Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released before 1980.
Post Reply
User avatar
Arrow
Gotengo Officer
Posts: 1618
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 5:09 am

Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Arrow »

Best. Godzilla. Film. Ever.

(Starting with this one, I'll be doing a new one every midnight)

Image

It's no secret that my favorite Showa Godzilla movie - and favorite Godzilla movie, bar none, is Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). This is the only Godzilla movie that I've considered to be comparable to the original. MvG sees the "daikaijuu dream team" of Honda, Sekizawa, Tsuburaya, and Ifukube at their best as they deliver it all: strong direction, great writing, amazing special effects (for the time), and one of the best musical scores to ever grace the series. The actors, some of Toho's best at the time, deliver engaging performances and make the non-monster scenes entertaining to watch - something that future Godzilla films need to bring back. The '64 Godzilla suit is one of the very best and the King of the Monsters is acted in a way that makes him feel like a very real threat. His rampages throughout Japan, battles against Mothra, and confrontations with the military are intense and pull the viewer into the film. Eiji Tsuburaya really outdoes himself, not only with Godzilla, but with his high flying opponent as well. Not until the Millennium era is Mothra brought to life in such an amazing way. The desperation in her final plight is felt. The human story is simple, but certainly fun. We grow to enjoy the protagonists as they attempt to return Mothra's egg to Infant Island and to help save Japan from Godzilla. Sekizawa writes a simple, easy-to-follow story that is brought to life by some of Toho's finest. Ifukube's themes - particularly Mothra's Song - are memorable and an extremely pleasant listening experience.

All in all, Mothra vs. Godzilla is a great film. One of the best of the entire series.

User avatar
tokyostateofmind
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 399
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 2:28 am

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by tokyostateofmind »

This movie really made it form. I remember little Hiro with one of those old children's tape player/recorders and going up to the TV and recording the songs. I made my first mixtape at age 4. I recorded all the vocal songs that were available. This movie seemed to be one of my favorites. I am still debating putting it on my iPod. I know the music left and right. I loved the story. I was first introduced to Mothra with this movie, and loved her ever since. Now that I am a big boy, I appreciate Ifukube's score more than ever. Sacred Fountain will always be one of my favorite songs to come out of Toho. My friends don't believe me when I say its from Godzilla. Truly amazing. Everything about this film is great.

HayesAJones
Keizer
Posts: 9200
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:19 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by HayesAJones »

This movie really is awesome. While not my favorite, I do admit it's one of the best in the franchise. It has a good story, good music, good effects, and some nice action sequences. This is just a great movie. I'm far from a critical movie viewer, but even I can see that.

User avatar
g2kmaster
JXSDF Technician
Posts: 947
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:44 pm
Location: Warner Robins, GA
Contact:

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by g2kmaster »

My favorite of the films made from 1962-1969. Just like how straight foreward the film is, how good the dub is, how interesting the SFX are considering that many - including myself - count this as Tsuburaya's greatest endeavor. I especialy like how the journalist characters are portrayed here. Really down to earth.

User avatar
Hedorah
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5861
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:31 pm
Location: Somewhere ruining the Godzilla name

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Hedorah »

Hmmm what can I say that hasn't already been said about this film? It's definitely one of the best Godzilla films made, while not my favorite I respect it. This film really had it all and it was very well done. Enough said.
#1 DEXTER FAN ON TK!

Godzilla 2000 wrote:tl;dr is just l33tsp34k for "you talk too damn much."
I wrote: Fuck the Dave the isn't footings happen

User avatar
ZigraDude
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 260
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:38 am

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by ZigraDude »

It's no doubt one of the best Godzilla films and definitely one of my favorites. In fact, it's my favorite from the 60's era of Godzilla films. Everyone else pretty much said why this movie is so great. Plus, I love the characters of Kumayama and Torahata.

User avatar
OptimusPrimevs.g
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 11:06 am
Location: Wherever there are kaiju

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by OptimusPrimevs.g »

This film is a classic among the series. I remember bringing this movie in for my second grade class, although I started it at the part where Godzilla first fights Mothra (it was a VHS tape) and two girls in the class were scared of Godzilla. Plot was excellent and the fights were rememberable. I mean who could forget that 2 Mothra Larvas beat Godzilla with their webbing. The part were Mothra drags Godzilla by his tail is funny for me. Plus Akira Takarada, one of my favorite Toho actors is in it. Seen both versions and I liked them both. Will always remember this.
Do you really think I'm that stupid?!

User avatar
Blackout286
JXSDF Technician
Posts: 1185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:15 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Blackout286 »

I love this classic!
It really shows how destructive and brutal Godzilla can always be, haven't seen a showa film in which Godzilla does that much destruction on his own since Gojira. (Even though these are two different Godzillas, the chaos they unleashed was still pretty rememberable and epic).

And Mothra's fight with Godzilla was awesome! Though it's clear why it's awesome, a giant Moth who's dying from old age and child birth heading into a doomed battle against a heavily mutated atomic breathing prehistoric creature. All for the sake of saving her unborn children and to some extent stop Godzilla and his chaotic rampage. It's such a one sided fight, it's kinda unfair. But regardless of how tragic it is, you can't help but keep watching and not look away. :)

Overall during the whole fight, you feel a bit sorry for Mothra because she's giving everything she's got in order to save her egg. And even people who haven't seen the movie can tell that she isn't gonna make it to see her larve hatch, no matter how much effort she puts in against Godzilla.

Then the match of the larve against Godzilla, again it looks and seems like a doomed fight just like what their mother went through. Godzilla stood his ground against the military, survived a long barrage of lightning bolts, and defeat a Adult Moth who's much larger than him. So it makes you wonder how these two offspring will ever defeat Godzilla and make it out alive?

Teamwork. Even though I was on Godzilla's side the whole time, I had to admit the larve's teamwork was pretty awesome and they avenged their mother's death. Well to some length since they couldn't kill Godzilla, just trap him up for a while.
But Godzilla still managed to kill one of the larve since only one survived and the other died from harsh battle wounds.

This move is epic and great!
Last edited by Blackout286 on Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Darkness
Interpol Agent
Posts: 596
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:01 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Darkness »

This movie is my second favorite kaiju film ever, right behind Gojira. It's simply great, it has one of the best scores from Akira Ifukube, the characters are enjoyable to watch and carry on the story, and the monster battles are awesome! And as it was pointed out earlier, it's a good prelude to Ghidorah's arrival. Another thing I love about this movie is how Godzilla and Mothra are portrayed. Godzilla is the unstoppable menace that threatens all, and Mothra is the strong hearted savior who fights despite the odds being against her.

User avatar
godzilla1996
Monsterland Worker
Posts: 186
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 2:03 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by godzilla1996 »

SuperSaiyan4Godzilla wrote:an awesome film
Agreed
SuperSaiyan4Godzilla wrote:This movie sets up the Ghidorah trilogy pretty well.
The what?
Formerly known as godzilla2001.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Yeah moderators!
@ omgitsgodzilla, the double rainbow means that Godzilla is on some really good shit

User avatar
DaikaijuSokogeki!
JXSDF Technician
Posts: 1004
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by DaikaijuSokogeki! »

This one is definitely my favorite from the founding fathers of daikaiju eiga no doubt. Its paced almost perfectly at a nice 85-minute runtime, the acting is solid, the effects are impressive and one of the last where budgetary limitations weren't apparent, and of course the score is Ifukube's finest in the Showa era. I could heap praise onto this film for hours, but I'd rather watch the film instead. It's pure entertainment from start to finish and is the shining example of just how talented Shinichi Sekizawa was at delivering a fun yet three-dimensional screenplay (which is why I'll always prefer him over Kimura). This is also one of the few films where it's acceptable to watch in English because it's nearly uncut, decently dubbed, AND has some cool added footage.

Overall, a nostalgic piece of cinema that remains powerful to this day. Kenji Sahara plays such an awesome asshole too.

User avatar
Legionmaster
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5374
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:33 pm
Location: Skyloft, seducing Peatrice
Contact:

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Legionmaster »

There's basically nothing bad to say about it. But, frankly, I don't have any super good praise for it either. I like the wacky later Showa films better, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with this one.
bleep bloop

User avatar
Terrier
JXSDF Technician
Posts: 1137
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:36 am

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Terrier »

I saw it again recently; I noticed some kind of paralel between the climax with the characters saving the kids from Godzilla and the previous battle between Mothra and Godzilla. Mothra isn't trying to just kill or defeat Godzilla, she want's to keep her egg safe, all her attacks consist in that; in fact, I found interesting that Godzilla is at firts determined to destroy the Egg (Like if it represents something). She actually succeeded, making Godzilla go in another direction. It's also interesting that the characthers manage to save the kids at the end mainly because the larvas (Who could be born thanks to Mothra) were fighthing Godzilla... I see a representation of Good vs. Evil, having the good always trying to preserve life; even if they (Mothra) don't manage to defeat evil, their good actions make anothers ones continue the work (The larvas); and at the end they triumph, because the evil (Godzilla), even if it's so powerful, in the end it's alone, and can't stand forever. Though I love the idea of Godzilla as a tragic being, I think the role of being evil fits more in this movie; and in a similar way one can compare the main characthers with Mothra, it's possible to compare Godzilla with the two antagonists, the businessmen, who end up alone, and dying trying to kill each other for they own benefit.

User avatar
TokyoVigilante
Futurian
Posts: 3124
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:10 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by TokyoVigilante »

I dislike the freakish boner the fandom has for this film. But even while watching it for the first time after upgrading my Classic Media DVDs, I went in very skeptical and hard on the movie. But it still stood up to my brutal scrutiny and was great. I still think the film is overrated, in that it's just become this excepted standard. (IE; the same way that everyone has a total hate on for Godzilla's Revenge and Godzilla Vs Megalon).
“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.” - Ray Bradbury

User avatar
tokyostateofmind
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 399
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 2:28 am

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by tokyostateofmind »

TokyoVigilante wrote:I dislike the freakish boner the fandom has for this film. But even while watching it for the first time after upgrading my Classic Media DVDs, I went in very skeptical and hard on the movie. But it still stood up to my brutal scrutiny and was great. I still think the film is overrated, in that it's just become this excepted standard. (IE; the same way that everyone has a total hate on for Godzilla's Revenge and Godzilla Vs Megalon).

This movie has a lot of aspects much better than Megalon, not so much for Godzilla's Revenge. Megalon and Revenge are too different types of movies in my book. But there are many points for MvsG that are significantly more thought out and entertaining than Megalon.

User avatar
The Dark Uniter
G-Grasper
Posts: 1328
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 1:43 pm
Location: Waldorf, MD USA

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by The Dark Uniter »

I like Mothra vs Godzilla. To me, its one of the best films in the Showa Era. It has some of the best human characters in the series as well as a great fantasy theme and a great fight between Mothra and Godzilla. My less favorite moment to me has to be the ending. I really wish Godzilla could kick larve's ass.

User avatar
Dash 7
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 304
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:19 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Dash 7 »

I like this film, but I feel it's not as great as some people make it out to be. Although the effects from Tsuburaya are excellent and the characters fun, I find the Godzilla suit to be LAME looking. It looks like it has a unibrow. It's a good film all-in-all, I just don't feel it's the greatest.
Official Tokusatsu TV expert of TK.

User avatar
Drunken Kong
Monsterland Worker
Posts: 160
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 11:21 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Drunken Kong »

I feel this movie is basically the epitome of the classic Showa films and is an excellent film to start off new G-fans with.

Personally it's not my favorite G-film, but it is definitely in the top. After Gojira, it may be my favorite Showa flick. It's hard to choose though. Those 2 Ghidorah films are pretty good too.
XBL: TripMasterMunky

User avatar
TokyoVigilante
Futurian
Posts: 3124
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:10 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by TokyoVigilante »

This movie has a lot of aspects much better than Megalon, not so much for Godzilla's Revenge. Megalon and Revenge are too different types of movies in my book. But there are many points for MvsG that are significantly more thought out and entertaining than Megalon.
Oh I'm not saying that Megalon is better, equal, or in anyway comparable to MvsG. I'm saying that, as a standard of the fanbase you're expected to love Gojira, Mothra Vs. Godzilla, and Godzilla Vs. Biollante and hate Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla vs Megalon, and GINO. It's the same way Batman fans are supposed to love Batman Begins and the Dark Knight, and are expected to hate and despise Batman & Robin.
“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.” - Ray Bradbury

User avatar
Primevalgodzilla V2
Futurian
Posts: 3301
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:59 pm
Location: Church on the Hill

Re: Talkback Thread #4: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Post by Primevalgodzilla V2 »

and hate Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla vs Megalon, and GINO.
Really? 'Cos here, you are pretty much expected to like the former 2, and people are warming up to GINO.

Mothra vs Godzilla is a pretty good G movie. The best bit is the score, which is pretty much the best in any Godzilla film and one fo my all-time favourtie scores.
It is a simple story. There is nothing that brings me happiness. Be it believing in others or them believe in me, it did not matter.
What others called happiness simply did not bring me joy.

Image

Post Reply