3/25/2020

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/ゴジラvsキングギドラ (Gojira tai Kingu Gidora) (1991) - A future-sent monster needs defeating in bombastic entry

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Godzilla handles the three-headed opponent before a nuclear missile launched out of the sea on this awesome poster for Kazuki Ohmori's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

Three people arrive from the future to Japan in a time machine but have evil ulterior motives: They want to destroy Japan with the three-headed monster they brought along with them, because the country will become all-powerful in 2207. - But they hadn't counted on Godzilla!

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is written and directed by returning Godzilla filmmaker Kazuki Ohmori (Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)).
It is a film that may heighten fear of Asians among Westerners, (the film was in fact controversial for perceived anti-Americanism), and it is certainly ripe with Japanese nationalism to the point where it seems more military parade than motion picture; however, everything explodes!
The filmmakers and their characters here may be good-hearted and technical wizards or not, but the grasp of narrative and creativity leaves a lot to be asked of. Suit-wearing men spout lines like; "Emmy, pull the Godzilla handle!"
Still this all has a certain charm to it. And the three-headed Ghidorah monster from the future rocks.

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Godzilla franchise:  Shin Godzilla/シン・ゴジラ (Shin Gojira) (2016) - A sensational Japanese comeback
Godzilla (2014) - The best US Godzilla  

Godzilla vs. Biollante/ゴジラvsビオランテ (Gojira tai Biorante) (1989) - The king battles rose monster in franchise low
Godzilla/ゴジラ (Gojira) (1954) - A Japanese king is born ...






Watch a TV recording of a trailer for the film with English subtitles here

Cost: 1,500 mil. ¥, approximately 12 mil. $
Box office: Reportedly 11 mil. $ (Japan only)
= Some uncertainty but looks like a huge flop (returned in excess of 0.91 times its cost)
[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah was released 14 December (Japan) and runs 103 minutes. The film is the 18th in the Godzilla franchise and the 3rd in its Heisei period. It was decided to revive Godzilla's archenemy King Ghidorah, when a poll showed that it was the monster most male audiences would like to see return. A more child-friendly and fantasy-based approach was taken after the lackluster reception of Godzilla vs. Biollante's biotechnology focus. Ohmori thought that time-travel was what the public wanted (following major hit Back to the Future Part II (1989)) and incorporated this in the story. Shooting took place in Japan, including Tokyo. Real octopus blood was used during a bombardment scene. 2.7 mil. $ paid admission in production country Japan, up from 2 mil. for the previous film. - But as Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah budget was more than double in size, it ranks as a bigger flop. The film was also released theatrically in Portugal in 1991 and in Germany and Spain in 1993, though regrettably the gross numbers are unavailable. In North America it was only released on DVD in 1998. Godzilla returned in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Ohmori returned with Mangetsu: Mr. Moonlight (1991). 5,312 IMDb users have given Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah a 6.6/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?

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