Released: 1965

Dir.: Ishiro Honda

As someone who suffers from insecurity, not to mention anxiety and depression, it can be difficult watching movies that none of your friends and family like or are even remotely interested in. So rather than face embarrassment and ridicule, you either change the channel when someone walks into the room, or you face the music, wipe the sweat off your brow and say, ‘It’s a guilty pleasure.’

I started to think about the term, guilty pleasure. If you’re enjoying the movie, the experience is pleasant, why feel guilty about it? You’re not thinking about your problems and worries, you’ve successfully escaped into a world for 90-120 minutes where the drudgery that is your life no longer exists. Guilty?! It should be a grateful pleasure. Which brings me to Invasion of Astro-Monster.

Invasion of Astro-Monster is a Japanese film from Toho Studios, it is the sixth film to feature Godzilla, and is ruthlessly entertaining. It tells the story of ultra-slick aliens from the newly discovered Planet X, who request the loan from Earth the services of Godzilla and Rodan, to destroy King Ghidorah, the three-headed monster that is ravaging their planet.

The film comes at a crucial time in the Godzilla saga. When Godzilla made his first appearance on the world stage in 1954, he was all death and destruction. The tone of the first film was dark and serious, even powerful in its emotion. Godzilla remained a force of death and destruction for the next few films, but the overall tone of those movies was becoming much lighter, and by the time of Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, in 1964, Godzilla was starting to morph into the good guy. Personally, I found this distressing.

Invasion of Astro-Monster is the final film where Godzilla is a terrifying presence before becoming the subject of what only can be described as children’s movies in a cycle that lasted until the mid-1970s. It wouldn’t be until 1984 that Godzilla would return to his death and destruction roots, where he does his best work, and for the most part stays that way through to the present day. But make no mistake, Astro-Monster is not a serious, dark nuclear weapons allegory like the first film, this is a seriously goofy movie, serious about said goofiness, and should be embraced on those terms.

The aliens are as pompous as they are slick, as they manipulate astronauts Glenn (Nick Adams) and Fuji (Akira Takarada), into convincing the Earth to allow the Controller of Planet X (Yoshiro Tsuchiya) to borrow Godzilla and Rodan in exchange for a formula that will cure cancer. Upon arrival on Planet X, Godzilla and Rodan make quick work of Ghidorah, and the grateful aliens present Glenn and Fuji with the miracle formula, who then high tail it back to Earth, leaving Godzilla and Rodan behind.

Returning triumphantly back to Earth, Fuji and Glenn present the formula to the representatives of Earth, only to find out they’ve been double crossed, as Planet X is set to conquer the Earth. How do they plan to do this you ask? Well, Planet X now has at their disposal three of the most dangerous monsters the world has ever seen which they can control with a magnetic ray. Let the mayhem begin.

I can’t really help but love the aliens, even though their scheme is ultimately doomed to failure, they are so ultra-cool and stylish, sporting sunglasses, what can only be described as over-sized vinyl turtlenecks and black leather elf shoes. They are over-confident, smooth, they easily forgive the Earthlings transgressions to gain further confidence. They fly around in snazzy white flying saucers that fire lasers and can take you to their home planet and back in less than eight hours without missing the first segment of 60 Minutes. These guys are all at once, dangerous, hilarious, and accommodating.

Unlike Raymond Burr’s inserted appearance in Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 1956, Nick Adams is the first Hollywood actor to be intentionally cast in a Godzilla film, and to his credit, he appears to be having a great time. His performance, which must have been difficult, being the only non-Japanese speaking cast member, is contagious as he displays terrific chemistry with his co-stars. He adds just enough of a New York City attitude to show the people of Planet X he can’t be shoved around like so many astronauts before him.

What would a Godzilla movie be without monster fights and destruction? With the monsters under the control of the aliens, Godzilla is all nastiness and terror, as he and Rodan and King Ghidorah, look for stuff to destroy. While Tokyo goes relatively unscathed, an oil refinery gets an ass-whopping, along with some urban areas. Meanwhile, Godzilla is trudging through the countryside, stomping on rural towns and villages, and that’s pretty cold if you ask me, but he’s Godzilla for crying out loud, that’s what he does, and I expect no less.

My only gripe with the monster action comes after Godzilla beats the tar out of King Ghidorah on Planet X, when the King of the Monsters does a very human looking victory dance. I’m sorry, it’s stupid, and foreshadows the Godzilla movies to come. Godzilla Vs. Megalon anyone? How are we supposed to take Godzilla seriously? Jeez. I was relieved to find out that director Ishiro Honda was vehemently against the victory dance, however in the end the producers got their way.

The Aliens from Planet X fail in spectacular fashion, the monsters beat the crap out of each other, and the world is once again safe. Naturally, this kind of goofiness is not for everyone. But, if this movie is for you, don’t feel guilty, be grateful for this gloriously goofy film. I can proclaim, without guilt or shame, that I thoroughly enjoyed Invasion of Astro-Monster. And I’m grateful for that. So there.

Invasion of Astro-Monster can be streamed on Tubi or the Criterion Channel.