Julian R. White Indeed, this one takes me way back. I first saw this film on Disney Channels "Cool Nights" back in the late 90's. I recorded it on VHS and since then, I've rewatched it again and again. One part that I do like about the film is that it seems to delve right into the monsters, and that's something that any Godzilla fan can really appreciate. It's kinda weird though, soldiers who are apparently inherently evil are kidnapping natives of Mothra's island (who makes an extremely brief appearance in this film) and using them as slaves to grind fruits into a liquid. The soldiers use this liquid as a natural repellent against the Giant Lobster, Ebirah. To my knowledge, they never actually call it "Ebirah", they simply call it "the giant lobster". It contains a few interesting scenes not found in any other film. We have Godzilla fighting a Giant bird whose origin is unknown, and we also have a scene where a giant monster actually devours a person. It's really neat to see Godzilla fight underwater as well. I wouldn't put this as one of the top Godzilla films, but I would definitely say it's worth the watch.

JLRVancouver The seventh entry in the Godzilla franchise continues the trend toward 'secret agent' plots, diminished budgets, and light-hearted adventure, and because the story originally starred King Kong, the movie departs from the standard Godzilla story in a number of ways. Through a series of unlikely events, four men end up on an island housing a secret base run by a nefarious organisation known as "Red Bamboo" at which clandestine nuclear warheads are being produced and that is protected by the immense shrimp-like monster "Ebirah". By amazing coincidence, Godzilla is asleep in a cave on the very same island and one of Red Bamboo's captives is a young women from Infant Island, home of Mothra (now back in her winged form). Much of the movie is a monster-free adventure as the five try to evade capture and find a missing brother but eventually Godzilla awakens, with predictable results. Directed by Jun Fukuda, the movie has the look and sound of a '60s science fiction TV show, including tilted camera angles like those on the immensely popular "Batman" (1966) series and up-tempo music that has none of the grandeur of Akira Ifukube's scores. The Ebirah suit is quite good and the scenes of his giant claws rising from the ocean are the best in the film but the Godzilla suit is a step down from previous versions, with bigger eyes, a pronounced brow, a frog-like face, and the eyes of the actor within are clearly visible at times. Mothra is not bad but discrepancies between the painted background version and the puppet version are quite noticeable and her twin fairy ambassadors are now played by "Pair Bambi" who are neither as musical nor as charming as "The Peanuts", who previously played the role. In keeping with diminished budgets, Godzilla spends a lot of time in desolate, undetailed regions of the Island, and although there are some reasonably effective underwater shots, no amount of suspension of disbelief will help with the scenes where he attacks the Red Bamboo base: it's just a guy in a rubber suit stepping on toys. Anthropomorphisation of the kaiju continues: battles include a lot of rock throwing (including 'wind-ups' and 'headings'), there are a number of undignified shots of the big guy sitting down (even dozing off at one point), and in one instance he ironically rubs his nose (apparently a reference to a popular Japanese character). By this stage in the history of the franchise, the films are youth-oriented, light-hearted adventures featuring a heroic, at times almost 'friendly', monster, a trend that will continue until the end of the '70s. Strictly for the fans or students of the genre, and the kids.

Leofwine_draca EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP was one of the few Showa era GODZILLA flicks that I'd never got around to watching before, so sticking the Blu-ray on was a real treat. Because this is a fresh, vibrant addition to the series, one that tells a human story that's equally as interesting as the monster stuff. It's certainly a class movie and one designed to appeal to fans young and old.When you start watching, you might be forgiven for thinking you're in the wrong movie, because there's hardly any monster stuff at all for the first hour. Instead we get a cast of engaging actors who find themselves pitted against the Communist occupiers of a remote island, and all of the shenanigans that go with that storyline. Eventually, though, Godzilla comes out of hiding in a bizarre twist that recalls FRANKENSTEIN, and ends up doing battle with a silly giant crustacean named Ebirah.The story was originally written as a KING KONG sequel, hence Godzilla's unusual, humanised behaviour in this one. It's certainly something to see him interacting with the human cast for a change. As if the two monsters weren't enough, the producers also draft in Mothra, who as ever is a pleasure to watch. The film as a whole is packed with action, excitement and incident and I can't remember a single dull moment; it's great fun overall.

bkoganbing Of all the Japanese monster films that came out from the mid Fifties to the mid Seventies, Godzilla Versus The Sea Monster is the only one that seems to have taken a political stand on anything. The Japanese for obvious reasons are big on nuclear disarmament. This film involves Godzilla and two other giant monsters involved with the Red Bamboo who are a group conducting nuclear experiments on a deserted south sea island. Of course there was no such a group as the Red Bamboo, but the power across the Sea of Japan did have a Red Guard who were pretty active in those days. I think that was another political statement that Godzilla Versus The Sea Monster was making.Anyway some 20 somethings who were involved in a dance marathon which opened the film, commandeer a boat that was to be the getaway vehicle of a bank robber to search for the brother of one of them who set sail southeast and was not heard from. It's there that a storm washes them ashore on the island of the Red Bamboo. These dastardly folks are not only conducting nuclear experiments, they're making heavy water to use as nuclear fuel, but are using slave labor. The slaves are being taken from the island that Mothra resides, but he's sleeping and the natives are doing their best to arouse their friend and protector. To discourage escape in the meantime, the island is guarded by Ebirah a giant lobster monster. The Red Bamboo controls him by means of the nectar of some exotic tropical fruit that acts as a tranquilizer.When our heroes arrive, they discover that Godzilla is in some kind of coma asleep on the island. Needing an ally they look to get him awake to start doing his thing. Of course all three monsters battle it out in the end.This particular all star monster spectacular is a cut above the others for its political statement wrapped up in the dopey way these films play. But I have to admit a soft spot in my heart for them.