since December 16, 1999.
Welcome to the Monster Mania, where we'll review the exploits of some of the world's best-known monster movies.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
In the middle of a typhoon something huge and deadly rises from the sea, destroying a boat as it struggles in the waves off a South Sea island. Everyone believes the crew died in the storm, but one young man will stop at nothing to find his missing brother, even going so far as to steal a boat. Admittedly, the boat's owner is on board, but it's still theft. And it becomes theft for real because the so-called "owner" is actually a bank robber hidding from the police. Now, though, the law is hardly their concern: the storm front bearing down on them is. And soon enough the sailboat falls prey to the same disaster, leaving the young man, his two companions, and the robber shipwrecked on the island.
Soon enough they learn that there is something evil in the tropical paradise they've found: a military organization has established a base here, and they've enslaved the inhabitants of Infant Island (a.k.a. Mothra's home) to produce a strange yellow liquid that keeps a giant lobster at bay. This lobster--known as Ebirah in the original Japanese version--becomes a pawn of the organization, serving as an undeniable guard to keep would-be escapees under control. But if the shipwrecked men want to escape, they have to find a way past Ebirah, and that includes eluding the soldiers on the island. They may have a solution in the titan they find sleeping in a cave on the island. But do they really want to wake the King of the Monsters? Do they really want Godzilla up and about and waiting to wreak havoc on anyone or anything that crosses his path?
This was an excellent movie overall. First, we have an opponent who could be every bit as formidable in its element as King Ghidrah or Mothra were in the air. Godzilla, you can imagine, isn't exactly cut out for underwater battles. On the surface, perhaps, but not at the bottom of the ocean. Ebirah, however, most definitely is! And while he doesn't have a long-range attack like Godzilla, the Mothra larvae, or King Ghidrah, Ebirah still has the tactical advantage of being an excellent swimmer with a powerful, hard tail and two large, flat pincers that can pack quite a wallop when they strike from the side.
While Godzilla and Ebirah are the title characters, Toho treats its viewers to two other monsters. One is just a giant condor, nothing really special, except that it has the guts to attack Godzilla head-on, doing a great impression of Rodan...at least until Godzilla breathes on it and sets its feathers on fire, sending it crashing into the sea. The other, though, is none other than Mothra! Well, who did you expect with natives of Infant Island in danger? Mothra doesn't do any fighting, though: this time its (I have no idea if this one is a he or she) purpose is search and rescue.
I like this movie, all the more because it's one of the few that appear fairly frequently on television. I just have one complaint, which is moot since this movie is so old. The twin fairies of the original Mothra, Mothra versus The Thing, and Ghidrah, the Three-headed Monster are gone. In their place are two young women who, though they look identical, look considerably more exotic than the originals, and therefore very different. It's rather disconcerting because they look more like how Americans once stereotyped island women (especially those from the South Seas) than anything else. Oh, well. Like I said, it's useless to complain now.
I have no other complaints except the usual one about English dubbing. However, I will say that I really enjoyed the way Godzilla and Ebirah volleyed a boulder back and forth. It was reminiscent of the one between Godzilla and Rodan in Ghidrah, the Three-headed Monster and much better than watching Godzilla's fancy footwork in his boxing match with King Ghidrah in Godzilla vs. Monster Zero.
The next movie from Toho should be King Kong Escapes but I can't find it. Actually, War of the Gargantuas should have come before this one, but I haven't been able to find it, either. I'll keep looking, though. Meanwhile, Godzilla makes his next appearance in Son of Godzilla, which features not one, not two, not three, but six monsters! Mothra won't be back until Destroy All Monsters, and the giant condor's history. So is Ebirah, but you'll see it again in Godzilla's Revenge. But stay tuned! First we have to see if Godzilla can triumph over a bunch of giant insects!
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