Godzilla-Invasion of the Astro-Monster (Kaiju daisenso) (1965)

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General		Extras
Category	Science Fiction	Theatrical Trailer Gallery-Poster Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating
Year Of Production	1965
Running Time	90:28
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Ishirô Honda
Studio Distributor	Toho Company Madman Entertainment	Starring	Nick Adams Akira Takarada Jun Tazaki Akira Kubo Kumi Mizuno Keiko Sawai Yoshio Tsuchiya Takamaru Sasaki Gen Shimizu Kenzo Tabu Yoshifumi Tajima Nadao Kirino Kôji Uno
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Akira Ifukube

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Unknown	Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     A new planet, Planet X, has been discovered behind Jupiter and a manned space rocket with astronauts Glen (Nick Adams) and Fuji (Akira Takarada) is sent to investigate. Meanwhile, on Earth Fuji’s sister Haruno (Keiko Sawai) is dating nerdy inventor Tetsuo (Akira Kubo. He has invented a sonic device that he is in the process of selling to toy company executive Miss Namikawa (Kumi Mizuno).

     Landing on Planet X, Glen and Fuji are astonished to find a race of technologically advanced humanoid aliens led by The Controller (Yoshio Tsuchiva) living underground in fear of Monster Zero, the three headed lightning bolt emitting dragon King Ghidorah. King Ghidorah had previously been defeated and banished from Earth by Godzilla and the vulture like creature Rodan. The Controller wants permission to go to earth to capture Godzilla and Rodan and bring them back to Planet X to defeat King Ghidorah. In return, the aliens will provide Earth with a cure for cancer.

     This sounds a good deal and the authorities on Earth agree, but Glen and Fuji start to become suspicious and fear that the aliens have ulterior motives, a fear which gains substance when alien flying saucers are discovered to be already hidden beneath a Japanese lake. Nevertheless, an agreement is reached and Godzilla and Rodan are successfully captured and transported to Planet X where they defeat King Ghidorah. However, the tape of the promised cure for cancer turns out to be an ultimatum from the aliens calling for total submission by the Earth, or else the Earth faces destruction. It seems that the capture of the monsters was a ploy by the aliens to get all three under their control; if the Earth does not capitulate Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah will be let lose on a path of destruction. As Glen and Fuji look for a solution, Miss Namikawa turns out to be not quite what she seems while it may be that Tetsuo’s invention could just be the weapon needed to defeat the aliens.

     Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster aka Kaiju daisenso: Kingughidora tai Gojira aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero is more Earth vs. Flying Saucers than monster movie with Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah in support roles only. They feature in a couple of good action sequences, but these are quite brief and the majority of the film concerns the ambiguous (at least initially) relationship between Earth and the aliens. American Nick Adams was brought in to give the film more international appeal, but in truth the human actors are not all that interesting and they were saddled with a silly script. The special effects are quite primitive; model space rockets, cars, tanks and buildings look like, well, models, and the aliens seem most unthreatening in unflattering grey jump suits. However, the monster effects are vastly better that in Godzilla vs. Mothra made the year before. There the monsters were quite static and stiff: here they are much more mobile and flexible and the three heads of King Ghidorah are particularly good. As well, there remains a charm about these special effects that seems entirely fitting in a B grade monster movie of the 1960s, a charm that is totally lacking in more recent, CGI dominated, Hollywood films.

     Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster may be a lesser entrant into the Godzilla canon, with not nearly enough time spent on the monsters, but it is still a lot of fun and does not take itself seriously. Godzilla’s victory jig after defeating King Ghidorah is a hoot! Put your mind in neutral and just enjoy the spectacle

Video

     Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced. While outdoor scenes, back projection and matte paintings lack sharpness, scenes filmed on the set are sharp and have good contrast. Blacks are fine and shadow detail acceptable for a 40 year old B movie. Brightness and skin tones vary occasionally and colours are garish (most likely a deliberate choice), with minor colour bleed in some scenes. There is mild grain and occasional film artefacts but nothing to spoil the enjoyment of the film. In fact, it looks very good.

     American Nick Adams is obviously speaking English and has been dubbed into Japanese, and it shows. Otherwise, lip synchronisation is OK.

     The English subtitles are in a yellow font in American English. There are minor spelling errors and some of the subtitles went by too quickly to read properly.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice between Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 224 Kbps. Either is acceptable although neither is exceptional. The 5.1 has some separation and reasonable clarity but is recorded at a lower level and sounds quite thin in many sequences. The mono track seemed to be more robust, better rendering the creature roars and effects, but did suffer from a muted hiss on occasion, something the 5.1 did not.

     The music by Akira Ifukube is sometimes quite obtrusive, such as a bright and breezy cue when the military is about to attack the monsters that lowers the tension of the scene. On other occasions it is effective.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:16)

    Interestingly, the trailer has American Nick Adams speaking English while the rest of the cast in the trailer speak Japanese.

Poster Gallery

     5 colourful Japanese film posters.

Madman Trailers (7:34)

     Trailers for other films from Madman. Included is Madlax Volume 2 – The Red Book, Seven Samurai and Howl’s Moving Castle.

     There is a Region 2 Japanese version with an audio commentary by actor Yoshiro Tsuchiya but neither the feature nor commentary is subtitled. The US Region 0 disc is non-anamorphic. Region 4 is the best choice for English speakers.

     Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster is more Earth vs. Flying Saucers than monster movie with Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah in support roles only yet it still has interest and is quite entertaining. The film is presented on a DVD with good video and audio and minimal extras.

     Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster is included in the Madman 6 disc box set Godzilla Showa Classics Volume 1 along with Godzilla (1954), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Godzilla vs. Ebirah (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967) and Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters (1968). For a RRP of $49.95 this is a fabulous way to get to know “the original monster of mass destruction”.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall