Two years after the rather underwhelming but financially successful King Kong versus Godzilla, Toho Studios continued its most important franchise with fourth entry Mothra versus Godzilla. This movie is one of the highlights in the franchise and its best movie of the sixties along with Invasion of Astro Monster. The story has many interesting facets such as greed, perseverance, renaissance, sacrifice and spirituality.

After a terrible typhoon, a strict news reporter and his creative photographer find a mysterious object in the debris. A gigantic egg is also discovered next to a village and quickly bought by a greedy entrepreneur and the backstabbing businessman behind him. Two tiny twin girls from Infant Island reveal that the egg belongs to gigantic moth Mothra and that the dying gigantic monster will be reborn as a larva once the egg hatches. The entrepreneur and businessman ignore the twin girls' warning and the complaints of local fishermen but soon get into an argument regarding promotion and wealth. Meanwhile, the reporter and photographer contact a professor and they discover that the mysterious object is a radioactive scale. When they investigate the place where they found the debris again, they are immediately stopped by a selfish politician who wants to avoid negative articles. However, the ground suddenly starts to shake as Godzilla rises from the underground as it becomes obvious that the radioactive scale belonged to him. The king of monsters goes on a rampage and attacks the city of Nagoya. The military isn't able to stop the monster this time around. The reporter, photographer and professor ask the tribe from Infant Island to send Mothra as her egg is also likely to get destroyed by Godzilla. The tribe is initially hesitant to agree but the twin girls convince them and decide to summon Mothra to fight Godzilla.

This highlight in the franchise convinces on multiple levels. The film criticizes egoism, greed and ignorance by spreading powerful, relevant and even timeless messages.

The story is quite diversified with its many twists and turns. The story about the greedy businessmen is as captivating as the reporter's, photographer's and professor's quest for truth and the dramatic battle between the two titular gigantic monsters.

The settings are particularly exotic this time around. Especially the scenes filmed on Infant Island are splendid to watch. The rituals to summon Mothra are certainly highlights as well.

The special effects have greatly improved since the previous installment. The opening scene with the terrible typhoon is already quite impressive. The gigantic egg is stunning to watch. Aged moth Mothra, a resilient Godzilla and the larva that hatches from the egg are beautiful as well. Even the fight choreographies between the monsters are of a rare intensity.

Mothra versus Godzilla might not reinvent the kaiju movie genre but it's an impressive return to form for the franchise after nine years. This movie sets the bar for all upcoming Showa Era Godzilla movies. Fans of the franchise will find everything they like about it here such as sympathetic characters, moral lessons and impressive monsters.

After a dormancy of more than seven years, the Godzilla franchise was revived and to kick things off on a spectacular note, the giant lizard confronts a legend of Hollywood cinema with giant monkey King Kong. The movie was commercially successful and remains one of the most profitable films in the franchise. Without this film, many other movies that followed would have never seen the light of day. Nevertheless, King Kong versus Godzilla is one of the franchise's worst movies and the terribly edited American version is particularly bad.

There are several elements to be criticized here. Godzilla almost only has a side role since the movie largely focuses on King Kong.

The story of the monkey retrieved from an isolated island by a greedy businessman is an almost exact copy of the original King Kong movie and lacks imagination.

The characters in this movie remain superficial and the fact that many actresses and actors overact in a way that recalls the slapstick comedy genre certainly doesn't help.

The edited and inserted scenes in the American version harm the pace of the original movie and leave out several key scenes. The monologues and communications between the additional American actors are bland and boring. They don't add anything to the story. Changing a movie and adding American characters to the plot would rightfully be considered disrespectful and even racist by today's standards. Things were different back then but cinephiles around the globe can consider themselves lucky that things have changed.

Even the monsters in this movie are far from convincing. King Kong looks mildly amusing with his chaotic fur and is seen hammering his fists against his chest in half of his scenes. Godzilla certainly doesn't look as scary as in the first two movies and has clearly taken a more accessible look to appeal to larger audiences.

Still, King Kong versus Godzilla has a few redeeming qualities after all. The scene when Godzilla awakes from an iceberg after a submarine collided with it is truly tense and impressive.

The scenes on Faro Island add an exotic touch to the movie and something new to the franchise overall.

The scenes when King Kong kidnaps a woman and climbs a building with her are obviously copied from the original Hollywood movie but they are nevertheless entertaining and impressive to watch.

The ways the military attempts to stop the monsters are quite diversified and portray the helplessness of mankind quite drastically.

The final fighting scenes between King Kong and Godzilla are certainly very entertaining. This movie might have multiple flaws but it isn't boring and doesn't overstay its welcome.

To conclude, King Kong versus Godzilla is one of the weakest entries into the franchise. The movie is basically a Japanese reinterpretation of the Hollywood movie of the gigantic monkey with a few secondary scenes involving their very own national treasure. Still, the movie is nicely crafted for its time and certainly entertainment that appeals to the whole family. Nowadays, this movie is only recommended to avid fans of both the Godzilla and King Kong franchises. Occasional fans of kaiju films can skip this overall average release without any regrets.

After the unexpected success of Godzilla, Toho Studios wanted to produce and release a quick sequel to cash in on the groundbreaking predecessor's excellent reputation. Director Honda Ishiro wasn't available, so Oda Motoyoshi was hired. Despite the limited time and the directorial change, Godzilla Raids Again is much better than its reputation and actually one of the series' greatest movies in its original Japanese version.

Godzilla looks more flexible in this movie than in the predecessor which amplifies the film's astonishing action scenes. In addition to this, a new monster in form of an ankylosaurus named Anguirus makes its appearance and battles Godzilla on two separate occasions. Their second battle in the port of Osaka is one of the series' most spectacular fighting scenes.

The characters in this movie are unique, sympathetic and profound. Tsukioka Shoichi is a dynamic, helpful and quick-witted pilot working for a tuna cannery company who saves his brave, creative and funny colleague Kobayashi Koji after his engine malfunctioned and he stranded on an isolated island inhabitated by Anguirus and Godzilla. Numerous buildings of their company get destroyed when the giant monsters destroy parts of Osaka later on. The two men are heartbroken when they get transferred to the company plant in Sapporo. Just as Tsukioka Shoichi is joined by his charming girlfriend and Kobayashi Koji develops a serious love interest as well, tragedy strikes again as Godzilla destroys one of the company's fishing boats. The two skilled pilots support the military in locating Godzilla and are thus heroically risking their lives.

Beside the main plot, Godzilla Raids Again features numerous excellent little ideas. Charismatic Doctor Yamane Kyohei from the first movie makes a short appearance explaining the origins of the monsters and adding a scientific dimension to the movie. There is a breathtaking scene when a groupe of criminals try to escape from a prison truck as Anguirus and Godzilla fight at the port. The chasing sequences are wonderfully shot and even add a tragic dimension to the story. The military is quite inventive regarding strategies to fight the monsters by enforcing a blackout, using flares to lure the monsters away and provoking an avalanche to bury Godzilla.

In just a few months' time, Oda Motoyoshi managed a seemingly impossible task by directing a sequel that lives up to its legendary predecessor. The only reason why this movie is just slightly less impressive than the original film is because it's missing the first film's gloomily philosophical depth. Still, Godzilla Raids Again is an overlooked masterpiece with action, creativity and depth all at once. It deserves more attention and credit than it has gotten and is one of the series' greatest highlights that has stood the test of time.

The Divine Fury is a South-Korean fantasy drama with horror elements that seems to be the starting point for a growing franchise. This film focuses on mixed martial arts fighter Yong-hoo who has lost his father as a child. Since that moment, he has lost his faith and lives in isolation. Yong-hoo starts hearing voices that try to have a negative impact on him and is having terrible nightmares but continues to ignore those signals. One day however, he dreams of getting hurt in a nightmare and awakes with a mysterious wound in the palm of his hand. Since regular doctors are unable to find a cause or cure for that phenomenon, Yong-hoo consults a shaman his chauffeur recommends him. She tells him that he is haunted by demons but that the ring that belonged to his father is protecting him. The shaman recommends him to contact a priest working for the Vatican who has come to Seoul to fight a Dark Bishop who is committing crimes in the name of the Devil. Upon meeting priest Ahn, mixed martial arts fighter Yong-hoo realizes that his mysterious wound has the power to exorcise demons. The two men become partners in order to track down and defeat the Dark Bishop together.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. The story has great pace and is refreshingly straight despite a few creative twists and turns here and there. The sinister settings in Seoul look gorgeous and especially the discotheque that serves as a hideout for the Dark Bishop is absolutely stunning to watch. The characters in the movie have depth and are rather unusual for a fantasy movie. The martial arts fighter is surprisingly calm, careful and sensitive while the priest is a mild-mannered veteran. The movie avoids any heroic tropes similar Hollywood flicks tend to offer. The film is equally a drama and an action movie. The characters are fleshed out and face inner and outher struggles but they are also involved in intense fighting scenes with demons and the Dark Bishop. The horror elements are rather mild in this film which can even be recommended to teenagers who usually prefer superhero movies.

There aren't any significant negative elements to mention. The story isn't particularly creative and somewhat predictable at times. The introduction might slightly overstay its welcome. It remains to be seen whether the idea to develop a franchise out of this movie is going to be a successful strategy or going to water down the quality of the upcoming releases.

As it is now, The Divine Fury is an entertaing fantasy movie that combines energetic action, profound drama and mild horror elements. Fans of the aforementioned genres as well as of Hollywood's superhero movies will discover a fresh take on the idea of two lonesome protagonists fighting off evil spirits and maleficient criminals. The Divine Fury certainly is one of the most convincing and recommendable contemporary fantasy movies.

Election is a complex Hong Kong gangster drama that convinces with its realistic vibe. The movie details the rivalry between the calm, diplomatic and mild-mannered Lok and the excitable, hot-tempered and self-centered Big D. Once Lok has been elected as the new leader of a triad by the elders, Big D refuses to accept the decision and is about to declare war by founding a new group. However, the candidates get arrested just in time by the police as authorities want to prevent a turf war. While negotiations between all parties involved continue in prison, their respective associates get in conflict with one another in the streets.

This movie convinces with a quite realistic plot that feels like a documentary at times. Especially the opening third explains how elections work in the triads and also details further administrative, cultural and historical elements. The second third focuses on the intense rivalry between the two candidates. The discussions and negotiations in prison are gripping while the car chases and fight sequences on the streets provide some welcome action scenes. The final third takes a more dramatic and almost philosophical turn as it shows how the two rivals coexist after their release from prison. The movie ends with a surprising twist that foreshadows this film's sequel.

There are only two negative elements to point out. The opening third introduces the viewer to numerous characters. The first twenty minutes feel overloaded. It's tough to figure out who is bribing, influencing and menacing who. A longer and smoother introduction would have made the movie more accessible overall. Another slightly negative element is that the film heavily focuses on dialogues. While most of them are witty and relevant, it can be quite exhausting and repetitive to digest them in the first and second thirds. Be aware that this is a drama in the first place and only an action film in the second position.

Despite two notable flaws, Election is a gangster drama that convinces with great action sequences, fascinating characters, cultural depth, strong dialogues and realistic plot. The movie was made in the tradition of Hong Kong gangster movies in the late eighties and early nineties. If this genre is your cup of tea, you will adore this movie. Those who are looking for a more contemporary take on the genre with impressive special effects should abstain.