Before we can talk about the big battle, let's set the stage. All is quiet in Japan until a meteor shower introduces some drama. A princess mysteriously starts rattling off apocalyptic prophecy and claiming to be from Venus. A huge meteorite lands in a remote mountain pass and starts exhibiting some weird magnetic effects. The round meteor rock is also growing... The princess is a pivotal character in the story and introduces some human interest that plays out under the monster mayhem. It's not that the story of the princess is incredibly deep or compelling, but it allows for something more than just wanton destruction on the screen. The usual cast of perky reporters and dedicated public servants is here with many familiar faces from earlier productions.
When Godzilla makes his entrance, we also get a surprise in the form of Rodan. This was a cross-over character - another staple of serial storytelling - that appeared for the first time in a Godzilla movie but was known to the public from earlier films. The meteor provides further escalation when it (spoiler) turns out to be a giant egg. Out of the egg pops Ghidorah. Flying and shooting charged blasts from his three heads, Ghidorah is a force of nature. The observers try to steer things in the right direction by attracting Godzilla and Rodan away from their own battle in order to get them on track to fight Ghidorah. The key to this strategy is Mothra. One of the Mothra larvae died, we are told, so the remaining Mothra jumps into battle by convincing Godzilla and Rodan to work together to destroy their mutual enemy. The final battle is spectacular since there are four monsters in play. The effects are obviously notched up a bit to manage multiple monsters creating wholesale destruction. The format of the film tracks nicely with others in the series, but adds a new dimension in the form of multiple monsters and some new characters. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster is also significant for being a staple nemesis of Godzilla's in later films.
Collectors will love the packaging of the original Japanese version with its English counterpart. The production on the DVD is nice and includes some still image galleries and marketing promos from the film's release, plus some bio material and audio commentary. There is plenty to enhance the experience of watching this great entry in the Godzilla series of films.
