Review Invasion of Astro-Monster film review by The King of the Monsters

Invasion of Astro-Monster Movie

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Invasion of the Astro-Monster, known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, has long been one of my favorite Godzilla films. It is somewhat campy and not as good of a film as Mothra vs. Godzilla, but it is a classic entry in the Godzilla series and a beloved fan-favorite.

*SPOILERS*  Astronauts Glenn and Fuji are part of a joint American-Japanese space expedition to the newly-discovered Planet X, located behind Jupiter. When the two astronauts arrive at their destination, they are led to a mysterious complex located under the planet's surface. There, they are greeted by the Controller of Planet X, the leader of a sentient alien race living on the planet known as the Xiliens. The Controller informs Glenn and Fuji that their planet is being terrorized by Monster Zero, a horrible space monster that makes the planet's surface uninhabitable. The Controller shows them a video feed of the monster, revealing it to be none other than King Ghidorah, a three-headed space dragon that attacked Earth the previous year. The Controller asks for permission to take Godzilla and Rodan from Earth and bring them to Planet X to fight off Ghidorah. In exchange, the Controller promises a miracle drug to cure cancer that he will give to the people of Earth. Glenn and Fuji say that they will confer with their planet's leaders and return to Earth. On Earth, Fuji's sister Haruno and her boyfriend, the inventor Tetsuo Tori seek Fuji's approval for their marriage. Tetsuo believes he finally can afford to support Haruno, as he has successfully sold his invention, the Lady Guard, to a company represented by the mysterious Miss Namikawa, whom Glenn is dating. Meanwhile, Xilien ships appear in Japan, putting the Earth on high alert. The Controller arranges a conference with government leaders, apologizing for arriving on Earth without prior warning. He tells them where to find Godzilla and Rodan, which is proven correct when Godzilla and Rodan are found in those locations. The government leaders agree to the Xiliens' proposal and allow Rodan and Godzilla to be taken to Planet X by the Xiliens' ships. Glenn, Fuji, and their commander Dr. Sakurai accompany the Xiliens to oversee the operation. When Godzilla and Rodan are let loose on Planet X, they are attacked by King Ghidorah. Together, the two monsters drive Ghidorah off, much to the satisfaction of the Controller. The Controller presents the Earth delegates with a tape which he says contains the instructions to create the miracle drug, and then allows them to return to Earth, leaving Godzilla and Rodan behind. Once the three arrive on Earth, they play the tape in front of the United Nations. Instead of the instructions to create a cancer cure, the people of Earth are horrified to hear the Controller giving demands to surrender the planet to the Xiliens. Panic spreads across the globe, as Xilien ships arrive to lay siege to the planet. Glenn learns that his lover, Namikawa, is an Xilien. Namikawa assures Glenn that she truly loved him and that she desires for them to live on Planet X together happily. When a group of Xiliens find them, they vaporize Namikawa and take Glenn prisoner, stating that love is prohibited by the computer which runs their lives. Glenn is placed in a cell with Tetsuo, who was taken prisoner when he tried to investigate the company that bought his invention. Glenn finds a letter from Namikawa in the cell, stating that the Xiliens are vulnerable to a certain noise. Tetsuo deduces that this noise is the sound produced by his Lady Guard alarm, which explains why the Xiliens bought it. Tetsuo uses his device on the guards, rendering them helpless and allowing Glenn and Tetsuo to escape. The Controller then orders that Godzilla, Rodan and Ghidorah be released on the Earth and destroy human civilization. Glenn and Tetsuo return to the NASA headquarters, where Fuji has just discovered a way to sever the Xiliens' control over the monsters using a-cycle rays. The sound of the Lady Guard alarm is broadcast all over the Earth, severely harming the Xiliens and their ships. The a-cycle rays are fired at the monsters, severing their mind control and rendering them unconscious. A group of tanks blast the Xiliens' Earth base, destroying it. The few remaining Xilien saucers then all explode, ending the invasion. The monsters wake up, and immediately resume their battle. After a fierce battle, all three monsters plummet into the ocean. Ghidorah flies out of the water and flies back into space, leaving Godzilla and Rodan's fates unknown, though Tetsuo doubts that they could have been killed. *END SPOILERS*

Invasion of the Astro-Monster is a true science-fiction film. It combines space travel, alien invasion, and of course giant monsters. The story is entertaining, the characters are enjoyable, and the effects are ambitious. The monsters actually get very little screen time, as most of the plot revolves around the Earthlings' efforts to stop the Xilien invasion.

This movie benefits from having a great cast. Hollywood actor Nick Adams stars as American astronaut F. Glenn. Adams' dialogue is dubbed over by Goro Mutsumi (who does a solid job with the voicework) in the Japanese version, which limits Adams' range of expression, though his dialogue is preserved in the Americanized version. Adams does a good job appearing animated and emotional, and makes excellent use of body language. It may not be a stellar acting performance, but it is enjoyable to watch. Akira Takarada stars alongside Adams as Fuji, and is as always a great lead. Takarada appears both serious and caring based on the scene, and delivers another solid performance. Kumi Mizuno, a fan-favorite actress, turns in an excellent performance as Miss Namikawa. She appears conceited throughout her scenes, obviously hiding something, and appears genuinely emotional during her tragic scene with Glenn before she is killed. Jun Tazaki plays yet another authoritarian figure in Dr. Sakurai. Thankfully, Tazaki is very well-suited for these roles, and his performance here is no exception. Tazaki gets more screen time and character development than usual here, and his dialogue is well-delivered. Akira Kubo plays the nerdy and underconfident Tetsuo. Kubo would take on several lead roles in later Godzilla films, but his acting in Invasion of Astro-Monster is one of his best performances. He may appear weak and cowardly in some scenes, but he is determined, resourceful, and brave when he needs to be. Yoshio Tsuchiya is ominous as the Controller of Planet X. He is very cold and shows no emotion, and delivers his dialogue slowly and monotonously. These may not be normally considered good traits in an actor, but they are perfect for his character.

The special effects in Invasion of the Astro-Monster are an improvement over those in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The Godzilla suit looks decent, but a bit baggy and somewhat off in the face. The Rodan suit is as ridiculous-looking as in the previous film, but it moves well and the monster is acted convincingly. The King Ghidorah suit still looks new and is as before a marvel of suitmation. The Planet X sets are beautiful and the space-backdrops are surprisingly well-done. The pyrotechnics and beam attacks are more well-rendered than in the previous film as well. The Xilien saucers are well-done and actually float convincingly. Unfortunately, a good deal of stock footage is employed for this movie, most of it lifted from Rodan (1956) and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The fact that the stock footage from Rodan was still usable almost a decade later is quite a credit to the effects in that film, though.

Akira Ifukube delivers another memorable score for Invasion of the Astro-Monster. The main theme of the film, the Great Monster March, is one of Ifukube's most famous pieces and is an amalgam of his pieces from Godzilla (1954) and Battle in Outer Space (1959). Ifukube also introduces a few other notable themes, including the ominous Planet X music. Rodan and King Ghidorah's themes from the previous film also return.

Invasion of the Astro-Monster is one of my favorite Godzilla movies, and the favorite of many other fans. It's an enjoyable thrill ride of pure science-fiction, though the monsters don't neccessarily take center stage. It isn't one of the greatest films in the series, but it is definitely in the upper tier.