Mothra
Seen it?1961 | 101 min | Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (80% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans and adventure fans. If you loved War of the Worlds or Kong: Skull Island, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 41 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1961: an older pace and style.
Shipwreck survivors found on the presumably uninhabited Infant Island leads to a scientific expedition that discovers a surviving native population along with the Shobijin, tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity called Mothra. After the fairies are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman named Clark Nelson, Mothra sets out to rescue them.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
80% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$2 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 50K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Ishirō Honda
- Frankie SakaiSenichiro 'Sen-chan' Fukuda
- Hiroshi KoizumiDr. Shin'ichi Chûjô
- Kyōko KagawaMichi Hanamura
- Jerry ItōClark Nelson
- Ken UeharaDr. Harada
- Emi ItoShobijin (Twin Fairy)
- Yumi ItoShobijin (Twin Fairy)
- Takashi ShimuraNews Editor
- Akihiro TayamaShinji Chûjô
- Akihiko HirataDoctor