Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster
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is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by
Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
, with special effects by
Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' and ''Ultraman'' franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history o ...
. 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 is a retired Japanese actress. Career Wakabayashi is best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki (James Bond), Aki in the 1967 James Bond film ''You Only Live Twice (film), You Only Live Twice''. Before this, she had ...
, with
Haruo Nakajima was a Japanese actor and stuntman. A pioneer of suit acting, he is best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until '' Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). Nakajima also played various other ...
as
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
, Masanori Shinohara as Rodan, and Shoichi Hirose as
King Ghidorah is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
. In the film, an extraterrestrial from Venus, possessing the body of a princess, warns humanity of the pending destruction by the alien-dragon Ghidorah, with Godzilla, Rodan, and
Mothra is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
being their last hope for survival. The film was rushed into production in order to replace '' Red Beard'', which fell behind schedule, in Toho's New Year's holiday slate. The Godzilla suit and Mothra larva prop were recycled from the previous film, with modifications added, while new suits were produced for Rodan and Ghidorah, the latter creating on-set difficulties due to multiple wires attached to the suit. Principal photography began and ended in 1964 in
Mount Aso or Aso Volcano is the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world. Common use relates often only to the somma volcano in the centre of Aso Caldera. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the i ...
,
Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
, Gotenba, and
Ueno Park is a spacious public park in the Ueno, Tokyo, Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the Buddhist temples in Japan, temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, i ...
. ''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 Walter Reade Sr. and Walter Reade Jr. were an American father and son who had extensive careers in the United States motion picture industry. Walter Reade Sr. Walter Reade Sr. (1884–1952) was the man behind a chain of theatres which grew from ...
as ''Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster''. It earned ¥375 million (over $1 million) at the Japanese box office and $1.3 million at the American box office. The film received generally positive reviews from early and contemporary American critics. The film was followed by '' Invasion of Astro-Monster'', released on December 19, 1965.


Plot

Reporter Naoko Shindo attends a communications session with the UFO society for her television program. However, it is deemed a failure due to Naoko's skepticism. A meteor shower soon descends on Japan, with the largest meteor crashing on Mount Kurodake. Naoko's brother, Detective Shindo, is assigned to guard Princess Salno of Selgina from a political assassination during an unannounced visit to Japan. En route to Japan, an alien entity leads Salno to jump from her plane before it explodes. Professor Miura leads a research team to Mt. Kurodake to investigate the large meteor, where they discover it randomly emitting magnetic waves. Naoko is sent to investigate a prophetess claiming to be from
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
, who predicts that the
pteranodon ''Pteranodon'' (; from and ) is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with ''P. longiceps'' having a wingspan of over . They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in presen ...
Rodan will emerge from
Mount Aso or Aso Volcano is the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world. Common use relates often only to the somma volcano in the centre of Aso Caldera. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the i ...
. The Prophetess catches the attention of both Shindo and Salno's uncle, both of whom recognize her as the supposedly dead Salno. Responsible for the assassination plot, Salno's uncle sends the assassin, Malmess, to kill her. After participating in a TV program, the Shobijin,
Mothra is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
's twin fairies, prepare to depart for home but are warned by the Prophetess to not sail. Naoko takes the Prophetess to a hotel to interview her, and discovers that the Shobijin have been following them, heeding the Prophetess' warning before the prehistoric sea monster
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
sunk their ship. After confirming that the Prophetess is Salno, Shindo finds her at the hotel and saves her from Malmess. They evacuate after Godzilla and Rodan converge on the city and battle throughout the countryside. After psychiatrist Dr. Tsukamoto concludes that the Prophetess is human, she predicts the arrival of the alien-dragon
King Ghidorah is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
, a monster that destroyed her home on Venus. Miura and his team witness the meteor explode, unleashing the golden three-headed space dragon Ghidorah, who proceeds to attack Matsumoto. The authorities plea with the Shobijin to summon the larva monster Mothra for help, but they warn that Mothra alone could not defeat Ghidorah, and their only hope would be for Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra to join forces. Under hypnosis, the Prophetess reveals that some Venusians escaped to Earth from Ghidorah and assimilated with humans, but at the cost of losing most of their abilities except prediction. After Malmess overhears Tsukamoto recommending shock therapy next, he increases the voltage to a fatal degree, but fails after the power lines are destroyed by Godzilla. After thwarting Malmess and his crew, Shindo evacuates to the mountains with the Prophetess, Tsukamoto, Naoko, Miura, and the Shobijin. Mothra attempts to convince Godzilla and Rodan to set aside their differences to save the planet, but both refuse due to years of harassment from humans. However, after seeing Mothra attempt to battle Ghidorah on her own, Godzilla and Rodan change their minds and rush to her aid. The Prophetess wanders off and regains her memories after Malmess nearly kills her. Shindo manages to protect her just in time and Malmess falls to his death. The monsters overwhelm Ghidorah and force it to flee into outer space. Prior to departing for home, Princess Salno reveals to Shindo that she has no memory as the Prophetess, but remembers the three events when Shindo saved her, and thanks him and Naoko for their help. Godzilla and Rodan watch as Mothra journeys back home with the Shobijin, who bid farewell to all.


Cast

Cast taken from ''Japan's Favorite Mon-star''.


Production


Crew

*
Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
– director *
Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' and ''Ultraman'' franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history o ...
– special effects director * Ken Sano – assistant director * Shigeru Nakamura – production manager * Takeo Kita – art director * Sadamasa Arikawa – special effects photography * Akira Watanabe – special effects art director * Hiroshi Mukoyama – optical effects Personnel taken from ''Japan's Favorite Mon-star''.


Development

Toho originally intended to release '' Red Beard'', also produced by
Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer, best known as the creator of Godzilla. He produced most of the installments in the ''Godzilla'' series, beginning in 1954 with ''Godzilla'' and ending in 1995 with '' Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. He was one of the mo ...
, for the New Year's holiday. However, the film fell behind schedule and Tanaka rushed ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' into production to replace the New Year's release slot. After the success of previous cross-over films such as ''
King Kong vs. Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the ''Godzilla'' and ''King Kong'' franchises, as well as the first T ...
'' and '' Mothra vs. Godzilla'', Tanaka decided to develop a film that would feature
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
, Rodan and
Mothra is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
. The new monster
King Ghidorah is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
was designed as an homage to
Yamata no Orochi Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'' record the ...
. Film historian David Kalat noted that screenwriter
Shinichi Sekizawa was a Japanese screenwriter noted for his immense contributions to several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films. He also contributed material to the original ''Ultraman'' series and several Tōei Dōga films such as ...
introduced aliens, like Ghidorah and the eponymous ''
Dogora is a 1964 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho, Toho Studios, the film stars Yosuke Natsuki, Nobuo Nakamura, Hiroshi Koizumi, and Akiko Wakabayashi, a ...
'', because he grew tired of tropes where monsters were either awakened by nuclear weapons or worshipped as Gods by indigenous groups.
Yoshio Tsuchiya was a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Toshio Matsumoto's surreal ''Bara No Soretsu'' (a.k.a. '' Funeral Parade of Roses'') and Akira Kurosawa's ''Seven Samurai'' (as the firebrand farmer Rikichi) and '' Red Beard'', and Kihachi Okam ...
was originally attached to play Malmess but his commitments to ''Red Beard'' prevented him from participating. Honda felt "uncomfortable" with Toho and Tsuburaya's decision to anthropomorphize the monsters and was reluctant to use the singing duo The Peanuts as translators for the summit scene. The film was shot on various locations, such as
Mount Aso or Aso Volcano is the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world. Common use relates often only to the somma volcano in the centre of Aso Caldera. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the i ...
,
Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
, Gotenba, and
Ueno Park is a spacious public park in the Ueno, Tokyo, Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the Buddhist temples in Japan, temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, i ...
.
Akiko Wakabayashi is a retired Japanese actress. Career Wakabayashi is best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki (James Bond), Aki in the 1967 James Bond film ''You Only Live Twice (film), You Only Live Twice''. Before this, she had ...
chose to portray her character similar to a sleepwalker and purposefully avoided eye contact while in character. Honda asked her to take inspiration from
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...
's character from ''
Roman Holiday ''Roman Holiday'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Audrey Hepburn as a princess out to see Rome on her own and Gregory Peck as a reporter. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress f ...
'', and based her character's homely attire on Wakabayashi's real attire; Honda had once spotted her on the studio in jeans and a "bug guy's hat." Wakabayashi was allowed, by Honda, to sleep on the gurney during takes for the shock therapy scenes due to working on a different film the previous night without sleep, and was briefly blinded by the Venusian's flash of light.


Special effects

The film's special effects were directed by Eiji Tsuburaya, while Teruyoshi Nakano served as the assistant special effects director. For Ghidorah's hatching scene, a variety of techniques were used such as a miniature meteorite prop, and pyrotechnics; optical animation was used for the hovering fireball and Ghidorah's rays. For the Yokohama sequence, pyrotechnics were wire-rigged to send up debris, and fans were used to emulate strong winds.
Haruo Nakajima was a Japanese actor and stuntman. A pioneer of suit acting, he is best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until '' Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). Nakajima also played various other ...
reprised his role as
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
, having portrayed the character in the previous four ''Godzilla'' films. The effects crew recycled the Godzilla suit from '' Mothra vs. Godzilla'' but alterations were made to the head such was replacing the original glass-like wooden eyes with radio-controlled eyeballs, and marginally flattening the head by installing mechanics.
Katsumi Tezuka was a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing monsters in several Toho science fiction and horror films directed by Ishirō Honda. Life and career Tezuka was born in Tokyo, Japan on August 31, 1912. His first credited role in a motion p ...
portrayed the Mothra larva prop that was also recycled from ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'', and its eyes were changed from blue to red. Masanori Shinohara portrayed Rodan via a new suit that was constructed with a different appearance for the face, with a muscular neck and triangular wings. King Ghidorah was designed by Akira Watanabe, with the wings originally intended to bear a rainbow-like hue. Ghidorah was portrayed by Shoichi Hirose, and it proved a grueling task for Hirose which required him to spend hours inside the suit, hunched over and only using a supportive crossbar, while a team of seven men handled the wires attached to the necks, tails, and wings over the soundstage rafters. Filming of the Ghidorah scenes caused delays for various reasons: the necks would tangle with each other, the studio lights would be reflected on the plastic wires, and wires would get caught in the suit's scales. Effects cameraman Sadamasa Arikawa described it as an "agonizing operation". Sekizawa suggested to Tsuburaya that the Ghidorah suit be built from lightweight silicon-based materials to allow more mobility for the suit performer. Small models of the monsters were also used for far away shots or flying shots of Rodan and King Ghidorah. The set for the base of Mt. Fuji was built at a 1/25th scale and took 12,000 hours to build. The set was raised so cameras could be positioned at low angles. The miniature buildings were built with working sliding doors, and lights, and were built backless, to be seen from one direction. The miniatures meant to be destroyed were pre-cut and compressed. Miniature buildings that were not meant to be destroyed were repurposed for later scenes or other sets. While filming Godzilla and Rodan's battle in Toho's massive water tank, one of the edges of the tank was exposed on film. Tsuburaya hid this error by superimposing trees on the exposed area.


Release


Theatrical and box office

''Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster'' was released theatrically in Japan on December 20, 1964, by
Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
, on a double-bill with ''Samurai Joker''. The film earned (over $1 million) in distributor rentals at the Japanese box office, and became the fourth highest-grossing film between 1964 and 1965. In 1971, a heavily re-edited version was screened at the Toho Champion Festival, a children's festival centered on marathon screenings of ''kaiju'' films and cartoons. For the Champion Festival, the film was re-titled , was re-edited by Honda, and runs 73 minutes. The Champion festival release sold 1.09 million tickets. Months after the film's Japanese release, the film was acquired by Walter Reade-Sterling, Inc., with plans to distribute the film in the United States through their subsidiary,
Continental Distributing Walter Reade Sr. and Walter Reade Jr. were an American father and son who had extensive careers in the United States motion picture industry. Walter Reade Sr. Walter Reade Sr. (1884–1952) was the man behind a chain of theatres which grew from ...
. The film was theatrically released in the United States on September 29, 1965, as ''Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster''. The film opened to 83 theaters in Boston, on a double-bill with '' Agent 8 3/4''. In later areas, it was double-billed with '' Harum Scarum''. Continental relayed to '' Variety'' that the film grossed $1.3 million, including earning $200,000 in film rentals within five days after its release. To promote the film in the United States, Ghidorah masks were created as promotional tie-ins with local supermarkets and radio stations.


American version

The dubbing of the American version was supervised by Joseph Belucci, and runs at 85 minutes. The American version shifts some scenes and removes some outright, Akira Ifukube's score is replaced with library music during some of the Godzilla/Rodan battle scenes, Mars replaces Venus in the prophetess's dialog, and a rough translation was provided for ''Cry for Happiness'', which is read off-camera by Annie Sukiyaki. Some alterations from the American version were added to the Champion Festival release. Film historian David Kalat opined that the American version is superior in some ways, stating that the film is dramatically tightened and that continuity corrections resulted in an "improvement over the original".


Critical response

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' found ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' to be a better film than '' Harum Scarum'' (both films were bundled on a double-bill) but found that it would appeal to fans of comic book culture and may interest social historians over what Canby perceives as Japan's fascination at destroying their homeland with monsters. While '' Variety'' criticized the dubbing as "atrocious", they praised Honda's ability to incite cheers from audiences when the Earth monsters unite.
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
awarded the film two and a half stars, calling it "one of the better Toho monster rallies”. Phil Hardy's book ''Science Fiction'' noted that the film's visual effects "are better than usual and the cast includes Okada (Mistakenly believing actor Eiji Okada to be in the film), best known for his performance in Resnais' '' Hiroshima Mon Amour'' (1959), as well as the brilliant Shimura, star of Kurosawa's '' Ikiru'' (1952)." ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' awarded the film three stars out of four and stated that the film "embodies much of what the popular monster films have come to be known for over the years: reptilian wrestling matches on a citywide scale, human drama paralleling the monster threat, rubbery creature effects, and the gleeful destruction of many a miniature architectural set piece." Film historian August Ragone called the monster effects "somewhat uneven," but added that "Tsuburaya still delivers a punch with the production's bountiful visual effects." ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' ranked the film at number two in their 2019 ranking of the Shōwa Godzilla films, calling it a "superb entry" and describing the battle sequences as "classic." ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' ranked it at number six on their list of the "Best Kaiju Movies Featuring Mothra", describing its plot one of the more "whacky" entries within the genre. ''
Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator that brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Compared to other particle accelerators in which the moving particles collide with a stationary matter target, collid ...
'' ranked the film number four on their Shōwa Godzilla list in 2022, praising the balance at depicting the monsters as genuine threats while expressing glee at their antics, calling such an approach one of the best "mixes" of the franchise's Shōwa era."


Home media


Japan

In 2008, Toho remastered the film in High-definition and premiered it on the Japanese Movie Speciality Channel, along with the rest of the Godzilla films also remastered in HD. In 2021, Toho premiered a 4K remaster of the film on the Nippon Classic Movie Channel, along with seven other Godzilla films also remastered in 4K. The film was downscaled to 2K for broadcast.


United States

In 2007, Classic Media released the film on DVD in North America, along with other Godzilla titles. This release included the remastered, widescreen versions of the Japanese and American versions, as well as a biography on
Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' and ''Ultraman'' franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history o ...
, image galleries, promotional material, and an audio commentary by David Kalat. In 2017, Janus Films and
the Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of art film, arth ...
acquired the film, as well as other Godzilla titles, to stream on
Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...
and FilmStruck. In 2019, the Japanese version was included in a Blu-ray box set released by the Criterion Collection, which included all 15 films from the franchise's
Shōwa era The was a historical period of History of Japan, Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the T ...
. In May 2020, the Japanese version became available on
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
upon its launch.


Legacy

The film marks the debut of King Ghidorah, a recurring antagonist of the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Ragone described King Ghidorah as "one of the most famous and popular creations in the Toho canon." Don Kaye from ''Den of Geek'' echoed these sentiments, stating, "Ghidorah remains a formidable enemy, which is why his debut is still one of the best-remembered entries in the series." The film was also the turning point in Godzilla's transformation from villain to hero, with Godzilla taking on a radioactive
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
role. The film also marks the first ensemble between Godzilla and other established monster characters.


See also

*
List of films featuring dinosaurs This is a list of films that feature non-avian dinosaurs and other prehistoric (mainly Mesozoic) archosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. For depictions of avian dinosaurs see :Films about birds. Live-acti ...
* List of Japanese films of 1964 *
List of science fiction films of the 1960s A list of science fiction films released in the 1960s. These films include core elements of science fiction, but can cross into other genres. They have been released to a cinema audience by the commercial film industry and are widely distributed ...


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster''
at the official ''Godzilla'' website by Toho Co., Ltd. * * * * {{Portal bar, Film, Japan 1964 films 1960s fantasy films 1960s science fiction films 1960s monster movies Japanese science fiction films Japanese fantasy films Crossover tokusatsu films Films scored by Akira Ifukube Films about dragons Films directed by Ishirō Honda Films produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka Films set in Aso, Kumamoto Films set in Nagano Prefecture Films set in Shizuoka Prefecture Films set in Tokyo Films set in Toyama Prefecture Films set in Yokohama Films set in fictional countries Films shot in Japan Films shot in Tokyo Giant monster films Godzilla films 1990s Japanese-language films Japanese sequel films Kaiju films Mothra films Fiction about pterosaurs Saturn Award–winning films Toho films Films with screenplays by Shinichi Sekizawa Films about fairies 1960s Japanese films 1990s Japanese films King Ghidorah Films about princesses Films about amnesia