134) Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Halloween 2022's Godzilla-Maniapalloza Extravaganza #9...For the Love of Godzilla.

All Hail, the Monster King!

"The major cities of the world are being destroyed, one-by-one by the monsters..."

Director
Ishirō Honda

Cast

Akira Kubo - Capt. Katsuo Yamabe

Jun Tazaki - Dr. Yoshido

Yukiko Kobayashi - Kyoko Manabe

Kenji Sahara - Nishikawa, Moon Base Commander
Andrew Hughes - Dr. Stevenson

Haruo Nakajima - Godzilla, Baragon, & Military Advisor
Hiroshi Sekita - Anguirus, Gorosaurus, & Doctor in Hospital
Marchan the Dwarf - Minilla
Teruoshi Nigaki - Rodan
Susumu Utsumi - King Ghidorah

By this time, Godzilla can only do the same thing over and over again before audiences get bored with him and his shenanigans. So, Toho wanted to make the next Godzilla movie a spectacle. And they did. 

Producers at Toho Studios decided to open the gates of chaos and let as many monsters as possible out for the ninth Godzilla film, "Destroy All Monsters."

This movie seems as though it could be the Godzilla movie of all Godzilla movies, starting with the title. There's a little James Bond feeling we saw in "Ebirah, Horror of the Deep," mixed with monsters against monsters, mixed with some of that alien sci-fi goodness we saw in "Invasion of Astro-Monster." And sitting mightily above everything in this cinematic heap is the King of the Monsters himself acting as the renowned cherry on top. 

The story breaks through the borders of Japan as monsters attack cities all over the world.

Oh, it's on now!

This is the brawliest of brawls in the Godzilla-verse to date. The film has, of course, Godzilla along with Minilla, Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan, Gorosaurus, Anguirus, Baragon, Manda, and Kumonga. 

The year is 1999. The U.N.'s Science Committee previously collected all the monsters, including Godzilla, that have been wreaking havoc and destruction around the world, and placed them all on "Monster Island" located in the Ogasawara Island chain. 

There's a control center built underground which uses special technology to keep the monsters from getting off the island. It's also a research center to study these huge creatures. 

However, communications between the mainland and Monster Island are somehow cut off. And the technology keeping the monsters confined to the island is severed. 

All the monsters escape and start attacking different parts of the world.

Lots on monsters packed into one film!

Capt. Katsuo Yamabe (Akira Kubo) and his crew are ordered to fly his spaceship, Moonlight SY-3, to investigate the goings-on at Monster Island. 

Yamabe finds that the scientists, under the directorship of Dr. Otani (Yoshio Tsuchiya), have been placed under mind control and enslaved to a race of aliens called Kilaaks. 

They have control of all the monsters. 

The head of the Kilaaks demands all of Earth surrender to them, or they'll allow all the monsters to destroy humanity as we know it. 

The monsters attack cities world-wide. And Godzilla has found his way to New York City. 

The Kilaaks wants everyone's attention away from Japan so they can establish an underground stronghold at the base of Mt. Fuji. 

Once they accomplish that mission, they start attacking Tokyo.

However, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) takes control of the monsters. But little does the UNSC know that the Kilaaks have control signals underneath the moon's surface. 

Once that's discovered, the Moonlight SY-3 destroys it, returning control of the monsters to Earth. 

So, the Kilaaks go to plan C- unleashing King Ghidorah. 

They send Ghidorah to protect their stronghold at Mt. Fuji. And the monsters are sent there to attack and take down Ghidorah, the last Kilaak defense.   

"Destroy All Monsters" is certainly a Godzilla movie to end all Godzilla movies. It feels like a grand finale. In fact, it could have easily been such. But it clearly doesn't end there. It's the kind of movie that anyone in the mood for a weekend Godzilla monster movie will feel satisfied watching. And it has quite the rogue's gallery of kaiju characters. 

It was produced in the middle of a "monster boom" in the genre of sci-fi flicks, especially those from Japan. 

Anguirus first took on Godzilla in "Godzilla Raids Again" (1956). And we first saw Kumonga (also known as Spiga) in "Son of Godzilla." 

Gorosaurus is simply a dinosaur who first appears in Toho's 1967 movie "King Kong Escapes." He and Kumonga appear again through stock footage in the next Godzilla movie, "All Monsters Attack" and "Godzilla vs. Gigan" (1972). 

Kumonga shows up later in the 2004 movie "Godzilla: Final Wars."

While Baragon makes his Godzilla debut in this film, his first appearance is in "Frankenstein Conquers the World" (1965).

Baragon returns on screen with Godzilla in "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" (2001) as well as "Godzilla: Final Wars" via stock footage. 

Amazingly enough, his skull shows up in the movie "Pacific Rim Uprising" (2018). 

And Manda, the giant sea dragon, first showed up in Ishirō Honda's 1963 movie "Atragon." 

Like other monsters, he appears through stock footage in "All Monsters Attack" and "Terror of Mechagodzilla." Plus, he's in... wait for it... "Godzilla: Final Wars."

Kenji Sahara. who plays Moon Base Commander Nishikawa, is quite the Godzilla veteran. 

He's appeared in the first Godzilla film back in 1954 as well as in "Mothra," "Rodan," and "Frankenstein Conquers the World." 

Godzilla attacks New York City!

As far as other Godzilla films, Sahara has appeared in "King Kong vs. Godzilla," "Mothra vs. Godzilla," "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster," "Son of Godzilla," "All Monsters Attack," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," and "Terror of Mechagodzilla." He then plays in a few 90s Godzilla movies - "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II," "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla." And lastly, Sahara appears in (*sigh - do I need to say it?) "Godzilla: Final Wars."

I like "Destory All Monsters" for the shear enjoyment of the monster brawl. It definitely lays the foundation for such films later in the Godzilla-verse, and elsewhere. It hits the spot for sci-fi enthusiasts and monster fans. 

The narration if the American version, which is the version I watched, is laughable. It makes the fight seem like a wrestling match broadcast on ESPN. 

As the monsters gather at Mt. Fuji, there's a news announcer broadcasting everything.

"The beautiful weather at Mt. Fuji is in stark contrast to the tension in the air over the upcoming battle. The silent forest seems to be waiting for the monsters' charge on the Kilaak's hidden base. The defense force is stationed around the area. No monsters are in sight yet. The monsters will be led by Godzilla, Rodan, and Anguirus, but I don't see them yet. I don't... ah, I see one! Could it be one of the leaders of the group, like Godzilla? No, it's Minya! Minya is the first to arrive! However, following behind it is the monster, Godzilla. Now, I see Mothra! Godzilla is leading the pack with Mothra close behind! Next is Anguirus! Anguirus is leading a pack of monsters to my left. More are coming out. Anguirus is leading Manda, Baragon, and Gorosaurus. Kumonga has appeared! It looks like all of the monsters controlled by the Kilaaks have been brought here. I can see Rodan! It's flying from the south and is circling around both groups of monsters. It is landing behind Godzilla and Mothra. It appears that Godzilla's group will lead the attack. Godzilla himself will lead them. There's been no reaction from the Kilaaks as to what is transpiring before them so far. As Godzilla prepares the other monsters to attack, there seems to be little doubt as to who will win."

The simple story doesn't allow audiences to be distracted from what they really want to see - monster versus monster, versus monster...versus Godzilla. It definitely delivers and lives up to its title.