The Cinematheque

“Does have a certain lumbering charm. So does the script … If you’re in the right silly mood, kind of fun.”

Scott Meek, Time Out

After the youthquake novelty of Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Toho tightened the reins on its flagship franchise and brought back Ebirah director Fukuda Jun to recalibrate the series. This go-around, Godzilla and Anguirus must protect the planet from body-snatching cockroach aliens, whose artillery includes King Ghidorah and Gigan, a giant (what else!) cyborg with scythe-like claws and a buzzsaw belly. (Weekly Shonen Magazine mangaka Mizuki Takayoshi designed the new monster.) The movie’s flashiest set piece, an amusement park run by the ​“flesh-suited” insectoids, boasts a Godzilla-replica tower that doubles as a laser cannon! A return to Toho’s tried-and-true formula of kaiju-on-kaiju mayhem, this film would be the last to feature Nakajima Haruo as Godzilla. The suit actor and stunt person, who brought athleticism and noh influence to the role, had been the exclusive Godzilla performer since the monster’s debut.

In Japanese with English subtitles

“A film that harkens back to the previous Honda-directed giant monster brawls.”

Graham Skipper, Godzilla: The Official Guide