Directed by Ishiro Honda • 1964 • Japan
Godzilla faces off against the benevolent insect monster-god Mothra in this clash of the titans, a crossover battle between two of Toho Studios’ most popular monsters—the last in which Godzilla would figure as a malevolent villain rather than a fearsome hero. Mothra vs. Godzilla marks a creative high point in the Godzilla series, with pointed social commentary from director Ishiro Honda, a masterful score by Akira Ifukube, and astonishing special-effects work by Eiji Tsuburaya.
Up Next in Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975
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Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Directed by Ishiro Honda • 1964 • Japan
After laying waste to an alien civilization on Venus, the three-headed, lightning-emitting space monster Ghidorah brings its insatiable thirst for destruction to Earth, where fierce foes Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra must join forces in order to deal with th...
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Invasion of Astro-Monster
Directed by Ishiro Honda • 1965 • Japan
Aliens from Planet X make an irresistible offer to the people of Earth: let them borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help defeat King Ghidorah, and in return they will provide a cure for all known human disease. But the aliens’ duplicity is soon revealed, as they...
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Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Directed by Jun Fukuda • 1966 • Japan
Starring Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Chotaro ToginThe first Godzilla film directed by Jun Fukuda, who would go on to direct four more, is fast-paced and light in tone, and builds to a riveting race-against-time finale. On a secluded island in the South Sea...
