Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Director: Kazuki Ohmori

Written by: Kazuki Ohmori

After the poor box office performance of the last film, it was decided to reintroduce one of Godzilla’s greatest foes and introduce a ‘time-travel’ element to emulate popular movies at the time.

In the far future, a scientific research team discovers the body of King Ghidorah, whom legend says lost a head in a fatal battle with Godzilla 200 years previously.

Back in the modern age, Godzilla slumbers off the Japanese coast still weakened from the radiation-devouring enzyme he was subjected to during his battle with Biollante. Military forces are on edge waiting for his awakening but a new threat appears in the form of a mysterious flying saucer.

We learn that this alien craft is not from outer space, but rather the future, and its occupants have come bearing a dire warning, Godzilla will imminently destroy Japan. The Fururian’s solution, is to travel further back in time to 1944 where they believe a pre-mutated Godzilla saved a besieged group of Japanese soldiers before its nuclear rebirth into the creature we know and love today.

Along with a struggling writer (whose future works would show Godzilla’s true origins) and re-occurring psychic ‘Miki’ they return to a pre-nuclear age and encounter Japan’s first encounter with ‘Godzillasaurus’ after it rescues them from American attackers. While there one of the Futurians releases three small bat-like creatures.

With Godzillasaurus teleported safely to the bottom of the ocean the team return to the present day to find Godzilla no more, however, the three batlike creatures, upon exposure to nuclear fallout have merged into the horrific monster, King Ghidorah, which now attacks Japan under order from the deceptive Futurians. The only hope seems to be locating the original Godzillasaurus and exposing it to a nuclear detonation in the hope it will be reborn as Godzilla.

With a cracking plot and heavily inspired by ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘The Terminator’ this has something for everybody. There’s a twist around every corner as the Futurians enact their sinister gambit and humanity reforges a newer, larger, and meaner Godzilla than we’ve ever seen before.

Remaining largely unchanged from the previous film the suit received enhancements including a bulkier, more muscular physique, a fiercer, more menacing visage, and an expanded chest region. This suit is alternatively known as the GhidoGoji.

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