Dir. Ishirô Honda (1968)
Space aliens unleash all known kaiju on Japan, and its up to a team of astronauts to stop them.
The science fiction genre was in full swing in the late 60's, just one year before America sent astronauts to the moon and smack dab in the middle of the international space race. By this point, we had a fair idea of what we'd find once we left the Earth's atmosphere, but you can never be quite sure, prompting filmmakers and storytellers to ruminate about what would happen if we somehow came across people who were already there... In Japan, these thoughts naturally merged with the kaiju film, which was already leaning heavily into the science fiction genre with tales of aliens, monsters, and all sorts of fantastical creatures. Enter Destroy All Monsters, a mishmash of kaiju films that gathered lots of monsters together into a battle royale with Earth hanging in the balance.
Godzilla and friends (including Rodan, a heavily updated Anguirus, Mothra, Manda, and Gorosaurus) are living on Monsterland, a containment island that prevents any of the creatures from leaving and attacking Japan. A group of extraterrestrials have brainwashed the monsters into attacking, taking down the containment protocols in the process. Meanwhile, the government is attempting to establish a moon base, putting its astronauts in perfect position to try to defeat the alien threat that has sicced the monsters on its population. As King Ghidorah gives the monsters a new adversary to contend with, the astronauts must defeat the aliens and save the entire planet from destruction.
The return of legendary director Ishirô Honda marks a return to form for the Godzilla franchise, and Destroy All Monsters is an outstanding kaiju flick that again remembers what makes the movies so beloved in the first place. It's also much larger scale than any of the previous films, as Godzilla attacks New York, Rodan lays waste to Moscow, and Gorosaurus takes out the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The worldwide threat of the mind controlled monsters is exactly what the series needs to up the ante, and it seems like such an obvious step forward for a series about giant monsters that can destroy entire cities. Honda handles it perfectly, mixing the kaiju film with its self-evident kin, the disaster flick.
Because Honda provides takes a more deliberate approach to making Destroy All Monsters a serious film, it's also genuinely creepy a lot of the time. The effects are a step up from the previous film, and the soundtrack is much more typical Godzilla. There's also a decent amount of blood, especially during the scenes where the humans fight each other. The spaceships are realistic, and there's an "uncanny valley" aspect of the alien visitors. The monsters themselves are also awesome, and the discussion of the dangers of "better living through technology" was timely to the massive and incredible advancements during the time period.
The miniatures in the film are phenomenal, and its the most realistic city destruction in the series so far. Destroy All Monsters is a fantastic film for kaiju lovers, a celebration of everything that we love about giant monster movies. If you asked a random person what they saw when they pictured a Godzilla movie in their head, this is exactly what they'd see, a film filled with explosions and delightful monster attacks. The monster effects are outstanding, a step above what we've seen in the series so far. The fact that they included so many of them, more than half a dozen in total, was a wise decision that ratcheted up the excitement to the highest its been since the beginning.
The paranoia inherent in the plot concerning an alien race mind controlling regular humans and using them to achieve their ends is a perfect representation of Cold War-era political drama, though I must admit I'm not sure where Japan fell in that area. While it's certainly a bit on the nose and lacks a lot of the subtlety of some American horror films with the Red Scare in the backdrop, it's still an extra layer that's handled perfectly by Honda and fellow scriptwriter Takeshi Kimura. Add that in to the multiple monsters attacking locations all around the world and you have a recipe for one of the best of the series so far. If you're a Godzilla fan at all, this one is a must watch.
Who this movie is for: Kaiju film fans, Classic sci-fi lovers, Monster wrestling fans
Bottom line: Destroy All Monsters is the best Godzilla film since the original, and it's a love letter to everything people love about kaiju films. There are a ton of monsters, some excellent effects, and a plot that doesn't feel overwrought or too plodding. It's always a blast to see Godzilla fighting other monsters, and throwing in as many legendary kaiju as this film does is an achievement all by itself. This one is a must watch, and it's a stellar film for anyone who enjoys classic science fiction.
