Product Details

• Actors: Megumi Kobayashi, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Aki Hano
• Directors: Kunio Miyoshi
• Format: Color, Dolby, EP, NTSC
• Language: Japanese
• Rating: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: August 3, 1999
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000K0JX
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,692 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When Toho's Godzilla revival of the 1980s proved a stomping success, they turned to their next greatest creation, the giant rainbow-colored moth with the girl-group sidekicks. The first film of the Mothra revival finds an eons-old space monster named Death Ghidora on the loose while dark fairy Belvera, astride her pint-sized dragon, searches out the magical seal that will make the three-headed energy-sucking monster her servant. Pixies Lora and Moll sing out for the aging Mothra and her progeny, a giant squishy larva, and the two engage in a tag-team hide and seek. Where Godzilla is an angry threat to mankind, Mothra is a peaceful planetary protector on gossamer wings, and the film is more fairy tale than monster movie. Rebirth of Mothra carries its share of giant monster collisions: Death Ghidora stomps forests and screams energy rays from his three dragon maws, while Mothra shoots lasers from her antenna and lightning bolts from her wings. But there's an ethereal quality to the marionette models--and explosions of sheer beauty to many of the effects, which make up for often visible strings and wires. It's also more family oriented than the Godzilla films, with (often annoying) little-kid heroes and a conservationist message woven through the adventure. As with most of the Japanese giant monster imports, the dubbing is awful, but once the monsters start scrapping it's a moot point. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow Mothra really rocks in this movie, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

The reborn Mothra looked very cool and its new powers were totally awesome especially when it broke it self up into thousands of little mothras to attack desghidora.Desghidora itself was an incredible monster that thing looked like it could eat Godzilla and king ghidorah both .I definitelly loved this movie.I can't wait to get Rebirth2.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rebirth of Mothra, November 27, 1999

By A Customer

A very good movie.My whole family really enjoyed it,even my wife who thinks my taste for jappenese monster movies is childish.To bad Godzilla wasn't in it,then it would be perfect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece of the giant monster genre, November 5, 2000

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Next to Godzilla, Mothra is probably the most popular creature in Toho's ongoing series of giant monster movies. "Rebirth of Mothra" represents a high point in that series. The film is a spectacularly successful blend of action, emotion, music, and mythic imagery.

Although the film is intended towards a family audience--two of the main characters are children, and graphic scenes of human carnage are avoided--there is plenty in here for adult fans of the genre to enjoy. The film is full of stunningly beautiful images that are charged with the power of myth and the elegance of poetry. The opening sequence, for example, sends chills down my spine. And the fight sequences rival a heavyweight boxing match in intensity.

The human actors give fine performances, but the real stars, of course, are the fantastic creatures. The special effects team has done a miraculous job of truly bringing these creatures to life. Mothra, her gargantuan larval offspring, the miniature "fairy Mothra," and the other creatures are fully developed characters who really engage the viewers' emotions. Toshiyuki Watanabe's stirring score is a powerful complement to the epic drama of creation, destruction, and metamorphosis which is enacted by these mythic creatures.

As I noted before, this is a film for all ages. After falling in love with it, I watched the video with my four year old nephew. I don't think I've ever seen a child get so emotionally involved in a film before; he insisted on borrowing the tape and watching it over and over!

Like many film lovers, I am wary of remakes and retreads of the classic films which I loved as a child. And the original "Mothra" was one of my favorites. But fear not, classic Mothra fans: Toho company has produced a new classic which remains true to the spirit of the original while adding to the Mothra mythos. This film is essential viewing for giant monster fans.