Following the release of All Monsters Attack, director Ishiro Honda left Toho, and special effects creator Eiji Tsuburaya passed away. With nowhere left to go with the series, Toho decided to hire newcomer Yoshimitsu Banno to helm the next installment. After driving through cities like Yokkaichi and seeing all the pollution, Banno chose to add an environmental message. He previously worked with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa as an assistant director on Throne of Blood and The Hidden Fortress. Unfortunately, the studio gave Banno a meager budget to work with due to how the previous films performed financially. In addition, the film ran into some production problems, most notably one of the suit actors contracting appendicitis. Sadly, this would be the only Godzilla film Banno would helm since producer Tomoyuki Tanaka hated the finished product. In 1971, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, aka Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, landed in Japanese theaters.
%
Rating
Synopsis
A small tadpole-like creature has been cited feeding off Japan’s pollution and growing into an enormous sea monster. Dr. Toru Yano (Akira Yamauchi) and his young son Ken Yano (Hiroyuki Kawase) narrowly survive an attack from the creature. Ken insists that Godzilla will save them from the pollution-spewing horror, which the public dubs “Hedorah” after its reveal. Soon enough, Godzilla arrives to do battle with Hedorah, quickly taking down the sludge creature and forcing it to retreat. Unfortunately, Hedorah soon grows to an even larger size and causes several people to die from its poisonous fumes. A group decides to throw a party on Mt. Fuji, thinking the world’s ending, though Godzilla and Hedorah soon arrive. While Godzilla puts up a good fight, Hedorah soon overpowers him and tries drowning him in toxic sludge. Will Godzilla stop this gross horror, or will Hedorah consume the earth in its poisonous gases?
Review
Even by Showa era standards, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is one of the strangest entries to date, and that’s saying something. Considering that Banno wanted to showcase the horrors of pollution, he certainly succeeded at showing how gross it is. Hedorah is undoubtedly one of the more unique monsters Godzilla’s ever faced, taking multiple forms that get stronger over time. The movie also includes one of the more infamous moments of the series: Godzilla using his atomic breath to fly. This leads to one of the film’s biggest problems: it doesn’t seem to know who its audience is. There are plenty of goofy moments more in line with this era of films appealing to kids. However, there are also tons of nightmarish and trippy imagery that seem more suited for adults. It’s like the film can’t decide if it wants to promote an anti-pollution message or be a 1970’s anti-drug PSA.
Even Godzilla’s entrance is accompanied by music that sounds like what you’d hear when a cartoon character is drunk. There are also these weird animated segments sprinkled throughout the film that add to the tonal dissonance. Speaking of Godzilla, the suit works well for what’s required, and the Hedorah suit is also well-made. Unlike the last film, this one has plenty of monster fights that are easily the highlights, though they end quickly. Like other kaiju films from the time, the lead is a kid who seems to know more than he should. Thankfully, the kid is nowhere near as annoying as the child lead from the previous installment. If nothing else, this entry is worth a watch for just how downright weird it is. Overall, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is a mid-tier installment that’s most noteworthy for how bizarre everything is.
Buy Godzilla vs. Hedorah on Amazon: https://amzn.to/32HTKr0.
Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
