Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) – aka Godzilla vs. The Thing Review | Godzilla Island Archive

The Plot:

After a violent storm devastates Japan and Infant Island, a Mothra egg washes ashore in Japan. Soon after, Godzilla emerges from beneath the earth, wreaking havoc on a country already reeling from disaster.

A group of people travels to Infant Island to seek Mothra’s help. The islanders, however, resent Japan for the nuclear experiments that destroyed their home. Despite her weakened state and nearness to death, Mothra agrees to protect her egg.

When Godzilla threatens the egg, Mothra arrives and bravely engages him. She puts up a fierce fight, nearly defeating Godzilla, but ultimately succumbs when struck by his atomic breath. Mortally wounded, Mothra collapses on her egg and dies.

Godzilla continues his rampage, leaving Mothra’s body behind. But the egg hatches, revealing two Mothra Larva. As Godzilla heads toward an island where children are trapped, the Larva give chase. Using their silk spray, they overwhelm Godzilla and eventually force him off a cliff into the sea, driving him into retreat.

My Thoughts:

This was the very first Godzilla DVD I’ve watched. I’ve owned every Godzilla, Gamera, and other kaiju film on VHS, but since I can’t watch my tapes anymore, upgrading to DVD feels like reliving these classics all over again.

One thing that always puzzled me is how Mothra was referred to as “The Thing” throughout the U.S. release. After doing some research, I learned that when the movie was first brought to America, the studios wanted to keep the opponent’s identity a mystery. While I understand keeping Mothra’s name secret in the title, it doesn’t make sense that they carried the term “The Thing” through the whole film.

Mothra’s name literally has “Moth” in it, and anyone can see she’s a giant moth. So why call her The Thing instead of what she is? Some believe the studio wanted to cash in on the popularity of The Thing from Another World. Whatever the reason, it only caused confusion—back then and even now. Thankfully, in later films, Mothra was always called by her real name.

Another point I find fascinating is the U.S. title change from Mothra vs. Godzilla to Godzilla vs. The Thing. Unlike most retitled Godzilla films, this one feels especially misleading. The original story is really a Mothra movie more than a Godzilla movie. Yes, Godzilla plays a huge role, but the focus, themes, and emotional weight center on Mothra.

From a marketing standpoint, though, it made sense. In the 1960s, American audiences were far more familiar with Godzilla than Mothra. Promoting it as a Godzilla sequel was guaranteed to draw bigger crowds.

Interestingly, early drafts of the script were very different. According to Toho, the original plan was for Godzilla to take center stage, with Mothra only appearing at the end. The egg and larva weren’t even in those drafts. It makes you wonder how different the film’s legacy would be if those changes had stayed.

Mothra vs. Godzilla (or Godzilla vs. The Thing, depending on which version you see) remains a standout entry in the series. Whether you’re new to Godzilla or a longtime kaiju fan, this movie is an absolute must-watch.