Review of Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) by Danny O — 26 Apr 2018

Weird and dark, with a sizable body count, I think this is one of the best since the original.

I was quite surprised to read that so many people disliked Godzilla VS Hedorah. Except for the last 10 minutes or so, it's one of the darker and more serious Godzilla entries.

Yes, it's a weird film, with odd directorial choices throughout, but I actually thought those choices made it a lot more interesting than many of its by-the-numbers predecessors.

And thematically it has a huge amount in common with the original 1954 film - swapping the devastation of the atomic bomb for the devastation caused by pollution.

Where I think the film falls down is at the end. It introduces a silly element or two, and the finale is overlong and repetitive. But these decisions aren't so destructive as to ruin the film, they just hurt it a bit.