Son of Godzilla

Despite being enjoyable films, the last two Godzilla installments had not matched the success of Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964) and had fallen below expectations at the box office. In an effort to boost audience attendance, Toho Studios made the decision to soften the king of the monsters and give him a cute baby son. The first Godzilla film to be geared directly towards children, Son of Godzilla (1967) is harmless fun and sweet - the cinematic equivalent of a gum drop. Alas, the film proved to be the most poorly attended Godzilla film yet. Either Toho's kiddie approach had backfired or the film just couldn't compete with the rising popularity of television.

Son of Godzilla (1967) shouldn't be the first Godzilla movie you see, or even the second or third. With the Godzilla suit from Invasion of the Astro Monster (1965) torn and frayed, a new one was constructed. Unfortunately, it is one of the most poorly designed suits in the series - bulky legs, large doll-like eyes, and a toad's head. However, it is arguably better than the one audiences would behold six years later in Godzilla vs. Megalon. If you have small children and want to introduce them to kaiju films, I recommend Son of Godzilla.