Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
by Ishiro Honda

List Price: ~~$16.95~~
Our Price: $14.99
You Save: $1.96 (12%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $7.95 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases

Compare Prices for Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster

Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD Cover Information

Actor: Akihiko Hirata, Emi Ito, Hisaya Ito, Yumi Ito, Yuriko Hoshi
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cinematographer: Hajime Koizumi
Composer: Akira Ifukube
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Japanese (Original Language); English (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-05
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Classic Media

Movie Reviews of Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster

Movie Review: It's a monster movie, but not as we know it....
Summary: 2 Stars

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.

Write your own review

More Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Summary of Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster

(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!

Art House & International DVD Video

DVD Video

Movies most talked about in Thank God for Toho Kaiju movies, or, Godzilla & Friends on DVD in 2008

Godzilla - Final Wars
Release date: 2005-12-13; DVD
Best price: $7.73
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla - Tokyo S.O.S.
Release date: 2004-12-14; DVD
Best price: $7.67
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Release date: 2004-03-23; DVD
Best price: $7.85
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah - Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Sony; Release date: 2004-01-27; DVD
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Release date: 2004-01-27; DVD
Best price: $8.01
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla 2000
Sony; Release date: 2000-12-26; DVD
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Rebirth of Mothra 1&2
Release date: 2000-02-01; DVD
Best price: $12.62
Price in other shops: ~~$19.94~~

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla / Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Release date: 2000-02-01; DVD
Best price: $12.59
Price in other shops: ~~$19.94~~

Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II
Release date: 2005-02-08; DVD
Best price: $7.67
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah / Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth
Sony; Release date: 1998-11-10; DVD
Best price: $12.63
Price in other shops: ~~$19.94~~

Similar DVD Movies

King Kong Vs Godzilla/ King Kong Escapes
Release date: 2005-11-29; DVD
Best price: $13.19
Price in other shops: ~~$19.98~~

Gojira / Godzilla Deluxe Collector's Edition (Gojira/ Godzilla [1954] / Godzilla, King of the Monsters [1956])
GOJIRA & GODZILLA - KING OF THE MONSTERS (DVD; Release date: 2006-09-05; DVD
Best price: $11.98
Price in other shops: ~~$21.98~~

Destroy All Monsters
Release date: 2000-02-22; DVD
Best price: $7.37
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)
WELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2008-04-29; DVD
Best price: $9.76
Price in other shops: ~~$16.93~~

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Release date: 2005-02-08; DVD
Best price: $7.67
Price in other shops: ~~$14.94~~

Terror of Mechagodzilla
WELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2008-04-29; DVD
Best price: $8.75
Price in other shops: ~~$16.93~~

Frankenstein Conquers the World / Frankenstein Vs. Baragon
Media Blasters; Release date: 2007-06-26; DVD
Best price: $12.05
Price in other shops: ~~$19.95~~