Mothra vs. Godzilla

This article is about the 1964 film. For the 1992 film, see Godzilla vs. Mothra.
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Directed by Ishirō Honda
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by Shinichi Sekizawa
Starring Akira Takarada
Yuriko Hoshi
Hiroshi Koizumi
Yu Fujiki
Emi Itō
Yumi Itō
Kenji Sahara
Jun Tazaki
Yoshifumi Tajima
Music by Akira Ifukube
Cinematography Hajime Koizumi
Production
company
Distributed by Toho (Japan)
American International Pictures (USA)
Release dates
  • April 29, 1964 (1964-04-29)
Running time
 88 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Mothra vs. Godzilla (モスラ対ゴジラ Mosura tai Gojira) is a 1964 Japanese science fiction 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. The fourth film in the Godzilla series, it was the first in which Toho began bringing in monsters from other productions, having Godzilla cross paths with Mothra. This trend would continue later in the same year with Rodan, in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

The film was released theatrically in English language territories in the summer of 1964 (four months after its Japanese debut) by American International Pictures as Godzilla vs. the Thing.

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. He 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 him 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 his atomic breath, and Mothra collapses and dies from exhaustion. Fortunately, Godzilla loses interest in the egg, and proceeds with his rampage.

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

Cast

Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla) takes a break during filming.

English version

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

American International Pictures originally released the film in the United States in September 1964, and it opened in New York City on November 25 of that year, retitled Godzilla vs. The Thing. Mothra's appearance was kept out of promotional material, which hinted that Godzilla's opponent would be a hideous tentacled creature and referred to it only as "The Thing". New York Times film critic Eugene Archer reacted to the film and its title: "Well, there are three things, not counting the movie. One has wings and looks like a big bee. The other two are hatched from the first Thing's egg, after quite a bit of worshipful kootch dancing from a pair of foot-tall native goddesses...".

In video releases of the 1980s, the film was titled simply Godzilla vs. Mothra. However, Mothra is still repeatedly called "The Thing" in the film, confusing many film-goers who thought "The Thing" and "Mothra" were two separate monsters.

This is the first Showa Godzilla film to be nearly completely intact for North American release (a very few small scenes were edited out). The first three Godzilla films were heavily edited, as well as included English actors and new narration.

Production

Release and box office

The film was released in Japan on April 29, 1964, where it sold 3,510,000 tickets.

The film was re-released twice. On December 19, 1970 it was reissued (edited) as part of the Toho Champion Festival where it sold 730,000 tickets.

On March 15, 1980, it was re-released on a double bill with Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur. This double bill release sold 2,980,000 tickets.

Titles

Reception

The film has received favorable reviews by critics, and is widely considered among the best Godzilla films.[1] The film's approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is currently at 90% based on ten reviews.

Home media releases

Classic Media R1 America

Simitar Entertainment R0 America[2]

Paramount Home Video/Gateway

Paramount Home Video

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Mothra vs. Godzilla
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 10, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.