Unless you've seen it with your very own two eyes, you simply cannot imagine how much fun there's to be had with "Destroy All Monsters". It's a pure and incredibly party-mix of deranged plotting, hilarious dialogs & bad dubbing, grotesque monster action and unimaginably cheesy sound and light effects. I understand this was some kind of celebration movie for the famous Toho Company, as it was their 20th film featuring monsters. It was also the 14th film of director Ishirô Honda, since his original and still almighty "Godzilla" in 1954, in which he systematically destroys Tokyo or sometimes even the whole of Japan on film! For these special occasions – and merely also for your viewing pleasure – Honda and the good people at Toho Company combined their talents to bring us the ultimate monster mash! And what a treat it is. "Destroy All Monsters" naturally features Godzilla, but also his slightly moronic son, the awesome Mothra and Spiga and also Rodan, Angilas, Manda and the utterly cool three-headed extraterrestrial monster Ghidrah! But still there's more. How about a malignant race of evil female aliens, called the Kilaahks, that turn respectable earthly scientists into obedient disciples through nerve gas but turn into petrified worms as soon as they get exposed to cold weather? "Destroy All Monsters" has it all
and more!
The year is 1999. Humans fly to the moon on a daily basis (ha!) and all the once dangerous monsters have been safely gathered on a place called Monsterland, where they're being monitored by scientists. But then Kilaahks come with the intention of taking over our planet. They hypnotize the scientists and turn the monsters into remote controlled instruments of devastation that they subsequently let loose all across the world! Godzilla and C° demolish New York, Paris, London and Moscow before they all return together to ravage Tokyo. But a handful of courageous astronauts fight back. When the monsters are back under control eventually, the Kilaahks have to bring in their own space monsters like Ghidrah and a dragon of fire. "Destroy All Monsters" is terrific entertainment, chock-full of (unintentional) laughs and irresistibly delightful special effects and tacky set pieces. I had the pleasure of seeing this cute flick on a big cinema screen, during a "Monster Movie Double Feature" special, and the entire theater had a great time. Everything about this film is so charming and kitschy, like aliens' costumes, the rocket ships' designs and – of course – the monsters devastating rampages. The English dubbed version provides even more hysterical situations, as the acting performances come across as very hammy. Keep an eye on the elderly non-Asian scientist especially. Whenever he opens his mouth to talk, it sounds like he's about to suffer from a stroke and die on the spot!
The year is 1999. Humans fly to the moon on a daily basis (ha!) and all the once dangerous monsters have been safely gathered on a place called Monsterland, where they're being monitored by scientists. But then Kilaahks come with the intention of taking over our planet. They hypnotize the scientists and turn the monsters into remote controlled instruments of devastation that they subsequently let loose all across the world! Godzilla and C° demolish New York, Paris, London and Moscow before they all return together to ravage Tokyo. But a handful of courageous astronauts fight back. When the monsters are back under control eventually, the Kilaahks have to bring in their own space monsters like Ghidrah and a dragon of fire. "Destroy All Monsters" is terrific entertainment, chock-full of (unintentional) laughs and irresistibly delightful special effects and tacky set pieces. I had the pleasure of seeing this cute flick on a big cinema screen, during a "Monster Movie Double Feature" special, and the entire theater had a great time. Everything about this film is so charming and kitschy, like aliens' costumes, the rocket ships' designs and – of course – the monsters devastating rampages. The English dubbed version provides even more hysterical situations, as the acting performances come across as very hammy. Keep an eye on the elderly non-Asian scientist especially. Whenever he opens his mouth to talk, it sounds like he's about to suffer from a stroke and die on the spot!