Son of Godzilla

On an island, a scientific team's experiment goes totally wrong, it mutates mantises into deadly mantises and they unearth an egg and out hatches a slimy, talking, peice of crap that keeps saying this word, WAAAAAGWAAAAAA!!!. Then we find out it's supposed to be Godzilla's son and sure enough Godzilla comes to save it and he sure kicks the deadly mantises' asses. Father and son have many more adventures together. The creature, Minya grows into this toddler Godzilla that looks much more like a human than Godzilla and puffs smoke Os, but when Godzilla steps on his tail he breathes fire. Then a huge mechanical spider named Spiega attacks Godzilla and son while the scientists' experiment causes it to snow on the island (this is the first and only Godzilla movie that shows the big G in snow). This is really silly, but a lot of fun to watch. It's not only silly, but also funny, and with an effective playful score by Masaru Satoh. I recommend this is mostly recommended to kids though.

This movie features Godzilla's son, which is exactly what you'd expect to see. I believe the son is referred to as Minya. The main problem with this film is that it seems disorganized. While most Godzilla movies have the flaw of focusing too much on the humans, I'm thinking this one had the problem of focusing too much on the monsters. Minya is pretty annoying and doesn't even look much like a baby Godzilla. This features them fighting giant praying mantises on an island. That's more or less the whole plot of the movie.

I suppose the special effects aren't any worse than any of the other movies. This was just weird because it was too cutesy. It really does make me think back to the classic Godzilla film and realize how low the series has gotten. I guess it is nice to see more emphasis being placed on the actual monsters, but it's not very rewarding. I think Leonard Maltin summed it up best when he asked where Mrs. Godzilla was when you really needed her. Did Godzilla reproduce asexually? **

To look at the other reviews, one can see that many don't appreciate this film. It is understandable why someone may not like it. No one dies. No cities are destroyed. It has a hopeful ending. Baby Godzilla is overly cute and cuddly. The list can go on, but I feel that these attributes as well as the setting, the story about scientists on an island trying to change weather patterns, and the overgrown monsters of a spider and several praying mantis, along of course with Godzilla enhance the film and make it one of my favourites of the series. Not one of the best, however. Baby Godzilla is a real hoot to watch, and seeing Godzilla practice fatherly ways with him is fun to watch. We get to see a human side to a killing machine. Don't get me wrong, the film is hokey - but for me it brings back memories of my childhood when on many a summer day I would be camped in front of the television watching a Godzilla film.

This direct to TV, budget conscious, effort still packs in the fun, albeit, of a different nature. No Cities getting stomped, no human death and very little modeling. Drama, suspense, humor, vibrant color, a great cast and monsters, fill the void. It is my least favorite Godzilla costume due to his goofy large eyes and tail that pinched inwards at the base. Minilla's silly looks, actually add to the good comedic acting. The story is neat and puts you into the suspense as a human trying to stay off the menu. The Akira Ifukube-less soundtrack is slightly dated due to its jazzy 60's vibe, but most of it was surprisingly good. After watching a host of other monster flicks of this era, like Yog, Daimajin, and Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, this effort seems to rise to the top.

Son of Godzilla is one of those weird movies which inspire strange feelings. The story is unique, no Godzilla doing his typical destruction. The story centers on the very human relationship between Godzilla and his son, Minya. This movie really touched me on this level. Some scenes really stick in my mind. The great scene with Godzilla teaching Minya how to shoot radioactive fire comes to mind. There is a real bond that comes out. When Minya is confronted with a monster, i.e. a bully, Godzilla makes Minya fight his own battle but is always there to back up his son.

Godzilla protects Minya and teaches him lessons; and in one of the climactic scenes, the son fights for his father's life; this is poignant. The scene at the end of the film in which father and son embrace to huddle from the cold is touching. If you divorce this from the typical Godzilla movie, what you are left with is a movie about a very close bond between father and son. I think I'm probably the only one who appreciates this movie on this deep a level.

One question: What Hollywood movie has a positive view of a father and son relationship?--- This movie made me very emotional, go figure. In short, if you want to see a typical camp Godzilla, look elsewhere. If you want to see something with emotional content; see this movie

8++++++/10