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There's no denying that the addition of Ghidorah (alt Ghidra) to the Toho pantheon worked well for the studio, as he's been trotted out multiple times, including his eventual conversion into a cyborg after Godzilla seriously put a crimp in him. He's even had various bits of lore, running from an initial plan to make him purple to a secondary concept incorporating rainbow-hued wings.
His initial appearance in this feature, as he hatches form a 'meteor' that lands in an isolated spot in the mountains, sets the pace. Ghidorah is a space monster and, as such, devastates to his own inner drummer. Naturally, the resident Earth monsters disagree with this cosmic free spirit. The slow part being the Martian-directed princess who takes up much of the non-battle footage. Said princess and a cop trying to keep her alive spend (for me) too much time ducking assassins. Still, it's a good watch.
My complaint, and it's only an issue if you run subtitles on it, is EXTREMELY lazy/sloppy captioning. Words are repeatedly run together or inaccurate to the dubbed dialog. This gets annoying after a while. The female lead's name is also mangled to the point that it's not even phonetically close. As my wife's hearing is a bit of problem, I frequently leave the captioning on. On GHIDORAH, it was so annoying that I turned the movie off until a time I can watch it solo.
Granted this won't pose an issue for the majority of viewers, but be prepared if you need to use the captioned option.
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Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
Akihiko Hirata
(Actor),
Yuriko Hoshi
(Actor),
Ishiro Honda
(Director)
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Enhance your purchase
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Format | Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Widescreen, NTSC, Color, Subtitled |
| Contributor | Emi Ito, Yuriko Hoshi, Takashi Shimura, Akira Ifukube, Yumi Ito, Hisaya Ito, Hiroshi Koizumi, Hajime Koizumi, Ishiro Honda, Yosuke Natsuki, Eiji Okada, Haruo Nakajima, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara, Akiko Wakabayashi See more |
| Language | Japanese, English |
| Runtime | 1 hour and 24 minutes |
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Product Description
(Sci-Fi) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster -- A prophetess from Venus foretells cataclysmic disasters! Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan reappear in Japan, wreaking havoc! A giant meteor crashes into the mountains and the three-headed, fire-spitting space dragon King Ghidorah emerges! As the Venusian's prophecies come true, assassins from a tiny Asian kingdom hunt her down, while the Earth monsters must decide whether to settle their petty differences and join forces against the extraterrestrial enemy!
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces
- Item model number : 80273
- Director : Ishiro Honda
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Widescreen, NTSC, Color, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 24 minutes
- Release date : June 5, 2007
- Actors : Akihiko Hirata, Yuriko Hoshi, Emi Ito, Hisaya Ito, Yumi Ito
- Subtitles: : English
- Language : Unqualified
- Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- ASIN : B000OCY7IU
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #32,680 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #608 in Fantasy DVDs
- #790 in Science Fiction DVDs
- #3,106 in Kids & Family DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2021
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012
This one is like s'mores for the soul. Not two, not three, but four, FOUR giant monsters causing mayhem on the mist-shrouded island of Nippon, this movie was an addiction in my childhood - if it was on TV, I was sitting there a foot away from the screen. In my college years, this was one of my favorite go-to's for unintentional comedy, but it was also educational in that regard - why DID I like it so much, I was forced to ask. After all, there were tons of movies out there with worse special effects (GTTHM has pretty terrific fx work for its day...or almost any day), even goofier dubbing (hell, the dubbing for this one was actually pretty good), trainwreck scripts (the script was fairly solid, really) that I wouldn't think of watching twice, let alone dozens of times...the more I thought about it, it wasn't bad at all. Maybe goofy, but underneath the latex monster suits, crumbling miniature cities, and the begged questions about monster insurance rates in Japan, there was something that made this one special, beyond childhood nostalgia. There was something magical about a good Godzilla movie, and for me this was the cream of the crop.
Eventually I came to realize that the classic Showa-era tokusatsu films from Toho had a heart, a craftsmanship, which made them magical. GTTHM is among the best of the Godzilla films, even with its spies and assassins, silly plot contrivances, and formulaic monster-brawl trappings.
On this DVD you get both the original Japanese release, and the US theatrical version. Getting the chance to see these films in their original language (and aspect ratio!) has been a real eye-opener. It's a bit like a restored piece of fine antique furniture - you knew it was good stuff, but that crappy paint job wasn't doing it any favors. In terms of rating, I haven't seen one of these classic Toho movies that hasn't gone up at least a star in my estimation upon seeing it in the original Japanese.
I almost prefer the English version, in terms of the edit - it trims just a little fat and actually gives a better shape to the narrative in a few key aspects. But, in the English dub you lose out on some of Ifukube's great score as well as the movie's intentional entertainment value. On the other hand, the English dub gives you the immortal line "Godzilla! What terrible language!" It's something of a toss up between the two versions, so we're fortunate to get both. The commentary is a pleasure, as well. The other extras are ok, nothing mind-blowing. If you want your mind blown, just pause it every time star Akiko Wakabayashi is on-screen. It's ladies like her that make boys grow up all "into Asian chicks."
There's a certain subset of fandom that doesn't like this movie because this is where Godzilla stopped being a one-dimensional city-crushing, humanity-stomping machine and developed a personality. People who hate fun only have my sympathy, and I hope they feel better soon.
If you could only own a handful of Godzilla movies, this would have to be one, if for no other reason than the introduction of the absolutely great King Ghidorah. And you're not going to believe this, but Kenji Sahara is in it. O_O
Eventually I came to realize that the classic Showa-era tokusatsu films from Toho had a heart, a craftsmanship, which made them magical. GTTHM is among the best of the Godzilla films, even with its spies and assassins, silly plot contrivances, and formulaic monster-brawl trappings.
On this DVD you get both the original Japanese release, and the US theatrical version. Getting the chance to see these films in their original language (and aspect ratio!) has been a real eye-opener. It's a bit like a restored piece of fine antique furniture - you knew it was good stuff, but that crappy paint job wasn't doing it any favors. In terms of rating, I haven't seen one of these classic Toho movies that hasn't gone up at least a star in my estimation upon seeing it in the original Japanese.
I almost prefer the English version, in terms of the edit - it trims just a little fat and actually gives a better shape to the narrative in a few key aspects. But, in the English dub you lose out on some of Ifukube's great score as well as the movie's intentional entertainment value. On the other hand, the English dub gives you the immortal line "Godzilla! What terrible language!" It's something of a toss up between the two versions, so we're fortunate to get both. The commentary is a pleasure, as well. The other extras are ok, nothing mind-blowing. If you want your mind blown, just pause it every time star Akiko Wakabayashi is on-screen. It's ladies like her that make boys grow up all "into Asian chicks."
There's a certain subset of fandom that doesn't like this movie because this is where Godzilla stopped being a one-dimensional city-crushing, humanity-stomping machine and developed a personality. People who hate fun only have my sympathy, and I hope they feel better soon.
If you could only own a handful of Godzilla movies, this would have to be one, if for no other reason than the introduction of the absolutely great King Ghidorah. And you're not going to believe this, but Kenji Sahara is in it. O_O
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Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2010
For better or for worse, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster made for the single biggest directional shift in the history of Godzilla films, as in this movie, the biggest, baddest, and meanest monster of them all began his unlikely transformation into a heroic, if not exactly all-around good dude.
Despite some very cool monster scenes and a fairly engaging human story, Ghidorah rates pretty low on my daikaiju-meter. As anyone who's read these reviews knows, in my book, giant monsters ought to be giant monsters; I was never fond of the anthropomorphizing of the critters, which became a trademark of the Godzilla series after Ghid0rah. Toho's rationale--more specifically, Eiji Tsuburaya's and screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa's--about the trend was, well, we've got to appeal to the younger set. Hey, I was the younger set in those days, and every member of the younger set I knew who enjoyed monster movies wanted his beasties big, bad, and impressive. Maybe Japanese kids...who knows...maybe this was just what oisha-san ordered. But for some of us, it felt like the beginning of the end, monster-wise.
Still and all, Ghidorah was--and is--an entertaining monster romp. In my old age, any Godzilla movie is an enjoyable movie, no matter what form it takes. Even Godzilla vs. Megalon has its charms, and that's saying something; in 1977, I took my little brother with me to the theater to see Godzilla vs. Megalon, and 33 years later, I don't think he's ever forgiven me for it. Some horrific experiences just imprint themselves on the youthful mind, you know? Some of us adapt, while others do not.
On the positive side, in Ghidorah, Godzilla is less the willful messiah than a monster doing what he does best: messing up other critters that transgress on his rightful territory. His first appearance is memorable: Under a peaceful, midnight blue sky, an ocean liner makes its way toward a pod of whales. Then, behind them, a telltale churning of the ocean hints that something monstrous is about to happen. Akira Ifukube's now-familiar score rises along with a dark, beastly shape, and with dorsal fins alight, Godzilla unleashes a stream of fiery death on the ship, which immediately bursts into flame. It's a great scene, one of Godzilla's best ever. And shortly thereafter, he makes landfall in the harbor district of Tokyo, followed by a handful of highly impressive daikaiju-rampage scenes.
Ah, if only the rest of the movie had been made in this mode.
Rodan's appearance from Mount Aso is impressive enough, but of all the monsters, he's the one who most rapidly devolves into class clown. The Rodan suit design is among the worst ever, a far cry from the evil-looking reptilian beast from his origin film. In the commentary that accompanies the U.S. version, author David Kalat makes a reasoned case for why the monster buffoonery could be taken as a good thing, particularly in that the associated financial boon assured a new Godzilla film from Toho every few months. Be that as it may, once the monsters start mixing it up, the movie becomes a wrestling match between rubber suits. For the rest of the Showa series, the majestic, fearsome, awe-inspiring moments so prevalent in the earlier films become fewer and farther between. As a kid, this didn't sit well with me, no sir, not at all, and though I love the Godzilla movies these days more than ever, I still can't help but cringe a little when I watch the ridiculous volleyball match between Godzilla and Rodan.
Ghidorah's birth and attack on Tokyo goes a ways toward setting things right, at least for a time. Many of the destruction scenes rate among Eiji Tsuburaya's most spectacular work, and Ghidorah's design really is awesome. He, at least, is played straight, even during the more comical battles.
Then there's the "conversation" between Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, as the big caterpillar attempts to convince the other two to join up as a tag team and whomp Ghidorah's twin-tailed ass. Obviously, there are those who find the scene humorous and even endearing. I, as you might surmise, am not one of them.
On this very nicely presented Classic Media DVD, we have both the original Japanese version and the dubbed U.S. version, which is more radically edited than one might expect upon viewing it without the original for comparison. Dramatically, some of the alterations work quite well, while others are completely superfluous. Lots of scenes are shuffled around, particularly those that involve Godzilla and Rodan's initial appearances; the Venusian prophetess (Akiko Wakabayashi) in the U.S. version becomes a Martian prophetess; and--quite inexplicably--much of Akira Ifukube's excellent score has been replaced by unremarkable film library music. However, a few changes are actually beneficial to the film, such as the deletion of a reprise of Mothra's song, which slows the pacing of the Japanese version down to a merciless crawl. And near the end of the film, during the scenes of Detective Shindo (Yosuke Natsuki) rescuing the prophetess/Princess Salno from killer Malness (Hisaya Ito), the sounds of the monster battle are heard in the background--which only makes sense, since they are obviously fighting in close proximity.
Like the rest of the Classic Media DVD Godzilla releases, this one is an absolute must for the avid Godzillaphile--whether you believe that Ghidorah is a classic among classics or the beginning of the devolution of a once-fearsome atomic horror.
Despite some very cool monster scenes and a fairly engaging human story, Ghidorah rates pretty low on my daikaiju-meter. As anyone who's read these reviews knows, in my book, giant monsters ought to be giant monsters; I was never fond of the anthropomorphizing of the critters, which became a trademark of the Godzilla series after Ghid0rah. Toho's rationale--more specifically, Eiji Tsuburaya's and screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa's--about the trend was, well, we've got to appeal to the younger set. Hey, I was the younger set in those days, and every member of the younger set I knew who enjoyed monster movies wanted his beasties big, bad, and impressive. Maybe Japanese kids...who knows...maybe this was just what oisha-san ordered. But for some of us, it felt like the beginning of the end, monster-wise.
Still and all, Ghidorah was--and is--an entertaining monster romp. In my old age, any Godzilla movie is an enjoyable movie, no matter what form it takes. Even Godzilla vs. Megalon has its charms, and that's saying something; in 1977, I took my little brother with me to the theater to see Godzilla vs. Megalon, and 33 years later, I don't think he's ever forgiven me for it. Some horrific experiences just imprint themselves on the youthful mind, you know? Some of us adapt, while others do not.
On the positive side, in Ghidorah, Godzilla is less the willful messiah than a monster doing what he does best: messing up other critters that transgress on his rightful territory. His first appearance is memorable: Under a peaceful, midnight blue sky, an ocean liner makes its way toward a pod of whales. Then, behind them, a telltale churning of the ocean hints that something monstrous is about to happen. Akira Ifukube's now-familiar score rises along with a dark, beastly shape, and with dorsal fins alight, Godzilla unleashes a stream of fiery death on the ship, which immediately bursts into flame. It's a great scene, one of Godzilla's best ever. And shortly thereafter, he makes landfall in the harbor district of Tokyo, followed by a handful of highly impressive daikaiju-rampage scenes.
Ah, if only the rest of the movie had been made in this mode.
Rodan's appearance from Mount Aso is impressive enough, but of all the monsters, he's the one who most rapidly devolves into class clown. The Rodan suit design is among the worst ever, a far cry from the evil-looking reptilian beast from his origin film. In the commentary that accompanies the U.S. version, author David Kalat makes a reasoned case for why the monster buffoonery could be taken as a good thing, particularly in that the associated financial boon assured a new Godzilla film from Toho every few months. Be that as it may, once the monsters start mixing it up, the movie becomes a wrestling match between rubber suits. For the rest of the Showa series, the majestic, fearsome, awe-inspiring moments so prevalent in the earlier films become fewer and farther between. As a kid, this didn't sit well with me, no sir, not at all, and though I love the Godzilla movies these days more than ever, I still can't help but cringe a little when I watch the ridiculous volleyball match between Godzilla and Rodan.
Ghidorah's birth and attack on Tokyo goes a ways toward setting things right, at least for a time. Many of the destruction scenes rate among Eiji Tsuburaya's most spectacular work, and Ghidorah's design really is awesome. He, at least, is played straight, even during the more comical battles.
Then there's the "conversation" between Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, as the big caterpillar attempts to convince the other two to join up as a tag team and whomp Ghidorah's twin-tailed ass. Obviously, there are those who find the scene humorous and even endearing. I, as you might surmise, am not one of them.
On this very nicely presented Classic Media DVD, we have both the original Japanese version and the dubbed U.S. version, which is more radically edited than one might expect upon viewing it without the original for comparison. Dramatically, some of the alterations work quite well, while others are completely superfluous. Lots of scenes are shuffled around, particularly those that involve Godzilla and Rodan's initial appearances; the Venusian prophetess (Akiko Wakabayashi) in the U.S. version becomes a Martian prophetess; and--quite inexplicably--much of Akira Ifukube's excellent score has been replaced by unremarkable film library music. However, a few changes are actually beneficial to the film, such as the deletion of a reprise of Mothra's song, which slows the pacing of the Japanese version down to a merciless crawl. And near the end of the film, during the scenes of Detective Shindo (Yosuke Natsuki) rescuing the prophetess/Princess Salno from killer Malness (Hisaya Ito), the sounds of the monster battle are heard in the background--which only makes sense, since they are obviously fighting in close proximity.
Like the rest of the Classic Media DVD Godzilla releases, this one is an absolute must for the avid Godzillaphile--whether you believe that Ghidorah is a classic among classics or the beginning of the devolution of a once-fearsome atomic horror.
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Top reviews from other countries
andrew from llangollen
3.0 out of 5 stars
due to the fact this is hardly one of the best in the series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2015
Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster is one of the Godzilla films that I have never seen, and because most Godzilla films are only available on Region 1, I had to invest in a multi region dvd player in order to start collecting them. Having said that, its safe to say I wasn,t missing much all these years, due to the fact this is hardly one of the best in the series.
The movie is way too slow and boring, and takes far too long getting to the monster on monster action, and then, when it does, its nothing special. The fight between Godzilla and Rodan for instance, basically consists of Rodan pecking Godzilla on the head several times while Godzilla shoots his atomic breath at Rodan a few times, which doesn,t seem to be doing any damage whatsoever.
When Mothra finally shows up, and tries to convince both monsters to team up against Ghodorah, she gets them to listen by spraying them with some kind of webbing, which is the lamest power ever. The climatic battle is slightly better, but not by much. Godzilla throws rocks, Rodan flies around flapping his wings, and Mothra spits that annoying webbing. This is apparently too much for Ghidorah, as he soon decides that discretion is better than valour and flies away to god knows where.
Like most Godzilla movies, there is of course a secondary plot involving a princess who suddenly starts believing she is from Mars, complete with prophetic powers, but we never do find out who gives them to her. Assassins are trying to kill her, while the police and a reporter try to protect her. unfortunately, far too much time is spent on this rather than the monsters, which is the main reason anyone watches these.
The production values are also the worst I have seen for a Godzilla movie, with Godzilla and Rodan both looking like puppets at times. King Kong vs Godzilla, which I saw prior to this, was way better, which makes no sense at all. Production values are supposed to get better over time, not worse. I suppose that's what happens when your churning the movies out year after year, the money just runs out. Buy it if you want to complete your collection, or just a Godzilla fan in general, but don,t expect to be blown away.
The movie is way too slow and boring, and takes far too long getting to the monster on monster action, and then, when it does, its nothing special. The fight between Godzilla and Rodan for instance, basically consists of Rodan pecking Godzilla on the head several times while Godzilla shoots his atomic breath at Rodan a few times, which doesn,t seem to be doing any damage whatsoever.
When Mothra finally shows up, and tries to convince both monsters to team up against Ghodorah, she gets them to listen by spraying them with some kind of webbing, which is the lamest power ever. The climatic battle is slightly better, but not by much. Godzilla throws rocks, Rodan flies around flapping his wings, and Mothra spits that annoying webbing. This is apparently too much for Ghidorah, as he soon decides that discretion is better than valour and flies away to god knows where.
Like most Godzilla movies, there is of course a secondary plot involving a princess who suddenly starts believing she is from Mars, complete with prophetic powers, but we never do find out who gives them to her. Assassins are trying to kill her, while the police and a reporter try to protect her. unfortunately, far too much time is spent on this rather than the monsters, which is the main reason anyone watches these.
The production values are also the worst I have seen for a Godzilla movie, with Godzilla and Rodan both looking like puppets at times. King Kong vs Godzilla, which I saw prior to this, was way better, which makes no sense at all. Production values are supposed to get better over time, not worse. I suppose that's what happens when your churning the movies out year after year, the money just runs out. Buy it if you want to complete your collection, or just a Godzilla fan in general, but don,t expect to be blown away.
Avada Kedavra
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding and so entertaining! Easy to watch and fun!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2012
Probably not one for the kiddies but any Godzilla fan or potential should purchase one. Very entertaining, exciting, interesting and generally a good film to watch.
I'd also like to add that for the time considering this was the 60s this is a very high quality film, the only thing that bothered me was when Rodan is awakened, Godzilla's voice is used in the first go which is probably a mistake but it puts a damper on an otherwise immaculate film. The acting was all very good as were the effects, they still didn't have the monsters perfect but it was much better than Godzilla Raids again by far.
Ghidorah is made out to be an absolute abomination destroying Japan and reducing it to ruins, Mothra appears in her larva form and tried to convince Rodan and Godzilla to stop fighting and help her fight Ghidorah (being in larval form she has very little strength or power compared with adult form) they refuse and just want to continue fighting each other and Mothra bravely goes to fight Ghidorah. In the end the three of them bring Ghidorah down. There's lots of action with humans too with the twin fairies, a Tv reporter and a princess whom believes she is a Martian.
Definitely one for the collection I guarantee you will love it like I do!
I'd also like to add that for the time considering this was the 60s this is a very high quality film, the only thing that bothered me was when Rodan is awakened, Godzilla's voice is used in the first go which is probably a mistake but it puts a damper on an otherwise immaculate film. The acting was all very good as were the effects, they still didn't have the monsters perfect but it was much better than Godzilla Raids again by far.
Ghidorah is made out to be an absolute abomination destroying Japan and reducing it to ruins, Mothra appears in her larva form and tried to convince Rodan and Godzilla to stop fighting and help her fight Ghidorah (being in larval form she has very little strength or power compared with adult form) they refuse and just want to continue fighting each other and Mothra bravely goes to fight Ghidorah. In the end the three of them bring Ghidorah down. There's lots of action with humans too with the twin fairies, a Tv reporter and a princess whom believes she is a Martian.
Definitely one for the collection I guarantee you will love it like I do!
B. Mustafa
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very silly but entertaining Godzilla movie!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2008
I recently added this to my DVD collection.
Basically, it's Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra teaming up to battle Ghidorah, who has somewhat of an advantage with the ability to fire giant lightning bolts from not one but three heads (thus the name). Fortunately, the redundant/simultaneously speaking little twin girls are able to convince Mothra to arrange a truce between Godzilla and Rodan, long enough for them to join forces with Mothra to battle Ghidorah, who is well, just mean. Mothra at a disadvantage here, working from the larvae state and needing to crawl around instead of fly but he/she was still able to shoot the silk with some accuracy.
One thing I should mention, Godzilla and Rodan, who were involved in an altercation prior to the Mothra brokered peace agreement, looked suspiciously like hand puppets in several of the scenes, instead of like the real monsters.
Image quality of DVD was good, with some 'specs' still visible, color very good. Nice having the Japanese version on here, there is enough 'silliness' without the english dubbing. Very entertaining.
Basically, it's Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra teaming up to battle Ghidorah, who has somewhat of an advantage with the ability to fire giant lightning bolts from not one but three heads (thus the name). Fortunately, the redundant/simultaneously speaking little twin girls are able to convince Mothra to arrange a truce between Godzilla and Rodan, long enough for them to join forces with Mothra to battle Ghidorah, who is well, just mean. Mothra at a disadvantage here, working from the larvae state and needing to crawl around instead of fly but he/she was still able to shoot the silk with some accuracy.
One thing I should mention, Godzilla and Rodan, who were involved in an altercation prior to the Mothra brokered peace agreement, looked suspiciously like hand puppets in several of the scenes, instead of like the real monsters.
Image quality of DVD was good, with some 'specs' still visible, color very good. Nice having the Japanese version on here, there is enough 'silliness' without the english dubbing. Very entertaining.
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The Flapjack Master
4.0 out of 5 stars
An alright film
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2012
This is considered one of the classics in the Godzilla series, mainly for the reason that it's the first appearance of King Ghidorah.
Film: The acting is typical of a typical Showa Godzilla film; slightly wooden, but passable. The special effects are rather good, especially on Ghidorah. However, the fight between Godzilla and Rodan looks extremely tame and streched out (ie. playing volley ball with a boulder, Rodan flying into Godzilla's face and knocking him over, with Godzilla getting up and jumping about like a panzy, and scenes where Rodan pecks at Godzilla's face and the camera jerks about, causing motion sickness), and they replaced Godzilla's blue atomic breath with steam.
The plot is basic, but serves its purpose. The music is epic, as pretty much all Akira Ifukube scores are. The ending fight with Ghidorah ciukld have been a bit more epic, but it was probably restrained due to budgeting reasons. The side plot of hitmen trying to kill the proncess whom the Venusan/ Martian is inhabiting adds something for the humans to do rather than run around panicking or send in futile attempts at defence via tanks and Mazers.
DVD: Slightly muffled sound(probably my hearing). Good quality presentation considering how old it is. The special features aren't much, just a documentary on Eji Tsuberaia (mis- spelt), which is short but informative, and a trailer.
Overall: Rather good, but for nostalgic reasons. If you're a G- Fan, this is a must- buy!
Film: The acting is typical of a typical Showa Godzilla film; slightly wooden, but passable. The special effects are rather good, especially on Ghidorah. However, the fight between Godzilla and Rodan looks extremely tame and streched out (ie. playing volley ball with a boulder, Rodan flying into Godzilla's face and knocking him over, with Godzilla getting up and jumping about like a panzy, and scenes where Rodan pecks at Godzilla's face and the camera jerks about, causing motion sickness), and they replaced Godzilla's blue atomic breath with steam.
The plot is basic, but serves its purpose. The music is epic, as pretty much all Akira Ifukube scores are. The ending fight with Ghidorah ciukld have been a bit more epic, but it was probably restrained due to budgeting reasons. The side plot of hitmen trying to kill the proncess whom the Venusan/ Martian is inhabiting adds something for the humans to do rather than run around panicking or send in futile attempts at defence via tanks and Mazers.
DVD: Slightly muffled sound(probably my hearing). Good quality presentation considering how old it is. The special features aren't much, just a documentary on Eji Tsuberaia (mis- spelt), which is short but informative, and a trailer.
Overall: Rather good, but for nostalgic reasons. If you're a G- Fan, this is a must- buy!
THOR
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three Heads Are Better Than One
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2012
Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster is one of the all time greats from the Godzilla Film series. Directed by the Amazing Ishiro Honda and guest starring Takashi Shimura who appeared in the original 1954 Godzilla and Akira Kurosawa's Masterpiece, Seven Samurai. Thanks to the way it is told you don't need to be a die hard fan of Godzilla to enjoy this because the film takes it's time telling you what you need to know before it speeds up. For non-Godzilla fans it is still an enjoyable film and a Must See and Must Get for Godzilla fans (full review coming soon on my blog - [...]) - I do advise though that you watch the Japanese Version that is provided in this product because it is a whole lot better than the American Version.
