Dr. Toru Yano’s neighbor brings over a sea creature he found while fishing. The creature looks a lot like a giant tadpole but it’s nothing he’s ever seen before. After a couple tankers are sunk by an unknown creature, Dr. Yano decides to investigate what is going on in the ocean. While Dr. Yano is scuba diving his young son Ken is on shore looking for mussels. While on shore a giant sea creature comes out of the water and flies over Ken’s head. Ken slices the creature using his knife. Ken’s hand is burned by toxins released from the creature. The creature then returns to the sea. Under the water Dr. Yano also sees the creature. Toxins from the creature scar Dr. Yano’s face.

Ken names the creature Hedorah. Hedorah was created when a microscopic alien life form fell to earth and began feeding on pollution in the sea. Man’s pollution proves to be the perfect food for the foreign organism. Hedorah grows bigger and stronger the more pollution it ingests. It then evolves from its tadpole shape into a giant amphibious creature similar to how a tadpole changes into a frog. It then moves onto land to feed on other types of pollution. Hedorah expels sludge, sulfuric acid and a toxic gas wherever it goes.

When Godzilla shows up he and Hedorah have a skirmish. Currently Hedorah is no match for Godzilla so it beats a hasty retreat back into the sea. Parts of the monster are flung away from the main body of creature and what doesn’t splatter about slinks back into the sea and rejoins to make Hedorah whole again.

When next it appears Hedorah has gained the ability to fly under its own nuclear power. The monster releases an exhaust of toxic gas that first kills and then eats away people’s skin and internal organs. What’s left is skeletal remains in a puddle of people stew. Masses of people are killed whenever it flies overhead. Even Godzilla is affected by Hedorah’s vial spewing.

People are dying in droves and unless mankind can come up with something that will kill Hedorah or unless Godzilla can come to the rescue, mankind is doomed. Since everyone believes that life as we know it will soon end, everybody gets together at Mt. Fuji to throw one last party. While everyone is dancing away their last hours, Hedorah and Godzilla decide to also use Mt Fuji as their line in the sand. One last battle, winner take all.

“Godzilla vs Hedorah” AKA “Godzilla vs the Smog Monster” was released in 1971 and was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno. It was released in 1972 in America. It is the eleventh film in the Godzilla franchise and the Showa era. Over the decades, fans have kept wondering what the strange orbs that Godzilla rips out of Hedorah's dried-out body actually are. Most think that they are either eggs or his eyes, and there's a common joke that they are his testicles. There are factions that believe Hedorah is female which would make her the second female Kaiju. If that’s true then she would not have testicles but eggs.

This is the only movie where Godzilla can fly. To produce flight Godzilla uses his atomic breath as jet propulsion.

This is not my favorite Godzilla movie. He’s not exactly the most impressive Godzilla and as far as sludge monsters go, Hedorah is nothing special either. Not bad for the most part. I wasn’t crazy about the flying Hedorah. Otherwise he kinda looked like a melting fly, which I guess is appropriate since flies like garbage. The psychedelic music and dancing is not my thing either. Granted, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to Godzilla, but I can understand those that loved it. It’s very different from the usual Godzilla fare and that’s why a lot of people are attracted to it. Godzilla is also a good guy in this film so it’s a little more child oriented and a lot lighter than other Godzilla movies. Let’s just say that “Godzilla vs Hedorah” is a wild child of the 70’s. If you look at it with that in mind you will probably get a kick out of it.

The monster was named for Hedoro, the Japanese word for sludge, slime, vomit or chemical ooze.

English dubbed

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