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Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
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List Price: $16.95
Our Price: $14.99
Your Save: $ 1.96 ( 12% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Classic Media
Starring: Akihiko Hirata, Yuriko Hoshi, Emi Ito, Hisaya Ito, Yumi Ito
Directed By: Ishiro Honda
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0796019802734
Format: Anamorphic
Label: Classic Media
Manufacturer: Classic Media
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Classic Media
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2007-06-05
Running Time: 93
Studio: Classic Media
Theatrical Release Date: 1964
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Editorial Reviews:
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(Sci-Fi) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster -- A prophetess from Venus foretells cataclysmic disasters! Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan reappear in Japan, wreaking havoc! A giant meteor crashes into the mountains and the three-headed, fire-spitting space dragon King Ghidorah emerges! As the Venusian's prophecies come true, assassins from a tiny Asian kingdom hunt her down, while the Earth monsters must decide whether to settle their petty differences and join forces against the extraterrestrial enemy!
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: It's a monster movie, but not as we know it....
Comment: Ummm. How to review this one... it's not billed as a Godzilla movie, but of course it is, though it's 45 minutes before he appears (if you watch the Japanese subtitled original). The ponderous and convoluted plot about the princess who re-appears thinking she's come from Venus dominates the movie along with the gang of goons trying to shoot her (let's hope the Japanese did not manufacture those guns they couldn't hit an elephant in the high street) and of course, it all makes no sense. Its glorious nonsense. We have a fallen meteorite that spends half the movie being magnetic, glowing and growing. Then we get an explosion of monster action half way through which turns the more or less serious series of Godzilla movies into a cartoon for the first time.
The fight sequences between Godzilla and Rodan are hilarious, after a few aimless loops Rodan appears to be as flightless as a turkey and with the help of poor editing, he even makes a Godzilla noise. He fights more like a turkey than a bird of prey, too, but he's got a decent header on him. In the SFX department they've run out of blue flame and Godzilla shoots a sort of hairspray at Rodan which barely troubles him as he's got no hair.
When King Ghidorah finally appears the public relations department drives through the streets with a tannoy to announce his name. The scattering crowds say thank you! Well, you do like to know who is trampling your cities, don't you. The trampled Japs come out with some terrific expressions of shock: Juda! Yuh! Gua! Only in Japanese....
Mothra is in larvae form (there were two of her in the previous movie when she beat Godzilla) and holds an extended and quite sophisticated conversation with Rodan and Godzilla which they politely sit down for. When Ghidorah finally pitches into battle he's quickly taking on all three of them and his little yellow rays give Godzilla a thorough body search hitting him places any self-respecting monster would ordinarily regard as private. Godzilla can't be bothered to use his hairspray breath so he takes to kicking and throwing an awful lot of boulders. Mothra gums up Ghidorah's heads and he flies off, and the movie ends with the monsters just standing around.
This movie may well have marked the turning point when Godzilla movies (there are 28 so far) from semi-serious efforts into more comedic cartoonish films for big and little kids, but even compared to that prolongued phase in the franchise, this one doesn't score high marks for me. The initial plot is too slow moving and the monster action isn't as well conceived or executed. You have to take this in the spirit of fun it is made with and it is a hoot, but not as much of a hoot as some of the others. Entertainment more for serious (and sad) admirers (like me!) not the passing curious, I'd suggest! A true B movie.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great DVD release of a silly but fun film
Comment: Classic Media has done a wonderful service to Godzilla fans by releasing a number of the original Godzilla films on DVD the way they should be¡K.with both the original Japanese versions with subtitles and also with the Original American releases with the dub tracks intact, allowing viewers to see the films the way they like, and with their widescreen format intact!.
GHIDRAH is the 5th of the Godzilla series, and is a mixed bag. On the plus side is the eponymous creation. Ghidrah (or Ghidorah¡or King Ghidorah, as he¡she. whatever, is known) is an inspired and unique creation¡ 3 heads¡ 2 tails...it is a triumph of design and execution and a truly striking creation. Godzilla returns looking only slightly different that in his prior film. The look of the film...the music and color are all top notch. However, the story is a rather convoluted mess, with ideas introduced, and then abandoned, and the introduction of such ideas as the monsters talking and slapstick fights are a clear indication of the downward direction the Godzilla series was taking. Rodan isseen here for the first time since the 1957 original, has been re designed, and looks quite bad, with Glassy eyes¡a long bobbing neck and clumsy movements. However¡there is still enough in this film to bring a smile to the face of most Godzilla fans¡even if there are some winces as well.
The film also includes a commentary track, as do all the classic media releases. This one is done by David Kalat..Author of the excellent McFarland book on the Godzilla series. Its a strikingly different commentary that the other releases. Where the commentaries on the other dvds were fawningly informative, but dry to the point of numbing, Kalats commentary is rapid fire, informative and extremely enthusiastic, conveying his obvious love for the genre and this film. Some might find his approach too rapid and enthusiastic, but I found it great fun¡Kmore like a talk with a fellow fan than a dull presentation of names and dates. His main thrust is also to defend the shift to a more childlike¡Kor childish approach to the films and the advantages of the dubbed versions. I may disagree on the central premise¡Kthat the series was well served by the shift to a comedic slapstick style, but his enthusiasm is infectious and he ALMOST changed my mind. º
Almosl..lol
The print and sound quality on the film is quite good, and the DVD belongs in Any Godzilla Fans collection¡Kvery good job!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of my childhood favorites
Comment: This is a classic "japanese monsters vs. the big bad monster from outer space" film...they are all here ...Godzilla, Mothra & Rodan do battle with Ghidorah, the three-headed monster. While this is NOT of "original Godzilla" quality, it does avoid the ridiculousness of some of the films of the Godzilla series (mechanical godzillas, giant turtles. etc.). It is a distraction for 84 minutes and mildly entrtaining if you are a Godzilla, Rodan or Mothra fan.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A monster masterpiece.
Comment: Its good to have two version on one disc. the US version and the original Japanese version. I hoped there will be more like this one. Its good to see them in their original widescreen format, so to see what the film was like in theaters back in the 1960s. A must have for all monster movie fans.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ghidorah: how he was meant to be
Comment: Usually the first movie is the best one, and here it is true. Ghidorah was always my favorie film in the Godzilla series. We have some great monster battles, well detailed sets for destroying, and get to see Ghidorah with the meanness he's meant to have, only otherwise seen in Destroy all Monsters. Both versions are very clean both visually and in audio. The dubbed version is probably the one we all grew up seeing... with a lot of the added in music which, I feel, adds greatly to the film. This is the copy all Godzilla fans ought to pick up.
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