Movies

Rebirth of Mothra (1996, 97, 98) Three children's fairy tale movies - the giant moth is removed from the Godzilla cycle and made into a goddess with magical transformation powers. Each film has three components - the combat between Mothra and another giant monster; conflict between her two priestesses and their wicked, robot-dragon-riding elder sister; and children in varying degrees of peril and self-development. In the first story the tricephalous flying quadruped Desghidora, who long ago destroyed all life on Mars, kills Original Cute and Furry Mothra and her caterpillar progeny becomes the new furrier, more powerful Mothra with the ability to split into thousands of normal-sized moths. In the second story, the foe is a nondescript product of Lemurian genetic engineering gone awry, who must be destroyed by the submarine four-winged flying fish transformation of Mothra, with the aid of three children who must find the secret treasure of the vast Lemurian Pyramid. In the final film, Mothra must travel 130 million years into the past to fight three-headed King Ghidora (who sucks up children and deposits them in a throbbing terror dome to kill later) back when he was still a prince, stomping around gobbling up dinosaurs like they were rats, then return transformed into a super-beautiful armored Mothra, but only by the aid of a brave boy and the three sisters who must learn to work together despite their differences. As an amateur of the fairy tale I enjoyed seeing this adaptation of the monster movie to the fairy tale form, and was interested to see that each film was placed in a different rural or island locale in contrast to the exclusively urban settings of older monster films. Each movie has colorful and imaginative spectacle as well as a certain amount of tedium. Unless one really enjoys children's movies, fairy tales, or giant monsters, this probably won't be of much interest. I found it fairly entertaining overall, and learned that Mothra, like other deities, gains her power from the hearts of those who love her and believe in her. 6/10

Movies

Pulgasari (1985) A tiny figurine, brought to life by a blacksmith's dying wish and a drop of his daughter's blood, grows into a giant iron-eating monster to save the people from an oppressive ruler. Pretty fair giant monster movie. What makes it different is it was made in North Korea, its director kidnapped from South Korea by orders of the oppressive ruler of the time. Apparently the monster is meant to symbolize capitalism which freed the commoners from the rule of the elite but ultimately became oppressive in itself. Interesting to see the medieval Korean costumes and customs, but there's nothing all that special about it. 6/10

Movies

Great Decisive Battle! Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers (2008) One great thing about Japan is that childlike adult males are a market demographic. After the apparition of a threatening mirage over Yokohama, a young man begins having dreams and visions indicating that he and his friends, and a handful of older men in the neighborhood, have lives in an alternate world where the television fantasy of monster-fighting Ultraman is real. When an evil alien begins to bring giant monsters into this world, they must remember their childhood hopes and dreams, and recall their true nature as defenders of the planet. Though I don't know that much about the TV show, this appears to be a multigenerational reunion of actors from different periods of the program. What pleased me was the emotional sincerity of it, the complete lack of irony. It is so hopeful and touching at times I was quite moved. "Regardless of how bad the situation is, the light in people's heart will never disappear." 10/10

Believe in Ultraman!