Son of Godzilla (1967)

Scientists experimenting with changes in weather on a tropical island get more than they bargained for when Godzilla shows up to battle humongous insects and protect his newborn child.

Director:

Jun Fukuda

Writers:

Shin'ichi Sekizawa, Kazue Shiba

Stars:

Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Beverly Maeda

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tadao Takashima	...	Dr. Kusumi
Akira Kubo	...	Goro Maki
Beverly Maeda	...	Riko (Saeko) Matsumiya (as Bibari Maeda)
Akihiko Hirata	...	Fujisaki
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Furukawa
Kenji Sahara	...	Morio
Ken'ichirô Maruyama	...	Ozawa
Seishirô Kuno	...	Tashiro
Yasuhiko Saijô	...	Suzuki
Susumu Kurobe	...	Navigator
Kazuo Suzuki	...	Pilot
Wataru Ômae	...	Radio Operator
Chôtarô Tôgin	...	Surveyor
Osman Yusuf	...	Submarine Captain
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira

Storyline

A group of scientists are on tropical Solgel Island in the Pacific to conduct weather control experiments. Just before they begin, they find giant preying mantises measuring 25 feet tall called Kamakaras. They decide to go ahead with the experiments, but a malfunction in one of the devices and as a result a radioactive storm that pushes the temperature up to two hundred degrees. The storm also causes the mantises to grow even bigger to 100 feet tall. The mantises then make their way to a huge mound where they uncover a giant egg which contains a young Godzilla, later named Minilla. Eventually, Godzilla shows up and saves his offspring. The rest of the movie features Godzilla taking care of and teaching his young son the skills that will eventually help him to become the new "King of Monsters" as well as fighting the Kamakaras and a giant spider named Kumoga.

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Plot Keywords:

godzilla | kaiju | weather | island | scientist | 

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Taglines:

Ever see a monster hatch from a monster egg? You will!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some sci-fi monster violence

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 December 1967 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Son of Godzilla

Box Office

Budget:

$900,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,625,778

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Shin'ichi Sekizawa complained that he had run out of ideas for further monster movies, and director Jun Fukuda heartily agreed. Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka then proposed the idea of introducing a son to Godzilla.

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Goofs

Godzilla's appearance drastically changes after he reaches the island because a different monster suit was used for the water scenes.

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Quotes

Goro Maki: [Godzilla and Minya are close by] Riko, I think they spotted us.
Riko Matsumiya: No, it appears to be teaching its son.
Goro Maki: Teaching its son?
[Riko nods]
Goro Maki: It's teaching its son all right. And, he's teaching its son just like people teaching its children, just like a papa.
Riko Matsumiya: Well, it is a papa, isn't it?
Goro Maki: Well sure, but I wouldn't want one like that.
Riko Matsumiya: Nor I, everything's relative I guess.
Goro Maki: You're right.

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Alternate Versions

The Japanese version includes a prologue featuring Susumu Kurobe and Kazuo Suzuki viewing Godzilla from the air.

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Connections

Followed by Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

User Reviews

FUN!

To look at the other reviews, one can see that many don't appreciate this film. It is understandable why someone may not like it. No one dies. No cities are destroyed. It has a hopeful ending. Baby Godzilla is overly cute and cuddly. The list can go on, but I feel that these attributes as well as the setting, the story about scientists on an island trying to change weather patterns, and the overgrown monsters of a spider and several praying mantis, along of course with Godzilla enhance the film and make it one of my favourites of the series. Not one of the best, however. Baby Godzilla is a real hoot to watch, and seeing Godzilla practice fatherly ways with him is fun to watch. We get to see a human side to a killing machine. Don't get me wrong, the film is hokey - but for me it brings back memories of my childhood when on many a summer day I would be camped in front of the television watching a Godzilla film.