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==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*This is the first movie in the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]] where a monster from the [[Showa era|Showa series]] besides Godzilla returns.
*This is the first movie in the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]] where a monster from the [[Showa era|Showa series]] besides Godzilla returns.
*Stuntman [[Hurricane Ryu Hariken|"Hurricane" Ryu]], who portrayed [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|King Ghidorah]] and [[Mecha-King Ghidorah]], would later return to play [[Battra]] larva in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', [[Godzilla Junior|BabyGodzilla]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' and [[Godzilla Junior]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''.
*Stuntman [[Hurricane Ryu Hariken|"Hurricane" Ryu Hariken]], who portrayed [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|King Ghidorah]] and [[Mecha-King Ghidorah]], would later return to play [[Battra]] larva in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', [[Godzilla Junior|BabyGodzilla]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' and [[Godzilla Junior]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''.
*A loose end in the film's plot that deserves mention involves King Ghidorah and [[Mecha-King Ghidorah]]. In the beginning of the film, Glenchico states that a person cannot exist in the same time twice; if they brought Yasuaki Shindo back to 1944, one of the Shindos would have to vanish. However, when Godzilla defeats King Ghidorah, the monster falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, where it stays for 200 years. In 2204, Ghidorah is resurrected as a cyborg and returned to 1992. However, as the wounded King Ghidorah is still laying in the sea when Mecha-King Ghidorah arrives, two Ghidorahs clearly exist in the same time. As if to further contradict Omori's law, when Mecha-King Ghidorah is defeated by Godzilla, it too falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, meaning two Ghidorahs not only coexist in the same time, but in the same place as well. This seems to be a clear violation of Grenchiko's statement. However, it is possible that once Mecha-King Ghidorah came to the past, the body of the previous Ghidorah that was lying in the Sea of Okhotsk vanished as Grenchiko said would happen; Mecha-King Ghidorah could then take the previous Ghidorah's place in the sea. It is also possible that he lied in order to prevent Shindo, whose company would become the largest in the world by 2204, from getting a firsthand look at the Futurians' technology.
*A loose end in the film's plot that deserves mention involves King Ghidorah and [[Mecha-King Ghidorah]]. In the beginning of the film, Glenchico states that a person cannot exist in the same time twice; if they brought Yasuaki Shindo back to 1944, one of the Shindos would have to vanish. However, when Godzilla defeats King Ghidorah, the monster falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, where it stays for 200 years. In 2204, Ghidorah is resurrected as a cyborg and returned to 1992. However, as the wounded King Ghidorah is still laying in the sea when Mecha-King Ghidorah arrives, two Ghidorahs clearly exist in the same time. As if to further contradict Omori's law, when Mecha-King Ghidorah is defeated by Godzilla, it too falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, meaning two Ghidorahs not only coexist in the same time, but in the same place as well. This seems to be a clear violation of Grenchiko's statement. However, it is possible that once Mecha-King Ghidorah came to the past, the body of the previous Ghidorah that was lying in the Sea of Okhotsk vanished as Grenchiko said would happen; Mecha-King Ghidorah could then take the previous Ghidorah's place in the sea. It is also possible that he lied in order to prevent Shindo, whose company would become the largest in the world by 2204, from getting a firsthand look at the Futurians' technology.
**However, if King Ghidorah actually did disappear, that would mean that there wouldn't be a King Ghidorah corpse to turn into Mecha-King Ghidorah, so Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't be able to exist. Because Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't exist, it couldn't go back in time to fight Godzilla, so the old King Ghidorah corpse would still stay there. This means Glenchico's statement is false, because if it was true, a time paradox (specifically, an altered version of the Grandfather Paradox) would have occurred. However, it's possible that when Mecha-King Ghidorah went back in time, it actually entered an alternate universe, meaning that a paradox doesn't occur, and in this new universe, King Ghidorah does disappear.
**However, if King Ghidorah actually did disappear, that would mean that there wouldn't be a King Ghidorah corpse to turn into Mecha-King Ghidorah, so Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't be able to exist. Because Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't exist, it couldn't go back in time to fight Godzilla, so the old King Ghidorah corpse would still stay there. This means Glenchico's statement is false, because if it was true, a time paradox (specifically, an altered version of the Grandfather Paradox) would have occurred. However, it's possible that when Mecha-King Ghidorah went back in time, it actually entered an alternate universe, meaning that a paradox doesn't occur, and in this new universe, King Ghidorah does disappear.
*CNN and the Associated Press reported on the scene in ''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' where the [[Godzillasaurus]] kills American soldiers during the Pacific War, as well as the Futurians' plan to subjugate Japan before it can become a superpower. On CNN, director [[Kazuki Omori]] stated, "The movie is not especially anti-U.S., I just thought I'd try to picture the identity of the Japanese people." ''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' would not be released in the [[United States]] for nearly seven years, the longest wait of any Godzilla film.
*CNN and the Associated Press reported on the scene in ''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' where the [[Godzillasaurus]] kills American soldiers during the Pacific War, as well as the [[Futurians]]' plan to subjugate Japan before it can become a superpower. On CNN, director [[Kazuki Omori]] stated, "The movie is not especially anti-U.S., I just thought I'd try to picture the identity of the Japanese people." [[Ishiro Honda]] stated in an interview in [[1992]] that he felt Kazuki Omori went too far in depicting the American soldiers being killed.<ref>[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/honda.htm Ishiro Honda Interview]</ref> ''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' would not be released in the [[United States]] for nearly seven years, the longest wait of any Godzilla film.
*In the Japanese novelization for this film, King Ghidorah's corpse is found on the surface of [[Venus]] by the [[Futurians]], who use his DNA to engineer the [[Dorat]]s. This was originally meant to be included in the film as well, but this was changed because Kazuki Omori reportedly did not want King Ghidorah to be a space monster again.
*In the Japanese novelization for this film, King Ghidorah's corpse is found on the surface of [[Venus]] by the [[Futurians]], who use his DNA to engineer the [[Dorat]]s. This was originally meant to be included in the film as well, but this was changed because Kazuki Omori reportedly did not want King Ghidorah to be a space monster again.
**Toho reportedly considered producing a direct sequel to this film called ''[[The Return of King Ghidorah (Heisei)|The Return of King Ghidorah]]'', which would have involved a second King Ghidorah arriving from outer space, but decided to instead revive [[Mothra]] for [[1992]]'s ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]''.<ref>[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit.htm Koichi Kawakita Interview]</ref> An early draft for what would ultimately become ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' also featured Godzilla battling an alien King Ghidorah called [[Emperor Ghidorah]].
**Toho reportedly considered producing a direct sequel to this film called ''[[The Return of King Ghidorah (Heisei)|The Return of King Ghidorah]]'', which would have involved a second King Ghidorah arriving from outer space, but decided to instead revive [[Mothra]] for [[1992]]'s ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]''.<ref>[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit.htm Koichi Kawakita Interview]</ref> An early draft for what would ultimately become ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' also featured Godzilla battling an alien King Ghidorah called [[Emperor Ghidorah]].

Revision as of 08:09, 21 May 2020

Article.png
Image gallery for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Credits for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah soundtrack


Godzilla Films
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
See alternate titles
The Japanese poster for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Directed by Kazuki Omori
Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, Shogo Tomiyama
Written by Kazuki Omori
Music by Akira Ifukube
Distributor TohoJP
TriStar PicturesUS
Rating Not Rated
Budget ¥1,500,000,000
Box office ¥1,450,000,000
Running time 103 minutesJP
(1 hour, 43 minutes)
100 minutesUS
(1 hour, 40 minutes)
Aspect ratio 1.85:1
Rate this film!
4.14
(97 votes)

Just for you, I won't give up!
At the end of the century, the greatest battle has begun!
(お前だけには、絶対負けない!
世紀末・最大の戦いが始まった!)
„ 

— Taglines

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (ゴジラVSキングギドラ,   Gojira tai Kingu Gidora) is a 1991 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho, and the eighteenth installment in the Godzilla series, as well as the third in the Heisei series. The film was released to Japanese theaters on December 14, 1991.[1]

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah brings back Godzilla's arch-enemy, King Ghidorah, for the new Heisei series of films. Still weakened from the Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria following his battle with Biollante, Godzilla has remained dormant in the Sea of Japan for two years. However, a group of time travelers from the year 2204 arrive in Japan and warn that Godzilla will soon return and destroy the nation. To prevent this, they undertake a mission to 1944 to remove a dinosaur from Lagos Island before it can be mutated into Godzilla by the Castle Bravo H-bomb test conducted at nearby Bikini Atoll. The Futurians have other goals though, leaving behind three creatures called Dorats on the island which are exposed to the bomb in the dinosaur's place and become the three-headed terror King Ghidorah. As King Ghidorah terrorizes Japan, the government enacts a desperate plan to recreate Godzilla with a nuclear submarine, but it turns out that Godzilla was not actually erased from history as thought. After destroying and absorbing the energy from the nuclear sub, the empowered Godzilla prepares to face King Ghidorah himself.

Plot

In the year 2204, a submarine in the Sea of Okhotsk examines the body of King Ghidorah, a monster which was said to have fought Godzilla in the 20th century. Then the movie flashes back to modern day Tokyo, where an unidentified flying object (UFO) has been seen flying rapidly with flashing lights in the night sky. The next morning, the general media attempts to make sense of the situation, which determine that this "UFO" may not have been a hoax.

Kenichiro Terasawa, a young Japanese reporter, is covering a story of a dinosaur sighted during the Pacific War. Then a spaceship appears in Japan, coinciding with Godzilla's awakening in the ocean. The ship lands, and three humans, two Western men Wilson and Grenchiko and one Japanese young woman Emmy Kano, come out of the ship and reveal themselves as delegates of nations from the year 2204. They have traveled across time to warn Japan of its grave future; due to industrialization and nuclear power, Godzilla will reappear and destroy Japan for good (or so the Futurians say). They present a book that Terasawa will write in the future, entitled The Birth of Godzilla, which states the dinosaur he is covering is a "Godzillasaurus", the dinosaur that would eventually become Godzilla after radiation exposure from an American nuclear bomb test after World War II.

Terasawa and several Japanese civilians and military personnel are selected by the Futurians to go back to 1944 and make Godzilla disappear from history, thus preventing Japan's bleak future. The Futurians place Emmy and an android named M11 in command of the mission. They will pilot a time traveling shuttle named KIDS to 1944, where they will locate the dinosaur and teleport it off the island, preventing its eventual mutation.

The Futurians and Japanese of the 1990's arrive on a Pacific island named Lagos in 1944. Amid the final stage of Pacific War, a Japanese unit is opposing an American amphibious landing on the island. The time travel group secretly observe the battle. The Japanese unit is almost eliminated by the U.S. landing unit, but the Godzillasaurus comes out of the jungle and kills the American soldiers. A U.S. ship fires, heavily injures the Godzillasaurus, and then departs. The remaining Japanese unit salutes the injured Godzillasaurus and leaves as well several days later. The Futurians then teleport the Godzillasaurus into the Bering Sea, so that it can't be hit by atomic bombs, and return to the future.

Unknown to the Japanese, however, the Futurians have replaced the Godzillasaurus with three genetically engineered creatures called Dorats, who then were exposed to radiation of the nuclear test and mutated into the three-headed, dragon-like King Ghidorah, who appears in present Japan. It is then, that the Futurians' true malevolent intentions are exposed: The story they tell Japanese of 1990s is a lie. The true history of the future is that despite damages by Godzilla, Japan with her giant corporations would grow into a corrupt super power that affects the future world greatly; King Ghidorah is a controlled weapon the Futurians made to damage Japan further, in order to keep her from becoming a super power. However Wilson and Grenchiko are more ambitious. They want to use King Ghidorah to delete Japan from history completely. Emmy disagrees with that. She reprogrammed M11 and leaves the mother ship to tell Terasawa the truth.

The Japanese government, still believing Godzilla was erased from the timeline, then seek out the Godzillasaurus to create a new Godzilla, who is the only force powerful enough to defeat King Ghidorah and the Futurians. They borrow a nuclear submarine from the Teiyo Group, a successful giant corporation established in postwar Japan by Yasuaki Shindo, a former officer who was saved by and saluted to the then injured Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island. However, Miki Saegusa reports being able to sense Godzilla moving underwater, as if he never left. After researching old newspaper articles, Terasawa learns that sometime in the past, a Russian nuclear submarine disappeared in the Bering Sea near where the Godzillasaurus was placed. Terasawa realizes that Godzilla must have not been erased from the timeline at all, and was already mutated into Godzilla. Terasawa tries to warn the government that Godzilla already exists and that Shindo's submarine is in danger, but is too late.

Unknown to the Japanese or Futurians, the Godzillasaurus they had transported to the Bering sea had in fact already been mutated because a Soviet nuclear submarine had sunk in the Bering sea. As the Futurians put it, the birth of Godzilla was an unavoidable event, as long as there are nuclear weapons. The Japanese realize this too late, as the sub they sent encounters the already-mutated Godzilla. Godzilla attacks the sub and absorbs its power, causing him to become even larger than before and overcome his ANEB infection.

Wilson and Grenchiko sent King Ghidorah to combat Godzilla ashore in Hokkaido. Ghidorah almost strangles Godzilla to death, but in the mean time Emmy, Terasawa and the android sabotage the mother ship. Ghidorah's motion is affected and then it is defeated by Godzilla. Godzilla decapitates its middle head, and has it sink into bottom of the sea. Emmy and others teleport the mother ship in front of Godzilla and leave. Godzilla destroys the ship along with Wilson and Grenchiko on board.

Godzilla then sets out to destroy Japan. Emmy and M11 go back to future with the time traveling shuttle for help. Godzilla enters Tokyo and stands before the headquarters of Shindo Heavy Industry, where Shindo himself stays to wait for Godzilla. Shindo and Godzilla look into each others' eyes for a moment and Godzilla destroys the Shindo headquarter completely. Then Emmy comes back from future with a resurrected King Ghidorah. King Ghidorah is cryogenically preserved in the sea to 2204, when Emmy and the central Futurian government make it a cyborg under Emmy's command: Mecha-King Ghidorah. Emmy uses it to battle Godzilla. In the ensuing fight, Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah level the center of Tokyo. Emmy uses Mecha-King Ghidorah's grappling cables to lift Godzilla into the sky. Godzilla continues to fight Mecha-King Ghidorah and sinks them both into the sea. Then Emmy says goodbye to Terasawa, whom she identifies as one of her ancestors, and goes back to future. However, on the bottom of the sea, Godzilla awakens and roars.

Staff

Main article: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/Credits.

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Main article: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/Credits.

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Anna Nakagawa   as   Emmy Kano, Futurian
  • Kosuke Toyohara   as   Kenichiro Terasawa, writer for Mu magazine
  • Megumi Odaka   as   Miki Saegusa
  • Kiwako Harada   as   Chiaki Moriyuma, editor for Mu magazine
  • Shoji Kobayashi   as   Ryuzo Dobashi, Cabinet Security Director
  • Katsuhiko Sasaki   as   Professor Yoshinori Mazaki
  • Chuck Wilson   as   Wilson, Futurian
  • So Yamamura   as   Prime Minister Hayashida
  • Koichi Ueda   as   Masayoshi Ikehata, former Lagos Island Japanese Army soldier
  • Richard Berger   as   Glenchico, Futurian
  • Robert Scott Field   as   M11
  • Tokuma Nishioka   as   Professor Takehito Fujio, Director of National Institute of Science and Technology
  • Yoshio Tsuchiya   as   Yasuaki Shindo, Chairman of the Teiyo Group
  • Saburo Tokito   as   Reporter
  • Junichi Yaoi   as   Himself
  • Kent Gilbert   as   U.S. Navy Colonel
  • Daniel Kahl   as   Major Spielberg
  • Jeff Berklund   as   U.S. Navy Aide
  • Ginnosuke Azuma   as   Morrys
  • Shinji Morisue   as   Photographer
  • Shingo Kazami   as   National Institute of Science and Technology staff member
  • Ryoto Yoshimitsu   as   Shindo's secretary
  • Kenji Sahara   as   Defense Minister Takayuki Segawa
  • Susumu Kurobe   as   Fuyuki Takaoka, Air SDF Chief of Staff
  • Kazuyuki Senba   as   Integrated Chiefs of Staff Conference chairperson
  • Kenzo Hagiwara   as   Takeo Shimura, Ground SDF Chief of Staff
  • Shin Tatsuma   as   Daisuke Hirata, Maritime SDF Chief of Staff
  • Tetsu Watanabe   as   Lagos Island Japanese Army Sergeant
  • Shigemitsu Ogi   as   JSDF Information Office member
  • Shoichiro Sakata   as   JSDF Information Office member
  • Yasushi Inoue   as   JSDF Information Office member
  • Muneyoshi Akita   as   JSDF Information Office member
  • Michael Foucannon   as   M101
  • Mark Foucannon   as   M102
  • Chuko Fujimoto   as   Newscaster
  • Kenpachiro Satsuma   as   Godzilla
  • Hurricane Ryu Hariken   as   King Ghidorah
  • Wataru Fukuda   as   Godzillasaurus

Omni Productions English dub

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Sarah Hauser   as   Emmy Kano, Futurian
  • John Culkin   as   Kenichiro Terasawa, writer for Mu magazine
  • Stuart Onslow-Smith   as   Professor Yoshinori Mazaki
  • Pierre Tremblay   as   Wilson, Futurian / M11 / Junichi Yaoi / Masayoshi Ikehata, former Lagos Island Japanese Army soldier / U.S. Navy Colonel
  • Chris Hilton   as   Professor Takehito Fujio, Director of National Institute of Science and Technology
  • Rik Thomas   as   Yasuaki Shindo, Chairman of the Teiyo Group / Prime Minister Hayashida / Morrys
  • Warren Rooke   as   Defense Minister Takayuki Segawa
  • Jack Murphy   as   Shindo's secretary


Appearances

Monsters

Weapons, vehicles, and races

Gallery

Main article: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Soundtrack).

Alternate titles

  • Godzilla vs. King Ghidora (U.S. VHS title)
  • Godzilla: Duel of the Megasaurians (Godzilla – Duell der Megasaurier; Germany)
  • Godzilla Against the Evil Monster (Godzilla Contra o Monstro do Mal; Brazil)
  • The War of the Dinosaurs (La Guerra de los Dinosaurios; Argentina)
  • War Dragon Godzilla (戰龍哥斯拉; Hong Kong)

Theatrical releases

View all posters for the film here.

  • Japan - December 14, 1991[1]   [view poster]Japanese poster
  • Thailand - 1991   [view poster]Thai poster
  • Germany - March 26, 1992   [view poster]German poster

U.S. release

American Godzilla vs. King Ghidora VHS cover

TriStar Pictures released Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah to VHS on April 28, 1998, along with Godzilla vs. Mothra. The film was titled Godzilla vs. King Ghidora for this release, though only on cover art (later releases would correct this to "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah"). Like what Miramax had done for Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1992, TriStar elected to simply use Toho's international English dub for the film, which was done by Omni Productions. The only edits TriStar made to the film involved on-screen text and the end credits. Rather than use Toho's international title card, TriStar included the Japanese title card with "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" in parentheses at the bottom of the screen. TriStar also provided its own English-language opening credits and cut the end credits, replacing them with a black screen including copyright information.

A fullscreen DVD release followed on November 3, 1998, on a double-sided disc with Godzilla vs. Mothra. This DVD is also included in The Toho Godzilla Collection, Volume 2, along with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Rebirth of Mothra, and Rebirth of Mothra II, along with the 13-Film Collection, which adds Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and the six Godzilla films from the Millennium era, and a Triple Feature with Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Sony paired it with Godzilla vs. Mothra again for a two-disc Blu-ray release on May 6, 2014. Aside from presenting the film in its original aspect ratio, the Blu-ray includes a Japanese audio option, although some lines in the subtitles are copied verbatim from the English dub. Sony recreated the English visuals in the TriStar version, included the truncated end credits. Changes include the misspelling of Koichi Kawakita's name ("Kopichi Kawakita") and a repositioned English title card.

In 2013, SciFi Japan co-founder Keith Aiken disclosed that Sony's rights to Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra would be up for renewal in 2019.[2] Sony appears to have let their rights lapse, as prices for the film's individual DVD and Blu-ray releases have begun to climb on Amazon and eBay, and it is no longer available for digital rental or purchase on any platform.

Box office

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah had a budget of ¥1,500,000,000, or roughly $12,000,000. When the film was released in Japan on December 14, 1991, it had an attendance of 2,700,000 and earned ¥1,450,000,000, or $11,000,000.

Reception

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is generally well-received by fans. Internet critic James Rolfe (AKA the Angry Video Game Nerd) of Cinemassacre considers the film one of the best of the series.

Some Godzilla fans have expressed dissatisfaction with King Ghidorah's origin in the movie, especially in reference to the Dorats, as well as with the film's time-travel plot.

Though the Japan Academy Prize does not have a category for visual effects, Koichi Kawakita and his special effects team received a Special Prize in 1992 for their work on the film.[3]

Video releases

Universe Laser & Video DVD (Year Unknown)

  • Region: 3
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (2.0 Mono), Cantonese (2.0 Mono)
  • Special Features: None
  • Notes: Includes traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles. Out of print.

TriStar Pictures DVD (1998)[4]

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Stereo)
  • Special Features: Trailers for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra
  • Notes: Cropped to 1.33:1. Packaged with Godzilla vs. Mothra (same disc). Also included in The Toho Godzilla Collection - Volume 1.

Toho DVD (2002)

  • Region: 2
  • Audio: Japanese

Madman DVD (2006)

  • Region: 4
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo) and English (2.0 Mono)
  • Special Features: Trailers for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and other Heisei Godzilla movies, galleries of production stills and posters

Toho Blu-ray (2009)

  • Region: A/1
  • Language: Japanese

Sony Blu-ray (2014)[5]

  • Region: A/1
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: Japanese (2.0 Stereo) and English (2.0 Mono)
  • Special Features: 4 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah trailers and 5 Godzilla vs. Mothra trailers
  • Notes: Packaged with Godzilla vs. Mothra.

Novelization

A novelization of the film, titled Novel: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, was written by Toho film producer Fumio Tanaka and published by Asahi Sonorama in 1991. The novelization follows the plot of the film, but includes some differences. Most notably, the novel opens with the discovery of the carcass of King Ghidorah on the surface of Venus, with the Futurians harvesting its DNA and using it to engineer the Dorats. Kenichiro Terasawa and Chiaki Moriyuma get married at the end of the novel, with Emmy Kano secretly attending their wedding party. Emmy gives the receptionist a pendant containing a photograph of herself and her mother, who is noted to look a lot like Chiaki, and asks the receptionist to give it to Chiaki. Other minor differences from the film include the name of the Teiyo Group's nuclear submarine.

Manga Adaptation

A manga adaptation of the film was published by Shogakukan in December 1991. The manga's story corresponds to the film's, but many characters, notably Miki Saegusa, Yasuaki Shindo, and Professor Mazaki, are omitted. In addition, the character Sho Kuroki from Godzilla vs. Biollante is featured in the manga. Other changes include a battle between KIDS and Godzillasaurus, the JSDF sending tanks and MBT-MB92s after King Ghidorah while Godzilla goes unchallenged, and Godzilla trying to shoot down KIDS with the last of his energy after Mecha-King Ghidorah carries him out to sea.

Videos

Trailers

Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah trailer
Unfinished Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer
Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #1
Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #2
Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #3
Japanese Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah TV spot
German Godzilla: Duel of the Megasaurians trailer
Argentinian The War of the Dinosaurs video trailer

Miscellaneous

English export opening credits
English export ending credits
German theatrical opening credits
German theatrical ending credits
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) CNN Report
Godzilla Suit Stolen American News Report
MISSING VIDEO
Behind-the-scenes featurette on the film's special effects, broadcast on Japanese television
MISSING VIDEO
Extended special on the making of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, broadcast the day before the film's theatrical release (Part 1 of 5)
Music differences between the Japanese and foreign versions of the film

Trivia

  • This is the first movie in the Heisei series where a monster from the Showa series besides Godzilla returns.
  • Stuntman "Hurricane" Ryu Hariken, who portrayed King Ghidorah and Mecha-King Ghidorah, would later return to play Battra larva in Godzilla vs. Mothra, BabyGodzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla Junior in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
  • A loose end in the film's plot that deserves mention involves King Ghidorah and Mecha-King Ghidorah. In the beginning of the film, Glenchico states that a person cannot exist in the same time twice; if they brought Yasuaki Shindo back to 1944, one of the Shindos would have to vanish. However, when Godzilla defeats King Ghidorah, the monster falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, where it stays for 200 years. In 2204, Ghidorah is resurrected as a cyborg and returned to 1992. However, as the wounded King Ghidorah is still laying in the sea when Mecha-King Ghidorah arrives, two Ghidorahs clearly exist in the same time. As if to further contradict Omori's law, when Mecha-King Ghidorah is defeated by Godzilla, it too falls into the Sea of Okhotsk, meaning two Ghidorahs not only coexist in the same time, but in the same place as well. This seems to be a clear violation of Grenchiko's statement. However, it is possible that once Mecha-King Ghidorah came to the past, the body of the previous Ghidorah that was lying in the Sea of Okhotsk vanished as Grenchiko said would happen; Mecha-King Ghidorah could then take the previous Ghidorah's place in the sea. It is also possible that he lied in order to prevent Shindo, whose company would become the largest in the world by 2204, from getting a firsthand look at the Futurians' technology.
    • However, if King Ghidorah actually did disappear, that would mean that there wouldn't be a King Ghidorah corpse to turn into Mecha-King Ghidorah, so Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't be able to exist. Because Mecha-King Ghidorah wouldn't exist, it couldn't go back in time to fight Godzilla, so the old King Ghidorah corpse would still stay there. This means Glenchico's statement is false, because if it was true, a time paradox (specifically, an altered version of the Grandfather Paradox) would have occurred. However, it's possible that when Mecha-King Ghidorah went back in time, it actually entered an alternate universe, meaning that a paradox doesn't occur, and in this new universe, King Ghidorah does disappear.
  • CNN and the Associated Press reported on the scene in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah where the Godzillasaurus kills American soldiers during the Pacific War, as well as the Futurians' plan to subjugate Japan before it can become a superpower. On CNN, director Kazuki Omori stated, "The movie is not especially anti-U.S., I just thought I'd try to picture the identity of the Japanese people." Ishiro Honda stated in an interview in 1992 that he felt Kazuki Omori went too far in depicting the American soldiers being killed.[6] Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah would not be released in the United States for nearly seven years, the longest wait of any Godzilla film.
  • In the Japanese novelization for this film, King Ghidorah's corpse is found on the surface of Venus by the Futurians, who use his DNA to engineer the Dorats. This was originally meant to be included in the film as well, but this was changed because Kazuki Omori reportedly did not want King Ghidorah to be a space monster again.
  • A Godzilla 1964 toy can be seen on Kenichiro Terasawa's desk in multiple scenes.
  • During the scene where Emmy Kano is reprogramming M11, Mechani-Kong is visible among a group of robot toys in a corner behind them, while a model of an Xilien UFO rests on a table behind M11's head.
  • A poster for the 1981 Toho film Imperial Navy hangs on a wall of Masayoshi Ikehata's ramen shop.
  • Chiaki Morimura works as an editor for Super Mystery Magazine Mu, a real Japanese occult magazine.
  • So Yamamura plays the Prime Minister of Japan in a third unconnected Toho sci-fi movie, following The Last War and Prophecies of Nostradamus.
  • King Ghidorah becomes the only monster in the Godzilla series to attack Hiroshima, albeit in a single shot. The Genbaku Dome, which was the only building in the hypocenter of the 1945 atomic bomb blast to survive, appears in the foreground of the shot.
  • Despite being destroyed by Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Biollante, the Haruna-class destroyer Hiei appears in a scene.
  • The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah demolish during their battle, opened its doors just eight months before Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah premiered.

External links

References

This is a list of references for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 ゴジラVSキングギドラ|ゴジラ 東宝公式サイト (official Godzilla.jp page)
  2. Aiken, Keith (20 November 2013). "Re: Any News on Godzilla DVD Rereleases?". Monster Zero Forums.
  3. Awards of the Japanese Academy, 1992
  4. Amazon.com: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah / Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1975)
  5. Amazon.com: Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah / Godzilla Vs. Mothra (1992) - Set (Blu-ray)
  6. Ishiro Honda Interview
  7. Koichi Kawakita Interview

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