Godzilla Vs. Mothra (Vs. the Thing in the States) is one of the best of the giant reptile’s films. In many ways, it’s classic Godzilla: and not the later friend-of-children monster, but the original, savage, destructive beast he was conceived to be.

A giant egg is found and is immediately purchased by an unscrupulous entrepreneur, who wishes to exploit it. But the egg is that of a Mothra (who first appeared in another Toho film by that name three years previous), a giant mystical moth-monster that is worshipped as a god by a weird bunch of primitive islanders. Two tiny fairies come to plead for the egg to be returned, but are rebuffed. When Godzilla surfaces and begins attacking Japan, our heroes go to the island to persuade the fairies to enlist the help of their current Mothra, who is aging and about to die. This Mothra attacks Godzilla but is defeated; then the egg hatches, revealing twin Mothra larvae, who together with the wounded mom defeat Godzilla and head for home.

This film falls smack in the middle of Godzilla’s own little Golden Age, the mid-1960s when the movies were still fun, full of great ideas, and not yet become parodies of themselves. The one immediately preceding it was King Kong Vs. Godzilla, a classic; following it would be Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, which would introduce the premier monster-villain of the series. It stands up with the best of this era, including Destroy All Monsters, in its classic and fun elements.

One reason for the quality is that the original creators were still doing their best work. Ishiro Honda had returned as director; Eiji Tsuburaya, the godfather of Japanese film effects, was here doing what he did best. And Akira Ifukube provided another of his memorable scores. Even the actors sported some familiar (to Japanese cult film fans) faces: Akira Takarada, the handsome-yet-unthreatening male lead; Yoshifumi Tajima as the greedy yet comical slickster; the lovely Yuriko Hoshi; and who can forget that tiny pair of twins, the Peanuts (Emi and Yumi Ito)?

The effects work was good – not perfect, but in most sequences the miniatures and other effects looked good but were not intrusive (though I confess I like miniatures that look like miniatures). The Godzilla-suit worn in this film – there were several similar designs over the years – is considered by hardcore G-fans to be one of the best, if not the best. The plot moved forward briskly, without undue all-talk scenes or extraneous exposition. And both (er, all four) monsters’ entrances were dramatic and enjoyable.

Godzilla movies aren’t for everyone, obviously. But this might be a good introduction to this beloved series. And for the rest of us who are already hooked, this is one of the movies we can watch again and again with pleasure.