To
critique a movie like Ghidorah, the Three-Headed
Monster is a challenge. The fact is that it
is a paradox. Terrible acting, relatively average
special effects, and severe campiness make Ghidorah,
the Three-Headed Monster a failure on paper.
On screen, however, it's pure magic! This movie
is, without a doubt, among the most influential
Godzilla movies of all time. Not only does it
present the first diverse multi-monster brawl,
but it also introduces a very humanized Godzilla
and Rodan... and starts the two monsters down
the path to virtual heroism. The influence is
buried under a movie that lacks cinematic potency,
but luckily, the movie is enjoyable enough to
prove charming and entertaining, despite its flaws.
Within
a short period of time after Godzilla's defeat
at the hands of the Mothra larvae, a strange meteor
shower produces an anomalous meteorite that falls
in a remote, mountainous region. Professor Muria
heads an investigation to the site and is astounded
by magnetism, heat, and abnormal growth in the
mysterious object.
Meanwhile,
Detective Shindo is relieved of his duty to protect
a foreign dignitary, Princess Mas Selina Salno
of Sergina, as she is believed to have died in
a mid-air explosion. Oddly enough, someone looking
very similar appears in the clothes of a fisherman
and warns of a catastrophe in the Mt. Aso region.
She claims to predict the future, and reveals
that she is from Mars. Detective Shino's sister,
Nakao Shindo, is among a few reporters who take
interest in the story. Unfortunately, the warnings
are not heeded. Soon, at Mt. Aso, Rodan breaches
the igneous crust! It frees itself and flies toward
the sea!
Soon
thereafter, the woman claiming to be a Martian
attempts to stop a ship from sailing. Aboard that
ship are the Shobijin, the twin fairies of Infant
Island, who are visiting Japan. The ship's captain
scoffs at the warnings, but the Shobijin escape
the vessel and slip away with Nakao Shindo, who
brings the "Martian" with her to a motel for an
interview. There, Nakao's brother arrives, having
already concluded that the "Martian" is indeed
Princess Mas Selina Salno. Unfortunately, they
meet with a band of assassins who had caused the
explosion of the princess's plane. In the ensuing
chaos, the conspirators escape, leaving the princess,
the Shobijin, Detective Shindo, and Nakao Shindo
unharmed.
While
all this occurs, the ship from which the fairies
escaped is destroyed by Godzilla's breath. Godzilla
emerges, and his eyes catch Rodan, the mammoth
pterosaur that glides eerily aloft. Godzilla follows
Rodan onto the coast and ravages civilization
in its path. If two monsters aren't enough, the
meteorite in the mountains suddenly explodes and
materializes into King Ghidorah, whom is revealed
by princess to be the creature that destroyed
life on Mars.
With
all three monsters now attacking Japan, the military
is at a loss for what to do. The Shobijin are
consulted and are asked to summon Mothra for help.
Mothra quickly leaves Infant Island and arrives
on the scene of a most terrible battle between
Godzilla and Rodan. Mothra tries to convince the
two that they must combine their efforts to stop
King Ghidorah. Godzilla and Rodan disagree, and
Mothra tries to fight the three-headed terror
alone.
Meanwhile,
the conspirators continue to pursue the princess,
and they manage to wound her. Her thoughts of
being a Martian escape her, and she returns to
normal. Detective Shindo tries to protect her
to the end, but luckily a rogue gravity beam manages
to send a rockslide that defeats the head assassin
of the conspiracy.
Back
at the scene of the battle, King Ghidorah throws
Mothra around like a toy. Luckily, Godzilla and
Rodan finally realize the necessity of defeating
this new creature. All three of Earth monsters
enter the fray against King Ghidorah. Mothra crawls
onto Rodan, who soars in circles around the tyrannical,
three-headed creature. From this vantage point,
Mothra is easily able to spray silk at the aggressor.
Behind Ghidorah, Godzilla takes hold of his two
squirming tails. Spinning the monster into a centrifugal
throw, the silk-wound dragon is thrown to the
ground, where a barrage of boulders follows. King
Ghidorah, having had enough, accepts defeat and
flies into space. It disappears into the sky,
for now.
Meanwhile,
the princess, having reverted to a normal state,
returns to her homeland as the Shobijin return
to their island. The future is uncertain, but
at least for now, the day is safe.
Truly,
one of the main downfalls in this film is acting.
Even while masked by an atrocious dub, it is quite
obvious that everyone is simply overacting. Yuriko
Hoshi's over exaggerated moods really cause her
character to come across as insincere and over-the-top.
To a lesser extent, the same is true with Yosuke
Natsuki's character. In fact, many of the background
characters also suffered from these similar flaws.
As a "Martian", Akiko Wakabayashi is stunted as
a character requiring a very monotone and very
stoic demeanor. Despite this fact, it is clear
that she has a very rich grasp of her role. Similarly,
she is able to flawlessly switch to the role of
a princess. Hisaya Ito, who played the head assassin,
has a very cold and stoic demeanor, but unfortunately
turns out to be a very stereotypical villain.
Toru Ibuki, Susumu Kurobi, and Kazuo Suzuki are
also very stereotypical, and their combined performance
reminds one much of the mob-like roles presented
by the villains in Mothra
(1961). In fact, Hiroshi Koizumi's acting finally
comes across as refreshing in this movie.
Unlike the previous movie, where he was stunted
by his "solemn scientist" role, this time it actually
makes him stand out as one of the better actors
in the movie.
As
far as how well the Shobijin are presented as
a whole, it is a little different from the previous
film. The costumes they wear in this film are
actually more reminiscent of those they wore in
Mothra
(1961) than of those in Mothra
vs. Godzilla (1964). Of course, this could
easily be a mild hint about the heat wave, mentioned
earlier in the film. Aside from costumes, their
characteristic of being able to talk in synch
seems to have been altered a bit. It appears at
times as though there is an audible delay in their
voices this time around, both with the dub and
apparently without the dub. Much of the time they
do speak simultaneously, but the times when they
do not pose as a slight distraction. The handling
of the special effects, in order to make it appear
as though the Shobijin are small, is done well
in this movie. Luckily, the occasional use of
dolls, an unfortunate special effect flaw, hasn't
been reused since Mothra
(1961).
There
are other characters that have a hand in the plot.
An interesting note about this movie is that it
is the first movie to mention aliens in the Godzilla
series, which would be a repeated aspect in several
movies. These aliens are handled quite differently,
and they pose a much more behind-the-scenes influence.
The most intriguing aspect of their nature is
just how benign they are. The aliens in future
Godzilla movies never again pose such a helpful
position in the plot.
As
far as the physical presentation of the monsters
goes, it is done with an average amount of success.
The suit material looks nicer than it does in
upcoming years, but there are a wide number of
downfalls. The heads on all of the costumes, save
King Ghidorah, are very cute, for lack of a better
word. There is little real ferocity in any of
the faces. In some ways, this does help to humanize
and decrease the viciousness of the monsters.
The puppet-like eyes and the facial animatronics
are another step in that direction. Also, a rather
infamous scene (that would unfortunately be repeated
in the future) occurs when Godzilla sits down
like a human. This, of course, also helps to give
a very human-like air to the star monster.
In
fact, this physical presentation, which creates
a more personified kaiju cast, seems to be a major
turning point in the Godzilla series. Mothra's
persuasive discussion with Godzilla and Rodan
is rather unprecedented, and almost turns Mothra
into a kaiju psychiatrist, putting into focus
Godzilla and Rodan's resentment for humankind.
It really is the first time that Godzilla and
Rodan have gone from savage creatures to tragic
figures. In fact, when Mothra goes to fight King
Ghidorah alone, one can see a true sense of honor
and pity in the eyes of Godzilla and Rodan, and
their upcoming assistance becomes such an influential
change in demeanor for these monsters, that their
destructive nature is never quite the same.
Setting
aside the issue of the personification of the
protagonist monsters, King Ghidorah comes across
as the real demon in this movie, taking Godzilla's
traditional place as the super-powerful antagonist.
With a gravity beam shooting out far more frequently
than Godzilla ever managed to muster a good breath,
this jittery, organic monstrosity truly takes
the cake as a very original, and very powerful
monster. As far as the physical attributes of
the suit and prop are concerned, the wing movements
aren't that superb, but they are handled better
than they would be in future movies. The necks
flow nicely, and the heads have a powerful, traditional
dragon appearance. Creating a three-necked, two
tailed, golden, winged, hydra is truly a cinematic
risk, but one that proves to pay off in the end.
Since this first appearance, King Ghidorah has
appeared in several movies, a television show,
and his appearance is even popular enough that
his stock footage or personage shows up occasionally
in modern media.
Some
of the special effects are pretty mediocre.
One can only assume that since this movie came
out within the same year as its predecessor, that
time constraints could easily be a major factor.
The first problem is Godzilla's breath. When Godzilla
first appears in the movie, his breath is a greenish-blue
animation. From there, it becomes a mist. While
it does bring up some nostalgia from the very
first Godzilla movies, it does look very dated.
Another special effect flaw is the matting shots.
The inserted footage of monsters in the distance
looks slightly old and faded, and is done with
much more sophistication in the movie that follows.
The boulder battle is another unfortunate addition,
and makes Godzilla look ever less like a reptile.
It's not as though it isn't done well, but the
question worth posing is: given more time and
money, could they have substituted this with at
least a few more beam fights? The boulders aren't
handled much better on the human level. With Hisaya
Ito's character having a boulder fall on him,
one would not expect a noticeable delay between
catching the boulder and falling with it. Another
special effect lapse has to do with the heads
of the costumes, which are relatively stiff and
cartoonish. Finally, editing was another problem
(albeit a minor problem) in this movie. Some of
the scene changes were very abrupt, and made for
very quick and clumsy pacing at times.
There
are special effects triumphs in the movies, and
the miniatures deserve the most recognition. They
are very detailed and help assist the size illusion
of the monsters. The pyrotechnics in having these
models explode is also done with sophistication,
especially when the gravity beams are firing.
In fact, the gravity beams are also an excellent
special effect. With these yellow, electrical
beams firing every few seconds at times, it's
easy to see where the money to render Godzilla's
breath may have disappeared. Finally, Mothra's
silk effects are very consistent in sophistication
to the prior movie, so there are no complaints
there.
The
music is a plus in this movie, however it is somewhat
an unrefined version of Akira
Ifukube's classics. Mixed together are the
elements of both Godzilla and Rodan's themes,
each a little stressful and annoying. Godzilla's
theme is not as superb in quality as it is in
the previous movie. Mothra's short, orchestral
theme also makes an appearance once again. It
is somewhat unfitting for Mothra's character,
but luckily the haunting, yet beautiful songs
of the Shobijin easily make up for this. King
Ghidorah's theme is a new one that appears in
this movie, and it is certainly a classic. It
is the most interesting theme in the movie, clearly
fitting the dark and chaotic nature of this monster
perfectly. It is not as refined as it would come
to be in the 1991 classic, Godzilla
vs. King Ghidorah, but it is still very
powerful in this early version. The song, "Call
Happiness", is very haunting and pretty, but not
as pleasant as the song that they are about to
sing before the scene changes. Other minor themes,
like the one that played during Professor Miura's
trek through the mountains, are done with suspenseful
sophistication. Overall, the music is a bit of
a mixed bag, but luckily on the good side.
This
is perhaps the first really campy movie
of the 1960s, so there are a lot of eye-roll moments
in the film worth mentioning and analyzing. There
is Senkichi Omura's character who, for 200 yen,
braved the poisonous gasses of an active volcano
to retrieve a hat. Two hundred yen in 1964 was
about equal to $1.80 American. While one may think
that this is an absurdly low amount for which
to brave an active volcano, one must be reminded
that a dollar isn't worth as much as it once did.
but nevertheless it is an absurdly low amount
in any year of the recent century. Shortly thereafter,
there is another slightly odd moment where a reporter
asks the Shobijin about Rodan and Godzilla. despite
the fact that there is no prior information in
the movie whatsoever from the prophetess or anyone
for that matter about the reappearance of Godzilla.
It seems as though the plot gets ahead of itself.
Another eye-roll moment is Somesho Matsumoto's
character's explanation for the princess being
safe: she fell into a dimensional gap opened by
the force of the plane's explosion. His character
seems to make general relativity out to be so
simple, that perhaps the general unification theory
can easily be sought through the careful use of
firecrackers. Sarcasm aside, it is a very unnecessary
explanation in the story, and it can easily be
perceived as over-explanation. Finally, there
are the "nick-of time" moments. For example, in
one scene, the princess is about to undergo mild
shock treatment to resurface buried memories.
Unfortunately, the assassins are wise to this
and they lift the voltage to a point that will
kill her. Luckily, at that moment, Godzilla falls
onto nearby power lines and the electricity is
cut. Another example is the scene where Malmess,
the chief assassin, is about to finish Detective
Shindo and the princess. Suddenly, a rogue gravity
beam fires onto the hill, above which Malmess
is standing. The rockslide quickly disposes of
him. While these moments do help to build suspense
in the plot, one cannot help snicker at how these
happened just in the "nick-of-time".
Possibly
the worst eye-roll moments deserve a category
of their own: dubbing. This movie presents positively
awful dubbing. The mouths and the words are barely
even close to each other. There are two cases,
however, of dubbing problems that just makes one
want to burst out in laughter. The use of the
word "andalay" in a Godzilla movie is one; a man
who cries "ooh eee aah" after a head injury is
another. Mr. Tako's "oooh, no more" moment in
King
Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) is far less embarrassing.
Truly, this is one of the first really bad dubs
in the series.
Another
item worth mentioning is how King Ghidorah is
referred to in this film. In fact, not only is
the "King" non-existent, but "Ghidorah" is spelled
and pronounced "Ghidrah". Of course, it makes
sense (concerning the origin of the name and phonetic
translation), but it would gradually change in
future movies, ultimately becoming "King Ghidorah".
Comedy
is another addition to this movie that causes
a few groans from the audience. Unlike King
Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), the comedy in
this movie isn't quite as good. There are a few
moments that pull the mouth into a smile. One
moment includes a section of dialogue where Detective
Shindo comments about the monsters pig-headedness,
"These monster's are as stupid as human beings."
Another slight grin-moment manages to sneak its
way in the film when the Shobijin comment, "Godzilla!
What terrible language!" One thing is certain;
the dialogue isn't without its charm.
Continuity
is another interesting, yet perplexing aspect
of this film. First, it's obvious that this film
works as a direct sequel to Mothra
vs. Godzilla (1964); however, only one
Mothra larva is shown in this movie. The consensus
is that the other Mothra larva died from its wounds
while fighting Godzilla, but the fact remains
that the second larva isn't even mentioned in
this film. This movie also seems to tie in with
Rodan
(1956), but there is again no mention of the second
Rodan. In this case, it is a bit less confusing,
as it appeared as though the Rodans had actually
died in the 1956 movie, which could easily explain
the death of one of them. This is quite unlike
Mothra
vs. Godzilla (1964), where both larvae
appeared alive and healthy in the end. Of course,
all of this can easily be chalked up to poetic
license; however, it is still thought provoking.
Continuity
doesn't end simply with the monsters. Emi and
Yumi Ito reprise their roles as the mysterious
twin fairies of Infant Island, the Shobijin, and
help to show that Ghidorah, the Three-Headed
Monster is a direct sequel to Mothra
vs. Godzilla (1964). Hiroshi Koizumi also
appears to reprise his role as Professor Muria,
but Yuriko Hoshi's character makes this assumption
all the less clear. She plays two separate main-characters
in two directly connected films, with each character
holding a similar occupation. Unfortunately for
continuity, her name is different. Again, poetic
license takes its traditional place among kaiju
films.
What
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster may
lack in acting and special effects, it easily
makes up for in presenting the first spectacular
monster variety show! Including three monster
favorites and presenting a to-be-favorite newcomer,
this movie certainly inspires several of its successors.
The unprecedented style and magnitude of this
movie is a model for several Godzilla movies,
from Destroy
All Monsters (1968) to Godzilla:
Final Wars (2004), and it is a fact worth
pondering whether or not these films would even
exist if it weren't for this first brave new step.
This movie also signaled the first step toward
Godzilla's eventual heroism, which is an aspect
of the series that some fans disdain and other
fans adore. It may not be the best, but it certainly
is an influential classic.
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