Review: S.H. MonsterArts King Ghidorah

Godzilla’s biggest and baddest foe comes next in our Tamashi Nations S.H. MonsterArts figures. This figure is impressive as it is expensive. I am glad I got mine early on as it now retails on Amazon for over 200 dollars. However, the figure is worth the price as it has a ton of articulation and accessories.

Expertly crafted by Yuji Sakai, each head and tail has been meticulously and individually sculpted for the most accurate portrayal of King Ghidorah. This version of Ghirodah comes from the Heisei series of the films to match the rest of the characters in design, scale, and continuity. Standing an impressive 10 inches tall, Ghidorah towers over Godzilla. Not a detail was missed on this figure. From his three heads, elegant necks, giant wings, scaled body, and two tails, Ghidorah is as beautiful as he is deadly. Tongues, teeth, horns, eyes, and nostrils are distinct and detailed on each head. Each neck can be posed independently and in any direction. The wings can flap and are sturdy. The two-tails bend just like the necks in any direction.

The paint job is superb, but what else could it be? He is a pure gold dragon. No shading of any kind besides inside the mouth and eyes.

Ghidorah’s accessories include three separate beam weapons of his classic lightning and three stands for each. It does not come with a base for the figure but Ghidorah stands upright and never seems like he will fall over. Like all the figures, they can break easily and there are plenty of warnings telling you not to over-pose the figure.

The box is gorgeous! Shiny and gold like Ghidorah, it sports a picture window in the front to see a side view of the monster and a top picture window with his name in gold. The box is a heavy duty cardboard and is all in Japanese so I can’t read any of it.

Overall, the figures continue to impress me and I continue to collect them. Ghidorah is a welcome addition to the collection and if he only make his trademark cackle then the figure would be even more impressive!

Rodan

Name: Rodan
First Appearance: Rodan

Like Anguirus and Godzilla, Rodan is a giant prehistoric monster awakened from a time long ago. Unlike Godzilla though, Rodan was not altered by radiation, having more in common with the ankylosaurus-like monster Anguirus than Godzilla. However, Rodan starred in his own movie before he crossed over into the Godzilla series. He would become one of Godzilla's closest allies and would fight alongside Anguirus, Mothra, and Varan.

The original Rodan possess no beam weapons or
special weapons of any kind. Instead, Rodan relies on his natural talents and abilities, using his claws and beak to attack his opponents. He can fly at super-sonic speeds, destroying planes, buildings, and creating hurricane like winds in his wake. With a flap of his wings he can blow down the strongest structure and even hold back the great King Ghidorah. On many occasions Rodan fought along side Godzilla, waging war on Earth and Planet X. Although a friend of Godzilla, Rodan became his enemy later on. However, Rodan would be reborn as Fire Rodan, more powerful than ever with a uranium beam capable of halting the King of Monsters in his tracks. Eventually, Fire Rodan would sacrifice himself to save Godzilla to protect the young baby Godzilla that he cared for in his nest.

Rodan shares a rich and deep history with Godzilla. A fan favorite for all time, Rodan is the opposite of Godzilla-a quick and nimble flyer. The duo is unstoppable, able to bring down MechaGodzilla, Gigan, and King Ghidorah. Loyal and true, Rodan is brave and strong and makes appearances throughout Godzilla movie history.

A reason to ROAR! Godzilla Review

In an age where most kids don't know who Godzilla is and most people associate the films with bad dubbing, guys in suits, and Saturday mornings, Godzilla 2014 has given us a reason to cheer for Godzilla again. In the capable hands of Gareth Edwards, Godzilla has risen from the ocean once again to stomp our favorite cities in an all out kaiju battle. But Edwards brings a human element to the story, one that works in tandem with Godzilla and brings the audience into a world where giant monsters roam.

*****Warning Spoilers*****

I will not go into a full synopsis of the movie as I want you to see it and judge for yourself. I would have to say the opening credits are entertaining and informative, explaining the origin of Godzilla and tying it to the original film. From there we move to the introduction of the main protagonists, Dr. Serizawa and the Brody family. Any fan of the series will recognize the name. Dr. Serizawa is a sympathetic character, working for Monarch and hunting Godzilla and discovering other MUTO's, or Mutated Unidentified Terrestrial Objects. His motivation is kept secret from us until a key moment when the heart of the original Godzilla movie comes through and we see that Edwards wants to pay homage to the reason Godzilla was created all those years ago. That is where Godzilla 1998 went wrong, never paying back the original movie it came from. Devlin created a new Godzilla, Edwards re-imaged the original. The Brody family is our window into this new world where giant monsters exist. More than a plot device, but still secondary to the title character himself. Edwards said he saw Spielberg as an inspiration and it shines brightly in the Brody's, an average family with problems and issues, but caught in the events unfolding before them. Think War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. Character development is key and what Edwards does is create characters we care about, have believable back stories, and become attached to, suffering with them during their downfalls and silently cheering when they succeed.

I also would like to congratulate Edwards on making this movie respectable. He does not try to out do other Godzilla movies, blow-up every scene with special effects, or even include unnecessary violence. What he has done is create a Godzilla adults, kids, and everyone in-between can enjoy. Godzilla causes damage, but unintentionally. People die. This is no exception in the new vision, but there are no gruesome deaths, no onscreen horrors, or objectionable material. No one uses profanity in the movie. No sex scenes or alcohol, illegal substances, or the like. Godzilla has been good, clean fun and still remains good, clean fun. The Showa era especially was designed for children, even Little Godzilla was created to market a kids TV show starring the bubbly little monster.

Plot was always a struggle in previous Godzilla movies and many used what would become cliche Godzilla plots. Godzilla 2014 takes one of these plots, fleshes it out, and what would be familiar is now new and unique. Godzilla is a titan, and inevitably, death goes where he goes. Both protagonists are looking for answer to questions they cannot answer and were the results of something much larger than them and directly affects family. I am trying to be vague so you see the movie. Why was the concept of plot a struggle in the previous generations of the series? Well, because of the title character. The movies is called Godzilla and he is the star. The humans were always just an entry point for the viewer so we could step into the world of Godzilla. Not so here, humans and Godzilla get plenty of screen time although I wish some of the fight scenes were not merely teases.

What we really want to see is Godzilla and his introduction into the movie is epic. Godzilla is bigger, badder, and familiar all at once. What Godzilla 1998 failed to do was bring us the character we all know and love. The character who in my childhood was a hero, someone we rooted for to win, who fought to the bitter end, never gave up, and left you cheering. There were many moments in the movie I was audibly cheering in the audience as Godzilla rose from the ocean and fought the MUTO's or used his famous radioactive beam weapon.Yes! It's back and bolder than ever. Godzilla, however, is treated more like an animal in Edwards version and I applaud him and give him a standing ovation for his interpretation of Godzilla, a force of nature. Godzilla fights with tooth, claw, and tail, and has some pretty spectacular scenes with the MUTO's. Even the MUTO creature design was different and fascinating and, most importantly, were believable. There is one things people must remember when watching a Godzilla movie, and that simple fact is, you are watching a Godzilla movie. You must suspend disbelief in order to enjoy, engage, and relish in the epic awesomeness that is giant monsters fighting. Edwards stayed true to the series and brought us the familiar in a novel way, much like Abrams did for Star Trek and Avatar has done for the stranger in the strange land theme.

But Godzilla is more than that in Edwards vision. He is a god, a creature who will correct the balance of Earth from unstoppable forces. As I've said before, Godzilla is just that, a force. He is neither good nor bad, wicked or saintly, but protecting the Earth he lives on and his territory. I would say though this Godzilla definitely leans towards good, which is fine by me. He has become the hero I remember from childhood and a monster for all ages. 

Destroying the Destroyer

We all have our weaknesses. Superman has kryptonite. Kermit has Miss Piggy. Achilles had his heel. Well, the Big-G also has his weakness. The only weapon capable of killing him twice.

The Return of the King (of Monsters)!

Just one week to go and Legendary Pictures has declared the next 7 days as Godzilla Week! While they may not know, California has an official Godzilla week, but I'll take two in one year anytime! Over the next couple of days we'll take a closer look at Godzilla: past, present, and future. But for now, enjoy this video from the screenwriter of Godzilla 2014.

Happy Birthday Ishiro Honda!

Ishiro Honda

Born May 7th, 1911 - Died February 28th, 1993

Ishiro Honda would have been 103 and if he were alive today would have seen the rebirth of the movie character he made famous the world over. Honda directed and co-wrote the screenplay for the most famous of all monster movies, Godzilla, and would later direct many more including the Mysterians, Mothra, and the first appearance of King Ghidorah. These monster movies would make him famous overseas and make him the father of all kaiju and monster movies from 1954 on.

To see a complete listing of his life work please visit the link below:

Like no roar before!

Anywhere I here this roar, I get excited. Godzilla has the most recognizable sound of any movie character in the world (besides Kermits "Hi-ho everyone" and Mickey's infectious laugh). However, Godzilla's roar does not come from a mix of other animal sounds or anything living.

Godzilla's roar was created by Akira Ifukube (the composer of 22 Godzilla films and creator of Godzilla's theme which will NOT be featured in the new 2014 movie). Ifukube wanted the sound to be natural and organic but not just the recreation of any living animal. The roar was created by rubbing a leather glove across a contrabass and applying an echo to that recording. When the roar was created there was only one contrabass in all of Japan and Ifukube had no prior experience with the instrument.

Below is the original Godzilla's roar:

Now here is the Heisei Godzilla roar:

Finally, Godzilla 2014's roar:

They all have their own unique style and sound to match the era in which that Godzilla exists. Gareth Edwards says they stayed true to the original roar. Watch the video below to find out more:

The Goodzilla, the Bad, and the Ugly

I think the first thing that is asked by every person I meet when Godzilla comes up in conversation is whether Godzilla is good or bad. That's a really complicated question. I could go film by film (yes, all 29) and tell you what stance Godzilla took, but when you look at the series as a whole Godzilla really stands out as a neutral force. He isn't on any one side, and if it appears as if he is, well, lucky for the human race then.

If we start back in 1954, Godzilla was created by humankind from a nuclear blast. He attacked fishing boats, villagers, and finally Tokyo Bay and Tokyo, killing hundreds and leveling the city. Does this make Godzilla evil. Not in my opinion. As explained before, Godzilla is just a giant animal. He can't control what happened to him nor can he really watch where he steps. The landscape is foreign, everything is different, and on top of it all, Godzilla can shoot a radiation beam from his mouth. As any animal would react, he is angry and afraid. We don't call a lion evil for killing its prey. How is Godzilla any different? Tokyo just happened to be in the way when he got angry.

Once we move to the Showa era, Godzilla begins to look more kid friendly. However, that doesn't
necessarily make him a good guy. I would say superficially on the outside Godzilla happens to do good deeds that benefit mankind. However, in most of the Showa era Godzilla must defeat some unstoppable monster from space, under the sea, or alien creature. Most of the time he is protecting his own territory or a challenger. Godzilla does make friends with Anguirus, Rodan, and Mothra during the Showa era and teams up with them on a number of occasions. However, they are just protecting the Earth rather than human kind. Once again, Godzilla is playing the neutral part.

We reach the Heisei era next where Godzilla is bigger, meaner, and badder than ever. The creatures he encounters are more dangerous than ever before and most are coming back from Godzilla's past. In both series, Godzilla gets abducted by aliens and is used for their own good. They use Godzilla's aggressive nature to fight the likes of King Ghidorah, the most famous of Godzilla's foes. Godzilla is mainly left alone by human kind and only emerges when another kaiju marches on his territory or steals his young. Once again, Godzilla is protecting his offspring like any animal would, and actual must battle his friends Rodan and Mothra in this series. He has no allegiance to anyone or anything. The Heisei era shows an independent Godzilla but still neutral.

Finally, we move to the Millenium series, where Godzilla gets a makeover and an edgier look. However, this
Godzilla does set out to destroy all sources of nuclear power, forcing Japan to switch to alternate sources of energy. Evil? Hardly. Godzilla is protecting the earth from humankind and the evil they create, destroying the earth without knowing it. Taking the original Godzilla's bones from the ocean floor and creating Kiryu upsets Millenium Godzilla and he tries to destroy Kiryu, but with just cause, it's made from his relatives bones. Even Final Wars, Godzilla is merely protecting the earth. Neutral.

Gareth Edwards states many times that the new Godzilla is a force of nature, keeping in line with the vision that original series held on to. Good, bad, or ugly? Godzilla is none of these things. He is an animal, acting like an animal would in a world he doesn't understand.