cult film freak: YURIKO HOSHI UNCOVERS ISHIRÔ HONDA'S 'MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA'

Title: MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA Year: 1964 Rating: ****1/2

Japanese actress Yuriko Hoshi is one of the best Toho starlets, appeared in both GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA and GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER as a reporter named Junko, a hybrid of the lovely leading lady and the spunky leading lady's quirky best friend that steals the show...

Original GODZILLA franchise director Ishirô Honda uses the same KING KONG theme/plot from his standalone MOTHRA about a corporation exploiting the titular beast, but only as a starting-off point: after a giant colorful egg washes up on a Japanese island, it's greedily purchased to headline a billion dollar theme park... but Mothra's two tiny twin-fairies have a dire warning for Japan... return the egg to their island, or else...

Yuriko Hoshi in Mothra Vs Godzilla

And that or else takes up the entire third act with two different battles against the always-enraged, awakened-from-underground GODZILLA: first against Mothra, and then the twin babies hatched from that egg...

Making this installment better than most 1960's GODZILLA entries since the human characters and monstrous action run hand in hand... the cute reporter, her handsome boss and a serious scientist don't just stand around spouting exposition dialogue without creature battles or corporate double-crosses quickly following, hindered only by a slightly overlong visit to Mothra's Island, but, for the most part, MOTHRA VS GODZILLA delivers, and keeps delivering.