"Godzilla says he has no reason to help humans. Humans always make trouble."features a political assassination subplot, a princess possessed by extraterrestrials, and a scene in which a massive caterpillar larva tries to convince a gigantic irradiated lizard and a supersonic pterodactyl to put all of their respective differences aside and team up to defend Earth, which they must learn to share with humankind, against an alien hydra (the entire conversation is translated by the larva's harbinger/guardians, a pair of miniature Japanese women). one of my favorite kaiju pictures.
Godzilla and Friends Marathon: 13 of 46A lot of people think of Mothra vs. Godzilla and King Kong vs. Godzilla as Godzilla films. I don't believe, however, that Toho thought of them that way at the time. Sure, looking back now, we can see that Godzilla became the most popular of Toho's many kaijū, and has been featured in 32 Toho films, but it wasn't always that way. Take Mothra vs. Godzilla, for example. Every time I see people talk about it, they refer to it as the fourth Godzilla film, or the third Godzilla sequel. There are people who marathon all the films with Godzilla in the title and don't even get around to watching Mothra. But, if you think about it, Mothra vs. Godzilla was really a direct sequel to Mothra, featuring Godzilla as the antagonist, hence Mothra's name being first in the title. It is clear, when watching the film, that Mothra is the protagonist. Godzilla even loses in the end. My point is, that this wasn't always thought of as the Godzilla franchise. Toho was just cranking out monster movies. However, if you look at many of the later Godzilla films, many of them use the format Godzilla vs. [insert kaijū here]. Clearly, something changed somewhere along the line. Godzilla, once relegated to appearing as the villain in other kaijū films, eventually became Toho's star. We have come to think of these films, collectively, as Godzilla films over the years. And, eventually, almost all of them are. After a certain point, almost every film gives Godzilla top billing. It is this film, in my opinion, that marks the turning point. The beginning of Godzilla's ascent to the top, to truly become the king of monsters. By introducing an even greater villain, and casting Godzilla as one of the heroes, Toho laid the groundwork for Godzilla to take over. While the original Godzilla was a masterpiece of sci-fi/horror that introduced an iconic monster, it was Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster that cemented his lasting legacy. We may never have ended up with 32 films from Toho featuring the Big G, or multiple shows, or even the American Godzilla films, if it hadn't been for this film. Sure, by today's standards the rubber suits look pretty fake, the close ups of Godzilla's head make him look like a Muppet (Cookie Monster?), and the kaijū action looks pretty cheesy at times, but I believe it's a big part of the reason we still have new Godzilla films to look forward to. Perhaps, it is exactly because of these cheesy, cartoonish monster battles that this franchise has endured. While the original Godzilla was a horror film, this is much more kid friendly. And, if you think about it, many lifelong Godzilla fans discovered the franchise as kids. While most adults may watch an entertaining monster movie and then move on to the next big thing, children latch onto things more intensely. Many of us, as adults, then return to things we loved as children, seeking the warm glow of nostalgia. I guess what I'm saying is, that whether you love films like Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, or maybe Shin Godzilla, or even if you're excited for the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters, then you might just have the pure goofy fun of Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster to thank for that. Plus, watching Rodan peck Godzilla on the head is hilarious.
