Showa Godzilla films with best and worst special effects

[JAGzilla]

Much as I love KKvsG, I have to concede that it had some terrible effects. Haven't seen it in a while, but off the top of my head:

- The satellite. Which was only in the US version, though, so at least that wasn't Toho's doing.

- The Kong suit. I like it, but I'm not going to pretend it isn't one of the ugliest and most fake-looking suits in the series.

- The obvious doll Kong was carrying in the Tokyo attack scene.

- The action figures bouncing around in the scene where Kong is being tied to the balloons.

- The Oodako prop that was latched onto Kong's face. As a kid, I was convinced that Kong and Godzilla were giant, impossibly lifelike robots attacking full-size cities that were built for the movie. And the octopus still looked like a garbage bag to me.

And probably some stuff I'm forgetting. I don't know if I'd say this was the movie with the worst effects, though. GvsG's godawful Gigan and Ghidorah puppets might be bad enough to outweigh all of the above stuff.

[Goji]

The satellite is from THE MYSTERIANS. It looks just fine.

[JAGzilla]

^ Huh. Maybe it was Toho's doing, then. Well, regardless of the scene's realism, I've learned something today.

[Godzilla 1995]

- The Oodako prop that was latched onto Kong's face. As a kid, I was convinced that Kong and Godzilla were giant, impossibly lifelike robots attacking full-size cities that were built for the movie. And the octopus still looked like a garbage bag to me.

Umm, if I remember right, Oodako was an actual octopus. Not sure about that particular scene, but I know they used a live one.

[Space Hunter M]

Umm, if I remember right, Oodako was an actual octopus.

That's true, but the scene he's referring to did indeed use a prop. Incidentally, there's some really cool test footage of a live octopus on the Unused Effects VHS.

[Legion1979]

My biggest problem with KKvsG's effects are the terrible blue bleeds on the matte shots.

[Goji]

My biggest problem with KKvsG's effects are the terrible blue bleeds on the matte shots.

Which nobody even mentioned in this topic. Funny how that works.

[Ethan]

Godzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monsters and Monster Zero have some of the best visuals of that era. Top notch stuff. Surely there's stuff we can nitpick about these films, but nothing unjustified by that period's standards. Space Amoeba does have some cringeworthy material, though I guess Nakano's inexperience at that time was the cause.

[Tamura]

^ Sadamasa Arikawa directed the special effects to SPACE AMOEBA. Nakano was only the assistant sfx director.

[Ethan]

Oh I see. So Nakano's first experience as a SFX director (as far as giant monsters are concerned) was Godzilla vs. Hedorah?

[Dr. Nishiyama]

Oh I see. So Nakano's first experience as a SFX director (as far as giant monsters are concerned) was Godzilla vs. Hedorah?

Hedorah was his first film as effects director, but he wouldn't get billed under that title until 1973's Submersion of Japan. Also, Teruyoshi Nakano was hardly inexperienced. He was a first assistant director to Eiji Tsuburaya since King Kong VS Godzilla and didn't have the power or influence his mentor had. After Tsuburaya died, Toho got rid of their special effects house and Nakano had to get freelancers for the job. Whoever was left after the effects house folded stayed on (or something like that). The 70s Godzilla films were not kind to Nakano who had to make due with whatever budget and time he was given (which I think were half the budget of the 60s Godzilla films).

[ebirahsmeg1]

Best effects were most likely MothravsG, GTTHM (sans the G and Rodan puppets), GvsMonster Zero and DAM. I also feel that both SOG and TOMG also had some underrated SFX work. I agree with everyone else's sentiments about KKvsG...the Kong suit, terrible blue screen matte shots, and the stick puppets used in the final part of the battle knock it down quite a bit. Also, as much as I love GvsGigan, the flying puppet for KG was just....*brutal*...

[Gyaos]

The only SFX flop from Mothra vs Godzilla was the deflating rock from the final battle. I guess they where trying to show that Godzilla's heat ray melted it but they kinda did a bad job at it. Other than that the film was great.

Godzilla Raids Again had the worst. The suit and the puppets where terrible. And why where the battles filmed in fast motion?

[Sydney Aradi]

Yeah looking back on KKvsG, it did have some awful effects work. The bad matte work & the stop motion scenes (especially the one with the two monsters) was just jarring and the green army figures jumping on Kong

[Goji]

Godzilla Raids Again had the worst. The suit and the puppets where terrible. And why where the battles filmed in fast motion?

This has been discussed to death already.

Listen to the audio commentary.

[GodzillaDude]

The worst was Godzilla vs. Megalon

The best is a lot harder to decide for me...Invasion of the Astro Monster I think?

[Legion1979]

The worst was Godzilla vs. Megalon

The best is a lot harder to decide for me...Invasion of the Astro Monster I think?

Could you...explain a little bit.

[Space Hunter M]

For reasons people already stated, Godzilla vs. Gigan is easily the worst of the bunch. Megalon at least had the dam sequence, but then again, it was nothing new *coughMothracough*.

Son of Godzilla has some of the best wire and matte work ever seen in a Godzilla film. Battle in Outer Space is good in this respect too, although the matting is a bit still "meh".

[Godz]

My biggest problem with KKvsG's effects are the terrible blue bleeds on the matte shots.

Which nobody even mentioned in this topic. Funny how that works.

This is what I came here to post actually.

Also in defense of "Gigan", the pyrotechnics were pretty bitchin', Godzilla (and Anguirus) bleeding was done quite well, and something about the "rotting Godzilla suit" is charming to me, I see him more of an aging, battle weary hero by this time than a detrimental special effect.

My problem with "Megalon" is the stock footage overload. I like the suits for the fim for the most part, but, the fact that pretty much all of Megalon's rampage, be it city destruction (practically 100% lifted from "Ghidrah"), or battling the jet squadron (where his claws turn into Gigan's claws to smash the jets), and the maser attack ("War of the Gargantuas") is stock.

Also except for the scene where Gigan holds JJ hostage, and where Gigan gets tossed up at the end, Godzilla's breath isn't handled very well, as it doesn't even connect with the monsters.

Best effects? I'm a huge fan of the wirework done for Kumonga and Kamakiris in "Son of Godzilla", "Sea Monster" was pretty strong for the most part...."MechaGodzilla" was flashy and fun.

[Tamura]

I don't understand how stock footage or even derpy suits count as bad special effects. I mean, if a suit fails to give off the impression of a 50-meter high monster (e.g noticeable eye holes, visible strings holding up tail), then I guess that makes sense, but besides the suits from GIGAN being quite worn, I've failed to see any complaints of that nature yet.