SON OF GODZILLA (1967)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *cosmological*


Though I wasn't crazy about the idea of SON OF GODZILLA back in the day, a recent revisit reveals that it's not that bad, and definitely stands as the best Godzilla film by Jun Fukuda, certainly more fun than the previous GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER.

In addition, even though Ishiro Honda is the revered master of all things Godzilla, he did a much blander version of a roughly similar story three years later in YOG MONSTER FROM SPACE. Both films dealt with small groups of human beings confined to an island full of bizarre monters. But even though all of the human characters of SON are just as negligible as those in YOG, the Fukuda film comes up with more interesting events to torment the people.

SON begins with a scientific expedition attempting to control Earth's weather for the purpose of feeding an overpopulated Earth. Unfortunately, they've chosen to set up their experiment on an island where some giant mantises-- possibly leftovers from prehistoric times, like Godzilla?-- are roaming around. In addition, Goro, a nosy reporter, parachutes down to the island, thinking that he's going to get some sort of scoop there. The scientists, having no transportation off the island, must reluctantly accept Goro into their midst. While there Goro spots a comely sarong-clad beauty, though no one believes him because the scientists think the whole native population was evacuated. Later they find out that the young lady, name of Raeko, is actually the offspring of a Japanese couple who died on the island and left Raeko to grow up alone, though she knows many of the island's secrets.

When the scholars run one of the weather-tests, a mysterious radio broadcast from the island-- which is also seen "calling" Godzilla out at sea-- disrupts the machine and causes a chain reaction. For four days a "radioactive storm" besieges the island, though Goro and the scientists protect themselves in their bunkers. The radioactivity causes the mantises to become larger-- hence their new name "Gimantises"-- though this seems a needless elaboration, since the island already has a couple of really, really big monsters. One, not seen until over halfway through the film, is giant spider Spiga, who has apparently been around long enough that Raeko can tell Goro all about its habits. The other, however, is still in its egg, and it's a baby of the Godzilla species, later named "Minilla." The Gimantises uncover the egg, crack it open and try to prey on Minilla. Godzilla shows up and kills one of the mantises, after which the Big G apparently decides to adopt this leftover member of the species.

With even more monsters in residence, the scientists now want to call for aid in getting off the island, but their radio's shot. Goro finally wins over Raeko into meeting the scientists, and they use her island-knowledge to escape some of the creatures. While the humans struggle to repair the radio-- which they eventually use to signal their people-- Godzilla has assorted scenes trying to teach Minilla the art of being a giant monster. However, by the climax Godzilla and "son" are forced to fight the other monsters for supremacy. The humans all escape and also use their device to put the two Godzillas "on ice," for the time being.

The chemistry between the actors playing Goro and Raeko enlivens all of the human-focused scenes, given that the scientists are a pretty dull lot. The main attraction, though, is the spectacle of Godzilla playing "daddy." Some of Fukuda's antics are OK-- I rather liked Minilla playing "jump the rope" with his sleeping parent's tail-- but I could have done without Minilla throwing a childish temper tantrum. Minilla is also shown using the same atomic breath Godzilla has. Perhaps this was the real purpose of the radioactive storm, to provide some tie to Godzilla's own origins, but none of Fukuda's characters ever think about such discrepancies.