INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER

Ghidorah, the 3-headed monster, on the loose!

INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (aka Monster Zero; Godzilla vs. Monster Zero; Kaiju daisenso/1965). Director: Ishiro Honda. 

Earth has discovered a new planet, Planet X, beyond Jupiter and send astronauts Glenn (Nick Adams) and Fuji (Akira Takarada) to investigate. There they find seemingly friendly aliens of Oriental cast whose world is constantly besieged by Ghidorah, the flying three-headed monster. If Earth will permit them to transfer Godzilla and Rodan -- who battled and defeated Ghidorah previously -- to Planet X, the aliens will give them a serum that will eliminate all disease. Earth's famous monsters are taken to Planet X, but the world soon learns of the aliens' duplicity. Unless they agree to be ruled by them as a satellite of Planet X, they will destroy the earth with the aid of the three colossal monsters. Meanwhile Fuji's sweet sister Haruno (Keiko Sawai) learns that her nerdy boyfriend Tetsuo (Akira Kubo) may have come up with a way of defeating the aliens. 

Nick Adams and Akira Takarada

Well, one thing you have to say for Invasion of Astro-Monster is that it's certainly colorful, and not nearly as awful as most of the Japanese monster flicks (of which Rodan was one of the better ones). Nick Adams, herein billed as "Nikku Adamusu," (as if anyone would think he was Japanese!), actually gives a perfectly good performance, exhibiting his trademark intensity and grumpiness. Although Adams was born in Pennsylvania, his accent sounds like he was raised in Brooklyn, and it sounds funny hearing his real voice in this Nipponese movie. Adams has the best line, after Fuji voices concern that Rodan and Godzilla will be left behind on Planet X: "Hey, those two have caused us enough trouble! Don't worry -- they'll find their way!"

The aliens of Planet X

The other actors, including Kumi Mizuno as the mysterious Miss Namikawa and Yoshio Tsuchiya as the Controller of Planet X, are all good, and some of the FX work, including many miniatures, is decent. Godzilla, as usual, looks and acts pretty stupid, but the other two creatures are a bit better. They are basically kept in the background until they have an all-out battle towards the end of the movie. 

Verdict: Fun enough if you can tolerate sixties Japanese monster movies -- otherwise, avoid! **1/2. 

GODZILLA VS. KONG

Godzilla tackles Kong

GODZILLA VS. KONG (2021.) Director: Adam Wingard. 

Of the two monster icons  Godzilla is behaving badly since his last appearance in Godzilla, King of the Monsters, attacking a Florida compound, and the equally gigantic Kong wants out of the artificial habitat he has been imprisoned in since Kong: Skull Island. It is decided that Kong will be taken to a hole in the earth through which he can descend to the hollow world inside the planet (think: Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar) where he may find others of his kind; others are only after a new energy source. Meanwhile Godzilla attacks the ship transporting Kong, and then turns his wrath on Hong Kong while a kind of "mecha-Godzilla" -- a Godzilla robot -- shows up to battle the big guy. Will Kong fight Godzilla or help him beat up on the big robot? More importantly, will anyone over the age of five give a damn?

Admittedly striking scenic design of inner-earth

I am a big fan of monster movies, having written Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies, but I am appalled by the current state of the genre. The special effects in Godzilla vs Kong can not be faulted, but the direction and editing are simply terrible, the photography is cluttered and unappealing, and there isn't a single moment in the movie that I could call thrilling or especially suspenseful. The scenic design is wonderful and a lot of gifted technicians and artists have made major contributions, but when the whole project is bankrupt to begin with because of a mediocre screenplay, all of this effort is simply wasted. 

Where's my agent? Alexander Skarsgard

Godzilla vs Kong may not be as silly as the Japanese King Kong vs. Godzilla made in the sixties, but despite the great FX, it isn't much more entertaining. As for the human characters, most of them are irritating nerds, and the little deaf girl who can communicate with Kong (who speaks one word at one point), while adorable, is also annoying. While I won't compare Godzilla vs Kong with a cheap Syfy channel movie, I'd have to say that any actor who appears in stuff like this should have a serious talk with their agent. Alexander Skarsgard, who plays a scientist, may not be a major star, but surely he can do better than this? (He's done a lot of TV lately and that seems to be his future.) As usual all the dead people of Hong Kong are completely forgotten at the end. 

Verdict: Great FX work, yes, but little else. **. 

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019)

Kyle Chandler

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019). Director: Michael Dougherty. 

Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), whose son was killed in the war between Godzilla and other creatures (called MUTOs), wants all of these gigantic monsters destroyed. His nutty ex-wife, Emma (Vera Farmiga), believes that humans have become an infestation in the planet and that these ancient creatures will restore a natural balance -- both humans and MUTOs can live in supposed harmony. Emma forms an alliance with eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) that even has Emma's young daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), gagging. 

Ghidorah

Meanwhile Russell and the military do their best to deal with the re-emergence of several major MUTOs (aka "Titans"), including Mothra, a big insectoid creature; Rodan, a pterodactyl-type monster; and an extraterrestrial three-headed dragon known as Ghidorah or Monster Zero. An organization called MONARCH tries to monitor all of them. Will Godzilla prove to be the savior of the human race by defeating these creatures or is he just as terrible a menace as the others?

Godzilla and little people on submarine

Once upon a time monster movies were generally looked down upon by the critical establishment. They were also a lot more fun. Whereas the 1998 Godzilla was a little too humorous (although it had stunning FX work), this Godzilla is way too serious and ponderous, with an inappropriate musical score that tries to make you think you're watching something moving and profound. It isn't. 

Godzilla emerges from the sea

I must admit that all of these Japanese monsters have never looked better, and the CGI in this is marvelous. Unfortunately, much of the time the battles are fought against misty, cluttered and foggy backgrounds, often making the action difficult to follow. However, there is a lively battle between Mothra and Rodan, which the former wins, and Rodan's attack on a fighter squadron is effective. (One poor pilot ejects from his plane only to fly right up into Rodan's mouth!) 

Ken Watanabe

The trouble with Godzilla is that after awhile it's just plain tedious. You don't care about the characters or what happens to them, and you don't give a damn about the big lizard, either. Say what you will about the 1998 Godzilla, that had some thrilling sequences in it (baby Godzillas hatch out of eggs in Madison Square Garden; big Godzilla chases the heroes down Manhattan streets) and there's nothing as exciting as those sequences in this movie. 

Ghidorah

Godzilla: King of the Monsters drags in everything from Edgar Rice Burroughs to H. P. Lovecraft, with talk of a hollow earth (which enables Godzilla to get around the world unseen) and intimating that the Titan monsters are "old gods" who once ruled over the earth. There are also some nods to the original fifties Godzilla (Gojira) in this film. Just as an Asian scientist sacrificed his life to kill Godzilla in the original movie, in this Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) sacrifices himself to re-energize the monster. The martial music that plays over these and other scenes sounds very similar to the music at the end of Gojira. 

This is a sequel to the 2014 Godzilla and to Kong: Skull Island. Needless to say, Godzilla vs. Kong comes out next year. 

Verdict: Despite some good FX work, even monster geeks may find this a waste of time. **. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG. Written by Brian Buccellato. Art by Christian Duce and Tom Derenik. DC Comics/Legendary Comics. 2024. Originally published over seven issues. 

In a story that is apparently outside of normal DCU continuity, Superman is planning to propose to Lois Lane when trouble erupts in the shape of old foe and King Kong variation Titano. But that's only the beginning. Lex Luthor and his Injustice Society manage to invade Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and somehow wind up bringing Godzilla and other monstrosities -- a gargantuan spider, a winged Bat-creature, a mammoth-type beast with enormous tusks -- into the DCU via a "Dreamstone" manipulated by Toyman. Superman has little problem with Titano, but Godzilla is another matter, and a blast of his nuclear breath puts Superman in a kind of coma where his fellow Leaguers aren't even certain if he's still alive. Green Arrow winds up on Skull Island where he not only encounters King Kong (much, much larger than in the original movie) but the League of Assassins, who are up to no good. Under the seas another huge creature -- and Godzilla -- threatens Atlantis, so Aquaman unleases a many-tentacled Kraken to beat them off. Gorilla Grodd uses his mind-control powers to turn both Kong and Supergirl against our heroes temporarily, and also snuffs Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Luthor puts his mind inside a gigantic robot, MechaGodzilla, while Batman counters with his own gargantuan Bat-robot! Superman eventually recovers and joins the fray, he and his colleagues taking after monsters, Luthor, and assorted super-villains alike. 

Now if this isn't the ultimate fan boy's collection -- not only super-heroes but giant monsters, plus Lex Luthor and his huge collection of super-villains -- I don't know what is. The story is well-told, juggling all of these different characters and pop culture references together in swift and exciting fashion, while the art is at least serviceable and often quite striking. There was a sequel which will soon be out in a hardcover collection as well.  

Verdict: The ultimate pop culture experience. ***1/2. 

 

GODZILLA MINUS ONE

Godzilla

GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2024). Director: Takashi Yamasaki. 

At the very end of WW2 Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a Japanese kamikaze pilot who hasn't quite got the stuff. Landing on Odo Island where there is a regiment of mechanics, he and the others encounter Godzilla. Koichi is too scared to use his plane's arms to fire at the monster, and everyone but him and engineer Sosaku (Munetaka Aoki) dies. Returning to civilization and a shattered Japan, he hooks up with a young woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), who has rescued a little orphaned baby. Wracked with guilt over his cowardice, Koichi resists having a real relationship with Noriko, but they have much bigger problems when Godzilla -- now grown even larger and with an atomic-irradiated body that can shoot out devasting heat beams -- stomps through Tokyo. With no aid coming from any other country and a shattered government, survivors band together to come up with a way to destroy the monster, a plan in which Koichi will play a major role. 

Ryunosuke Kamiki

The original Godzilla film -- the 1954 Gojira -- was much more serious than the almost comical films featuring the monster that followed. This film follows in that tradition, and creates a host of interesting and generally well-developed characters for the viewer to get involved with. The film is too long, unfortunately, and the scenes with these characters may make some people impatient to see Godzilla in action. There aren't enough sequences starring the big guy but they are fairly exciting. This movie uses some of the martial music from the original film as well as Godzilla's classic metallic roar. 

Godzilla on the move!

Godzilla Minus One isn't campy like the American Godzilla with Matthew Broderick, but that film, despite its many flaws, was more entertaining and thrilling, with better FX work. (The FX for Godzilla Minus One won an Oscar!) Godzilla himself looks a little lumpy at times. Still, I have to agree that this flick is probably the best Godzilla film in years and is a vast improvement over a more recent American version and the dreadful Shin Godzilla. The movie also tackles Japanese attitudes towards death and dying. Oddly, the ending when certain principals are reunited may leave a lump in your throat!

Verdict: By reimagining the original Gojira, they have come up with something different. **3/4.  

SHIN GODZILLA

Godzilla

SHIN GODZILLA (2016). Directors: Hideaki Anno; Shinji Higuchi. 

"There is no danger of the creature coming ashore."

A sea monster that walks around on all fours and looks rather silly metamorphoses into the familiar creature we know as Godzilla in a film that pretty much ignores all of the earlier Godzilla movies, be they American or Japanese, as this one is. Eventually the big guy develops the ability to shoot lasers from its back, dorsal fins, and tail in addition to its fiery breath after it consumes radioactive material. In time the United States military is called in, but Japanese authorities aren't thrilled when they suggest dropping a nuclear bomb on Tokyo. Meanwhile everyone talks, deciding exactly what the creature is, what to do with it, and so on and so on ad nauseam, talk, talk and more talk with a few moments of the monster doing its thing.

In a word, Shin Godzilla talks itself to death, and while the FX work is superior to that of previous Japanese Godzilla films, the movie is still quite dull. The actors do the best they can. 

Verdict: Could be the most tedious Godzilla movie ever made. *1/2. 

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

Godzilla and Kong duke it out by the seaside

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (aka Kingu Kongu tai Gojira/1962). Director: Ishiro Honda. NOTE: This is the original Japanese version of the film with English sub-titles. 

A submarine has an unfortunate encounter with Godzilla even as Mr. Tako (Ichiro Arishima), the hysterical head of a pharmaceutical firm, wishes he had something fantastic to help advertise his products. He orders two employees to Faro island to investigate stories of a berry with amazing qualities as well as of the supposed God that lords it over the natives, Kong. Kong turns out to actually exist, and the berries help put the big gorilla to sleep. Kong is captured and taken by boat to Japan, but he breaks free and engages Godzilla -- also on the loose on the mainland -- although their first encounter ends in a draw. Which of the legendary monsters will win in their second epic slugfest? 

Godzilla is ready for his close up

Godzilla/Gojira had already appeared in several Japanese films since Gojira when the idea came to pit the big lizard against the famous Kong, with not very felicitous results. For one thing, although the movie gets a bit more "dramatic" towards the end, it comes off like a parody for most of its length. The "suitmation" FX for the two title characters are pretty pitiful (Kong has a kind of tortured expression under his comical mask, but that may be the angst of the actor in the headgear), and the process work is also poor for the most part. The best sequence actually has to do with a gigantic octopus -- this appears to be the real thing -- that slithers around the native huts and gets driven off by Kong.

Sahara and Takashima

The human characters -- aside from that low comedy bumbler, Tako -- consist of Tako's employee Osamu Sakurai (Tadao Takashima), his sister Fumiko (Mie Hama), Fumiko's boyfriend, Kazuo (Kenji Sahara), and Osamu's colleague, Kinsaburo (Yu Fujiki). At one point Fumiko is picked off a train by Kong and carried around in his humongous paw (everyone else seems to fall from the train to their deaths but there's no reaction to this). The film is shot in widescreen "Tohoscope" and the score by Akira Ifukube is better than the film deserves. Gotta love the chorus sung by the natives as Kong falls asleep!

By the way it is not true that Kong wins the fight in the U.S. version and Godzilla in the original. In both versions they fall into the sea, Kong swims back to his island, and Godzilla is presumed still alive under the ocean. 

Verdict: Kong deserves so much better. Hell, so does Godzilla.  **.