MOVIE OF THE DAY: GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER

I take issue with a lot of your review, as much of it seems to be a critique on how you didn't feel the fights went the way you felt they should rather than just enjoying the film. You make a point to mention that last film specifically, and in doing so I think your missing a major point about Mothra vs Godzilla. In the film, Godzilla is a destructive force who decimates everything thrown at him, even besting the adult Mothra. Mothra's defeat at Godzilla's hands is kind of stunning, as us as the audience expect the hero to beat the villainous monster. It also leaves us uneasy  and unsure how the infant Mothras are going to stand up to the imposing Godzilla after we've watched him decimate everything thats been thrown at him for the past 90 minutes. What I love is that the baby Mothras are able to use their wits to defeat Godzilla rather than some deus ex machina that Tokusatsu films are usually accustomed too.  In regards to the Godzilla vs Rodan fight, your forgetting at the time, Godzilla wasn't the stand out player in this film. Mothra and Rodan would have been equally, if not more-so, popular than the big lizard, so its not surprising to see them holding their own. Ghidorah purpose was to feature a slew of all-star characters together for the first time, I guess kind of like The Avengers? :P

You also take issue with the lack of continuity in the film (Even though the disappearance of the second Mothra IS mentioned), and I don't really see why. These films were made to be marketable for overseas audiences, so bogging them down with references to past films wouldn't have helped them any. The Heisei series features a continuity between films, and it only comes off as unneeded and superfluous.  My main issues with the film deal with its poor special effects. I know that Ghidorah's suit and rotoscoped lasers took up much of the film's budget, but Godzilla's ray and his puppet come off shoddy. The film had an incredibly rushed production period though, less than four months, so given the circumstances I think it came out well. 

I'm guessing you saw this film last night during TCM's run? I didn't, but I caught Valley of the Gwangi. And as I write this I think I realize why I found the film  so dreadfully boring. Harryhausen is a master and creates detailed monsters, but at the end of the day they're stop motion effects statically shot by a tv-director. Honda's shoots these monsters like real actors, with close-ups and beautiful wide-shots, they don't always work but they inject the film with an energy which is hardly ever seen.

Yeah to Mac! ^

The Faries are asked on that TV show how the Mothra twins are doing and they say "well one Died!"

You really need to watch the original Japanese versions of the Kaiju films. Even though only 10 minutes was removed from King Ghidorah, the additional footage along with editing changes, makes the original a much better film. And Gojira is a different and better experience without the American imposed Raymond Burr character IMO.

The DVD transfers that Toho came out with a few years ago are Aces.

I also can't believe that Godzilla would lose to caterpillars. He is bigger and meaner.

My favorite line from Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster,"Oh Godzilla! What filthy language."