Invasion of Astro-Monster

Starring: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno
Directed by: Ishiro Honda
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
1965

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After two astronauts (Nick Adams, Akira Takarada) travel to the recently discovered Planet X, they agree to send Godzilla and Rodan to the planet to help them stop the terrorizing Monster Zero.

Review:

Tim: This movie might have been good, if not the incredibly ridiculous, swiss cheese plot (read: full of holes). The writing was so god-awfully bad that it sunk the entire film. I really enjoy watching the old Godzilla movies- even the bad ones. However, there is always a sense of logic and intelligence, even though the majority of the movies are pretty absurd. However, this film pushed that boundary way, way too far. This film was just so stupid and mindless that it hurt me to watch it. I'll touch on a few of the points.

First, we are expected to believe that Planet X exists just beyond Jupiter. Why humans haven't discovered it before is because it was "too dark." This doesn't make much sense, but okay. Secondly, the astronauts seem to go back and forth between Earth and Planet X in a matter of days. The distance between Earth and Jupiter is roughly 483.6 million miles, which would take a ridiculously long time to reach, even with crazy futuristic technology. This part of the film was a bit absurd. All of this is out there, but I was tracking. However, we are expected to believe so much more. I especially didn't like the mysterious sound, which happened to be kryptonite-like the Planet Xers. Perhaps the laziest bit of writing involves the jail break, where two guards actually run toward the bars so that the captives can grab them and steal their keys. These moments happened throughout the entire film, and were just so preposterous that it ruined the film.

This is too bad, because there were some things that I liked. Although the connection wasn't immediately clear, I liked how this film played off the events of the previous installment. I think it's a good thing to have some continuity between these films. However, I will admit that I thought it a bit strange that in Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, it took Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra to bring down Ghidorah, but here, Godzilla and Rodan alone do a pretty good job. I actually missed Mothra.

I'm off topic- I apologize. I really liked the film's special effects. These were a step up from previous films. We have spaceships, UFOs, and some impressive destruction scenes. I really enjoyed the close-ups of Godzilla's feet crushing buildings, which is something that hasn't been shown in previous films. Director Ishiro Honda did an impressive job with the visuals of the film- it is just a huge shame that the script wasn't up to par.

I don't think I ask for too much in these films. I am willing to believe in a giant lizard that ascends from the depths of the ocean to wreck havoc. I can also believe a giant pterosaur lives in rock cliffs. I am also willing to buy a giant three headed monster that comes from outer space. However, there just comes a point where it's all too much, and this film passed that point. I also hated the weird human-like dance Godzilla does the first time they defeat Ghidorah. The events of this film represented an unfortunate turn in the franchise here.

While I'll probably never love any of these Godzilla movies, I can appreciate many aspects of them. I enjoy watching bad movies sometimes, and these films definitely count. However, I do want some effort to be put into the script, and unfortunately, Invasion of Astro-Monster is such an enormous mess that I couldn't like it much at all. I still am looking forward to future Godzilla movies, but I also have to admit that I am nervous about the quality of those films. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Gojira, Godzilla Raids Again, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster