'Godzilla vs. Mothra' Review

Could it be? A Godzilla movie with a somewhat engaging story and decent English dubbing? Yes it could. Godzilla vs. Mothra won't quite inspire you to donate to the Save Monster Island fund, but it's story is much more coherent and relevant to the movie than the more recent Godzilla films. Add to that some of the best acting and English dubbing of the franchise and you've got yourself one of the better Japanese monster movies of the 1960's.

It's interesting to note that there were a couple of films prior to this that featured Mothra, a giant moth also referred to as "The Thing". There were also a number of Godzilla movies after this film to feature Mothra, including one by the same name made in 1992. This makes things a little confusing, so let me state now that this review is of the 1964 Godzilla vs. Mothra, and not the '92 update.

The story begins when a giant egg washes ashore following a nasty hurricane. A greedy developer claims the egg as his own, and tries to profit from it. Meanwhile, some tiny twins (their small stature is never explained) demand that the egg be returned to Monster Island, as it is the egg of their beloved Mothra. When Godzilla shows up and begins terrorizing Japan, Mothra and the people of Monster Island are the only ones who can help. But will the greed of the developer prevent the people of Monster Island from lending a helping hand?

The story also has some more subtle messages about nuclear testing, greed, and other social issues, but I won't get into that here. The real fun moments of this movie, like any movie in the Godzilla franchise, are the scenes of complete destruction and various monsters kicking rival monster butt. There's plenty of that here, but the movie certainly shows it's age with campy effects and crudely built models. It's quite clear that Godzilla is just a guy in a suit, and the green giant's roar sounds very artificial. The miniatures used lack sufficient detail to be taken too seriously, and there are moments when the desperate fight to save Japan seems more like a five year old's playtime fantasy. Though it may not look quite as polished, the fight scenes are certainly more inventive and original than what you'd get with some of the newer Godzilla films.

The acting, especially the English voice actors, are top-notch for the series as well. I don't speak decent Japanese (and there isn't a Japanese audio track on the DVD anyway) so I can't tell you how accurate the translations are, but there aren't many lines that seem out of place or lost in the translation. Toho even allowed the American distributor to borrow the Godzilla suit to shoot a few extra scenes, which explains why the US Navy shows up for a few minutes without introduction and then disappears just as abruptly.

Our only complaints with this film lay in the areas of editing and just plain coherence. During those added American scenes I referred to before, the same clip of a missile firing is used at least ten times in rapid succession. Granted, the original filmmakers had nothing to do with that particular blunder, but the same technique is employed to a lesser extent in other parts of the movie. There's also a number of things that were not explained at all. For instance, the small twins that seem to have some sort of connection with Mothra. Just why are they so tiny? And how did Mothra lay an egg that seems to be many times larger than Mothra. There's also a strange turtle skeleton that seems to be alive during a scene on Monster Island, but I suppose all the nuclear testing that went on there could have something to do with that. The movie also seems to drag on about 10 minutes longer than it needed to, and then comes to an abrupt conclusion during the last minute or so.

Godzilla vs. Mothra may not have the best editing, best special effects, or best monsters (Mothra and its two larvae don't look like any match for Godzilla), but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most enjoyable Godzilla films out there. The final verdict:

Stats & Info
Rating: Not Rated
Rarity: Common
Genre: Sci-Fi
Released: 1964
Country of Origin: Japan
Video: Color; Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio: Dubbed English (Stereo)
Plot: Giant Moth saves Japan from Godzilla's menace
How Bad Is It? - The visual and audio effects are somewhat lacking, but a good story and decent acting make up for it. But there is a giant easter egg. And tiny people. It's not that bad, I swear.