Son of Godzilla (1967)

Son of Godzilla (Kaijuto no kessen:Gojiro no musuko)
Directed by Jun Fukuda
Written by Shinichi Sekizawa and Kaue Shinba
1967/Japan
Tojo Company
First viewing/Criterion Channe

[box] Tagline: Japan’s Greatest Foe Delivers an Heir![/box]

This was perfectly entertaining fluff for a day mostly spent packing.

Japanese scientists seem to be attracted to isolated tropical islands for their experiments despite every time they go to one Godzilla shows up.  Messing around with radiation to control the weather?  Bad, bad idea.  Soon the originally huge preying mantis population mutates even bigger.  Something (unexplained) drives the mantises to dig up an egg.  Preparatory to devouring it baby Godzilla emerges.  Initially, the bugs get the better of the infant but soon Daddy emerges from the watery depths where he is hibernating ready to kick ass.

We get a bunch of baby cuteness – the son moves around much like a human baby, except when he wags his tale.  There is the obligatory tame romance between a scientist and a girl who has been stranded on the island for years.  A giant spider shows up in the second half to add to the fun.

All you Godzilla completists, I’m curious to know if this ranks as the most ridiculous entry in the series. If it isn’t it surely isn’t far behind.  Had quite a few chuckles.  And checkout that 60’s TV soundtrack music!

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I am leaving for vacation in Finland today.  I hope to come back in a couple of weeks with renewed enthusiasm for finishing up 1967.