While I freely admit that this film is horrible, I must say that I really like it nonetheless. Maybe it is so bad that it is good, or maybe I'm just crazy. The premise sounds pretty good in theory: use Minya, the son of Godzilla, to help show a young boy how to stand up for himself against the local bully; throw in some Godzilla battle scenes, and then drop in a couple of bank robber/kidnappers to boot. Wonderful. In execution, of course, the film is laughable and downright weird. Ishiro is basically a latch-key kid with a wild imagination. He wants nothing more than to journey to Monster Island to meet Godzilla's son Minya. In his dreams, he does make the journey and becomes friends with Minya (who sounds too much like Barney for my liking). Minya, like Ishiro, is being harassed by a large bully. Poor Godzilla is trying to teach his son to stand up for himself and fight. Unfortunately, Minya can do little more than blow smoke rings at his foes. With Godzilla's help, he eventually does fight back, and Ishiro takes courage from Minya's success. Back in the real world where he has been kidnapped by bank robbers, Ishiro manages to escape. At this point, you basically have a Japanses Home Alone sequence with the two bad guys being constantly outwitted by the little kid in short pants. In the end, Ishiro is more than ready to stand up to the neighborhood bully.
We do see a few Godzilla action sequences, but unfortunately they are made up of stock footage of some of his most boring fights. My favorite scenes involve Godzilla and his son. It's just comical to watch Godzilla try to show his inept, clumsy son how to fight. The only way he can get Minya to unleash a serious breath ray is by stepping on his tail--it's hilarious. I also must comment on Minya's ridiculous costume--it has to be the worst costume in the history of movie-making. He looks about as much like Godzilla as I do; I can only assume that he is adopted. And the music--someone must have wanted to start a Godzilla dance craze with this weird, campy, funked-up music. When you put everything together, the movie is just so different, so weird, and so ludicrously funny that it becomes almost a treat to watch it. This is Godzilla as you've never seen him before (and for good reason). If you go in expecting to see Godzilla wreak havoc all over Japan, you will be disappointed. Know what you're getting into before you start this movie, give it a chance, and I think you will find yourself oddly amused and entertained (although you may not want to admit it).
