San Daikaijû: Chikyû Saidai no Kessen

Japan • 1964 • 93m •

• Directed by: Ishirô Honda. • Starring: Yôsuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi, Emi Itô, Yumi Itô, Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Hisaya Itô, Minoru Takada, Someshô Matsumoto, Ikio Sawamura, Kôzô Nomura. • Music by: Akira Ifukube.

A princess from a small Himalayan country becomes possessed by the spirit of a Venusian (a Martian in the American version) and escapes a plane just as it explodes. As this happens a meteorite falls from the sky containing Ghidorah, the monster responsible for her planet's destruction. At the same time, Godzilla and Rodan emerge from hibernation and not only attack Japan, but each other as well. Mothra, along with its twin priestesses, attempt to convince Godzilla and Rodan to stop their fighting each other and to team up to fight the new monster. At the same time, the princess is being hunted by a group of assassins who want to kill her so that her enemies can take over her homeland.

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2:16

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2:05

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Image from: San Daikaijû: Chikyû Saidai no Kessen (1964)

This time a meteor hits earth and scientists go to investigate it. Also around the same time a meteor destroys the plane of a princess who jumps out of the plane before it is hit. Later she shows up but thinks that she is a martian from Venus, or mars in the American version. She warns people that the Earth is coming to an end. The police feel that she will be a target and if she is killed her country will revert to communism. So they try to keep her protected. Soon she warns that the monster Rodan will reappear and Rodan emerges from Mount Asho. Later she warns of Godzilla. Attackers who plan on killing the princess are constantly after her but she believes that she is from another planet. The princessmartian warns of a terrible monster named Ghidorah that emerges from an area that was impacted by the meteor. THe shobjin are contacted to help with the threat of Ghidorah. THey fear that Mothra, in its larval stage, will be no match for Ghidorah but they think that if ROdan, Godzilla, and Mothra work together they could beat Ghidorah. Will it work, or will it fail.

This film is very good. It introduces Ghidorah for the first time. Ghidorah is truly a breathtaking monster. He can fly, has three heads, shoots gravity beams, and seemingly is unbeatable. Ghidorah would go on to be Godzilla's most popular foe and a constant reappear.

This is really the first Godzilla Film to be made in which the main focus is not on Godzilla. Godzilla is in it, but so are Rodan, Mothra, and GHidorah. Also this is the first film in which Godzilla saves Japan and acts more as a hero than a villain. I never was a fan of this aspect of Godzilla, he is much better as a bad guy. THe aspect of a bad guy turning good has worked on other characters in movies and comics and television but I do not like how they did this with Godzilla. Godzilla being good is just something that does not feel right, why would he change his ways just like that? But it is not the end of the world, I just like him way better as a bad guy.

Rodan shows up for his first appearance in a Godzilla film. WHich of the two Rodan it is, well if it was either I would say that it is the male since this Rodan is referred to as being a male. I guess he survived but he could be another Rodan altogether, if it is a survivor from that climatic ending in "Rodan" I feel bad for him having lost his mate but I think the events of that film really do not matter at all in Ghidorah. Rodan looksa lot worse in this film than he did in "Rodan". When he is on his feet on the ground his neck is too long and he is taller than Godzilla. Also his head looks a little different, not as evil looking. Maybe they wanted to make him look nicer to appeal to public, after all they did this with Godzilla. This is easily the worst look for Rodan in a film when he is walking around but he looks much better in other films but he never looks as cool as he did in "Rodan". His roar is the same though and that is good. Rodan looks better when he is flying in this film, helps tremendously against Ghidorah and also he gets in some good action with Godzilla. THey put on an evenly matched fight against each other. I like Rodan a lot, way more than Mothra and he is a lot cooler than Mothra in my opinion.

Mothra comes back, unfortunately. I always disliked mothra. Probably because he defeated Godzilla in Godzilla vs Mothra. I just hate Mothra, especially in his larval stage which is what he is in in this film. How can a little grub like him beat Godzilla? OK I am getting a little off track. Mothra shows up and stops Rodan and GOdzilla from fighting. WHAT THE HELL???? That bugged me because Rodan and Godzilla never got their own film against each other and when they actually do fight Mothra comes in and stops it. I wish they just would have gone after Mothra for doing that.

The fight scenes are great in this film. Both the fight between Godzilla and ROdan and Godzilla, ROdan, and Mothra against Ghidorah are great. Another thing I did not get is why Godzilla's atomic breath looks so bad in this film? It just looks like dust or sand.

The human scenes are kind of weird at times. The princess who believes that she is a martian survived a fall from her plane down to the ocean? And how does she get the powers that allow her to predict when monsters are going to appear. It is also interesting that she talks about how Ghidorah destroyed other planets but I have to wonder how reliable a source she is. After all she did know when Rodan and Godzilla would show up so I am guessing that she is right about Ghidorah also. But I love the part where the guy gets hit in the head by the wrench and he yells "Eeeeee Yahhhhh!!!!" This is also the first time Godzilla works with other monsters to fight a different monster. This idea would be re used again.

So I think this movie is very good, one of the best. Definitely a significant film that had a lot of firsts. Go and see it and you will not be disappointed.

Review by jerekra from the Internet Movie Database.

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