MONSTER MOVIE OF THE WEEK: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968)

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Genre: Kaiju eiga

THE MOVIE

Destroy All Monsters was the beginning of the end for the Showa Godzilla movies. By this point, Godzilla had completed his transformation from nuclear hellbeast to muppet and Destroy All Monsters was the last decent Godzilla movie of the 1960's. Curiously, two of his previous movies, Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of the Astro Monster, served as dry runs for Destroy All Monsters offering up confrontations not only with King Ghidorah but aliens as well. These movies took the first steps toward the more overtly science fiction and juvenile direction that the series would take.

In some ways, though, Destroy All Monsters is the ultimate Showa Godzilla movie. It is wild, colorful and features an impressive collection of Toho monsters, not rivaled until 2004's Godzilla Final Wars, which is essentially a remake of this movie, with alien controlled monsters attacking the world's cities. Whatever happened to monsters destroying the world's cities just for the hell of it?

This movie also introduced the idea of "Monster Island," where all of the kaiju are rounded up and live together. The movie is perhaps most famous for its iconic battle in front of Mount Fuji.

Where Brooklyn at?

THE MONSTERS/EFFECTS

This movie introduces us to the hated "cookie monster" Godzilla with his big goofy eyes, froggy face. This suit would be heavily used most of the series in the late '60's and early '70's to the point where it was literally falling apart on camera.

Also, Godzilla completes his transformation into a misunderstood Muppet doofus in this movie. There is actually a scene where Godzilla get into a "conversation" on Monster Island, kindly translated by Mothra about why he's so mad all the time. Ugh.

Also present is the horrible spawn of Godzilla, Minilla, first introduced in 1967's Son of Godzilla. In Star Wars terminology, Minilla manages to combine everything annoying about both Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks into one character.

MONSTERS FEATURED

Oh boy. Quite a diverse group from Toho's stable, some of whom had not appeared on film for quite some time, and some who had never appeared in a Godzilla movie.

Godzilla
Minilla
Anguirus
Ghidorah
Mothra
Rodan
Varan - Previously seen in Varan: The Unbelievable.
Gorosaurus - featured in King Kong Escapes
Kumonga - a giant spider introduced in the previous movie.
Manda - a Chinese-style dragon/serpent introduced in Toho's 1960 movie Atragan.
Baragon - a quadrapedal dinosaur introduced in the 1965 movie, Frankenstein Conquers The World.

The original Monsta Island Czars.

SEQUELS

Followed by:

All Monsters Attack (1969) an insanely trippy movie about a lonely latchkey kid who dreams of becoming Minilla's friend on Monster Island. He finds himself magically transported to the island where he and Minilla learn to defend themselves from bullies. And there's some bankrobbers. Or something. Also known as Godzilla's Revenge.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) Godzilla fights Hedorah, a pollution monster against a swingin' 1960's backdrop. Best appreciated while high.

You show him Anguirus.

DVD AVAILABILITY

Widely available.

SEE ALSO

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

TRAILER