I really like
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (a.k.a Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster). Hedorah’s a great movie monster — he’s all goopy, with terrifying red eyes, and he’s got, like, a million forms! I tend to like creatures made of slop and slime, and I think Hedorah’s the only kaiju that fits such a description.
The movie had some really neat parts, too, like a bunch of creepy animated segments and some great vocal songs. I like how dance and music is a major theme through the film — it builds an extremely tense, crowded, uncomfortable atmosphere, which serves as a good metaphor for the impact of pollution. Tokyo looks really gross and filthy in the movie — and, of course, that was accurate to what it was actually like in the ‘70s, so I think the environmental message comes across well.
The scene where “Save the Earth” plays over a montage of sewage pouring into the ocean, forming and mutating Hedorah, interspersed with a crowd of people wearing fish masks and dancing up against each other in a dark, cramped nightclub is awesome. I think I “got” what the movie was going for, and I was really entertained throughout. The battle between Big G and Hedorah at the end is kind of dumb, but enjoyable in a silly way, where you’re fully aware that it’s just two losers in rubber suits limply posing at each other. It sucks, but it’s great.
I love the movie’s marketing, too. The Polish poster for it was my phone wallpaper for many, many years, and this kiddy promotional tie-in song is hilarious:
I've also seen
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, which is completely unremarkable and boring throughout. I kind of like Megaguirus conceptually, though, because dragonflies are cool. Just watch a clip of the ending fight scene on YouTube and save yourself 90 minutes of people blabbering on about nonsense.
Oh, and I watched
Godzilla vs. Biollante, too! (In case you haven't noticed, I prefer kaiju that aren't based on animals.) The first half, before any monsters show up, is quite good – the scene where all the kids are drawing pictures of what's happening in their nightmares, and it's revealed to be Godzilla, is very effective – but all the actual on-screen fighting is just a bunch of standing around while dust motes fly across the screen.
Great soundtrack, though!
I do want to see the other newer Japanese Godzilla films though, especially Minus One. It will happen, I swear!
