Today, Godzilla Day, November 3rd, the is no better film to watch than the ultimate Shōwa G-Film, Destroy All Monsters! It is directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda, he directed and co-wrote the first Godzilla (1954), Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957) with Moguera, Mothra (1961), then returned to G-Films with King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965), Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), The War of the Gargantuas (1966), this movie, and ending the Shōwa era with Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Eight G-Films, seven other kaiju movies, five sci-fi films, and one tokusatsu superhero movie! The screenplay is by Honda and Takeshi Kimura, who also worked on King Kong Escapes (1967) with Honda. Destroy All Monsters streams on Max.
The film begins with a quiet flute, a gong, then a setting sun as we get the score by Akira Ifukube kicking in with a brass blast as the title rolls up! score. Then, we get a closeup of the U.N.S.C. sign; U.N. Science Committee Space Port 2. This moves past a wall to show the space port. The narrator explains that at the end of the 20th century, the UNSC has set up a moon base. We see the launch pad in the distance as a helicopter takes off. All miniatures which look great. The narator says that launches take off daily from Iwo Jima. We see the ship, Moonlight SY-3, at the gantry. The countdown begins, then we see the Moonlight’s rockets and the gantry is pulled back.
In outer space, we see the cockpit, a rude closeup of the ship with insert of the set. Then, we hear the “Title Credits” song which is a lively march as we see the spaceship monitored by radar stations as it heads into space. Another narrator picks up the story on an aquaculture project by the UNSC near the Bonin Islands. The miniature moves to footage of fish that is near Monsterland island! A helicopter is sent to monitor the island. I like this group more than Monarch in the Monsterverse films. Then, we see Godzilla give out his greeting roar performed by Harou Nakajima. He was the suit actor for the first film and also played Godzilla in Son of Godzilla and King Kong in King Kong Escapes! Kong really is the only kaiju missing from the movie.
Then, we see Rodan, the suit actor was Teruoshi Nigaki, bobbing around with his wings spread. He gives out his screech. A quick pan down to Anguirus (Hiroshi Sekita), the spiky back kaiju. Next, we see the larva Mothra plow through the forest and standing around is Gorosaurus (also Sekita) who debuted in King Kong Escapes, he looks like a greenish Allosaurus. Mothra heads out to the beach, Godzilla also goes out to catch some waves, but the narrator says that a containment system is activated for the individual kaiju. A yellow, circular structure sends out reddish sprays. Mothra is driven back, giant moth repellent!
Several sea structures send out white sprays at Godzilla’s presence. He roars and turns tail, returning to the island. Rodan takes flight as the narrator explains about the magnetic shield that contains him. We see some dolphins that Rodan swoops down on when he is repelled by the shield. The helicopter starts its descent, a hatch opens to an underground tunnel, very James Bond. The narrator notes that it is the command center. On a screen is Minya who is again performed by Little Man Machan, a professional wrestler! Also, there is Manda, the giant snake-like sea dragon from Atragon (1963). Entering the center is Kyoko Manabe (Yukiko Kobayashi). The actress appeard as Android Girl Zero One in a 1967 episode of Ultraseven and also in Space Amoeba (1970).
She is greeted by Dr. Otani (Yoshio Tsuchiya) who looks over a model of the island. Tsuchiya first worked with Honda on The Mysterians as the Mysterian Leader and also starred in Son of Godzilla. Kyoko gets an off-planet call and goes to a booth that has a round screen. There she sees Captain Katsuo Yamabe (Akira Kubo). Honda first worked with Kubo on Gorath (1962) and he also starred in Son of Godzilla (1967) as reporter, Goro Maki. He is calling from the moon base and tries to ask about Dr. Yoshida when the call is cut off! This worries the base personnel. At Monsterland, the UNSC base has an alarm, the power was shut off. Then, when it is restored, Kyoko points out yellowish gas slipping past the door!
For some reason, Dr. Otani has the idea to open the door sending the gas to cover everyone! It is also vented into the room! The rest of the island also has the yellow gas affecting Godzilla, Rodan, and Anguirus! Godzilla collapses and Rodan falls on top of Anguirus! In Tokyo, Dr. Yoshida (Jun Tazaki) is monitoring the situation via satellite. Tazaki also starred in Gorath and among his other G-films is Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966). Still, the transmission is jammed! Dr. Stevenson (Andrew Hughes) thinks it is sabotage. Hughes played a reporter in King Kong Escapes. Finally, the technicians get a clear image and it is of the devastated Monsterland that has a mountain that shatters into rubble! The next signal is an emergency broadcast from the Moscow Broadcasting System.
There is a report of Rodan flying over the Ivan the Great Bell Tower tearing it apart! Next, reporting from Paris, as Gorosaurus borrows through the ground and destroys the Arc de Triomphe! A reporter covers the world wide destruction including Mothra in Beijing, Manda attacking London, and Baragon also in Paris. He adds that Godzilla just appeared in New York and uses his atomic breath to destroy the UN building! Reporters are crowding the UNSC to ask how the Kaiju escaped Monsterland and Dr. Stevenson tries to tell them that they are open about the situation. Dr. Yoshida is asked why Tokyo was spared, but he doesn’t have any answers. At the moonbase, Moonlight SY-3 launches, and Katsuo detects a flying, black object! They attempt to pursue it, but are recalled back to base. It can only be aliens behind the plot to control the kaiju! In this case, it is the Kilaaks, female aliens in silver capes and swim caps! Their queen is played by Kyôko Ai.
Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra have to take on the Kilaaks, but must first team up to defeat Ghidorah!
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