Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster (1964)

55% of users liked it
(228 ratings)

A true "monster rally," this Japanese special-effects smorgasbord stars no fewer than four "A"-list movie monstrosities. Once again, the citizens of Tokyo are subjected to an ill-tempered atomic mutant. This time it's the triple-headed Ghidrah, who breathes electric volts in all directions. Coming… More A true "monster rally," this Japanese special-effects smorgasbord stars no fewer than four "A"-list movie monstrosities. Once again, the citizens of Tokyo are subjected to an ill-tempered atomic mutant. This time it's the triple-headed Ghidrah, who breathes electric volts in all directions. Coming to Tokyo's rescue is faithful old Mothra, but Ghidrah proves too much for the outsized insect, even with the ubiquitous "Peanuts" (Emi and Yumi Ito) acting as Mothra's cheerleaders. Fortunately, Godzilla and Rodan stop fighting each other to help Mothra vanquish Ghidrah. The climactic battle royal takes place high atop Mount Fuji (how do those monsters cast shadows on the sky like that?) Lots of fun, Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster surprisingly yielded no immediate sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Ishirô Honda
Genres: Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

On DVD: Jun 5, 2007

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The tag line for Ghidorah should be Shit Happens.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Christopher H

Rushed into theaters the same year as "Mothra vs. Godzilla", the debut film of Godzilla's most famous adversary is a very uneven affair. The movie starts out okay, a typical Toho science fiction affair, but then it goes crazy as a the film follows a police detective… More
Rushed into theaters the same year as "Mothra vs. Godzilla", the debut film of Godzilla's most famous adversary is a very uneven affair. The movie starts out okay, a typical Toho science fiction affair, but then it goes crazy as a the film follows a police detective that is forced to protect a princess who is being targeted by a group of assassins. Not only that, but the princess is also the harbinger of a long dead alien race that is trying to warn Earth of the impending destruction from the three headed dragon named Ghidorah. This subplot takes up most of the screen time with the human characters and it feels like glorified time-killer because it has little impact on the monster action. The effects are also dodgy in this one. Rodan looks really fragile for a creature that flies at super sonic speeds and the Godzilla suit looks really worn out (along with a really ugly head). Plus there is not too much city smashing or military scenes, which is weird because military scenes are a long-standing tradition in the Godzilla series. It is obvious that most of the film's budget went into the elaborate Ghidorah suit, which does steal the show whenever Ghidorah is on-screen. It is just too bad that Ghidorah is only in the movie for a total of ten minutes. After the first half the monster action picks up considerably and the final fight involving Mothra, Rodan, and Godzilla banning together to fight the evil Ghidorah is pretty cool, although it does not live up to it's full potential. This is one of the few times were I recommend the American version over the Japanese because the American version cuts out some unnecessary scenes that help the pacing. If I have to sit through some questionable dubbing in order to get to the monster action faster, I'll take it. Overall, "Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster" is a sporadically enjoyable B-movie and one of the weaker entries in the Godzilla franchise.
Stella D

starring godzilla, rodan and mothra, now reduced to a giant caterpillar, versus the triple headed fire breathing monster ghidorah. the effects here are pretty funny and the plot is kinda bizarre, with an amnesiac princess turned apocalyptic prophet, tiny twin fairies and even… More
starring godzilla, rodan and mothra, now reduced to a giant caterpillar, versus the triple headed fire breathing monster ghidorah. the effects here are pretty funny and the plot is kinda bizarre, with an amnesiac princess turned apocalyptic prophet, tiny twin fairies and even government assassins. it's all worth it for the crazy climactic fight scene. much fun!!
Bruce B

This is from the Godzilla series. These movies are always fun, I remember that after seeing this movie I became very afraid of lightning storms as a child thought for sure Ghidorah would show up at any moment. These movies from the 1964 time frame were outstanding for special effects… More
This is from the Godzilla series. These movies are always fun, I remember that after seeing this movie I became very afraid of lightning storms as a child thought for sure Ghidorah would show up at any moment. These movies from the 1964 time frame were outstanding for special effects and I wonder to this day just how they got Godzilla's eyes to move the way they did to show expression. The fight scenes were funny as they reminded me of the early days of wrestling. 4 Stars no less.