Space Amoeba (1970)

It seems that I just can't see one of these kaiju movies that I don't really enjoy recently. I'm either in the midst of a golden period for these things or I'm just completely accustomed to what they deliver, and how they meet the expectations created by the film-makers over the years.

While the title of this film is Space Amoeba, and while it does contain something that could indeed be called a space amoeba, this is a great adventure that presents a variety of giant creatures, all made powerful and aggressive by the titular entity. The main human who ends up endangered by these creatures is a photographer named Kudo (Akira Kubo). 

While it seems like the obvious choice to once again praise director Ishirô Honda for his work here, and he always deserves praise, Space Amoeba has a very fun premise fleshed out by prolific writer Ei Ogawa. Starting with the sci-fi element that almost feels like a curveball once the alien lands on Earth, Ogawa knows exactly what people want to see, but he delivers everything in a way that feels more playful and interesting than some of the movies that just recycle a lot of footage from earlier monster battles.

Kubo is a perfectly decent lead, and I'll also give nods to Atsuko Takahashi, Yukiko Kobayashi, Kenji Sahara, and Yoshio Tsuchiya. They're all good at looking on in disbelief, and/or panic, as giant creatures get busy causing havoc. 

The featured beasties here include a giant cuttlefish, a giant stone crab, and a giant mata mata (which I really wanted to use in some groan-inducing pun, but I will behave), and it's a pleasant surprise to find that they are all equally enjoyable to watch.

I didn't think I would have too much to say about a film titled Space Amoeba, and I was correct. It's not as slight and silly as the title may suggest, but it's also not re-inventing the wheel. The effects are nicely done, it feels like it attempts to fulfil the potential of the premise, and the heroes struggle to come up with a plan that will turn any sea/shore-dwelling monsters into sushi. Basically, it does everything that you hope it will.

8/10

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Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Here we are again, wandering around in the land of kaiju, and if I already know what I am letting myself in for then there are millions of people in the world who can write about these movies much better than I do. But this is my review, documenting my journey through this wild and weird cinematic “zoo”, and I will continue to do the best I can.

This time around we have another giant egg, something turned into a money-making attraction by another opportunistic businessman, but people are once again warned off by two small fairies (the Shonijin, played here again by Emi Itô and Yumi Itô). As the title would suggest, Mothra appears, but it becomes a potential ally to the human race when an angry Godzilla re-awakens.

With Ishirô Honda back in the director’s chair, and writer Shin’ichi Sekizawa once again on the screenplay duties, this is familiar and hugely entertaining fare from people who could surely do this in their sleep. The plot and characters are perfectly fine, with everything put together well, and every viewer knows that it’s all building up to the titular confrontation. Mothra remains a wonderful creation, Godzilla is (for most people) the most lovable giant lizard to ever stomp on buildings, vehicles, and fleeing people, and the action is fun and inventive when it becomes the focus of the third act.

The human cast members all do fine, but I will always remember the two Itô sisters ahead of anyone else. You do get perfectly fine turns from Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, and others though, especially as our leads butt heads with the businessmen who want to value their own wealth over the interests of the people around them.

It’s also worth noting here that Mothra vs. Godzilla takes some time to specifically comment on the consequences of nuclear testing. The danger of nuclear power is obviously inherent in every Godzilla movie, considering the legacy of Big G, but the issues raised here somehow feel a bit more fresh and relevant, a reminder that it is not a problem consigned to a now-closed chapter of history.

I have omitted a few details here, hoping to keep a pleasant surprise or two in store for anyone else who may decide to finally watch this for the first time, but I highly recommend this as a superficially silly creature feature that, like so many other films of this ilk, manages to deliver fun action moments, as well as some thought-provoking musings on wielding power and working together for the greater good of the human race.

8/10

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The Mysterians (1957)

Another film in which the people of Earth could face potential destruction, starting with an encounter that endangers the whole of Japan, The Mysterians is an amusing, if lesser, film in the extensive selection falling under the Toho banner. Those who enjoy the output from the company will find enough to enjoy here, but it doesn't have a main monster to serve up as a big highlight.

The plot is quite simple, and quite absurd when you type it out in plain text. A group of aliens land on Earth, negotiating for an area of land and the right to marry human women. They live in a seemingly-indestructible dome, can also send out a giant robot to cause some carnage (the closest the movie comes to serving up a monster), and hope to find a way to continue their race after being poisoned and changed by the death of their home planet. It soon becomes obvious that the Mysterians have other plans though, and the people of Earth need to find out a way to stop them.

Developed from story idea to final film form by Jôjirô Okami, Shigeru Kayama, and Takeshi Kimura, names you will recognise from other Japanese sci-fi/monster movies from this era, this is silliness of the highest order. And when I say it's silliness I actually mean that it's complete bobbins. If you don' believe me then please just re-read the last paragraph. It's still fun though, and everyone onscreen shows the right level of stress and concern, all working under the sure and steady hand of director Ishirô Honda.

The cast is also full of familiar names/faces if you've been watching any other Toho films from this period. Akihiko Hirata, Momoko Kôchi, Takashi Shimura, and Kenji Sahara are no strangers to battling for the integrity of Japan, and the safety of the people, and the the same can be said for the likes of Yumi Shirakawa, Susumu Fujita, and Hisaya Itô, all helping to fill out the central cast. Yoshio Tsuchiya also deserves a mention, playing the vital role of "Leader of the Mysterians".

It's a shame that there aren't too many positives to single out here, although I am not saying that the film is actually bad. There just aren't any real treats, nothing in line with the kind of thrills and spectacle you can find in a number of the other movies in the same vein. The stomping robot feels like a poor substitute for some fantastical creature, the destruction feels relatively tame, and the Mysterians themselves are just depicted as people in various coloured suits (pretty much Power Rangers decades before they were a thing).

It's no surprise that this isn't mentioned much by film fans, and I doubt we will ever see the day when it gets a much-heralded restoration and revival. I liked it, and I have to stress that after seeming so dismissive of it, but I can't imagine anyone loving it. It's there, it's amusing and cute, and it's something to watch once and then almost immediately forget.

6/10

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Rodan (1956)

While it may feel like I am marking numbers off a bingo card just now, my quest to cover the films of Godzilla this year, as well as connected kaiju creations, has already been satisfying for making me watch the first appearances of creatures I have either seen already in other movies, or at least heard of. Getting to Rodan this week was a pleasant surprise, particularly because I wasn’t sure if every movie would already be locked into the same template I am quite familiar with.

There’s a disturbance in a small Japanese mining village, which should be enough to put everyone on their guard against potential giant monsters. Sure enough, there are soon giant monsters on the rampage. These take the shape of overgrown insect larvae, looking like a cross between a giant wood-louse and a giant bluebottle, but they are only a precursor to the main event. The main event is Rodan, in case the title didn’t make that clear. Not just one Rodan, but two, causing panic as they fly around and start to kill people. The military might have the firepower to stop them, or they may have to rely on the force of the local volcano to help re-affirm the status quo.

Putting things once again in the capable hands of Ishirô Honda, this is a creature feature that works almost as well as any of the other big touchstones in the kaiju cinematic timeline, thanks to more great design work and a way of delivering familiar beats without it all already feeling overdone and tired. Writers Takeshi Kimura and Takeo Murata have fun with the story, especially as the first batch of beasties puzzle everyone for a while before the Rodan attacks start to confuse the situation.

The cast of human actors once again play second fiddle to the kaiju stars, but Kenji Sahara does well in the role of Shigeru, a mining engineer who ends up stuck underground when the Rodan are about to hatch. He convincingly portrays memory loss and trauma until galvanized in time for the big final battle. Yumi Shirakwa is also a good onscreen presence, playing a woman named Kiyo, and the main figures of authority are well-played by Akihiko Harata (the expected scientist figuring out what this new enemy is) and Akio Kobori (a police detective).

If you like either of the other famous films in this vein then you should like this. I cannot imagine any kaiju fan hating it, although it suffers slightly in comparison to both Godzilla, which came before it, and Mothra, which arrived about five years after. Still, it is to be appreciated for adding another name to the “rogue’s gallery” as it is appreciated for what it delivers in terms of cinema.

8/10

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King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

I watched, and reviewed, King Kong vs. Godzilla many years ago, a very basic couple of paragraphs that summed up my thoughts without me knowing quite as much as I do today about the enduring cinematic legacy of the Godzilla movies. So if you get a sense of déjà vu while reading this review, there’s a reason for that.

Let's get the simple plot out of the way: Godzilla wakes up and starts heading towards Tokyo, where everyone knows he will just start tearing the place apart, so Japan decides to "borrow" King Kong when he is discovered living on a small island just off the coast of . . . ummm . . somewhere not TOO far away from Japan (the exact location escapes me even though they show it on a map quite a few times during the movie). King Kong is set upon by the mighty lizard, and it's a smackdown to see who will be left standing. 

Director Ishirô Honda returns to helm this new instalment, although you wouldn’t think this was the same person who gave us the darker and brilliant first film. This isn’t as concerned with the potential lives lost, nor does it take much time to explore the ramifications of the destruction wrought while two giant monsters fight one another, but it tries to give decent moments to each of the fighting beasties. And if you need to see King Kong picking up a tree and ramming it into Godzilla’s mouth then this if the film for you.

The cast all do what they need to do, there’s a young woman in danger while a couple of men fret and plan to keep her safe (that’s all they need to do), and the plotting makes use of them to position the titular characters ready to fight one another. 

If you're a fan of this type of stuff (and I never even realised that I was until I found myself enjoying this so much) then this is just more happy viewing for you. The charmingly unrealistic miniatures, the rubber-suit monsters, the mix of poor trick photography and re-re-recycled footage. Many moments in the film provide laughs (some intentional and some unintentional) and there's never a dull moment, but it's like the cinematic equivalent of a Marmite sandwich; cheap and not very filling, but you either love or hate it.

7/10

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