Three Giant Monsters:
The Greatest Battle on Earth, known famously
as Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster,
is the fifth Godzilla film and a major turning
point that would shape the rest of the Showa
Timeline. This film holds a special place
in my collection. Why? Is it because this
was the first time Godzilla began filling
the role of protagonist? Is it because this
would be King Ghidorah's debut? Those are
two splendid reasons, but for me, the thing
that really makes this so special is raw nostalgia.
This was my first ever Godzilla film! I got
this thing on tape when I was four years old.
It was so magical seeing Mothra rally Godzilla
and Rodan to battle the intimidating King
Ghidorah. It has been some time since I last
watched it, but I do feel it's finally time
to give my thoughts on this gem.
A mysterious meteorite crashes
in Japan, a foreign princess begins to claim
she is from another world and prophesies times
of turmoil, Godzilla and Rodan have awoken
from their slumber and attempt to annihilate
one another, and Mothra is left in the middle
as the only mediator capable of bringing together
two of Earth's greatest monsters to repel
a three-headed harbinger of doom.
This film is a bit darker and
more serious than than some of the Godzilla-as-protagonist
films that would follow. The acting tends
to steer clear of the quality issues that
would plague the more lighthearted fare. The
dialogue isn't too cheesy, and it's amazing
when you contrast it against movies like Godzilla
vs. Megalon (1973).
Akiko
Wakabayashi manages to churn out a rather
memorable performance as the otherworldly
princess Selina Salno. Despite her rather
deadpan delivery, she manages to conjure up
a rather haunting atmosphere of uncertainty.
The human villain this time around is Chief
Assassin Malmess (portrayed by Hisaya Ito),
whose performance is surprisingly solid. His
cold and "strictly business" demeanor
evokes a sort of visceral dread (he even has
the whole sunglasses thing going for him).
Naoko Shindo (played by Yuriko Hoshi) is a
fine female lead who is very fortunately presented
with a strong and competent role in the unfolding
plot. The rest of the cast seems to do well
with what they're given, and with Ishiro
Honda at the helm, direction is almost
definitely part of the winning solution.
The monsters are the real draw,
of course. This was Godzilla's last bout as
a card-carrying villain in the '60s. The suit
boasts some menacing features, including rotating
eyes. It's a much better costume than some
of the ones we'll see later on (e.g. Godzilla
vs. Gigan [1972]). Rodan, if you
can imagine, looks even more menacing than
the Big G. They prove to be worthy opponents,
effectively reaching a stalemate. The Mothra
Larva looks nice, but it's a little sad to
see this little one getting tossed about.
We can't forget about King
Ghidorah, of course. I'm sure the filmmakers
didn't quite realize that this beast would
become such an iconic pop culture legend,
recognizable even outside of the esoteric
circles of the kaiju fandom. It's pretty obvious
in retrospect; after all, who wouldn't enjoy
watching a three-headed dragon from space
tear up the scenery with a golden barrage
of gravity beams?! With a malevolent persona
and a towering build, the King of Terror challenges
the King of the Monsters with a bit of healthy
competition. Complete with a cackling roar
and an unending thirst for chaos, this monster
is the highlight, a true villain
with his own "Watch out, he's here!"
theme.
The effects are pretty decent,
as the suits move realistically. They are
somewhat of a sight to behold even to this
day. King Ghidorah's iconic energy weapon
looks great onscreen, but alas, Godzilla's
atomic breath looks like a cloud of aerosol
spray.
Pacing is an unfortunate problem
with this movie. It takes way too long for
the monsters to show up. At least the humans
scenes aren't quite as dull as those found
in Destroy
All Monsters (1968). Nevertheless,
it takes about 40 minutes to get some bona
fide monster action.
Stand out scenes include King
Ghidorah's entrance. That was truly something
else! Rodan picking up Godzilla and throwing
him like a rag doll was a spectacle and really
painted the terrifying pterosaur as a force
with which to be reckoned. The final fight
was was just plain epic, an example of kaiju
teamwork at its finest. My favorite scene
of all is the "dialogue" between
Mothra and her two soon-to-be-ally monsters.
It's a sequence that really humanizes these
beasties. When Mothra goes off to fight alone,
Godzilla and Rodan look at him with a sense
of honor and are finally persuaded to help;
a classic scene.
The soundtrack is really excellent,
and Rodan and King Ghidorah's leitmotifs would
become a staple of their respective characters
for years to come. Rodan's theme is a hyper
intense piece in F Minor with an almost Arabian
aura. Ghidorah's lumbering accompaniment marches
across the D diminished scale and produces
a thunderously ominous vibe. If it could be
summed up in a single word, that word would
be "beware". Though remixes would
find their way into future Godzilla films,
these are some of the best incarnations and
truly pump up the drama with aplomb. There
is one non-music sound error to note. A mistake
can be heard when Rodan rises for the first
time, as Godzilla's roar is mistakenly used.
No matter what, I'll always
enjoy Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.
It's a great entry in the franchise. With
a little more monster action, it could have
been one of the best. It's not quite up to
part with its direct sequel Invasion
of Astro-Monster (1965), but it more
than stands on its own two feet.
|
(4/5)