1961's "Mothra" was Toho's first kaiju eiga of the decade and first since the drab black and white "VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE" in 1958, wreaking havoc in much the same way as her predecessors, but different from Godzilla or Rodan in that she is a god to her island dwelling people, remaining dormant so long as there is peace; unfortunately, one unscrupulous businessman journeys to this isolated paradise, the site of nuclear testing, for the purpose of capturing an incredible find, twin fairies standing 12 inches tall, intent on earning a fortune by exploiting their unique singing ability. What he soon learns is that not only are the girls tiny priestesses of their humble god, their song is actually a telepathic prayer that summons Mothra to their rescue. The human drama effortlessly carries the film, scientists joined by a dogged reporter in exploring the forbidden island, our first glimpse of the colossal egg at 21 minutes, hatching into a giant caterpillar at 43 minutes, moving inexorably toward Tokyo and certain destruction left in its wake. The military think they've scored a victory over Mothra but it's just temporary, as the creature spins a cocoon from which it emerges as the prettiest darn moth you're likely to see (the bombardment of heat rays merely speeding up the process), its wingspan producing high velocity damage similar to Rodan. 'Rolisica' is a stand in for the US, the climax in 'New Kirk City' set in motion by a quasi religious ceremony with the Mothra symbol laid out on an airfield, the fairies safely on their way back to the island (Mothra later appears in "Godzilla vs. the Thing," "Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster," "Godzilla vs. THE Sea Monster," and "Destroy All Monsters"). Real life twins Yumi and Emi Ito were cast as the tiny princesses, an actual singing duo known internationally as The Peanuts, their career lasting into the 1970s. It was simply a matter of time before director Ishiro Honda would alter the established formula by coming up with a monster as the hero, and Mothra is hands down the second most popular kaiju in Toho history, more personality than Rodan or Varan, and it must be stated that the scenes of destruction are as vast and comprehensive as Eiji Tsuburaya could make them (some even shot for nighttime), including one amazing aerial shot of the caterpillar making its way across land.
Review of Mothra
