Godzilla Vs. the Smog Monster Movie Review

Godzilla battles a creature borne of pollution, an ever-growing sludge blob named Hedora. Godzilla fans expecting another apocalyptic science-fiction adventure of mythical proportions may be disappointed. Avante-garde director Yoshimitu Banno tried to take this Godzilla film further into surrealism, with mixed results. Some scenes are illustrated with animated children's drawings. Japanese teenagers marshal their dancing talents to combat the threat amid the hypnotic swirl of disco lighting. Great opening song: “Save the Earth.” Hedora is seen flying over crowds of people as they drop in their tracks, dead from poison gas – and yet, at one point the monster spares a little kitten. The relevant anti-pollution message occasionally becomes heavy handed, at other times things are just plain weird. AKA: Gojira Tai Hedora; Godzilla Vs. Hedora.

1972 (G) 87m/C JP Akira Yamauchi, Hiroyuki Kawase, Toshie Kimura; D: Yoshimitu Banno; W: Kaoru Mabuchi, Yoshimitu Banno; C: Yoichi Manoda. VHS, Beta ORI