The Cinematheque

“My favourite of all Godzilla movies as a child is still my favorite as an adult … No single Showa-era Godzilla film crystallizes all of the manifold complexities of these films as well as Destroy All Monsters … It’s a masterpiece.”

Walter Chaw, RogerEbert.com

With its popularity waning and child-catering direction proving iffy at best (see Son of Godzilla, tellingly absent from our lineup), the once-invincible Godzilla franchise was in desperate need of rescue. The plan: bring back the original team for a battle royal blowout, which, even if too late to resuscitate the flatlining series, would still be a kaiju eiga extravaganza for the books. In the far-flung future of 1999 (imagine!), humanity has colonized the moon and eliminated the threat of creature-caused destruction by confining Earth’s monsters to Monsterland. When an alien race takes mind-control of the monster squad, then unleashes King Ghidorah as a fail-safe, a kaiju rumble of epic proportions sets off. A tour de force of special effects ingenuity combining costumed actors, puppetry, pyrotechnics, miniatures, and much else besides, Destroy All Monsters brought Godzilla back from extinction and endures as a high-water mark and fan favourite of the franchise.

In Japanese with English subtitles

“Mounts a thrilling display of innovative action sequences and memorable images that have made it a favorite for generations of viewers.”

Janus Films