity, it's worth assuming that Anguirus is not alone in the world either, because after this one is soundly defeated by Godzilla later in this movie, another Anguirus, later in the series, kind of becomes the Big Guy's best friend and strongest ally. Why the discrepancy between the two Anguiruses? We'll just assume that Godzilla either hooked up with the first Anguirus' sister or beat him in Mario Kart and he's been pissed off ever since. So anyway, the two monsters are eventually lured to Osaka by bright lights, that apparently make them very upset. In Osaka, the two monsters duke it out and, while Anguirus is a worthy foe, Godzilla totally annihilates him (literally, Anguirus dies). Thus the "versus" component to the film is lost at about the halfway point. The people of Japan are glad Anguirus is gone, but of course they decide they still need to deal with Godzilla. Long story short, the air force and our two scout pilot heroes trap Godzilla on a frozen island. Before Godzilla turns his plane into a bottle rocket, Kobayashi gives everyone the idea of burying Godzilla in an avalanche. So they do and it works. Godzilla then stays incased in the ice until we see him again in the next movie.

While this is by no means the worst installment in the Godzilla series, it's one of the most frustrating to watch, particularly the U.S. version which is heavily edited and changes just about everything but the core story. The U.S. version opens in propaganda-esque fashion, blabbering on about nuclear weapons and outer space; stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the movie. Multiple other details are altered, including the character of Kobayashi who in the Japanese version is very much a tragic hero and martyr, but is portrayed as a bumbling moron in the U.S. re-edit. It's also irritating that throughout the movie a narrator, assumed to be Tsukioka, provides excessive narration, and I mean EXCESSIVE! It doesn't really add anything to the movie (unlike the narration in the first one) and it often over-explains things that are not particularly crucial to be explained. Perhaps worst of all, is the fact that throughout the entirety of the movie, Godzilla is referred to as Gigantis. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?! Why was it necessary to change the King of the Monsters' name?? The title even says GODZILLA Raids Again, so what's with the Gigantis crap? UGH!! There are countless more differences that I won't bother to get into. That being said, I actually find the Japanese version better, but I still have many hang-ups. It bothers the hell out of me that Godzilla's trademark roar is virtually unused in the film. You hear it perhaps three times at most, but the rest of the time Godzilla, excuse me, "Gigantis", only lets out the whiny roar that later in the series becomes synonymous with Anguirus. I mean, it works for Anguirus, but coming out of Godzilla it just pisses me off.

The tone of Godzilla Raids Again compared to Godzilla from the year before is strikingly different. The serious message is gone and Raids Again has the feel of a very typical B-movie. Director, Ishiro Honda, and Composer, Akira Ifukube, are missing from this film and it is very much evident. The score is awful and the direction is lacking. Special effects also took a major step back, in my eyes, between the first movie and Godzilla Raids Again. The Anguirus suit looks pretty good, but the Godzilla suit in many shots just looks awkward and weird, particularly the head. I've focused on the negatives far too much though, there are many good things that can be said as well about this film. First of all, it is certainly worth noting that a movie featuring two monsters fighting had never been done before and this represents the first in what would become a long, tradition-filled line of Godzilla movies pitting him in battle against one or more other monsters. The monster battle itself, though poorly filmed, is still entertaining, and mostly takes place around Osaka castle. Destroying this pagoda structure would also become a tradition in early Godzilla movies. The setting of Osaka is also very different and a welcome change of scenery from your basic Godzilla flick. Overall, I'd say it's an ok movie. If you're a big Godzilla fan, like me, than you definitely need to see it, but if not, don't feel too bad about skipping.

Best Part:

In all honestly, the best part of this movie, in my opinion, is the headline fight between Godzilla and Anguirus in the middle of Osaka. It's climactic and there's some nice destruction that takes place, including of course that good ole pagoda that we'll be seeing a lot of for the next few movies. The Godzilla suit also looks best throughout this scene. There aren't very many goofy looking shots of the head and the action is nice. Plus Godzilla draws his opponent's blood in this scene, which is a very rare occurance and adds to the drama and severity of the beatdown. Another good scene is when Godzilla is buried in ice at the end, but for me, the big monster battle takes the cake.


My Ranking: #24


Up next, the mother of all monster battles.... "King Kong vs. Godzilla"

Godzillapalooza #1: Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla (1954)

Monster Profile(s):

*In future posts, this section will be used to introduce new or revised Godzilla enemies/allies. But since this is #1, why not introduce Big G.

GODZILLA (SHOWA SERIES)

-HEIGHT: Depends on who you're talking to. At some points in the Showa   series (early films) he's is said to be as tall as 400 feet, but the official measurement is 50 meters or 165 feet.
-WEIGHT: Approximately 45,000 lbs.

-SPECIAL POWERS: Atomic Ray Breath (I've always reffered to it as "Thermo-nuclear Blast"), super-regenerative power (he cannot be killed by any conventional means).

-BACKGROUND: Godzilla was created as the direct result of excessive nuclear testing in the South Pacific. We learn later in the series that he was a surviving Godzillasaurus from the time of dinosaurs who was hit by intense radiation on his island home in the 50's. He is virtually indestructible and while he causes widespread destruction, he is not specifically evil, but rather a vindictive force of nature. While this Godzilla dies in this movie, we quickly learn in the next film that he is not the only one of his kind.
-BATTLE RECORD (AGAINST OTHER MONSTERS): 18-3-7

Synopsis:
The American version of the movie follows the vacation of an American reporter, Steve Martin, to Tokyo that ends up being much more than he bargained for. Japan is rocked to it's core when a series of ships disappear in bursts of flame in the same area of the Pacific Ocean. With no explanation for the destruction, Martin and some Japanese officials go to nearby Odo Island to investigate. Eventually, Godzilla shows himself and, despite the urgings of paleontologist Dr. Yamane to study the creature, the Japanese government decides he must be destroyed. After an unsuccessful naval bombing, Godzilla comes ashore and destroys Tokyo in two separate attacks. Steve Martin observes the unprecedented destruction from his room and reports before his building collapses. In the wake of the disaster, Martin awakes in a hospital where thousands lay dying or with radiation sickness. With nowhere to turn, Tokyo's only hope is prayer. Throughout the movie, a love triangle becomes evident between Dr. Yamane's daughter, Emiko, the sailor she is in love with, Ogata, and the brilliant but controversial scientist she was betrothed to, Dr. Serizawa (also Steve Martin's college friend). While Emiko has great respect for Serizawa, she simply does not love him. Serizawa shows her a weapon he has developed with devastating effectiveness, called the Oxygen Destroyer. A small dosage in water destroys all life within, melting the flesh off of bones. Serizawa swears Emiko to secrecy, but after Godzilla's second attack she sees the weapon as humanity's only hope. Emiko and Ogata eventually convince a reluctant Serizawa that he must use it to save Japan. To ensure that the weapon never falls into the wrong hands, Serizawa burns all of his life's research before he dives with Ogata to the bottom of Tokyo Bay, where Godzilla sleeps, to plant the weapon. In a last act of bravery and honor, Serizawa stays at the ocean floor with his weapon to die and take it's secret with him for the greater good. The Oxygen Destroyer kills Godzilla swiftly and Tokyo is left to mourn their losses and begin life anew.

The tone of the first Godzilla movie is strikingly different from all of the others, mainly because it was made as a direct analogy of the destruction left by the US atomic bombs in WWII by the people who experienced it first-hand. This makes for a very sobering and serious message. It's the most masterfully directed monster movie, besides perhaps King Kong, of all time. Akira Ifukube also created an incredible score that would become central to the Godzilla franchise and at points is so haunting, it still gives me chills. Ifukube can also be credited with creating the most recognizable roar of all time. He made Godzilla's roar by rubbing a leather glove on the strings of a stand up bass and reverberating the sound produced. Voila! The tragic and heroic character of Serizawa is another fantastic aspect of the film and provides some of it's finest moments. The character of Steve Martin, added for US release, provides narration throughout the film that is, although at times superfluous, usually very powerful. It also gives us dumb American audiences a better idea of what's going on at all times without too much English dubbing. Thus the emotion of scenes are generally never compromised.

Special effects for this movie were state-of-the-art for the 1950's, and you can't talk about the first G-movie without mentioning the suit. The decision to use a costumed actor rather than stop-motion animation for Godzilla was the best choice director, Ishiro Honda, could have ever made. The suit looks fantastic on screen, and while every G-fan dreams of donning the rubber suit and stomping through a painstakingly detailed miniature Tokyo, it was actually quite dangerous. The first suit provided little to no visibility and zero ventilation (tiny eye holes doubled as the only openings for fresh air to breath), making it extremely hot, especially under studio lights. Actors passed out from dehydration and one almost drowned filming a water scene. As dangerous as filming may have been, it was masterfully done. Little things, such as filming from low angles and playing the tape slower than it was originally filmed, made Godzilla seem even bigger and more menacing in the final cut.

All of these innovations, great acting and story-telling, an amazing score, and serious message all make this the greatest of all Godzilla films. It's gritty and although it's a monster movie, it has a certain level of stark realism. You cannot watch it without being reminded of the atrocities created as a result of WWII. Godzilla is a sobering and powerful experience.

Best Part:

Serizawa shows Emiko his weapon

My favorite part of the movie has to be the ending, when Serizawa and Ogata dive to the depths of Tokyo Bay to confront and destroy Godzilla. When they find the sleeping giant, Serizawa discharges the weapon and signals Ogata to ascend, only to cut his own line and doom himself to die with his discovery and become a martyr for Japan. I also like that Godzilla's death isn't overly dramatic, like in most monster flicks. The best part about this scene is Ifukube's score though, hands down! It carries the scene and tells you how you should feel; it does everything great cinematic music should do! You're sad for Serizawa, yet proud of him, and while you grieve with the Japanese awaiting anxiously on the boat, at the same time you hurt for Godzilla. It's just an awesome scene! I wish that youtube had a video that I could show you, but because they don't, the best I can do is describe it and hope that you check out the movie for yourself.

My Ranking (against all other G-movies):  #1


Up next.... "Godzilla Raids Again"