#20- "Invasion of Astro Monster" (1965)

 

The sequel to Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro Monster is another classic Toho Monster Movie, and one on a grander scale than it's predecessor. The Astro Monster is of course, King Ghidorah, who returns from space under the control of the Xilians from newly discovered Planet X, which orbits Jupiter. They refer to Ghidorah as Monster Zero. The plot is actually quite ambitious, cultivating a worldwide conflict with the Aliens as they seek to take over Earth and it's large water reserves. By tricking the humans into letting them bring Godzilla and Rodan to Planet X to fend off King Ghidorah, the Xilians take over the Earth Monsters and send them back to Earth to reek havoc with Ghidorah. The only way we manage to break the hold the Xilians have on the monsters is through a toy one of the characters has made, which emits a piercing noise or frequency the Xilians can't stand. Their control over the monsters gone, Godzilla and Rodan return to themselves and battle King Ghidorah. Godzilla's transition to a friendlier monster is evident in Astro Monster, as he appears to box at Ghidorah, dances around, and even does a victory celebration after defeating Ghidorah on Planet X. Even with this less than ferocious Godzilla present, Ghidorah doesn't stand a chance, and once the Earth Monsters are back to themselves they take out the Astro Monster all too quickly. Rodan picks up Godzilla and flies the King of the Monsters into Ghidorah, knocking all three off a cliff. Ghidorah retreats to space once again, but Godzilla and Rodan never surface. Invasion of Astro Monster is a solid Godzilla movie. Some of the dubbing is a little corny and doesn't sound quite right, but that is forgivable. There is a segment of the movie that shows monster destruction for an extended period, trying to put across the point that the Earth is in trouble, and this segment is welcomed although the actual monster battles are quite quick. Ghidorah is defeated on Planet X and Earth in around 5 minutes combined probably. This allows for a lot of Segway between these monster scenes, but they aren't boring by any means. Another point of interest is the strange role played by women in this movie. On one end, it seems female characters are not trusted and male characters are actually mean to them. The Xilian females are all clones and follow direct orders from male Xilians. But on the other end of the spectrum, they are given prominent roles in the film and there is even mentioning of a women's union of rights or something in the Japanese council. There's even a kissing scene, the only one ever seen in a Japanese produced G-Film. It's a very strange contrast. Invasion of Astro Monster slots in at a deserving 20th place. Check out the awesome link under the pictures as well.

Rodan and Godzilla body smash Ghidorah off a cliff.

Godzilla celebrates his 2nd victory over Ghidorah on Planet X.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTkvsbeTiH0&index=23&list=FL84pUYm049Tkj_EnY9mItyg