Son of Godzilla [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

"Son of Godzilla," directed by Jun Fukuda, is one of the most fun of the Godzilla movies. In this film, a group of scientists encounter the legendary "King of the Monsters" while conducting weather experiments on a tropical island. When a mysterious egg hatches into a "baby Godzilla," the big monster becomes a reptilian father figure to the playful youngster. A horde of monstrous bugs show up for the traditional monster battles.
This "Godzilla" movie seems to be directed towards a younger audience; it is more exciting and funny than scary. The enjoyable antics between "Dad" and baby are enthusiastically portrayed. The film as a whole is well complemented by Masaru Satoh's funky, energetic score. And the monster battles are well done. Although the "silly" quotient of the film may turn off fans of the serious original Godzilla, I think that this sequel should be enjoyed for what it is: an entertaining sci-fi fantasy.
The final scenes of "Son of Godzilla" contain some of the most haunting and poetic images ever filmed for a giant monster movie. If you are a fan of the Japanese giant monster genre, you won't want to miss this delightful film.

A few things need to be said because this movie is not even close to one of the actual "best" Godzilla movies. I can't even say it's a "good" movie because my bias on this one really gets in the way. Admittedly, Godzilla films are an acquired taste and I acquired my taste for them as a lad watching Saturday afternoon/ evening creature features in the mid 1970s. Back when you scoured the TV guide to see what was coming up and planned your day around the program. Back when you couldn't rent a movie. This particular film was an elusive one for me. I knew of its existence but couldn't manage to catch it until (warning: memory ahead!) one week when I found that it was on at about 4 A.M. How in the world could I watch it? My parents would have hung me by the toes if they would have caught me watching TV at that time and I was too young to be able to keep myself up. Luckily for me I had an older brother (12 years older in fact) and we shared the same room with a small 13" black-and-white TV that he was used to falling asleep to. As for me, it wasn't uncommon for me to wake up in the middle of the night and turn it off and I had gotten in the habit of scanning for monster movies before I turned it off, just in case; one never knew! Well, on that one night I was aware that SOG was going to be broadcast and I hoped to awaken in time for it. While I didn't quite make the time (I woke a little late) I was able to tune in right at the point where Godzilla first made his appearance (for the cut of the movie back then, that is) coming ashore on Solgell island, rising out of the water in a spray of bubbling water. I sat watching the fantasy unfold as Godzilla, usually tearing up a cityscape or hillside, marched through a dense south seas island jungle and menaced the research team. Finding his son (with a face only a mother could love I might add) being menaced by a horde of oversized grasshoppers the mighty King of the Monsters blew his mighty atomic breath and vanguished the annoying insects. Spiega (sp?) the giant spider was a true menace and terror! And so was my brother who awoke to find me watching the movie in the middle of the night. Ordering me to turn it off I in turn blackmailed him with the threat of what would happen to him if I told mom and dad that he kept leaving the TV on and it was waking me up nightly...score another one for the little kid!!!

So if you are bothering to read my account you can see that my fondness for this movie is tied, in part, to a magical time in my life and good memories. It is a welcome touchstone to my past. But what to make of it now? SOG routinely scores near the bottom of most kaiju eiga (giant monster--usually of the Japanese variety) afficianados lists. It has, inarguably, the worst looking Godzilla suit/ head of all time (he looks like a frog). Much to the chagrin of many enthusiasts there are no elaborate model cityscapes that are crushed under foot as the action all takes place on Solgell island; trees and rocks are not as exciting to watch topple as a foot going through a roof or a hand pushing through the side of a castle. Minya (or Minilla), Godzilla's son, has the laugh of a jackass (really!) when he gets excited, looks like a cross-between of Gary Coleman (from "Different Strokes" fame--"Whatchu' talkin' 'bout, Willis!?!"), Godzilla, and the Pillsbury Doughboy!!! Even though Godzilla increasingly became anthropomorphized over his films, this film really played up the angle that he and his son were not so different from your average father-son duo and they didn't seem much like monsters at times (which I loved but lots of fans criticized). And some of the special effects, even for the time, were just plain bad (an inflatable Minya...really?). While all of this is true virtue is in the eye of the beholder.

What so many negatively criticize is what I hold dear. I love the south seas island setting of Solgell. I love the weather experimentation idea and the small cast of characters and the lovely island lady adding a touch of femininity to the proceedings. I absolutely adore the father/son relationship in this picture. Godzilla as a big daddy? I wanted one! The scene where Godzilla teaches Minya to breathe fire and helps the lad along by stomping on Minya's stubby tail (ah, tough love!) and the scene where Minya plays jump rope with daddy's tail only to clumsily trip and fall are classic and iconic. The island's mutated insect and arachnid population makes the monsters accessible and interesting and all the more deadly to our child protagonist and his father (the engineering and wirework required for Spiega to work was masterful) let alone to the research team. The research team struggling to survive on an island with giant and threatening fauna. The final shot of Godzilla and Minya trudging along in the snow...it still gives me a twinge of sadness. The narrative arc of the story is two-fold and linear in both cases (one for the humans and one for the monsters) and there are obstacles to be overcome with some determination and courage for the main characters, both human and monster. The movie satisfies as a fantasy and family film.

I am greatly looking forward to sharing this with my son when he is old enough. Hurry up and get old enough all ready! I hope that you enjoy the movie (and this review) too.

The picture quality is excellent on this DVD but the audio is not the original audio tracks

from the original released movie. So if you are a Godzilla fan you may be disappointed by the re-dubbing of the monster movie classic.

The Columbia/Tristar (SONY) release of SON OF GODZILLA is the "International" version. It is in wide screen. It also has dubbing done in Japan. This is similar to the recent DVD releases of Destroy All Monsters. So it is different from the version most fans grew up with. (The version that had Peter (Speed Racer) Fernandez as the voice of Goro.) The good news is that it is UNCUT and features a 3 min. prologue cut from the american TV version, which features Godzilla frightening coast guard pilots in a tropical storm at sea. Incidently, Tere has always been some confusion over which island is "Monster Island". Well, the original japanese title of Son of Godzilla is "Monster Island's Decisive Battle". So that settles it. Monster Island is Sorgel Island from Son of Godzilla. Im sure this is just a western arguement and every Japanese fan knows Monster Island is Sorgel island.

I used to watch this movie as a kid, and when that spider(spiga) came out of the ground, I was in total awe of him. He is one of the coolest monsters in the earlier Godzilla series and was only be defeated due to the combined force of 'G' and Minya. This movie has a real centimental value as the viewers see Godzilla's more fatherly or loving side contrasted by his brute strength and Power and he fries some giant mantises.
To sum up, for any true Godzilla fan, this is definitely a MUST SEE!