Tag: toho

Closing Japan’s Wartime History Akihiko Hirata’s final role in a Godzilla film came in Terror of Mechagodzilla. Like in 1954 as Dr. Serizawa, he again plays a scientist, although …

Jet Jaguar, Stop! Nuclear tests begin Godzilla vs Megalon’s story. Those blasts sink Monster Island and suck the water from a lake. Angered by the repeated blasts and resulting …

Roach Infested Alien cockroaches from outer space leave their polluted planet, head to Earth, and build a children’s theme park. That’s kooky material, even by 1970s Godzilla standards. Godzilla …

Smoggy As Godzilla vs Hedorah’s opening credits close, a broken clock floats on ocean sludge. An hour chime sounds. Then a smash cut to a close-up of bright flowers. …

Undervalued Parable At the end of All Monsters Attack, 10 year-old Ichiro (Tomonori Yazaki) fights a bully to earn respect. Then, Ichiro torments a sign maker. It’s an oft …

Dirty Stinkin’ Rats Everything the alien Xiliens do is commanded by computers. Their entire society is based on rapid calculations. No one loves and no one marries without the …

While following a similar story to the prior Mothra, Mothra vs Godzilla finds a unique tone amid some outstanding action.

Tako’s Folly A US nuclear submarine looses Godzilla from ice that entombed the monster in Godzilla Raids Again. Then, King Kong is brought over to Japan thanks to a …

No Banana Oil Here Godzilla Raids Again’s opening act captures a snapshot of post-war Japan. Rather than Godzilla representing an actual nuclear force, Godzilla Raids Again positions the beast …

Giant Moth Stomps Capitalism Beside Godzilla, Mothra stands as director Ishiro Honda’s most accusatory giant monster film. Borrowing from the lineage of King Kong, Honda makes Mothra Japan’s own, …

Enjoyment Eater Science failed in defeating Godzilla. A nanometal city – a stand-in of sorts for popular monster Mechagodzilla – was obliterated in the last chapter of this anime …

Moon Landing Battle There were few greater cinematic idealists than director Ishiro Honda. Consider this: Five years after conducting the bleak, disparate, nuclear holocaust warning film Godzilla, Honda directed …