This Godzilla franchise entry from 1966 finds the radioactive menace sleeping in a cave while a pair of...get this, marathon dancers meet up with a thief and a man searching for his brother whose been lost at sea. As ridiculous as this sounds, the foursome are stranded on an island where an evil military force plots to nuke the world. This makes for a story that is just as goofy as it sounds, but somehow still entertains.
Godzilla is awakened on purpose by the odd team of heroes, who needs his help to stop the aforementioned military group named the "Red Bamboo". Needless to say, Godzilla inadvertently saves the day and manages to play a little boulder volleyball with a giant lobster named Ebirah. Later, Godzilla gets bored of playing and decides to rip its claws off.
Godzilla also toasts a giant condor and gets knocked down by Mothra, who takes yet another hero turn in a Godzilla movie. Something to note, this is the first and perhaps only time that Godzilla sits down in any of his movies. In fact, I believe he even falls asleep while staring at a lovely native lady.
Godzilla goes to outer space. Actually, so does Rodan and Monster Zero (King Ghidorah). Aliens from Planet X ask for help from Earth to rid their planet of Monster Zero, who terrorizes the surface of their planet, forcing them to live below ground.
There is really nothing of note here in terms of story or acting. But there is some fantastic set design and very impressive matte paintings and miniature work on display. Usually Godzilla movies have plenty of that already but this time the design of the film really stands out. It has that "retro" look that many of the James Bond films of the '60s had.
The most important thing to note is that this is the movie that contains the inexplicable, notorious Godzilla victory dance. It's the strongest indication yet of how childish the movies have become since the original "Gojira" horror film of 1954.
"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.
"King Kong Vs. Godzilla" is loaded with bad special effects corny dialogue and the ugliest version of King Kong in the history of film. Wasn't there a better Kong suit available!?! It's just brutal. On the other hand Godzilla looks great here. It is hilarious to watch Kong's rubbery facial expressions and the way he runs across the countryside waving his arms above his head. Godzilla really doesn't have much to do here. Oh sure he tramples a train and knocks over a few buildings but he plays it straight compared to Kong's insanity.
But...I really enjoy this show. It's one of my favorite Godzilla movies. It's funny and I think it was meant to be that way. The battles between Kong and Godzilla are numerous and they are so ridiculous that I'm convinced the makers of this movie decided to go that route. For some reason Kong gets stronger when zapped with electricity however you can put him to sleep with a little berry juice and lightly played bongo anytime you desire.
This is an enjoyable follow-up to the original "Gojira". The Japanese version of this film is superior to the hacked up American version (called "Gigantis, the Fire Monster"). In this movie, Godzilla battles Angilas and the battles are actually lengthy and engaging. I was impressed by the fight sequences even though they do look a little funny during the times that they are sped up. The Godzilla suit is a little scary, especially early in the film when it is reminiscent of the original "Gojira". Angilas is not nearly as successful of a creation. Close-ups of the beast's head are entirely unconvincing.
There are some of the usual guffaws like jet planes clearly supported by strings, miniature buildings lifting slightly without damage when inadvertently bumped by a monster, but these are things that make these movies so endearing and fun.
The conclusion is inventive but gets repetitious and drags on too long. The Toho Master Collection DVD contains a very interesting extra that covers history of the actors who played Godzilla (and other famous Toho monsters).
Janet Blake: Please come right away. This is the zoo speaking.
Dr. Garth: The what? The zoo?
Janet Blake: Ja! One of our elephants is seeing pink men!
