Dir. Ishiro Honda
93 Minutes
Japan,
1965
Starring: Nick Adams Akira Takarada, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno
***1/2/*****
The remarkable thing about the early string of films in the Godzilla franchise (all but one of the first six directed by Ishirō Honda who, while complacent to Toho's wishes to turn the monster into a more heroic and child-friendly entity, still managed to subtly allow the transition to continue to explore his preference for Godzilla as a device for political and social allegorical content) is how the increasingly bonkers narratives feel like they keep the series fresh rather than drifting into self-parody (though this will be tested in the following two entries which Honda sits out). Invasion of Astro-Monster continues the thread of alien characters from one before, this time having beings from the mysterious Planet X asking to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan to help them defeat the three-headed King Ghidorah. However, the aliens have ulterior motives and soon brainwash the kaiju into attacking Earth.
The film has a nice balance of the "new" Godzilla and his initial propensity for terror, though one can probably see even Honda shuddering at having to make his Godzilla leap in the air and dance following a mid-way brawl with Ghidorah. But this remains a pretty fun entry, with some wonderful battle sequences, human characters that, while stock, are put through quite the wacky narrative, and a spectacle that surprisingly still feels fresh despite being the sixth installment.
Viewed May 4th, 2020
Part of the ongoing Godzilla Project, notes on selected films in the Godzilla franchise.