Mothra vs. Godzilla

This article is about the 1964 film. For the 1992 film, see Godzilla vs. Mothra.
Mothra vs. Godzilla

Japanese film poster for Mothra vs. Godzilla
Directed by Ishiro Honda
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka[1]
Screenplay by Shinichi Sekizawa[1]
Starring
Music by Akira Ifukube[1]
Cinematography Hajime Koizumi[1]
Edited by Ryohei Fujii[1]
Production
company
Distributed by Toho
Release dates
  • April 29, 1964 (1964-04-29) (Japan)
Running time
 88 minutes[1]
Country Japan

Mothra vs. Godzilla (モスラ対ゴジラ Mosura tai Gojira) is a 1964 Japanese science fantasy kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Ishirō Honda, and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Akira Takarada, Kenji Sahara and Hiroshi Koizumi. It is the fourth film in the Godzilla film series.

Plot

News reporter Ichiro Sakai and photographer Junko Nakanishi take pictures of a wreckage caused by a typhoon. They uncover a strange, bluish-gray object in the debris, not knowing its significance. Later that day, a giant egg is discovered on the shore. The local villagers salvage it, and an entrepreneur of Happy Enterprises named Kumayama buys the egg from the local villagers. Instead of letting scientists study the egg, Kumayama wants to make it into a large tourist attraction. Later, Sakai and Nakanishi are informed that the strange object they found is extremely radioactive. (It is later hinted that this is a skin particle from Godzilla.)

While Sakai, Nakanishi, and scientist Professor Miura are discussing the egg at a hotel, they discover Kumayama checking in. Kumayama meets with Jiro Torahata, the head of Happy Enterprises. They are unexpectedly confronted by tiny twin girls known as the Shobijin and try to capture them. The Shobijin escape and meet with Sakai, Nakanishi and Professor Miura. They explain that the egg belongs to Mothra. If the egg hatches, the larva (though they have no quarrel with man) will still cause great damage looking for food. The trio agree to help.

Sakai, Nakanishi and Miura try to reason with Kumayama and Torahata but fail to do so and the Shobijin leave. The three of them return to Kurada Beach, to determine if there is any more radioactive contamination; and, knowing it cannot be Mothra, try to find what the source might be. They soon find it: Godzilla, who had blown onto Kurada Beach, and buried under mud by the hurricane. It suddenly emerges and begins to attack Nagoya. Sakai, Junko, and Miura travel to Infant Island to request the Shobijin to send Mothra to defeat Godzilla. The natives of the island and the Shobijin are eventually convinced by the trio. However, the Shobijin warn them that Mothra is already near death by natural causes.

Kumayama barges into Torahata's room and demands to get his money back that Torahata had recently swindled from him. Kumayama is shot by Torahata, then he too is killed when Godzilla arrives and destroys his hotel. Mothra arrives just when Godzilla reaches her egg and engages Godzilla in battle. Briefly, she seems to be winning, even spraying Godzilla with a poisonous powder, though this is ineffective. Despite giving her all, Godzilla hits her with its atomic breath, and Mothra collapses and dies from exhaustion. Fortunately, Godzilla loses interest in the egg and proceeds with its rampage.

The JSDF launches multiple campaigns against Godzilla until two giant larvae hatch from Mothra's egg. They follow Godzilla to Iwa Island, trap it with their silk spray and it falls into the sea. Sakai, Junko, and Miura thank the Mothra larvae and Shobijin as they return to Infant island.

Cast

Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla) takes a break during filming.

Release

American International Pictures film poster by Reynold Brown for the 1964 U.S release for Godzilla vs. The Thing. AIP hid Mothra's appearance behind sensational false advertising. Incorporates artwork by Reynold Brown

Mothra vs. Godzilla was released in Japan on April 29, 1964 where it was distributed by Toho.[1]

The film was first released in the United States under the title Godzilla vs. the Thing on September 17, 1964 where it was distributed by American International Pictures.[1] The American version of the film contains footage shot by Toho specifically for the American release.[1] The film was double-billed with Voyage to the End of the Universe.[1]

The Japanese version of the film was released with English subtitles by Classic Media in 2007.[1]

Reception

In a contemporary review from the Monthly Film Bulletin, the review noted that "In spite of some clumsy model shots, Godzilla's fight with the giant moth and its caterpillar progeny is one of Toho's better efforts"[3] The review praised the monsters design in the film and opined that the "ineffectual attempts to bring him to a halt are cleverly and spectacularly staged. Unfortunately, nothing else quite matches the special effects", noting a plot that was "ridiculous" and acting that was "lamentable, and the two miniature twins' habit of repeating every line of dialogue simultaneously is intensely irksome."[3]

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Galbraith IV 2008, p. 210.
  2. ↑ Galbraith IV 2008, p. 83.
  3. 1 2 "Godzilla Tai Mothra (Godzilla vs. The Thing), Japan, 1964". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 32 no. 372. British Film Institute. 1965. p. 167.

Sources

External links

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