Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

Even though the basic Toho formula didn't really change in "Ebirah, Horror of the Deep", the movie still feels very different. There are certainly many reasons for this, such as the change in the director's chair, the different music, or the setting on a Pacific island. In any case, one positive aspect is that the story about the human characters starts out quite interesting this time, even if it eventually fades into the background again. Ebirah is also introduced very effectively, especially in the first sequences, where there are some pretty strong effects. However, when the actual monster fights start, everything quickly drifts into ridiculousness. That's why I didn't enjoy the final third, which is kind of the most important part of these Kaiju films.

This Godzilla franchise entry from 1966 finds the radioactive menace sleeping in a cave while a pair of...get this, marathon dancers meet up with a thief and a man searching for his brother whose been lost at sea. As ridiculous as this sounds, the foursome are stranded on an island where an evil military force plots to nuke the world. This makes for a story that is just as goofy as it sounds, but somehow still entertains. Godzilla is awakened on purpose by the odd team of heroes, who needs his help to stop the aforementioned military group named the "Red Bamboo". Needless to say, Godzilla inadvertently saves the day and manages to play a little boulder volleyball with a giant lobster named Ebirah. Later, Godzilla gets bored of playing and decides to rip its claws off. Godzilla also toasts a giant condor and gets knocked down by Mothra, who takes yet another hero turn in a Godzilla movie. Something to note, this is the first and perhaps only time that Godzilla sits down in any of his movies. In fact, I believe he even falls asleep while staring at a lovely native lady.