Toho Kingdom

The English dub is kind of grating when Mothra is constantly referred to as 'he'.

I find it more annoying when she's referred to as "The Thing"

I'm mostly irritated by the way they pronounce her name like it was "Modra."

eabaker wrote:I'm mostly irritated by the way they pronounce her name like it was "Modra."

I never really noticed that.

Despite the problems with the dub, this is one of the rare films that I enjoy dubbed more than I do the original Japanese version.

It's not just the inclusion of the Frontier Missiles scene, as you might think. It's the speech at Infant Island. I found the dub's version of that speech to be more powerful and effective than the subtitle's version.

Also probably helps that, along with the other four Simitar VHS releases, the dubbed version holds a bit of nostalgia for me.

This might be the only Godzilla movie that I prefer in its American version due to the added scene of the U.S. military attacking Godzilla. It was a good addition, unlike most other attempts to change Godzilla films for American audiences.

Sorry for the bump, but I recently revisited this film (after a viewing of the 1961 Mothra). This was one of the first Godzilla films I ever watched, so this film, especially the dub, holds a lot of nostalgia for me.

Still holds up pretty great, it's in my Top 5, maybe even Top 3 Godzilla films. This particular incarnation of Godzilla has always been one of my favorites, I love the design of the suit, and I love his slow, menacing pace and the destruction he brings. It serves as a great contrast to Mothra, who is used well here. I've always liked the 1964 Mothra prop. Is it the same one from 61? I'm not sure. I know for a fact that the larva is not. While I don't hate the larva design in this film, I think the original from Mothra looks a whole lot better, but that's to be expected.

This movie has some of the best human villains in the franchise. I could watch Kenji Sahara's smug face all day. He's got shades of Clark Nelson there, and his demise is fitting, though like with Nelson, part of me wishes it was Mothra who took him down, but death by Godzilla works just as well.

Ifukube is in his element here. The classic Godzilla theme is present and it's wonderful, and I love all three of Mothra's songs in this. The original song, "Mahara Mothra" and "Sacred Springs" are all great.

This film's always a good time. I only wish the frontier missile scene was kept for the Japanese version. Love that scene.

GalacticPetey wrote:Sorry for the bump,

Threads dedicated to the movies are evergreen. In fact, I think it's kind of sad how much they're allowed to just sit here without any new discussion (not that I do anything to keep them alive, so who am I to gripe?).

I definitely agree with you about the quality of the human villains here. Kaiju flicks in general aren't exactly known for getting you invested in the characters, but this one manages to get viewers invested in both the heroes and villains of the human cast. And as much as I love Nelson in Mothra, Torahata feels more real to me, and the presence of Kumayama really helps humanize the "evil capitalist" trope.

eabaker wrote:And as much as I love Nelson in Mothra, Torahata feels more real to me, and the presence of Kumayama really helps humanize the "evil capitalist" trope.

I definitely agree, and I think Torahata and Kumayama are better villains overall. Nelson is a bit more over the top, which certainly makes him a fun villain. I mean, just look at that face.


I feel Nelson works well in Mothra, and the pair of Torahata and Kumayama are better suited to a film like Mothra vs. Godzilla, which while not really a dark film, is certainly a bit more serious in tone that the original Mothra film. It's tough to compare them because they are suited for different films.

GalacticPetey wrote:I feel Nelson works well in Mothra, and the pair of Torahata and Kumayama are better suited to a film like Mothra vs. Godzilla, which while not really a dark film, is certainly a bit more serious in tone that the original Mothra film. It's tough to compare them because they are suited for different films.

I agree completely. Mothra is a fairytale, and needed a snarling, melodramatic villain like Nelson. Strange as this might sound to someone unfamiliar with the genre, Mothra vs. Godzilla is a lot more grounded, so having more nuanced villains is essential.

eabaker wrote:

GalacticPetey wrote:I feel Nelson works well in Mothra, and the pair of Torahata and Kumayama are better suited to a film like Mothra vs. Godzilla, which while not really a dark film, is certainly a bit more serious in tone that the original Mothra film. It's tough to compare them because they are suited for different films.

I agree completely. Mothra is a fairytale, and needed a snarling, melodramatic villain like Nelson. Strange as this might sound to someone unfamiliar with the genre, Mothra vs. Godzilla is a lot more grounded, so having more nuanced villains is essential.

You know, I'd never thought of that, but I think you hit the nail on the head. This film does feel very grounded, as least as far as these types of films go. Like you said, the villains are more nuanced, but they're also very real. There are people like Kumayama and Torahata all around. That was true in the 60s and it's true now.

The story mainly focuses on a reporter and a photographer. They're relationship feels very organic and they are everyday people, not heroic military types like many action films like to follow. Godzilla and Mothra are handled very carefully and seriously. Godzilla feels like a legitimate threat and the way the characters react to him and the actions the military take feel very realistic. Okay, metal nets and electric towers are a little far out there, but I feel it works in the context of the film. I see this a lot when discussing the grounded nature of Legendary's MonsterVerse films, which is this mantra of "The monsters are fantastical, but the world around them and how we react are grounded in reality".

I think this is a very long winded way of saying that this film just feels natural. The characters are very real and their action are as well. They're just surrounded by fantastical, larger than life monsters. But said monsters also feel natural in this world.

Not sure if that made much sense, I can tend to ramble.

GalacticPetey wrote:Not sure if that made much sense, I can tend to ramble.

Made perfect sense to me!

And I think this conversation may have made me like the movie even more!

eabaker wrote:And I think this conversation may have made me like the movie even more!

Funnily enough, this actually happened to me upon my most recent viewing. It's always been one of my favorites, even when I was really young. I think this was the second or third Godzilla film I ever saw, and I think it gets better for me upon each viewing.

GalacticPetey wrote:

eabaker wrote:And I think this conversation may have made me like the movie even more!

Funnily enough, this actually happened to me upon my most recent viewing. It's always been one of my favorites, even when I was really young. I think this was the second or third Godzilla film I ever saw, and I think it gets better for me upon each viewing.

Agreed! I had watched some of the Millennium films before this one, but they never really gripped me like this film did. The retro asethic, (which I love, and is partly the reason why the Showa series is my favorite) the mysticism of Mothra and her fairies (Mothra is my favorite Godzilla monster btw. I love how feminine she is in contrast to most kaiju), amazing Ifukbe score, the simple but effective plot and characters and beatiful and visceral FX set pieces all combine to make an emotionally stirring kaiju film that made me really fall in love with the series and want to pursue more.

Side note: I rented the VHS along with Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster as a kid. I watched this one before the other so having there be continuity between the two was satisfying. Although, it always made me sad the other twin larva died (and it also made me wonder why she died).

This film truly earns its status as being one of the best and is a fitting end to Godzilla as a Showa era villian.

Do Ichiro, Junko, and Professor Miura spend an entire night watching the Shobijin pray to the egg ?

It didn't seem like an entire night to me. I'd estimate, based on when the larva arrived on the island after Godzilla, that it was probably a half hour at most.

Good movie.

It becomes extra enjoyable when viewed under the context that Godzilla had never been a presented as a hero before. Not until the following Ghidrah film.

Mothra could likely be the first heroic giant monster. Maybe under different circumstance the series could have gone in the direction of Mothra as the heroic monster in place of Godzilla.

Except that this was the case of Mothra being introduced into the Godzilla series, not the other way around. Godzilla definitely should have been a villain for at least a few more movies, but if their roles were reversed, then we probably would have had to see Mothra *and* Godzilla together in every subsequent entry thereafter, which would have gotten old reaaal quick.

^Not necessarily? This movie really is more of a sequel to Mothra than KKvsG, and Godzilla had only enjoyed top billing in two of the four films he'd appeared in so far. KKvsG though GvsM0 were essentially crossover movies featuring Godzilla rather than "Godzilla movies". Toho could very well have decided to focus on Mothra after GTTHM, if not for the fact that Godzilla had proven the more lucrative property, among other factors (being a man in a suit instead of a puppet, for instance).

Godzilla certainly looks menacing and destructive despite the fact most of his destruction is purely accidental. For instance that tower only collapses after his tail gets caught in it and he actually slips and falls into the castle. Only then does he tear it down. He's destructive but he's not overly malicious about it either. Even though he's the antagonist of the film I could hardly call him a villain.