Invasion of the Astro Monster

When a pair of astronauts make first contact on Planet X, the last thing they expect is to be caught up in a battle between giants.  Planet X finds itself ravaged by the intergalactic menace known to them as Monster Zero, better known to the Earth as King Ghidorah.  The Xiliens plead for the humans to allow them to bring to their planet the only force capable of stopping Ghidorah: Godzilla and Rodan.  While they promise an end to all human disease in return, the true intentions of the Xiliens might be something far more sinister. 

Now we’re getting into some of the stuff most Godzilla movies are best known for besides the monster battles: Alien Secret Invasions, Happy Victory Dances and Monster Mind Control.  Indeed Invasion of the Astro Monster is the birthplace of many familiar Godzilla tropes.  And yet despite this, and a more reduced role than usual for the King of the Monsters, this isn’t a bad outing for the old school Monsterverse, or at least it justifies its silliness enough to be a fun flick.
 
Planet X and its inhabitants, the Xiliens are classic Godzilla villains from their goofy dialogue to their Daft Punk esque visors.  Their heel turn as actual villains is something you’ll see coming a mile away but it’s worth it to see the genuine look of shock on Humanities faces when they see they’ve been had.  It should also be noted that this is the first time a Godzilla film takes place partly in space and on another world.  It adds more scope to a film franchise that’s all about skyscraper sized Monsters duking it out for various reasons.  This also means that we get to see Godzilla and Rodan throw down the Monster Zero aka King Ghidorah on an Alien planet for the first time.  Godzilla in space, it might not last long but its awesome just to know that actually has happened.  Heck Godzilla’s having so much fun that you can allow him his little Victory Hopping Dance, Google it, it’s adorable
 
I wont lie, normally I’m usually on the negative side when it comes to the human cast of a Godzilla film.  For Invasion of the Astro Monster though, I’m a bit more lenient, in small part because Godzilla himself isn’t the star for once, Hell the movie isn’t even named after him this time.  Granted by the titles description this should be a Ghidorah film and it is and he’s used sparingly.  But the human cast benefits from a couple of surprise characters who are more entertaining than you might think.  American Actor Nick Adams looks like he’s having a ball on the production as Astronaut Glenn and his natural American voice remains intact while everyone else is dubbed.  Yoshio Tsuchiya as Main Controller of Planet X is every bit professional at such a cheesy role that you cant help but admire his commitment.  And Kumi Mizuno is quite the beauty to behold as Glenn’s love interest Namikawa, who holds a few surprises of her own.
 
My criticisms of the film are about the usual.  As decent as the Human cast is, a lot of time is spent on them being incompetent while the Xiliens play with their hopes and expectations to their own ends.  This means that despite some great action, particularly the 2v1 showdowns between Godzilla and Rodan and Ghidorah, the three monsters sit out sizeable chunks of the film.  Also for a film entitled “Invasion of the Astro-Monster” there isn’t a lot of that until a little more than halfway through the film.  Something tells me I’ll complain more about this inbalance with the more Godzilla I watch.
 
Given those aforementioned usual complaints, im surprised I liked Invasion of the Astro Monster as much as I did.  Maybe it’s because this was Godzilla’s first foray into its true campy potential and had some fun humans in reserve to dial up the enjoyment a bit.  The first trip into space and the usually well done Monster on Monster action was great and the Xiliens are a memorable addition to the franchise because of their hoakiness and their costume designs.  This might not have been a Godzilla central vehicle for the King of the Monsters given his supporting status.  But that’s not so bad since the movie, though flawed, is actually one of the best Godzilla watches I’ve ever seen.  Come for the camp, stay for the camp, enjoy the ride.
 
8/10