Kaijû daisenso (1965)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writer:

Shinichi Sekizawa (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Aliens from Planet X request the use of Godzilla and Rodan to fight off King Ghidorah, but have a better use for the three monsters.

Plot Keywords:

Godzilla | Alien | Rodan | Astronaut | Pterodactyl

Cast

Nick Adams	...	Astronaut Glenn Amer
Akira Takarada	...	Astronaut K. Fuji
Jun Tazaki	...	Dr. Sakurai
Akira Kubo	...	Tetsuo Teri
Kumi Mizuno	...	Miss Namikawa
Keiko Sawai	...	Haruno Fuji
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Controller of Planet X
Takamaru Sasaki	...	Chairman of Earth Committee
Gen Shimizu	...	Minister of Defense
Kenzo Tabu	...	Commander from Planet X
Yoshifumi Tajima	...	General
Nadao Kirino	...	Military Aide
Koji Uno	...	Namikawa's Associate
Tôru Ibuki	...	Xian
Kazuo Suzuki	...	Xian

Also Known As:

Battle of the Astros
Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (USA) (video title)
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Invasion of Planet X
Invasion of the Astro-Monsters
Invasion of the Astros (USA) (armed forces circuit title)
Kaijû daisenso Kingughidorah tai Gojira (Japan) (reissue title)
Monster Zero (USA)
The Great Monster War
War of the Monsters (literal English title)

Runtime:

Germany:81 min | Japan:74 min (re-issue) | USA:93 min | Japan:96 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Lake Myojin, Kochi, Japan

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

The effect of the water seemingly exploding when the flying saucers emerge from the lake was achieved by filling a thermos full of carbon dioxide and exploding it underwater.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In several shots, the track on which the military vehicles move, along with support beams holding them in place can clearly be seen. In some cases these supports hold the vehicles up so high that their tires don't touch the ground.

Quotes:

Astronaut K. Fuji: [about King Ghidorah] Can't you drive it away?
Controller of Planet X: If you have an idea how to do it, won't you tell us?

Movie Connections:

Edited from Mosura (1961)

Banzai, Nick Adams!

The other day I found this movie at a nearby video shop by chance. Contrary to my anticipation, I found this movie quite fun. The movie I saw was in Japanese and Nick Adams' voice was dubbed, but his acting was pretty good, though he pulled up his pants a lot. This brought me good memories of Mr. Adams. As a kid about ten years old at that time, my father (who was the USA representative for Toho) and I went to the LA airport to see him off. He was going to Japan to take this movie. He was very friendly and relaxed, he was with his wife and his little boy, he looked very happy and energetic. I remember asking him, Mr. Adams, how are fight scenes taken in movies? He replied with a nice big smile, we really fight and punch! Gasshou! meaning I join my palms together for Mr. Adams and for my late father.