One thing that becomes immediately apparent to anyone interested inGodzillais thesheer longevity and variety of the series.There have been close to 40 feature films with the titular monster since 1954,andGodzilla, as a character and a film series, shows no signs of losing popularity any time soon. There’s always been something inherently appealing aboutseeing a giant monster like Godzillastomp around,whether that monster is a metaphor for something serious— such as atomic weapons —more representative of a natural disaster humanity must rally against, or simply something for another monster to take on in spectacular combat.
Those after the more serious or groundedGodzillafilms might not loveGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah, but anyone who may have a soft spot forunapologetically silly and maybe even schlocky monster moviesought to check it out. It saw the triumphant return of one of Godzilla’s most iconic foes,King Ghidorah, after almost 20 years, and dealt with an alien invasion threatening humanity. Importantly, it alsodeals with time travel, which is rather novel within theGodzillaseries.It’s one of thewilder and more underratedGodzillafilms, and will hopefully find some new fans in the coming years.
The Premise of ‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’
Thetitular battle that’s promisedby a title likeGodzilla vs. King Ghidorahdoes ultimately deliver, but this movie — the third of seven inGodzilla’s Heisei era — is more than just a long-awaited rematch. Essentially,Godzilla begins the film as a threat to humanity.When aliens visit Earth and say they have the power to allow humans to go back in time and prevent Godzilla from becoming a true threat, the human race jumps at the opportunity. Regrettably, though, the aliens betray humanity, using the whole complexscheme to birth King Ghidorahand use him in an attempt to conquer Earth.
10 Major Monsters Not in the MonsterVerse (Yet)
We have a monstrous desire to see these characters make an appearance one day.
TheGodzillamovies that focus on aliens trying to conquer Earth through the use of monsters are usually very over-the-top, as can also be seen in 1968’sDestroy All Monstersand 2004’sGodzilla: Final Wars. More recent Japanese entries in theGodzillaseries, likeShin GodzillaandGodzilla Minus One, have been praised for each feeling a little more grounded and serious, but the magic ofGodzilla, as a series, is its variety.Godzilla can be a villain, Earth’s savior, or something in between,with the behemoth ofGodzilla vs. King Ghidorahbeingsomething of an anti-hero; a destructive force that’s not a friend to humanity necessarily,but one that humanity still needsto save it.
‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’ Indulges in Time Travel
With time travel, it’s best to just go with the flow.As long as a sci-fi movie with time travel attempts to establish some rules and at least sort of sticks to them,time travel stories are generally fun.Godzilla vs. King Ghidorahdoesn’t perfectly hold up to scrutiny in this department, but you could also argue that scrutiny has no place here.This is a giant monster movie with time travel. Isn’t that enough?
The film takes place in the early 1990s, the aliens say they’re from a couple of hundred years in the future, and the plan to kill a not-too-powerful version of Godzillainvolves traveling back to World War II, (going back tothe 1940s beforeGodzilla Minus Onedid, impressively.) BeforeGodzilla was mutated by a hydrogen bomb test,he was essentially a dinosaur known as Godzillasaurus. Ghidorah also gets two forms here, both as a regular King Ghidorah and a more powerful version from the future known as Mecha-King Ghidorah. Again, it’s best to be like a 2011Adam Sandlermovie andJust Go with It.
Other Ways ‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’ Gets Wild
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorahis heavy on actionas well as time travel-related nonsense. It’sa tongue-in-cheek affair by the series’ standards,featuring a rather surprisingshoutout toSteven Spielberg, and a couple ofyears beforeJurassic Park, too, (it’s admittedly a movie that comes to mind during the Godzillasaurus scenes). But it’s hard to callGodzilla vs. King Ghidorahahead of its time otherwise because much of it plays out likeThe Terminatorwith kaiju.
Still, the camp value is high, the action is undoubtedly fun, andthere’s a good deal of humor to be found here — both intentional and unintentional. It’s a good time and a worthwhileGodzillafilm. Sure,Godzilla vs. King Ghidorahisn’t one of the best in the series, but it’s also far from the worst. More positively, it has a shot at being considered one of thewildest films featuring the King of the Monsters, and that’s worth something.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
In their attempt to warn Japan of its downfall under Godzilla, the Futurians offer to erase him from history. However, after Godzilla vanishes, another creature emerges, revealing the Futurians' real motives.
