Throwback Godzilla: Godzilla vs. Mothra
The newest addition to the Godzilla franchise must have had a lot of people talking, either in anticipation or with skeptism. While the line-up does look promising, all that hype has actually made me reminisce about the older Godzilla movies. Sure, I wouldn't mind catching the latest, but I suppose that experience couldn't top whatever fond memories that I have of the predecessors. More importantly, there were other iconic monsters involved. Yes, it's a lot more wicked and fun when Godzilla could battle against other menacing (or heroic) creatures which had become legends in their unique ways on screen.
I wish to kickstart those memories with my all-time favourite kaiju (monster) - Mothra. Mothra quickly stood out among the various hotshots with its appearance and traits. One might not easily associate Mothra with the 'saving the world' sort of heroism and such at first glance, yet her (yes, Mothra has been popularly regarded as female) strikingly colourful display commands considerable attention. I don't think that we could ever discover another monster that has so much beauty and grace in a whole. Anyway, underneath Mothra's gentle exterior is an eternal pact to protect and love, which draws out her eventual aggressive and heroic side throughout the franchise.
I've only been able to watch a poorly dubbed version of 'Godzilla vs. Mothra' on local television many years back. Nonetheless, that was somewhat enough to leave a favourable impression on me through the years. It did help that there was an enormous tamago which was just as colourful right in the middle of an island. Then, there were the fairies otherwise known as Cosmos, who acted as the primary correspondents with Mothra mostly in the form of a beautiful song. I didn't realise that the song was actually written in Indonesian (back then, I thought that it was probably some fancy language used to communicate with Mothra and her civilisation) until many years later when I had the opportunity to listen to it again. The song is called 'Mosura no Uta' (Mothra's Song).
While the presence of a giant moth (before that was a giant caterpillar) battling Godzilla for as long as it lasted might seem like a weakling, somehow there would always be an anticipation that something massive (or surprising) is awaiting to happen. In this case, the twist was executed in the form of three monsters fighting against one another. Yes, you saw that right. Despite the movie title being 'Godzilla vs. Mothra', there was a third monster joining in the fun - Battra. I didn't realise that Battra was officially classified as a moth. I mean, in my memory he (yes, Battra is male) looked more like a horribly mutated dinosaur-like (?) creature who would later grow a pair of wings. Unfortunately (?), I simply can't bring myself to acknowledge that Battra is indeed a moth. Anyway, moving on to the climatic battle among the itchy...I mean, eager monsters.
Battra served as a surprise distraction in between Godzilla and Mothra. Battra and Mothra had old scores to settle, yet the ultimate foe wasn't either of them but Godzilla. According to the Cosmos, Battra wasn't all bad at the beginning; he was merely consumed by the power that had been granted to him. Mothra became the counter force to put the balance back into Earth. However, the damage done to the surroundings had been catastrophic. Many years later, Godzilla would awaken due to a falling meteorite, and both Battra and Mothra had a much greater problem apart from each other. The battle sequences were intense, dynamic and colourful (thanks to the fluttering of giant wings).
That said, however, my most favourite moment in the movie is when Mothra (in the larva stage) spun a huge cocoon against the Diet building preparing herself for the adult transformation. That scene actually made me 'forgive' Mothra for the massive collateral damage done in an attempt to search for the Cosmos. The moment when Mothra broke free from the cocoon, finally emerging as a fully grown moth, melted my heart. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
I can't quite explain the effect Mothra has on me. If you showed me an ordinary house moth or butterfly, I would probably yell...and do nothing. But if Mothra was around, I would want to fly off with her on a whirlwind trip. Mothra is simply therapeutic in her own ways.
Eccentrically Yours.
Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪
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