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The movie is well made for the era, and I think the English dubbing is better than in most of the Godzilla films. Likewise the script is more mature than the bulk of the Godzilla series, which in general I like, although it becomes a bit preachy about the anti-nuclear stuff (Ishiro Honda is the greatest director of the Japanese monster movies, but subtlety is not one of his more admired filmmaking attributes.) The film does, however, serve its desired function as a comment on greed and avarice admirably.
I recommend 'Godzilla vs. Mothra' highly, and no fan of Japanese cinema or monster movies should be without it. It is available as a single DVD or part of a Godzilla five-pack, which I recommend highly: it's a bargain at any price!
This film followed up quickly on the massive success of "King Kong vs. Godzilla." The studio, Toho, wanted Godzilla to go up against another `name' monster, and selected one of their own: the gigantic moth/caterpillar Mothra, who had starred the hit 1961 film "Mothra." The story has Godzilla returning to wreck havoc on Japan (this is the last time for many years that Godzilla would be the unquestioned `bad guy'), defying the military's numerous ingenious -- but ineffective -- attempts to stop him. The one hope for humanity lies in recruiting Mothra to take on the big lizard. But the people of Infant Island where Mothra lives are reluctant to help because two unscrupulous businessmen have captured Morthra's lost egg and turned it into a sideshow attraction. When they refuse to surrender the egg, it begins to look like Godzilla will get to have his way with Japan unopposed...
The film is absolutely loaded with stunning effects and action sequences. Godzilla's initial rampage in Nagoya is a knock-out, with the Big-G smashing a radio tower and Nagoya castle to the ground (Haruo Nakajima, the actor inside the suit, does a wonderful performance in this scene). The Godzilla suit used in this movie, known as the "Mosu-Goji" to fans, is beautiful: sleek, evil, and extremely personable. The two confrontations between Godzilla and Mothra, the first time in moth form, the second time in caterpillar form, are the best monster fights in all of the G-movies. Effects wizard Eiji Tsubaraya finds creative ways to have the monsters tackle each other, and the music from Akira Ifukube just keeps building and building. The finale is as exciting as anything you'll see in a big effects film from any country.
The human scenes are very effective as well, with good performances all around from actors like Kenji Sahara and Akira Takarada, regulars in monster movies. Director Ishiro Honda provides his customary humanitarian touch to the story, and he takes it with an appropriate level of seriousness. No doubt about it, Honda was a great director, and in his hands, giant monster movies could seem like more than just light entertainment.
The version on this disc is the dubbed American version. The Japanese language version with subtitles is superior -- a five-star rating easily -- but has never been available on a home video format (someone should really do something about this!). However, this is probably the best dubbed version ever of a Godzilla film. The voice acting is quite good, and almost nothing has been changed or edited from the original. Actually, a scene has been added, involving a U.S. military ploy to attack Godzilla with newly developed missiles. (Guess how effective that is.) The only real trouble with the dubbing is that the characters sometimes refer to Mothra as "the Thing" and other times by its real name, which is pretty strange sounding.
The disc has nothing in the way of real extras. Also, the advertised 5.1 stereo is a cheat: the producers of the disc added a few extra sound effects here and there for the back speakers -- such as when Godzilla is being electrified or when tanks are firing -- that sound tinny, awful, and unconnected to the actual film. Stick with the original mono option.
Even dubbed, "Godzilla vs. Mothra" is a four-star film and a must for anyone who loves giant monsters or just wants to have a good time on a Saturday night with friends. ROAR ON GODZILLA!
The plot involves a mysterious giant egg that washes up on the shores of Japan, attracting the attention of greedy businessmen who "purchase" the egg. Meanwhile, a scientist, a reporter, and a rookie photographer are trying to discover what the egg really belongs to when they encounter two small fairies, who tell them that the egg is Mothra's egg. Mothra is, of course, a giant moth, who made her debut in her own kaiju flick, 1961's MOTHRA (also directed by the great Ishiro Honda). Though the trio tries to convince the businessmen to return the egg to Mothra, they will do no such thing. Then who emerges to liven things up but the Big G himself, looking more ferocious than he did before or did in any film afterwards. Can Mothra protect her egg and save Japan from the menace of Godzilla, or will Japan's worst (and biggest) enemy be having scrambled eggs for his next entree?
Ishiro Honda really knew what he was doing with this film. The pacing is perfect: not too rushed, but not slow to the point where one begins screaming for a monster to pop up and wreak some havoc. The screenplay is humorous and very fun, and Akira Ifukube's music is spectacular. The Godzilla suit used for this film, "Mosugoji", is a fan favorite due to its more nasty, reptilian look. Mothra herself is a seemingly silly opponent, but her battle(s) with Godzilla are surprisingly interesting. The best scene of the film is Godzilla's first appearance, sudden, with no foreshadowing. I won't ruin it for you if you haven't seen the film, but it's my favorite Godzilla entrance ever.
I cannot congratulate Sony Wonder enough for their recent Godzilla DVD releases. For a longtime fan like me, they're a dream come true - gorgeous packaging, delectable restoration, sumptuous bonus features, and both the Japanese AND English version (the English version of MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA, titled GODZILLA VS. THE THING, actually contains extra footage not in the Japanese version!). It's quite the package; if you're a Godzilla fan, don't hesitate to pick it up. MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA is the best sequel of the Showa series, and a reminder of just how fun "evil Godzilla" was before the series descended into silliness with the subsequent entries.
The original Japanese is better, of course. Read more
