Mothra (1961) Review
- Frank Laudato
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
It's a big year for the Queen of the Monsters! Mothra is celebrating her 65th anniversary, and we are here for it! Frank recently reviewed the newly translated novella The Luminous Fairies and Mothra, the book that was created as a blueprint for the orignal film Mothra. Though the film does change quite a bit from the novella the legacy of this film has gone on to be massive.
One of the biggest standout elements of this film that makes it so different from previous kaiju films Toho released is that it set a new trend for them going forward. Mothra was not just another mindless monster rampaging through cities only to be killed by the armed forces at the end. Mothra had a goal, to save the two Shobijin that were kidnapped from their home after a terrible man massacred the innocent natives who had already endured the effects of nuclear testing near their island. That's right Mothra was the first Toho monster to not be killed at the end of the film, and from this point on the Toho monsters began to gain more personality and had clear intention rather than simply acting like frenzied animals.
While much of the film focuses on the human story and the Mothra suits and props aren't the most agile creatures to witness on screen, this film still managed to pull off some impressive kaiju destruction sequences with some incredible shots. Even though the movie is a bit lighter on tokusatsu sequences, the moments we do get make sure not to waste the opportunity to pull the viewers in with some monster action. Although some may argue that the real monsters of this film were the humans particularly Nelson and his posse.
Overall, we really enjoyed this film. The film went on to become part of the Showa Era Godzilla continuity as well, as part of the Kiryu saga continuity as well! In our video review below, we go into much more detail about the legacy of this film as well as more plot details so be sure to check it out and let us know in the comments how you are celebrating Mothra's 65 years as Queen of the Monsters!
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