Son of Godilla - a Retro Review

Certain films get very little respect, and not always for the correct reasons. I decided to take a fresh approach at lesser appreciated films and at least argue the merits of why they deserve another glance.

Why is a film like Son of Godzilla so reviled by fans? Perhaps it is the introduction of an offspring for the monster, or how that offspring is portrayed? Or the wildly different Godzilla design used for the suit in this film? Perhaps the South Seas Island backdrop is disappointing for those wanting more urban destruction? Maybe it's a foggy nostalgia mixing Saturday night creature features with Saturday morning cartoons? It seems many people don't understand the difference between Minya and Godzooky!

Though Son of Godzilla may appear to be a silly little film that 'jumps the shark' so to speak, as we delve deeper into the film and watch carefully, it can be argued that it actually is a contender for being one of the strongest films with good longevity even after some 40 years.

Son of Godzilla is a 1967 live action film from Toho Studios directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa overseen by Eiji Tsuburaya. Many Americans saw the film for the first time as it was released to television by the Walter Reade Organization in 1969. The premise is that on Sollgel Island is a crew of United Nations scientists experimenting with the weather in the hopes of controlling crops and producing enough food for an ever-increasing planetary populace. Godzilla is drawn to the island because of a mysterious signal. A nosy reporter and a long-lost island girl are drawn into the plot as the experiment goes awry and radiation causes giant mantises and a spider to become a nuisance. It also causes the hatching of an egg with an obvious descendant of the Godzilla species line. Godzilla arrives to protect his 'son' and teach him the ways of a monster, while the scientists attempt to conclude their experiment and get off the island. As with any Godzilla film, a monster slugfest is guaranteed as Godzilla faces up to the island's other gigantic inhabitants! Eventually, Godzilla must decide whether to adopt the foundling monster as his own or leave the island the way he came.

While definitely a simpler film plot-wise than previous outings, one reason why Son of Godzilla is a great film is that it features an extremely strong cast of characters played by top-notch Toho Studios talent. From the subdued but determined professor played by Tadao Takashima to Akira Kubo's outspoken reporter to Yoshio Tsuchiya's gun-toting, jungle fever-induced "get me off this island" scrub, the actors keep this movie fun and moving along in between the monster footage. It's played serious when it needs to and the humor is injected at the right moments. You laugh with the film, not at the film. This aspect is more noticeable if watching the film in its original Japanese language with subtitles versus the dubbed track, though it should be noted that the dubbing is respectful of the original script and is inflected properly unlike many of the later dub jobs seen in the franchise. The dubbing that many saw on the original television run was done by Titra Studios. Recently, that dub appeared on the Colours satellite channel and I was amazed at how well it held up, even against a scratchy, grainy full-screen print. The dub that appears on Sony's DVD is the so-called 'international' dub by William Ross of Frontier Enterprises and it too does an excellent job conveying the proper feelings. The available subtitled and dubbed tracks for the film are strong and tell the story as needed for your viewing experience.

Regarding the monsters appearing in the film, when the weather experiment goes wrong we are introduced to all sorts of mutated insects in the form of the Kamakiras (a.k.a. Gimantis), which resemble giant mantises, and eventually the Kumonga (or Spiega, depending on version), a giant spider. Though the creature designs themselves are not as noteworthy as King Ghidorah or Mothra, it is the technical achievements displayed with these creatures that should be appreciated. Unlike some of the Toho monsters, these were based on real animals and had to act a certain way to be believable. An insane amount of string puppet work is used to bring these monsters to life, more so than any other Toho kaiju film of the era. There is so much puppetry work in fact that Sadamasa Arikawa is on record as stating this is the film he's most proud of technically.

On top of that, Son of Godzilla also features some excellent miniature designs for the U.N. weather experiment station and some lush background paintings used to bring the film to life. Island pictures were big during this time period and Toho wanted to cash in on those by moving Godzilla to lush locals. Yes, it's a different backdrop than the urban destruction many viewers are used to, but in this case it adds to the distinct charm and flair of the film and again, this is especially appreciated if one is watching the un-edited widescreen version of the film. If you never have, I implore you to seek out Sony's DVD of the film or catch it on the big screen if it comes around the film festival or fan convention circuit. If you can't and all you have is a grainy TV print, the technical achievements of this film can and should still be appreciated.

When we first see the Kamakiras, we also get introduced to Minya (or Minilla), the so-called 'Son of Godzilla'. The infant puppet used at first is quite the oddity and a bit laughable admittedly, but the toddler version used later in the film is far superior. Either one does the job though, as essentially Minya is there just long enough to get bullied by the giant insects until his 'Dad 'arrives on scene. The Godzilla design used in this film is one of the most reviled in the franchise, and though the more amphibious look and use of eyelids is jolting at first, careful observation shows how necessary it is to maintain a new feel and outlook to Godzilla. He's evolved from "force of nature atomic allegory" to "strange creature in a strange land" to actually finding a "kindred spirit". The expressions, especially the eyes, denote feelings when they need to. Contrast if you will to the re-introduction of a Godzilla offspring in 1993's Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla. In that, the Godzilla design is more animalistic (as is the offspring) but by the time the film is done the viewer can't tell if Godzilla is wanting the offspring, telling it to get lost, or perhaps looking at him as an appetizer! Yet in Son of Godzilla, we know exactly when Godzilla is annoyed, sleeping, ready for battle, or ready to teach Minya a lesson in monster behavior. In the end, there's no doubt that Godzilla has empathy, even a relationship with his newfound kin, as he embraces Minya during the snowfall preparing for hibernation.

From a storytelling and script aspect, Son of Godzilla is no more fantastical than films such as Godzilla Vs the Thing or Monster Zero, films highly exalted by fans (and all sharing the same screenwriter). It moves at a brisk pace (between 84 and 86 minutes depending on version) and doesn't suffer from the 'needs editing' feel that other Godzilla films have (specifically the Heisei series of the 1990's). It's screenplay by Shinichi Sekizawa features familiar concepts of the franchise that expand the character, not drastically alter it, unlike the previous film, Godzilla Vs the Sea Monster in which Godzilla was inserted into a sort of King Kong role due to a last minute script re-write. The role of the big guy in Son of Godzilla feels like a proper evolution. Even if one doesn't agree with the fatherly direction the filmmakers take him in, at least it's a natural direction to take the character.

One final note about viewing Son of Godzilla is that much of it is dependant on your life experience at the time of watching it. When this movie was brand-new, it was going toe-to-toe with the Gamera franchise, a self-proclaimed 'friend of all children' so the context of why it was developed that way makes sense. As a child seeing this on TV, one can relate to the giant monsters picking on the little guy (a concept revisited in the later Godzilla's Revenge) and the wonderment of discovery and learning as you grow. As a teenager, it may seem one will outgrow the film, but upon entering adulthood and beyond, the technical achievements of the film suddenly become more apparent and watching again is a fruitful experience. It is a 'cute' film, but there's also nothing wrong with that if you're looking to get your significant other interested in watching Godzilla films. Son of Godzilla never disappoints as a 'date' movie! Finally, as a father myself now, Son of Godzilla is the perfect film to share with younger children. It's a great family film and brings full circle generations of Godzilla fans.

Give Son of Godzilla a new viewing with some of these thoughts and see for yourself!