VIDEO REVIEW: Ghidorah - The Three-Headed Monster

VIDEO REVIEW: Mothra vs Godzilla

REVIEW: Mothra vs. Godzilla

Mothra vs. Godzilla
Director: Ishiro Honda
Year 1964

Mothra vs. Godzilla is yet another Ishiro Honda directed extravaganza, brought to us by the wonderful production company Toho. In this explosive film, we bare witness to two iconic movie monsters as they duke it out in all the visual flare and skilled direction that Japanese filmmaking legend, Ishiro Honda can muster. With a monumental scale and enough explosive moments to shake a stick at, this monster battle is a great addition to the already stellar library of Godzilla entries.

After a violent storm ravages the coast, a gigantic egg washes up on the shore of a small seaside village, prompting a greedy developer to purchase the rights to the egg in order to exploit it for financial gain. Unfortunately for him, the egg belongs to Mothra, a ridiculously large moth, who sends its two miniature-sized, twin female friends to plead with the developer to release the egg back to them. Scoffing at the thought of letting his money-making idea fall to the wayside, he attempts to capture the two pint-sized wonders and exploit them along with the egg, but they escape his greedy grasp. Meanwhile, the same volatile storm that washed up the egg has also awakened Godzilla, and now he is on a rampage destroying everything in sight. With the threat of Godzilla reaching epic proportions, it is up to a small group of do-gooders comprised of a news reporter, a photographer, and a wise professor, to beg for Mothra’s forgiveness and ask him to aid in the fight against the unstoppable Godzilla. Is one giant moth enough or does Mothra have something else in store for this terrible lizard?

The cast of Mothra vs. Godzilla is a real treat, filled with some very familiar actors of some of Toho’s more memorable flicks. Akira Takarada plays the stern but sensible news reporter Ichiro Sakai. Takarada definitely seems like a favorite actor of the Toho Company, because he starred in a great deal of films for the production company over a tremendous span of time, playing a wild array of interesting characters. Some of his outstanding work would be the ultimate classic monster movie Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Latitude Zero, King Kong Escapes, and even the nifty AsiaSpy entry Ironfinger. In Mothra vs. Godzilla, he takes on the essential role of Ichiro, who is challenged with the task of convincing Mothra to save the people of Japan from the menacing Godzilla. He plays his character with a sympathetic tone and he conveys the role of stand-up guy to perfection. I always enjoy stumbling onto a film that has him in a substantial capacity, because I know I’m in for a good time.

Yuriko Hoshi takes on the role of news photographer Junko Nakanishi, who has been recently assigned to work under Ichiro Sakai as a photo journalist. Hoshi gives a predictable, but highly enjoyable turn as the innocent young woman who is determined to help out the pair of miniature twins in getting their precious Mothra egg back. Though her role is rather typical and stereotypical to boot, she makes the best of it and gives a great performance alongside her male counterparts.

Another wonderful addition to the cast, and fellow Toho vet, is the brilliant Hiroshi Koizumi as Professor Miura. If you’ve seen one Toho Company production, chances are that you’ve come across one of his works. The man has done so many great films that I dare not list them all down in fear of jumbling up this write-up with a long list of grandiose titles, but I’ll rundown some of his essential performances; Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra, Matango, and Atragon. His character in Mothra vs. Godzilla is a patient one, never getting hot headed and always coming off as the voice of reason. He brings a much needed weight to the trio of good doers, balancing out their trifecta and supporting the role of figurehead for the group. Once again, Hiroshi performs spectacularly in this film, notching another fantastic role under his acting belt.

Now let’s get on to the meat and potatoes of this monster flick and that would be the monsters themselves. Both beasts are prominently featured in this Kaiju entry, giving each character the respect that they deserve without having either one of them overshadowing the other. Mothra looks fantastic as he flies across the screen and Godzilla comes off as a wrecking ball of pain when doing his destruction thing. Each monster is also designed beautifully with Godzilla especially looking quite fierce. There’s a good balance of old school design and practical aesthetics for the Godzilla costume and the updating that has been done to the traditional design gives a subtle and more modernized look for the iconic creature. It’s always nice to see a film production pay their respects to the originators of the character, while at the same time progressing it gently along in order for it to remain fresh and exciting. Each monster looks great and they just shine when appearing on screen.

What is most interesting about both of the characters of Mothra and Godzilla, is that they showcase the good and bad side effects of the Atomic Age. We are shown the devastating effects that the atomic bomb has had on the island where Mothra lives, and we bare witness to the awesome power that Godzilla is able to unleash on the people of Japan because of his effects from the radiation, but it was also nice to see a catalyst to this problem in the good hearted nature of Mothra and his people. They have felt the effects of the atomic bomb and have had their world turned upside down by the wars of the outside world, but they still opt to help our main characters in their time of need, giving hope that mankind can learn from their warring ways and forget the past and move on. It is a lesson that is hidden in the background of the film, behind the monumental battles between Mothra and Godzilla, but it is there for anyone to catch and it is hinted at on a number of occasions by the main characters and like. I’ve always enjoyed the correlation between Japan’s fears of another Atomic Age and the creation of Godzilla to cope with this lingering memory of what already happened to their country and in this entry it is touched upon beautifully. With each entry of the Godzilla series, I come to respect the character more and more and to be able to witness the ever changing evolution of this movie monster in such a quick succession, thanks to coming into the game rather late, is a joy to see unfold. There has never been a more impressive cinematic beast in all of filmmaking and the tradition is kept strong with Mothra vs. Godzilla.

Mothra vs. Godzilla is an outstanding Kaiju entry that brings the knowledge of all prior productions to the forefront in order to make a highly enjoyable monster mash of a film. Each monstrous creature is treated with reverence when it comes to the functionality and overall look of their respected designs. When we see these two creatures go head to head, it is nothing less then spectacular, and in the end that is what we tuned in to see.

The cast also does a great deal of heavy lifting in holding this film up as an entertaining sight. Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, and Hiroshi Koizumi do a tremendous job with their individual characters and you really can’t ask any more from them then what they brought to the table here. As a late admirer of these types of flicks, I find it an amazing journey to be able to discover all of these great films for the first time and to get the chance to quickly scour through the archives of one of the most expansive franchises the cinema world has ever seen. Mothra vs. Godzilla is a movie that is just plain fun to watch and I’d recommend you check it out for yourself in a heart beat. You really can’t go wrong when these two iconic movie monsters get together and this film solidifies that fact. This is one monster flick that…..

Happy Easter everyone!

You shouldn't have climbed up there if you didn't know how to get down.

The cast tries to wrap their heads around the idea of miniature twins.

Mothra is going to be pissed when he sees this.

So what do you think of my Hitler stache. Pretty sweet huh?

The world's most bland striptease. Take it off!

The cast experiences a cringe-worthy moment.

Take that you piece of crap factory!

Looks like someone was wearing the wrong gang colors in this hood. Drive by!

Are you two going to sing all day or are we going to go kick Godzilla's ass?

Godzilla has the hankering for an oversized omelette.

How come I'm the only one who had to wear this stupid helmet?
I guess you're just special Jimmy. I guess your just special.

Godzilla's on fire! Let that motherfucker burn!

Please, please, please watch our movie.

Who brought the two oversized turds to the party?

Get that shit out of my face!

Check out the twins and their rough and tough posse. Hard as hell!

The cast bids a fond farewell to the movie.

REVIEW: Godzilla Raids Again

Godzilla Raids Again

Director: Motoyoshi Oda

Year 1955

 

Godzilla Raids Again is the second film in the long running Godzilla series, this time being directed by Motoyoshi Oda. This outstanding Kaiju film isn’t as robust as its predecessor, but what the movie lacks in destruction it more then makes up for by adding another giant monster for Godzilla to tangle with. With epic battles and a cast of sympathetic characters, Godzilla Raids Again ends up being a rather enjoyable sequel to a classic monster flick.

 

In this entry of the series, the film follows two fishing pilot friends, Shoichi Tsukioka and Koji Kobayashi, as they stumble onto an island after one of them crash lands nearby. To their surprise, they witness a battle between two gargantuan creatures, Godzilla and Anguirus, a spiked turtle-like dinosaur. After surviving the monsters’ ferocious fight, the two pilots report their sightings of the creatures to a group of scientists who then immediately try to come up with a plan to stop these colossal giants from destroying Japan like Godzilla had done a year prior. With news of Godzilla approaching Osaka, can the scientists and their rag tag group of civilian volunteers stop him from waging destruction across the countryside? With the stage set for a monumental showdown, Godzilla Raids Again shows that Godzilla still has some bite left in him.

Hiroshi Koizumi plays the role of Shoichi Tsukioka, one of the pilots that first discover Godzilla. Determined to keep his people safe from the approaching menace that is Godzilla, Shoichi fights tooth and nail in trying to help the scientists come up with a way to halt the beast and possibly bring about its demise. Hiroshi does a spirited job in bringing the character to life, and he provides a good deal of brooding moments when contemplating just what his role could be in bringing down the monster. Having appeared in a great deal of Toho productions and other Godzilla entries, I’ve come to really appreciate the acting style that Hiroshi brings to his various characters. He has a great screen presence and always seems to bring a certain spark of credibility to each role he takes on.

 

Minoru Chiaki takes on the role of the other fishing pilot, Koji Kobayashi. He too has the same outlook on wanting to stop Godzilla at any cost, but his character’s personality is quite different from his fellow friends. Chiaki gives the character of Koji a bit of a goofy disposition, always telling jokes and answering to the nickname of Mr. Groom, since he never seems to be able to land a girl of his own. In the film’s story, he never appears to be taken seriously and is kind of looked upon as the class clown of the bunch. Luckily as the story progresses along, we come to find that there is much more to Koji then first presented, as he makes a dramatic character turn in the final closing moments of the film, allowing for the scientists and fighter pilots to come up with a way to finally bring Godzilla to his knees. It’s an inspirational moment for his character, but like all good dramatic turns, it comes at a horrible and mournful cost.

As for the story of Godzilla Raids Again, it has a lot to live up to being the sequel of a classic monster film. With the loss of Godzilla’s original director, Ishiro Honda, you would think that this entry might be a pale comparison to that haughtily hailed masterpiece, but you’d be surprised to find out that this sequel is actually quite good. That being said, it isn’t the grand spectacle that the first one was, but there are a few magical moments that seem inspirationally plucked from the originator of the series, giving the film some much needed weight and substance. One standout moment would be when Godzilla is first approaching the city of Osaka. The sequence starts with two of our main characters, Shoichi Tsukioka and Hidemi Yamaji, as they enjoy a well deserved night out at a local dance club, when suddenly a loud speaker announces the coming of Godzilla. The whole place falls into a panic, and throngs of people rush out into the street, fleeing the coming storm. We hear again over the loudspeaker that the entire area has been put on lockdown and placed under a blackout, forcing all of the citizens to turn their lights off in order to not draw Godzilla’s attention. It is at this point where we are shown a wide shot of the entire area as the lights all begin to go out. The atmosphere during this instance is amazing, and it mirrors moments during World War 2 when air raids would render cities into a state of shock and sheer panic. This real life parallel really places this film in respectable waters, and gives the story an extra believable boost for such a fantasy driven narrative.

 

Supporting these memorable moments, are a boat load of fantastic effects work that bring that solid execution that Toho so effortlessly churns out. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the destruction that is shown in this film doesn’t match up to the original’s pension for mayhem, but when it does happen in Godzilla Raids Again, it doesn’t disappoint. The battles are epic in scale, and to witness the two larger-than-life combatants go at it, is a sight to see. This entry in the Godzilla series is the first time that we are shown more than one giant monster, which in hind sight has become a staple of the genre, so for the first-time viewing audience to see something of this grand of a showdown must have been quite a shock to the senses. It admirably holds up in that Toho way, after all of these long years, and the movie makes for an entertaining watch that proudly represents that Godzilla name.

Godzilla Raids Again is a fantastic sequel to one of the most famous monster movies of all time. Having lost a bit of luster with the absence of the film’s legendary director Ishiro Honda, the movie still holds up as an unprecedented sequel that tones down the destruction a bit, but adds a whole other new dimension with its multiple battling monsters premise. With a cast of delightful characters and an added bonus of taking real life moments, such as the World War 2 injected atmosphere, and blending them into this wild story of radioactive creatures on the rampage.

Seeing that this is an early entry in the long standing series, the tone is still kept as serious as a heart attack, and you could almost seamlessly watch the first film and branch off into this one and not notice a drastic drop in quality. The story is top notch and the effects work follows in suit. With the Japanese powerhouse Toho Company behind it, you really can’t go wrong. Time after time they prove themselves with all of the enjoyable productions that they produce in abundance. Godzilla Raids Again is another infectious entry in the success story that is Toho, and its presence in the cannon of Godzilla films is better for its inclusion. Check this one out because……

I spy with my little eye.... a big fucking lizard!

Momma put the coins on my eyes cause I sure don't believe what I am seeing!

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!

The Japanese Mark Twain really hates it when you fall asleep on him.

This is a dinosaur.

I like twinkly lights.

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. Don't let Godzilla kill me.

Don't look back but I think the cops are following us.

I think my pants have been pooped!

Ah Christmas. I hope Godzilla brings me something nice this year.

Microphone check.... Wu-Tang Clan aint nuthin ta fuck wit!

Say hi to Godzilla for me. I think he's swell.

Man do I hate back seat drivers.

We'll draw some happy little trees on top of this happy little mountain.

Godzilla fell into the ice-maker again.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!

Godzilla you beautiful bastard!

We did it! Everybody Wang Chung tonight!