GODZILLA: Mothra vs Godzilla (1964)

Godzilla in the Media Mothra vs. Godzilla (モスラ対ゴジラ Mosura tai Gojira?) is a 1964 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Ishirō Honda, and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Akira Takarada, Kenji Sahara and Hiroshi Koizumi. The fourth film in the Godzilla series, it was the first in which Toho began bringing in monsters from other productions, having Godzilla cross paths with Mothra. This trend would continue later in the same year with Rodan, in the film Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster.XXXThe film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada in the summer of 1964 (four months after its Japanese debut) by American International Pictures as Godzilla vs. the Thing.

PLOT:
News reporter Ichiro Sakai and photographer Junko Nakanishi take pictures of the wreckage caused by a typhoon, uncovering a large reptile scale in the debris. Later that day a giant egg is discovered on the shore. The local villagers salvage it, and scientists come to study the egg.XXXWhile Sakai and Junko try to ask Professor Miura, one of the scientists, questions about the egg, an entrepreneur of Happy Enterprises named Kumayama scurries the scientists off and explains that he has bought the egg from the local villagers. Instead of letting scientists study the egg, Kumayama wants to make it into a large tourist attraction. Sakai, Junko, and Professor Miura are disgusted and believe that Kumayama has no right to keep the egg.XXXWhile the three are discussing the egg at a hotel, they discover Kumayama checking in. Sakai wonders if somebody else may be working with Kumayama and investigates the matter. Kumayama meets with Jiro Torahata, the head of Happy Enterprises. As the two are discussing the billion-dollar tourist attraction the egg represents, two tiny twin girls known as the Shobijin, interrupt them. The Shobijin explain that they are from Infant Island and that the egg belongs to their god Mothra, who lives there. Torahata and Kumayama ignore the girls' pleas and try to capture them. The Shobijin escape the room and meet with Sakai, Junko, and Professor Miura outside the hotel. The girls beg them to bring the egg back too and the three promise to try as hard as they can to bring the egg back to Infant Island. The girls explain that if the egg is not returned, a larva will hatch and will cause destruction to its surroundings as it searches for food. When confronted by Sakai, Junko, and Miura, Kumayama offers to buy the Shobijin, disgusting Junko, Miura, and Sakai.XXXThe Shobijin leave even though they could not get the egg back and thank Sakai, Junko, and Miura for their kindness. Sakai tries to write editorials but they fail due to lack of public interest. When the scale is found to be radioactive, the three test for radioactivity in an industrial area where it was found. Godzilla suddenly emerges from Kurada Beach, where he had been blown ashore by the hurricane and buried under mud, and begins to attack Nagoya.XXXThe editor of Sakai's newspaper believes that the military cannot do anything against Godzilla and discusses it with Sakai and Junko. Jiro, another reporter who loves to eat eggs, walks in and suggests that Mothra might be able to defeat Godzilla. Sakai and Junko are skeptical that the Shobijin would agree because atomic testing had destroyed most of their island, and they had failed to return the egg to them.XXXThe two go to Infant Island anyway with Professor Miura. They are captured by the local villagers and are brought to the tribe’s chief. The three ask for assistance but, as expected, are refused because of the atomic testing and Japan's failure to return the egg.XXXThe Shobijin are heard singing and everyone walks towards them. Sakai, Junko, and Miura ask the Shobijin for Mothra's assistance but they are also turned down. Junko then pleads to all the villagers that not everyone from Japan should be accused for what happened to their island. Godzilla is killing everyone and refusing their country assistance is wrong. Sakai then adds that "we're all human" and that everyone is connected and must help each other. Mothra's screech is soon heard and the Shobijin ask everyone to follow them. They convince Mothra to help Japan and the people that live in it, but the monstrous insect is old and weak. Even if Mothra defeats Godzilla, she will die.XXXThe next day, Kumayama barges into Torahata's room and demands Torahata give him his money back that Torahata had recently swindled from Kumayama. They fight and eventually, Torahata is defeated by being punched in the mouth, and is bleeding. Kumayama crawls into Torahata's money cabinet and begins to steal the money from it. Torahata wakes up and sees Godzilla approaching the hotel. He then grabs a gun and shoots Kumayama in the head, killing him. Torahata is killed while escaping with his money when Godzilla destroys the hotel.XXXGodzilla walks towards the egg and tries to destroy it until Mothra shows up. The two fight a tough battle where Mothra seems to have the upper hand. While on the ground, Godzilla fires his atomic breath into Mothra's face and mortally injures her. Mothra dies with her wing resting on top of her egg while Godzilla walks away. The Shobijin then explain to Sakai, Junko, and Miura that the egg can be hatched today and begin to sing.XXXMeanwhile, the military tries to fight Godzilla by electrocuting him with "artificial lighting" but failed. Godzilla then melts the tanks with his atomic breath. The Shobijin continue singing and Mothra's egg finally hatches with not one, but two Mothra larvae. The larvae follow Godzilla to Iwa Island and use their silk spray on Godzilla to trap him, sending him into the sea. The Mothra larvae and the Shobijin celebrate and return to Infant Island.

CAST:
God