Talkback Thread #9: Destroy All Monsters (1968)

[Tyler]

Couldn't the Kilaaks munipulate fire and stuff? That would be interesting to see touched upon further.

[edgaguirus]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

But it makes our space heroes looks good. They can't have the monsters up staging them.

A Fire Dragon Ghidorah would be interesting to see.

[Cimmerian Dragon]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

But it makes our space heroes looks good. They can't have the monsters up staging them.

Yeah, Ryuhei Kitamura, that's how you give the human heroes a minute to shine. One good opponent, and not half the Godzy-damned movie.

[Living Corpse]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

But it makes our space heroes looks good. They can't have the monsters up staging them.

Yeah, Ryuhei Kitamura, that's how you give the human heroes a minute to shine. One good opponent, and not half the Godzy-damned movie.

I second this notion.

[shinmattiathekaiju]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

lackluster movie

lackluster movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2xDJPc- ... re=related

How it is a lackluster movie!?!?!?!!?!?

[Tohosaurus]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

lackluster movie

lackluster movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2xDJPc- ... re=related

How it is a lackluster movie!?!?!?!!?!?

I actually just talked about it with someone last night in person. We both agreed that the boring build up to the relatively short final battle wherein some monsters don't even fight makes for a dull entry in the series. There's a lot of monsters ... not a lot of monster action. Plus, I too think the Fire Dragon was pointless and lame. I actually became excited the first time I saw it because I was expecting a new and interesting monster. What did it turn out to be? A waste of time. This is all just my opinion, but I know it's one I'm not alone on.

I think Invasion of Astro Monster or Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster are far more interesting Showa flicks with the King of Terror as the enemy monster of mankind.

[shinmattiathekaiju]

The Fire Dragon was unnecessary. It just eats up screen time in an already lackluster movie.

lackluster movie

lackluster movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2xDJPc- ... re=related

How it is a lackluster movie!?!?!?!!?!?

I actually just talked about it with someone last night in person. We both agreed that the boring build up to the relatively short final battle wherein some monsters don't even fight makes for a dull entry in the series. There's a lot of monsters ... not a lot of monster action. Plus, I too think the Fire Dragon was pointless and lame. I actually became excited the first time I saw it because I was expecting a new and interesting monster. What did it turn out to be? A waste of time. This is all just my opinion, but I know it's one I'm not alone on.

I think Invasion of Astro Monster or Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster are far more interesting Showa flicks with the King of Terror as the enemy monster of mankind.

In IOAM,the monsters appaears for just few times.

[Tohosaurus]

In IOAM,the monsters appaears for just few times.

The monsters fight twice, even though the first fight was brief. Plus, the fact that one compares the 11-monster strong DAM to the amount of fighting time that the mere three monster Astro Monster has says a lot, doesn't it? With 11 monsters you'd expect some serious monster action.

If you're happy with the film, more power to ya. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just not happy with the movie, as some others are.

[Dr. Nishiyama]

I love DAM quite a bit, but was never fond of the fire dragon. I always thought the money spent on that sequence (especially the animation for the fire dragon) could've been spent on something else- like building a brand new Varan and Baragon suit (this way Toho employees didnt have to wait to get the mutilated Baragon suit back from Tsuburaya Productions to film five seconds of footage lol)

[Tohosaurus]

Yeah. Frankly, Manda, Varan, and Baragon ought not to have been in the film at all, but whatever. Maybe the new DVD and BD releases will give me a new found appreciation for it.

[Darkness]

I had recently rewatched Destroy All Monsters and I must say that I really don't find it dull like others do and happen to enjoy the build up. From the very get go we get an introduction to most of the monsters and within about 10 minutes, they've been released on the world's major cities. I also like the human protagonists and how they are constantly trying to find the base of the Kilaaks, who use the monsters as guard dogs making it difficult. Then of course you get Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and Manda attacking Tokyo at the same time.

[Living Corpse]

I think it really depends on your mood at the time when you're watching it.

[shinmattiathekaiju]

Then of course you get Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and Manda attacking Tokyo at the same time.

My favourite scene in the movie.

[NebulaMSpacehunter]

Budget and tech doesn't really have much to do with getting all ten monsters to fight Ghidrah, they had all the suits there so all you needed was them to go at it, so I don't know why they decided not to have all the monsters fight. Maybe they were just too rushed to film a giant action scene like that.

[Legion1979]

Budget and tech doesn't really have much to do with getting all ten monsters to fight Ghidrah, they had all the suits there...

Nope.

The new Baragon suit wasn't ready and all they had left of Varan was a dilapidated flying prop.

[Cimmerian Dragon]

Yeah. Frankly, Manda, Varan, and Baragon ought not to have been in the film at all, but whatever. Maybe the new DVD and BD releases will give me a new found appreciation for it.

Hey...Manda was cool in Atragon, and her (his/its?) serpentine attack on the bridge in DAM is one of the few semi-original moments of destruction in the picture.

[edgaguirus]

Agreed.

DAM was designed to showcase as many monsters as possible. Even if some monsters could not be well represented, they still wanted them in the film.

[Killswitch]

Better yet, have two King Ghidorah's. Just as the Earth Monsters have KG at the edge of defeat, another KG appears.

[Godz]

Budget and tech doesn't really have much to do with getting all ten monsters to fight Ghidrah, they had all the suits there so all you needed was them to go at it, so I don't know why they decided not to have all the monsters fight. Maybe they were just too rushed to film a giant action scene like that.

Tech does kinda matter, if you think about it.

Why do you think Rodan flew away the second the fight started? IMO, it's wirework. You've already got wires manipulating all the kaiju's tails, King Ghidorah's necks, the entirety of Kumonga, etc....for Rodan to do anything but stand there and flap his wings would be impossible, so that takes him out of the equation, sadly.

Manda is little more than a glorified marionette, who's only contribution could've been biting or constricting Ghidorah....and that kind of wirework is not conducive to a big brawl, eliminating his usefulness in this scene.

Sadly, as is common knowledge in the fandom, the Baragon suit was not screen-ready in time, which is why only a silly looking puppet head is seen before the fight. I wish they could've delayed the scene long enough to get him involved, but, alas.

If Legion is correct above, only a prop of Varan was around, which would explain his activity (or lack thereof)

Some of this is purely speculation on my part, so, feel free to correct any of it should it require it.

[Killswitch]

Budget and tech doesn't really have much to do with getting all ten monsters to fight Ghidrah, they had all the suits there so all you needed was them to go at it, so I don't know why they decided not to have all the monsters fight. Maybe they were just too rushed to film a giant action scene like that.

Tech does kinda matter, if you think about it.

Why do you think Rodan flew away the second the fight started? IMO, it's wirework. You've already got wires manipulating all the kaiju's tails, King Ghidorah's necks, the entirety of Kumonga, etc....for Rodan to do anything but stand there and flap his wings would be impossible, so that takes him out of the equation, sadly.

Manda is little more than a glorified marionette, who's only contribution could've been biting or constricting Ghidorah....and that kind of wirework is not conducive to a big brawl, eliminating his usefulness in this scene.

Sadly, as is common knowledge in the fandom, the Baragon suit was not screen-ready in time, which is why only a silly looking puppet head is seen before the fight. I wish they could've delayed the scene long enough to get him involved, but, alas.

If Legion is correct above, only a prop of Varan was around, which would explain his activity (or lack thereof)

Some of this is purely speculation on my part, so, feel free to correct any of it should it require it.

This is one of the main reasons I favor CGI. There would be no restrictions, and the monsters would be fluid in their movements.