Three Heads, Two Tails, Four Names

Astro-Monster is really King Ghidorah with a different name. Actually, in this 1965 sci-fi classi movie, he’s referred to by four different names: Monster Zero, Astro-Monster, Ghidrah and the aforementioned King Ghidorah. I bet this gets really confusing to the cops that pull him over for speeding.

Planet X, parked right behind Jupiter in the Scorpion Galaxy (yes, that’s a real galaxy), is sending out a distress signal. So an American and Japanese astronaut fly there to check it out. A little more than a commuter flight, the lunar dudes land on the barren planet, only to be greeted by Xians, inhabitants that have to live five miles underground because of you-know-who zapping them in the meteor hole.

These Xians wear silver space suits and New Wave sunglasses and offer Earth a miracle drug that will cure any disease (not Budweiser™, but close) in exchange for their help in getting rid of you-know-who. (It’s not determined if the miracle drug can eliminate hangovers. If it did, I’d be on the next rocket headed to the very REAL Scorpion Galaxy.)

The Xians need to borrow Godzilla and that pecker head Rodan, the only two things that could possibly defeat the lightning-spewing beast. So they come to Earth in flying saucers (even referred to by the Xians as flying saucers) and using technology, transport the city-wreckers back to Planet X in space bubbles, where an epic point-counterpoint with King Ghidorah ensues.

Back on Earth, the astronauts find out they’ve been hoaxed by the Xians who want to control our world. Those stinkin’ butt-heads. They have Godzilla and Rodan under control and bring King Ghidorah to our previously happy planet to smash it, the irony being that we were doing it fine on our own.

Urban mega damage and battle destructo-ness transpires. Despite Godzilla doing a premature one-legged victory hop dance (an entirely embarrassing moment, even if he was drunk with power), Invasion of Astro-Monster is good time giant monster fun. And really, isn’t that why we’re all here?