Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦, San Daikaijū: Chikyū Saidai no Kessen, lit. Three Giant Monsters: Earth’s Greatest Battle) is a 1964 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the fifth film in the Godzilla franchise, and was the second Godzilla film produced that year, after Mothra vs. Godzilla. The film stars Yosuke Natsuki, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, Masanori Shinohara as Rodan, and Shoichi Hirose as King Ghidorah. In the film, an extraterrestrial from Venus, possessing the body of a princess, warns humanity of the arrival of King Ghidorah, with Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra being their last hope for survival.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster was theatrically released in Japan on December 20, 1964, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on September 29, 1965 by Continental Distributing as Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster. The film marks the debut of King Ghidorah, a recurring antagonist of the Godzilla franchise. The film was also the turning point in Godzilla’s transformation from villain to hero,  with Godzilla taking on a radioactive superhero role.

via Wikipedia

King Ghidorah is by far one of my favorite antagonists from the Godzilla franchise. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a combination of Godzilla and Rodan with an extra head, or just that it’s the first space monster, or that it is canonically genderless.

This is also the first movie where Godzilla is pressed into defending Earth (along with Rodan, but this doesn’t happen a lot for Rodan). Mothra is again asked to help enlist Godzilla and Rodan against King Ghidorah’s invasion, and at first they’re only interested in fighting each other. Mothra eventually starts battling on their own, to which Godzilla and Rodan finally come to her aid.

The match-up is fun to watch, Godzilla tackling King Ghidorah on the ground, and Rodan dive-bombing in the air. Of course the Earth is saved to continue the next movie in the series.

My Ranking: ★ ★ ★