Mothra (1961)

Mothra (1961)

Dir. Ishirō Honda

The début film for Toho's other famous kaijū begins with a typhoon in the Pacific. It forces a ship's crew to seek refuge on Infant Island, a place believed to be radioactive.

A return expedition to that same location uncovers something wondrous, which the less moral members of humanity typically disrupt, enslave and exploit. Their selfish actions bring an island god incarnate to their door.

Not inherently evil — in fact, with intentions that are objectively honourable — Mothra nevertheless brings death and destruction to much of Tokyo, with a force that's interestingly similar to the one that wrecked the sailors' ship at the film's beginning.

Action scenes are typical of kaijū films of the era. The miniature buildings are great, but what really stands out on repeat viewings are the exotic flora and Polynesian-esque culture.

Overall, it respects its genre, but I can't end without mentioning the song by which the great moth is summoned. Evidence shows that putting real life pop stars into onscreen acting roles is rarely a good thing, but the singing duo (The Peanuts) do okay, and I love the idea that music and harmony has a power that can both stir and soothe even creatures as fantastical as Mothra.

- In addition to her own films, she has several appearances in the Godzilla franchise. -