I don't want to say too much about the absurd plot of "Ghidora, the Three-Headed Monster". It's really not the reason to watch this movie, even though I welcome the fact that there's something like continuity here for the first time in the franchise. In the end, you're here for the monster fights anyway, and they're pretty strong this time. King Ghidorah's look is cool, and apart from Mothra, the others are effective too. All in all, it's a nice team-up. I would really like to see more interesting stories for the human characters, though.
Please note: This review is for the original Japanese subbed version.
I don't like this movie as much as Mothra vs Godzilla. But that doesn't stop me from getting on the side of the comedic aspects more. The series has obviously shifted and is not going to return for a good-while to being a horror. But here, is where a leap finally comes into play that no other Godzilla films so far in the series have had. This is where the miniatures are taken above open areas of grass with some houses sprinkled in. To full-on miniature cityscapes and destruction and it's great to see.
As for the plot, who cares, there is none but to stop the big baddies. It's also when Godzilla seems to be shifting into more of the hero, instead of being the villain fighting other villains. And it is weird. Mothra's offspring, also known now as Mothra, has a scene where she is communicating with Godzilla and Rodan and it involves the two laughing at one another. How strange this movie got the more it went on. The first third was more so on the serious side and it kept derailing into something I still was enjoying but had no idea if I was meant to be taking it as seriously as the first third had me believe I should. Because the added realism of the props sure made it seem that way.
But I digress, this movie is the introduction of Ghidrah into the series. They are a spectacular evil to test this new prop work out too. And is the obvious reason for the other monsters to team up and battle him. Even though the ending is so open-ended that it hurts.
That's really it though, these movies are purely becoming popcorn monster flicks past here and I shall treat them as such in the reviews, but they can still be done well. But here, there isn't much else to comment about.
5/10
See my Godzilla ranked movies: https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/godzilla-films-ranked?sort=rank,asc
It's strange to think that the long-running saga of an enormous radioactive lizard and his silk-spewing giant moth adversary has much room to get weirder, but Godzilla's fifth film manages to get it done. We've still got the requisite amount of flattened cities, quaint special effects and stumbling rubber beasts, plus the added bonus of an amnesiac half-breed princess from Jupiter and a brand new foil: the awkward three-headed dragon Ghidorah, who indiscriminately vomits lightning, flaps a set of heavy wings and wildly kicks his feet like a child at the edge of a swimming pool.
As always, the human interest story is just there to kill time - dull, endless talking when everyone is just there to see the kaiju - but when the scene finally shifts to the heart of that action, the monsters stop swinging to have a chat, too! It's completely absurd; Rodan, Mothra and Godzilla gathered in a little circle, gesticulating and screeching while the civilians look on, dumbfounded, and needlessly explain that they can't understand pterodactyl dialect. The climactic battle is a bit underwhelming, too, like the feeling-out rounds of a prize fight. They exchange a few blows, tag team for a bit, Mothra gets tossed around like an afterthought, and nothing is resolved besides a promise to reconvene for round two. Not a shining moment for the king of monsters, nor his colorful supporting cast.
Shout by whitsbrainVIP 5BlockedParent2022-01-15T16:37:09Z
"Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster" is another foray into giant monster silliness. This is probably as goofy as "King Kong vs. Godzilla". Actually though, it's even got more slapstick humor. The monsters laugh at each, other "talk" to each other, and even volley rocks back and forth in kind of a monster tennis match.
The effects are decent and the miniature work is, as always, excellent. The biggest drawback is that the crazy monster action doesn't really get rolling until around the 50-minute mark. It's way too long to wait when the monsters are what you watch for.
If you're okay with Godzilla's 1960's decent (or ascent depending on your point of view) into comedy, then this will be a must-see for you.