Godzilla vs. Monster Zero

Synopsis of Godzilla vs Monster Zero

Godzilla vs Monster Zero – a fun, goofy, 1960’s Godzilla movie where space aliens want to “borrow” Godzilla and Roman to defeat the “mysterious” Monster Zero that’s been ravaging their planet.

Totally trustworthy aliens without a hidden agenda, right?

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965), aka. Invasion of Astro-Monster

Review

First of all, anyone who sees the cover of Godzilla vs Monster Zero will immediately know who “Monster Zero” is. Ignoring that, it’s a very fun, enjoyable campy movie. The basic story has mysterious aliens — complete with flying saucers — coming to Earth, that they’ve been “visiting” for years. They want to “borrow” two of Toho Studios’ most famous monsters — Godzilla and Rodan. Because their planet’s been decimated by the “mysterious” Monster Zero. And in exchange, they promise information, including a cure for all diseases! What a deal, right? Sounds too good to be true?

Yup.

And there’s a couple of interesting subplots as well. American astronaut Nick Adams falls in love with a beautiful Japanese woman. But there’s more to her than meets the eye, which leads to heartbreak. This is actually a detailed, and heartbreaking, subplot. My heart goes out to him. Another subplot has his Japanese astronaut buddy’s sister in love with a goofy, nerdish inventor. Who actually becomes critical to the plot.

It’s a fun, enjoyable cheesy monster movie, with human actors the audience actually cares about. I strongly recommend Godzilla vs Monster Zero.

Cast

• Nick Adams (Die Monster Die, No Time for Sergeants) … Astronaut Glenn Amer (as Nikku Adamusu). The American astronaut whom, along with Fuji, make the first manned trip to the mysterious Planet X. He falls in love with Miss Namikawa.
• Akira Takarada (Gojira) … Astronaut K. Fuji. Astronaut, and the assertive brother of Haruno. He doesn’t approve of her boyfriend.
• Jun Tazaki (Ebirah Horror of the Deep) … Dr. Sakurai
• Akira Kubo (Destroy All Monsters) … Tetsuo Teri. The scientist boyfriend that Fuji doesn’t approve of. He’s created a really noisy alarm, that’s been bought as a toy by a large corporation. That’s in no hurry to pay him. But they’re actually …
• Kumi Mizuno (The War of the Gargantuas) … Miss Namikawa. Beautiful young lady, who falls in love with Glenn. But there’s something else going on …
• Keiko Sawai … Haruno Fuji
• Yoshio Tsuchiya (Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People) … Controller of Planet X. The delightfully duplicitous, villainous, person in charge of the ships from Planet X.
• Takamaru Sasaki … Chairman of Earth Committee
• Gen Shimizu (Godzilla vs. Gigan) … Minister of Defense
• Kenzô Tabu … Commander from Planet X

Editorial review of Godzilla vs. Monster Zero courtesy of Amazon.com

In the darkness behind Jupiter there lurks a heretofore undiscovered planet, Planet X, boasting beings of superior intelligence. The Planet X-ers are forced to live underground because of the havoc wreaked on the surface by Ghidra, the three-headed monster. Once discovered by our astronauts, including the ultra-hip Nick Adams (spouting such phrases as “That’s right, baby!” with innocent conviction), the Planet X-ers propose that they transport Godzilla and Rodan from Earth to their planet to help rid them of the Ghidra menace. Only, as it turns out, they have a dastardly plan to use the bipedal behemoth and his flighty friend to conquer the Earth, harnessing their destructive force with “magnetic waves.” And it almost works, but for the ingenuity… well, you get it.

There can be no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than watching monsters battle it out, while Nick Adams speaks in his accustomed English to others speaking dubbed English (really Japanese), like they all know what each other is saying. The DVD gives you a choice of cropped-screen or letterboxed in scrumptious Tohoscope, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or Mono, and some more extras. It is also available in a boxed set with four of the better Godzilla flicks by director Inoshiro Honda. –Jim Gay