Year: 1964
Director: Ishiro Honda
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
King Kong vs. Godzilla proved to be a huge hit. Toho had clearly made the right decision in licensing the character of King Kong and using him to bring their homegrown monster back to the big screen after a 7 year absence. For the first time since 1955's rushed sequel, Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla was seen as a viable franchise property at a time when franchises were not the norm. Mothra vs. Godzilla would follow this hit.
In this film, a greedy developer unwittingly hatches a gigantic baby moth upon Tokyo, while Godzilla strikes once again.
Toho may have seen the franchise potential in Godzilla, but they clearly weren't all that sure of his name value yet. The giant nuclear lizard/dinosaur was once again second banana to another monster, this time mothra. In the US the sentiment was the exact opposite; Godzilla was the main star and mothra was barely mentioned in its promotional material. Instead the American release was dubbed Godzilla vs. The Thing
The film is somewhat a satire of Japanese corporate culture. You'd think that the Japanese government might come down swiftly on any corporation incubating a kaiju egg on Japanese soil, but this is never addressed in the picture. Perhaps because the government tends to overlook the sins of corporation as they tend to think its "good for business". We can see parallels with North America's own lax feelings towards corporation.
The special effects by Eiji Tsubraya are dynamic and exciting, even when they aren't exactly flawless. The score is great for a Godzilla picture and the creatures themselves are quite memorable. This is an easy film to enjoy and a fun picture to analyze.
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