Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1977)
"Our Environment is Doomed!"
Not Rated / Color / 86 Minutes

Few pop culture icons are as recognizable and as beloved as Godzilla. Since 1954, the Big-G has starred in (as of my writing this) twenty-four feature films, and has been referenced to in various films, books, and other forms of media. Originally a symbol of the horrors of nuclear war, Godzilla's role eventually changed to protector of Earth, and as the original Showa series (1954 - 1975) trudged on, the films began to get a bit "kid-friendlier." However, there was a black sheep in the Showa era, namely Godzilla vs. Hedorah. While it is very much like the other campy kaiju classics that made up the latter part of the Showa series, this particular film amazingly shows people getting killed by the movie's antagonist, Hedorah.

And what is this Hedorah you may be wondering? Well, after being introduced as a mere giant tadpole, we later learn through the studies of a scientist named Dr. Yano, that Hedorah is not of this Earth. It is an alien entity that feeds on humanity's pollution, and while that sounds like a good thing, I can assure you it is not. All of the pollution that it ingests, causes this strange sludge-beast to grow to an enormous size, and give it strange powers and abilities. After taking a few bong-hits from factory smokestacks, drinking oil out of several tankers, and devouring a highway full of pollution-causing motor vehicles, Hedorah develops the ability to fire acidic sludge projectiles and emit deadly sulfuric acid mist from its body!

Humanity is defenseless in the face of such an enemy; the only thing that can quite possibly stop Hedorah from destroying the environment is Godzilla. And boy, the Big-G really has his work cut out for him. As the film progresses, the two monsters battle across Japan, and despite the best efforts of Godzilla and the (naturally useless) Self Defense Forces, Hedorah continues to grow more and more powerful. Eventually this walking trash heap makes its way to Mt. Fuji, where Godzilla makes a final stand against this seemingly unstoppable foe. Luckily for the King of the Monsters, the imagination of a young boy (AH! Kenny!), and the ingenuity and perseverance of the JSDF, gives Godzilla the edge he needs to put a major hurting on Hedorah.

Using his radioactive breath and two giant microwave(?) panels, Godzilla turns his slimy nemesis into a pile of dried mud. And when Hedorah attempts to fly away, Godzilla defies the laws of physics and uses his radioactive breath to propel himself into the air and give chase! (Watch this insane cinematic moment HERE on Youtube!) Godzilla knocks his opponent out of the sky, and drags the weakened "Smog Monster" back to the microwave panels. After a few blasts of radioactive breath, Hedorah turns into a kaiju-sized brick of adobe. With the trash taken out, Godzilla stomps off into the sunset to take a much needed rest. And he'll need it because his next fight is with Gigan and King Ghidorah!

Godzilla vs. Hedorah marked the first and last time that director Yoshimitsu Banno would ever direct a Godzilla movie. Some claim that Tanaka was so angered by the radical changes made to Godzilla in the film (most notably, the Big-G's flight sequence), that he blacklisted Yoshimitsu Banno from making any more films for Toho. There is a grain of truth to this (as backed up by Banno in an interview you can find in issue #73 of G-Fan Magazine), but Banno continued to work behind the scenes on several Toho films and TV shows until the late 80's.

And while the late Tomoyuki Tanaka may not have enjoyed Godzilla's flight, or the weird psychedelic dance club where "Save the Earth" is the song of choice, I have to say that I did. The music, the story, and the general weirdness sets this G-film apart from the rest, and make it far more memorable than some of the more recent Godzilla adventures. It's a highly stylized film, with an environmental message, and while it is marketed here in the States as a fun kiddie-fest, I think this Godzilla film has more of an adult flavor. Unlike most other Godzilla films, people die in this one, and they don't just get crushed under falling rubble as they flee in terror from the film's gigantic combatants.

No, the hapless Japanese citizens in this film suffocate on noxious sulfuric mist, or in the worst cases, are melted alive and become gooey skeletons. (Yeah, see what I mean? Not exactly kid friendly stuff here.) All in all, this is a solid installment in the Godzilla franchise, that tries to hammer home a message about the state of our planet. While I doubt all of the pollutants that humanity is creating will result in the birth of a gigantic monster, I'm sure it will eventually have dire consequences in the future.

Though it's not my favorite G-film, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is certainly an entertaining entry in the series, and is full of great "what-the-hell?!" moments. I am very much pleased to give Yoshimitsu Banno's "magnum opus:"


- THREE AND A HALF 'RADS' -

UPDATE ON YOSHIMITSU BANNO: As of my writing this review, Mr. Banno is still trying to get a 3-D Godzilla film off the ground. Godzilla's combatant is a variation of Hedorah, called "Deathla," and the two monsters will battle for the fate of the Amazon rainforests. While I wasn't big on some of the proposed changes to Godzilla in the film (making Godzilla a female?! Preposterous! Blasphemous!), it'd be nice to see the Big-G make an early comeback in some form. I can't wait ten years Toho! I just can't!

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