Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

The mighty destroyer born from the nuclear age facing off against a creature that has evolved from mass pollution? As soon as I heard the premise of Godzilla vs. Hedorah I was hoping to find it enjoyable. That optimism was rewarded, and this feels like a return to form for Godzilla after a couple of films that kept the focus squarely on fantastical antics and children's adventures (although those who know me will know that I also had lots and lots of fun with those).

There's still a small child at the heart of this. His name is Ken Yano (Hiroyuki Kawase) and he starts to figure out that a big problem needs a Godzilla-sized solution before almost anyone else, even his parents (Dr. Toru Yano, played by Akira Yamanouchi, and Toshie Yano, played by Toshie Kimura). Initially resembling a large tadpole, then something not entirely unlike an oversized blobfish, Hedorah causes some mayhem at sea before moving on to dry land and heading towards somewhere that could end up being a catastrophic setting for a giant monster battle.

One of only a handful of films to be directed by Yoshimitsu Banno, this is, quite frankly, a shot in the arm for the series that balances the lighter tone of the more recent instalments with a hint of the dread that was present throughout the very first Godzilla movie. The script, co-written by Banno and Takeshi Kimura (credited as Kaoru Mabuchi), paces everything perfectly, especially while Hedorah is an unknown danger. There's a real sense of menace, a few moments of major destruction, and people being completely flummoxed as they try to stop the entire country being flattened. Basically, everything you want and need from a Godzilla movie.

While Yamanouchi and Kimura are both fine in their roles, as are Toshio Shiba and Keiko Mari, it has to be said that young Kawase does wonderful work in a role that allows his innocent viewpoint to lighten the darkness of the tale (and this is a movie in which revellers start partying near Mount Fuji as a way to say goodbye to their world) without stealing scenes away from the big beasts due to battle one another. That is largely due to the script, but it helps that Kawase delivers a performance that lands right in a sweet spot. If you disagree with me, I encourage you to revisit some of the other child performances in various kaiju movies over the years.

This feels surprisingly fresh, considering how much it still manages to work through the checklist of things to see in a Godzilla movie, and maybe that's why Banno didn't get the support and reaction that he would have hoped for when it was initially released. It apparently got enough bums in seats, but reactions from many contemporary critics ranged from a shrug to strongly disliking it. That's a shame, I would have loved to see more Godzilla films from this director, but Banno essentially had the last laugh . . . proving to be a vital figure negotiating permission from Toho that would lead to the Monsterverse, finally giving us some American Godzilla movies that made good use of a well-defined and superbly-designed Big G.

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share