"Mightiest monster in all creation! Ravishing a universe for love!"	Year of Release: 1961 Directed by: Ishiro Honda Running Time: Approx. 91 minutes Rating: Not Rated Listing on the A.K.A. Page: YES! Click Here! A Second Opinion: Popcorn Pictures Review Buy it on DVD at: Amazon.com or Movies Unlimited.com. My Rating:

Chu Cho- Scientist who goes on the first expedition. He is saved from a "vampire plant" by the two tiny Ailenas. After Nelson kidnaps the Ailenas, Chu Cho and his friends try to save the them before Mothra destroys Tokyo! (He also hates getting his picture taken.)

Sin Chon- Wasn't too sure of his name. Reporter who's nick named the Bulldog (once he has a good story, he never lets go...GRRRR!) He helps Chu Cho to return the Ailenas to Pharoah Island.

Shinji- Tubby little kid who tries to free the Ailenas. Ends up getting knocked out, tied up, and buried under a pile of folding chairs.

Nelson- Greedy entrepeneur who kidnaps the Ailenas from their island. A huge manhunt is conducted to arrest him and release the girls after Mothra visits Tokyo. Shot to death by the Orlisikan police.

The Ailenas- (a.k.a. The Shobijin, a.k.a. the Cosmos) Two extremely tiny twins from Pharoah Island in the Pacific. They have a psychic link with Mothra, which acts like a homing beacon! They are eventually rescued from Nelson's clutches and returned to their island.

Mothra- The giant silk worm deity of Pharoah Island. It swims to the Japanese mainland and destroys Tokyo. After building a cacoon on Tokyo Tower, the creature is believed to have been incinerated by the Orlisikan Atomic Heat Ray! Mothra then bursts from her cacoon in moth form and flies to the Ailenas' rescue!

Have you ever wondered what a classic Toho film would be like without being polluted by American Film Editors and Distributors? Then "Mothra" is your movie! Clearly this is one of the best Kaiju flicks ever made, during a time where monsters earned more respect, regardless if they were a rubbery radioactive lizard, or a giant silk worm god! The film begins with a Japanese boat getting caught in a hurricane. The sailors abandon ship, but only a handful of them make it to the nearby, Pharoah Island. They are discovered by a rescue party and brought home. Upon arrival, everyone is shocked that they suffered no ill effects from the high radiation levels in the area. The sailors reply that the island's natives gave them some juice that MUST have protected them from the radiation.
In response to this, an expedition is sent to Pharoah Island, funded by Nelson. On the island, Chu Cho is attacked by a carnivorous "vampire plant," but is saved by the cries of two tiny women. After he recovers, the expedition goes back to the island to find the two tiny twins (how's that for alliteration?). The girls are found, and then captured by Nelson. He refuses to put the girls down, until the expedition is surrounded by natives. Nelson releases the girls, and the next day, the expedition arrives back at home. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Nelson goes back to Pharoah Island and kidnaps the tiny Ailenas. The natives surround Nelson and his men, only to be gunned down! They weren't even armed!
Well Nelson returns to Japan and exploits the hell out of the Ailenas. Back on Pharoah Island, Mothra hatches from an egg and makes it's way towards Japan. The Japanese military uses everything it has to stop the mammoth moth larvae from reaching Tokyo. Chu Cho and Sin Chon sneak by Nelson's guards and talk to the Ailenas one evening, only to discover that Mothra is on it's way. They go to a scientist who creates a special box for Nelson that will block the psychic waves being emitted from the Ailenas. The plan works but Mothra soon arrives in Tokyo, destroying everything in it's path. It crawls all the way to Tokyo Tower and builds a cacoon. Meanwhile, the Orlisikan government and the rest of the world have an A.P.B. out on Nelson. He makes it to Orlisika and hides out for a while.
He tries to leave but is discovered in public. As he tries to run away (after gunning down an Orlisikan police officer), Nelson is shot to death. As the girls are recovered, Mothra hatches from her scorched cacoon. Apparently the Orlisikan atomic heat rays didn't work on it! ::GASP!:: Well Mothra flies around aimlessly, searching for the Ailenas, and blowing entire model cities apart! With the girls back in his possession, Chu Cho devises a plan, in which a huge landing pad is constructed for Mothra. The plan works, the Ailenas happily return home, and Mothra's rampage is finally halted.

Chu Cho: "...orders of the Orlisikan government."
Nelson: "No, not exactly. Their my orders."
Chu Cho: "Then I'll ignore them!"

Reporter: "The cacoon has been reduced to a huge smoldering cinder. This has been a real victory for the 'atomic heat ray!'"