This movie was the first of three solo Mothra adventures following the Heisei Godzilla series. This movie was pretty good. It has some great points to it: fast pace, great looking monsters, great optical effects, lots of monster fights, as well as a cute looking actress as Lora. However, I thought the movie was too kid-oriented and that the final battle was too short. The monster battles lacked the ferocity of Godzilla battles and Mothra's powers seemed overkill. However, it is a fun movie for fans of the genre.
35 Reviews
Not bad, just geared a bit towards kids.
FilmExpertWannabe24 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
After ending the Godzilla series with the Heisei series, Toho wanted to maintain a higher grossing monster movie. The one that drew in females in what's admittedly a pretty male-centric genre was Mothra. Mothra is definitely known for her numerous roles as a hero of sorts in Godzilla films ever since her first role in a Godzilla movie (Godzilla vs Mothra, 1964). But actually, Mothra had her own movie before all of this, like some other monsters best known for their role in Godzilla movies (Rodan comes to mind). Her 1961 movie is something to check out, but getting that history out of the way brings us back to 1996's Rebirth of Mothra. Unlike the Heisei series of Godzilla movies, Toho decided to cater more towards kids with the Mothra series.
Mothra received a huge intake of power with her Heisei Godzilla redesign, and that continued even more so with this RoM series. Boy, even the larvae can beam spam! Mothra looks okay, but a bit fuzzy in moth form. Her offspring, named Mothra Leo, looks pretty good and doesn't fall apart like the larvae of the Showa series. This is also the first time we have a distinctly male Mothra, Leo. In moth form, Leo looks notably different from the female Mothra. Mothra also has blue circular eyes, whereas Leo has more angled green eyes and other design tweaks. I like that. How about the villain monster in this movie, Desghidorah? He's an interesting take on the Ghidorah family, relying on four legs and with an almost elephant-like roar. He sure makes you hope for his death the way he heartlessly attacks Mothra and Leo in larvae stage. Kinda graphic actually if the kids are too young. Overall the monsters are a plus and the action is pretty good. The drawback is that the final battle between Leo in moth form and Desghidorah is just way too easy. Desghidorah overpowers the aging Mothra in the beginning, but then Leo just comes in and gives him a good one-two. Easy peasy. Except it was annoyingly easy. Maybe this has something to do with the kid-centric theme.
Moving on, what else does the film bring? Well, the RoM series has one distinctly annoying trait for me, at least with the region one release: the women just scream and scream and SCREAM. It gets old. The pacing is a bit iffy here too and a number of scenes could've been cut entirely or trimmed.
What we have here is a decent movie, and you might certainly be emotional when you see the larvae desperately trying to keep its dying/dead mother alive. It's probably worth more than a 6/10 for younger people, but if you're a much beyond perhaps a teenager you may not enjoy as much. Its sequel, Rebirth of Mothra II, is arguably even more child-themed, so it doesn't get better here on out in that sense. But for all this kid theme talk, I still like the movie and have a copy on DVD.
Mothra received a huge intake of power with her Heisei Godzilla redesign, and that continued even more so with this RoM series. Boy, even the larvae can beam spam! Mothra looks okay, but a bit fuzzy in moth form. Her offspring, named Mothra Leo, looks pretty good and doesn't fall apart like the larvae of the Showa series. This is also the first time we have a distinctly male Mothra, Leo. In moth form, Leo looks notably different from the female Mothra. Mothra also has blue circular eyes, whereas Leo has more angled green eyes and other design tweaks. I like that. How about the villain monster in this movie, Desghidorah? He's an interesting take on the Ghidorah family, relying on four legs and with an almost elephant-like roar. He sure makes you hope for his death the way he heartlessly attacks Mothra and Leo in larvae stage. Kinda graphic actually if the kids are too young. Overall the monsters are a plus and the action is pretty good. The drawback is that the final battle between Leo in moth form and Desghidorah is just way too easy. Desghidorah overpowers the aging Mothra in the beginning, but then Leo just comes in and gives him a good one-two. Easy peasy. Except it was annoyingly easy. Maybe this has something to do with the kid-centric theme.
Moving on, what else does the film bring? Well, the RoM series has one distinctly annoying trait for me, at least with the region one release: the women just scream and scream and SCREAM. It gets old. The pacing is a bit iffy here too and a number of scenes could've been cut entirely or trimmed.
What we have here is a decent movie, and you might certainly be emotional when you see the larvae desperately trying to keep its dying/dead mother alive. It's probably worth more than a 6/10 for younger people, but if you're a much beyond perhaps a teenager you may not enjoy as much. Its sequel, Rebirth of Mothra II, is arguably even more child-themed, so it doesn't get better here on out in that sense. But for all this kid theme talk, I still like the movie and have a copy on DVD.
Kaiju for the kids
Mike Astill30 September 2010
When a logging company uncovers an ancient artifact in the mountains of Hokkaido, the Company's boss Mr. Goto finds a mysterious talisman. He prises it free from its resting place, thinking it would be a nice present for his daughter. Unfortunately he's unsealed the resting place of Desghidorah, a three headed, fire breathing beastie that's soon freed to run wild and destroy the local scenery, sucking Earth's precious energy.
Only a giant plush moth can save the day! A tired old Mothra - tending a lovely big egg - is reluctantly summoned (in a slightly more J-pop than usual fashion) by her tiny priestesses Moll and Lora. These cuties are from a race called the Elias, and they spend much of the movie astride a mini-Mothra called Fairy, battling their nemesis Belvera, who gets to fly a mini dragon thing and cackle a lot.
First in a trilogy of Mothra films for the nineties, while Godzilla was taking a well earned break. Clearly aimed at kids more than the average kaiju fan, this is still great fun, and while no cities get totalled in this offering, the countryside looks nice and there are some cool fight scenes between Death Ghidorah and Mothra.
There's a 'save the planet' theme going on that gets rammed down your throat a bit before the movie ends, but the more obvious beef many western fans are going to have with this flick is the lack of a Japanese language option on seemingly the only version available. Why do they do this? Yes, the film's been tarted up nicely, and the dubbing is lip-synched and not overly annoying, but some people will always prefer the original language and there seems to be little reason why it shouldn't be included.
Only a giant plush moth can save the day! A tired old Mothra - tending a lovely big egg - is reluctantly summoned (in a slightly more J-pop than usual fashion) by her tiny priestesses Moll and Lora. These cuties are from a race called the Elias, and they spend much of the movie astride a mini-Mothra called Fairy, battling their nemesis Belvera, who gets to fly a mini dragon thing and cackle a lot.
First in a trilogy of Mothra films for the nineties, while Godzilla was taking a well earned break. Clearly aimed at kids more than the average kaiju fan, this is still great fun, and while no cities get totalled in this offering, the countryside looks nice and there are some cool fight scenes between Death Ghidorah and Mothra.
There's a 'save the planet' theme going on that gets rammed down your throat a bit before the movie ends, but the more obvious beef many western fans are going to have with this flick is the lack of a Japanese language option on seemingly the only version available. Why do they do this? Yes, the film's been tarted up nicely, and the dubbing is lip-synched and not overly annoying, but some people will always prefer the original language and there seems to be little reason why it shouldn't be included.
The wackiness of Mothra
steelcorpfilms19 February 2003
I got this DVD more then a year ago in L.A. Being a long- time Godzilla and Co. fan, and seeing a DVD with a double feature of Rebirth of Mothra, and Rebirth of Mothra 2 was just too silly for me not to buy. Rebirth of Mothra is definitely that, silly. Sometimes it's a good kind of silly, other times it's just a boring silly. The plot was a typical kaiju (Japanese for monster, i.e. Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, etc.) plot, with a seal being removed and a wicked monster coming out to wreak havoc on the planet. The human acting wasn't that good, really. The special effects were pretty cool in places, and bad in others and there was some pretty good cinematography.
Most of the kaijus I've seen, which is a hell of a lot, tie the humans into the story somehow. That way you're not just watching two bigass monsters going at it for 90 minutes. Most of the time, the human plot is cheesy but still entertaining. Rebirth of Mothra is not one of those. The human plot, if I could even call it that, was boring and pointless and pretty much just had a couple bratty kids sitting on a mountainside watching the battle. If that's not bad enough, some of the lines seemed to be spoken in telekinesis, considering it was just blank stares looking at each other.
I don't know whether to blame the writing, the directing, or the acting for all the blank, meaningless stares. All the humans were pretty horrible actors, and the bad dubbing didn't help any. The only three who were actually pretty cool were the three faerie girls. They weren't the same as the twin faeries from previous Mothra movies, and they weren't even twins. Actually, they looked totally different, but that's ok. They wore cool costumes, carried most of the story, and even sang a song or two. And the evil faerie sister, trying to use Desghidorah for her own evil ways, was actually pretty cute, so that's always a plus.
The special effects had its ups and downs. There were a few really great looking scenes, and Desghidorah (which was pretty much like a black King Ghidorah with four legs) was pretty badass looking.
Mothra looked pretty cool in a few scenes, too. There was the usual caterpillar version crawling around for a little bit which looked the same as always, if not a little worse then in older movies. I don't really want to give it away, but the underwater Mothra scene looked really good. The only problem is, there can't be the same kind of action that's in a Godzilla movie, and cause Mothra just isn't as tough or limber as Big G. She can fly around and shoot stuff, but that's about it. This is pretty evident through most of the movie, when Mothra's getting beaten pretty badly. But there is one pretty cool scene near the end where it actually convinces you that Mothra CAN kick some ass.
Overall: It's a so-so kaiju, with a couple cool fight scenes. It's mostly pretty boring, focusing on human's who don't really have much to say or do, other then run around, doing silly stuff. It's worth a rental if you're into these kinds of movies.
Most of the kaijus I've seen, which is a hell of a lot, tie the humans into the story somehow. That way you're not just watching two bigass monsters going at it for 90 minutes. Most of the time, the human plot is cheesy but still entertaining. Rebirth of Mothra is not one of those. The human plot, if I could even call it that, was boring and pointless and pretty much just had a couple bratty kids sitting on a mountainside watching the battle. If that's not bad enough, some of the lines seemed to be spoken in telekinesis, considering it was just blank stares looking at each other.
I don't know whether to blame the writing, the directing, or the acting for all the blank, meaningless stares. All the humans were pretty horrible actors, and the bad dubbing didn't help any. The only three who were actually pretty cool were the three faerie girls. They weren't the same as the twin faeries from previous Mothra movies, and they weren't even twins. Actually, they looked totally different, but that's ok. They wore cool costumes, carried most of the story, and even sang a song or two. And the evil faerie sister, trying to use Desghidorah for her own evil ways, was actually pretty cute, so that's always a plus.
The special effects had its ups and downs. There were a few really great looking scenes, and Desghidorah (which was pretty much like a black King Ghidorah with four legs) was pretty badass looking.
Mothra looked pretty cool in a few scenes, too. There was the usual caterpillar version crawling around for a little bit which looked the same as always, if not a little worse then in older movies. I don't really want to give it away, but the underwater Mothra scene looked really good. The only problem is, there can't be the same kind of action that's in a Godzilla movie, and cause Mothra just isn't as tough or limber as Big G. She can fly around and shoot stuff, but that's about it. This is pretty evident through most of the movie, when Mothra's getting beaten pretty badly. But there is one pretty cool scene near the end where it actually convinces you that Mothra CAN kick some ass.
Overall: It's a so-so kaiju, with a couple cool fight scenes. It's mostly pretty boring, focusing on human's who don't really have much to say or do, other then run around, doing silly stuff. It's worth a rental if you're into these kinds of movies.
Not the Sacred Goddess anymore.
OllieSuave-0071 March 2001
This film has many colorful and beautiful sceneries, especially the forest scenes. Mothra begins a new solo adventure, battling Desghidorah to save Earth's green landscape. She hatches an egg and out comes her son MothraLeo. To pick up where his mother left off, MothraLeo battles Desghidorah to the finish.
There are amusing battle scenes and great special effects by Koichi Kawakita. And, there is a fine score by Toshiyuki Watanabe.
This movie is a big change from the concepts of the original Mothra of the 1960s. The two tiny priestesses are not twins like the original one who were portrayed by The Peanuts, and each one in this movie is actually given a name: Mona and Lora (the "Elias"). They have an evil sister named Belvera who favors Desghidorah's mission to turn Earth into a barren landscape. The central character in this movie is a kid who helps Mona and Lora battle their evil sister. The scene where the Elias and Belvera riding on their "Mothra" pets and shooting rays at each other at the kid's home is too childish and took away to much time in the movie. The scene is more associated with kids' shows or cartoons. And, MothraLeo's powers are very excessive. Its releasing of rays and beams make MothraLeo act more like a robotic creature. Though all the creatures in this movie are worked out well, there are limited emphasis to the human characters and overall, the movie is more kid-oriented. The Mothras in this movie are not treated like the Sacred Goddess in the Mothra films from the 1960s, but more like superheros ready to defend Earth. And, there are no natives worshiping Mothra in this film as in the 1960s Mothra films, making Mothra seem less sacred, as it was suppose to be according to the original concept. But, the ever-so-popular "Mothra's Song" (sung in Malaysian as always) returns and is performed by the Elias. Some new songs are introduced also. A serviceable movie, otherwise, to spend 106 minutes on a boring day.
Grade C
There are amusing battle scenes and great special effects by Koichi Kawakita. And, there is a fine score by Toshiyuki Watanabe.
This movie is a big change from the concepts of the original Mothra of the 1960s. The two tiny priestesses are not twins like the original one who were portrayed by The Peanuts, and each one in this movie is actually given a name: Mona and Lora (the "Elias"). They have an evil sister named Belvera who favors Desghidorah's mission to turn Earth into a barren landscape. The central character in this movie is a kid who helps Mona and Lora battle their evil sister. The scene where the Elias and Belvera riding on their "Mothra" pets and shooting rays at each other at the kid's home is too childish and took away to much time in the movie. The scene is more associated with kids' shows or cartoons. And, MothraLeo's powers are very excessive. Its releasing of rays and beams make MothraLeo act more like a robotic creature. Though all the creatures in this movie are worked out well, there are limited emphasis to the human characters and overall, the movie is more kid-oriented. The Mothras in this movie are not treated like the Sacred Goddess in the Mothra films from the 1960s, but more like superheros ready to defend Earth. And, there are no natives worshiping Mothra in this film as in the 1960s Mothra films, making Mothra seem less sacred, as it was suppose to be according to the original concept. But, the ever-so-popular "Mothra's Song" (sung in Malaysian as always) returns and is performed by the Elias. Some new songs are introduced also. A serviceable movie, otherwise, to spend 106 minutes on a boring day.
Grade C
Mothra, guardian of earth
ebiros214 October 2005
This is the first of 1990s Mothra trilogy after the death of '90s Godzilla in 1995. The tone of this trilogy is very different from that of Godzilla's. In this movie, Mothra is the protector of earth, and when a monster which threatens to destroy earth's habitat, Mothra comes to rescue.
I rather liked this movie because of its beautiful cinematography and a plot that was not based simply on destruction, but about the importance of protecting our environment. While American cinema was busy producing darker movies in the '90s, this series positively bucked the trend with its brilliant color and putting nature before humans.
Casting was okay. It had a good central focus for a change called the Elias. But for the most part, Toho can use better actors in all its movies. Watch this, and you'll be treated to the most beautiful colors you've ever seen.
I rather liked this movie because of its beautiful cinematography and a plot that was not based simply on destruction, but about the importance of protecting our environment. While American cinema was busy producing darker movies in the '90s, this series positively bucked the trend with its brilliant color and putting nature before humans.
Casting was okay. It had a good central focus for a change called the Elias. But for the most part, Toho can use better actors in all its movies. Watch this, and you'll be treated to the most beautiful colors you've ever seen.
Juvenile Antics
rstef131 May 2003
Not the worst of the Japanese big monster bashes, but far from good, The Rebirth of Mothra will appeal mainly to kiddies under the age of 12 and should not be viewed by anyone older, unless they are die-hard completists of this particular genre. That's why I sat through a tape of this, plus Rebirth of Mothra 2 and 3. Thank God for the fast forward button.
The only interesting parts of this trilogy are the monster battles, which are pretty good, though they don't stomp on any cities in these owing to a small budget. Sadly, the viewer is forced to endure endless moments of whiny annoying youngsters and their dimwitted parents and precious little "fairies" who feel the need to break into song every now and then. Due to the budget constraints, the army never makes an appearance, which is strange considering giant monsters are rampaging through the countryside and, in the third movie, snatching children by the hundreds. Oh well.
Anyway, it was nice to see King Ghidora return in the third installment and beat the stuffing out of the way-too-cute Mothra. Maybe they should give Ghidora his own series, it would be better than this.
The only interesting parts of this trilogy are the monster battles, which are pretty good, though they don't stomp on any cities in these owing to a small budget. Sadly, the viewer is forced to endure endless moments of whiny annoying youngsters and their dimwitted parents and precious little "fairies" who feel the need to break into song every now and then. Due to the budget constraints, the army never makes an appearance, which is strange considering giant monsters are rampaging through the countryside and, in the third movie, snatching children by the hundreds. Oh well.
Anyway, it was nice to see King Ghidora return in the third installment and beat the stuffing out of the way-too-cute Mothra. Maybe they should give Ghidora his own series, it would be better than this.
For The Love Of Mothra
jcholguin31 May 2003
Death Ghidora is a terrible three-headed monster that is released when a seal is removed from his tomb. Little fairies Lora and Moll must call upon the aged Mothra. This Mothra won a previous battle with Death Ghidora many, many years ago but that was when she was still a young Moth. Now, the years of battle and time have taken its toll on her body. She has an egg waiting to be hatched but when the battle begins it is not ready. Off to save the world once more is Mothra. Like a battle weary fighter, Mothra tries to pull off a "Rocky" ending. Inside the egg her youngster senses that "Momma" is in trouble and hatches early. Can baby save Momma? Can Momma and baby Mothra team together and defeat the evil. Can the little fairies defeat the evil fairy "Belvera?" This film is a good story of "evil vs good" and also of "family!" A must for all those fans of Japanese monster films.
Essentially a very generic and mediocre movie...
paul_haakonsen12 August 2019
Funny, but the 1961 "Mothra" movie is actually better than this 1996, despite the fact that they at least had better special effects here.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. I was given the chance here in 2019 to sit down and watch the 1996 "Mosura" (aka "Rebirth of Mothra") movie. I hadn't even heard about it prior to this year. But it being a Japanese Kaiju movie, and it being Mothra, of course I took the chance to sit down and watch it.
The storyline was pretty straight forward, albeit a bit too generic for my liking. It was like they just looked at other Kaiju movies and made a clone of each and every one of them. So, don't go expecting any grand innovation or anything from the 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie.
The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the genre and the limitations of a generic script and storyline. The girl child actress wasn't particularly convincing in her performance, however. Especially not when put up against the boy child actor.
As for the special effects in the 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie. Well in comparison to the 1961 "Mothra" movie, of course they had moved miles and miles. But still, it wasn't particularly convincing, and it was still painstakingly obvious that they were using puppets. But hey, isn't that part of the old school Kaiju genre?
All in all, "Rebirth of Mothra" definitely is watchable, but sadly it only made for a mediocre enjoyable movie experience. Will I watch the other "Rebirth of Mothra" movies? Certainly. The 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie is hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. I was given the chance here in 2019 to sit down and watch the 1996 "Mosura" (aka "Rebirth of Mothra") movie. I hadn't even heard about it prior to this year. But it being a Japanese Kaiju movie, and it being Mothra, of course I took the chance to sit down and watch it.
The storyline was pretty straight forward, albeit a bit too generic for my liking. It was like they just looked at other Kaiju movies and made a clone of each and every one of them. So, don't go expecting any grand innovation or anything from the 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie.
The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the genre and the limitations of a generic script and storyline. The girl child actress wasn't particularly convincing in her performance, however. Especially not when put up against the boy child actor.
As for the special effects in the 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie. Well in comparison to the 1961 "Mothra" movie, of course they had moved miles and miles. But still, it wasn't particularly convincing, and it was still painstakingly obvious that they were using puppets. But hey, isn't that part of the old school Kaiju genre?
All in all, "Rebirth of Mothra" definitely is watchable, but sadly it only made for a mediocre enjoyable movie experience. Will I watch the other "Rebirth of Mothra" movies? Certainly. The 1996 "Rebirth of Mothra" movie is hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing.
Bad Ass Monsters, Annoying Kids
gigan-9225 May 2009
This is the kick off of Mothra's very own series and I must say it wasn't a bad move by Toho. You see, Mothra, like Rodan, was originally a solo character who was introduced to the Godzilla franchise in the cross-over "Mothra vs. Godzilla"in 1964. Her first film had been back in 1961 and for whatever reason, audiences like Mothra a lot. Want to guess which monster co-star has been in the most Godzilla films? No, it's not King Ghidorah, no not MechaGodzilla and Christ no it is not Minilla. That's right, it's Mothra. She's starred in a total of nine Godzilla films. MehaGodzilla's been in five and Ghidorah has been in eight. Therefore the idea of her own series wasn't too shabby at all. However, I must say I was expecting more.
To begin this review I'll say the good points to this film. Oddly, this film's universe is that of the Heisei Godzilla series. It's the same Mothra from "Godzilla vs. Mothra" back in 1992 to be exact. The monsters are grade A in my book, Mothra and Mothra Leo both look awesome, as well as the larva form. Death Ghidorah looked incredible and his attacks were great. I didn't like his roar and the original shrieks would've been better though. While in flight, the quadruped dragon looked awesome as well. The real downside is that to save money Toho had Death Ghidorah rampage through a forest the entire movie without even touching a single building! Wack status! Isn't Tokyo supposed to get crushed in these films? The thing that truly ruins this flick are the annoying and overly childish characters. The dialogue and every scene involving any of them, especially the fairies, just leaves older viewers like me frustrated. The human characters are just plain crappy. On the opposite side we have good monster moments, as when the larva watches its mother drown right before its eyes, a somber moment where the tragic music really sets the mood. Toshiyuki Watanabe is a great composer, giving Mothra a heroic theme and everything.
Unfortunately, most will find the bad outweighs the good and find watching the film unbearable. All in all, I still find it a fun film to watch.
To begin this review I'll say the good points to this film. Oddly, this film's universe is that of the Heisei Godzilla series. It's the same Mothra from "Godzilla vs. Mothra" back in 1992 to be exact. The monsters are grade A in my book, Mothra and Mothra Leo both look awesome, as well as the larva form. Death Ghidorah looked incredible and his attacks were great. I didn't like his roar and the original shrieks would've been better though. While in flight, the quadruped dragon looked awesome as well. The real downside is that to save money Toho had Death Ghidorah rampage through a forest the entire movie without even touching a single building! Wack status! Isn't Tokyo supposed to get crushed in these films? The thing that truly ruins this flick are the annoying and overly childish characters. The dialogue and every scene involving any of them, especially the fairies, just leaves older viewers like me frustrated. The human characters are just plain crappy. On the opposite side we have good monster moments, as when the larva watches its mother drown right before its eyes, a somber moment where the tragic music really sets the mood. Toshiyuki Watanabe is a great composer, giving Mothra a heroic theme and everything.
Unfortunately, most will find the bad outweighs the good and find watching the film unbearable. All in all, I still find it a fun film to watch.
Strictly for eco-warriors and kids who like sparkles
jamesrupert201416 March 2018
And, of course, hard-core daikaiju fans. "Rebirth of Mothra" is an unsubtle morality-play in which evil loggers remove a sacred seal, releasing an ancient monster ('Desghidorah') who threatens to suck the life out of the Earth. This attracts the attention of a tiny 'witch' flying a miniature dragon, who torments the family of the man who took the seal until Mothra's fairy acolytes show up riding a cloying-sweet mini-Mothra to defend the kids. Meanwhile, 'Desghidorah' continues to ravage the environment until an aging Mothra appears, later followed by her larval offspring. Needless to say, most of the second half of the film is a kaiju battle, featuring pyrotechnics, inexplicable coloured lights, and, since this is a new-age Mothra movie, lots of sparkles. In the end, the environment is saved (at least for now), the forests are miraculously reborn, and the power of love reaffirmed. Even compared to some of the more 'child-friendly' Showa-era Godzilla films (e.g. Son of Godzilla, 1967), this film is strictly for the kids. The 'witch' character (her dubbed voice sounding like the "Wicked Witch of the West") is especially puerile and, like the later Showa-era Gamera films, the human 'heroes' are a couple of irritating kids. All could be forgiven (or at least tolerated) if the movie was a good kaiju epic, but it is not. Mothra has reverted to the furry puppet version seen in 1992's "Godzilla vs. Mothra", although now has a wide array of 'energy-weapons' and convenient supernatural abilities. The new incarnation of Ghidorah is now fatter with front legs, and has lost all of the sinuous grace of the original monster. The original Mothra song is briefly heard (the current fairies lack the charm of the original pair), but in general the film's score is trite and derivative, especially in the action scenes. The special effects are of mixed effectiveness, some of the flying shots of Mothra, Desghidorah, and the fairies/witch are terrible while some of scenes with the larval Mothra are excellent (especially towards the transformation scene, the cocooning is especially imaginative). There are none of the classic (and costly) cityscapes to be destroyed, as most all of the 'battles' are aerial or in forests or mountains (although there is an OK 'dam buster' sequence), and the JDF is never mobilised, so the usual scenes of tanks, missiles, carnage and collateral damage that are core to the canon are absent. As I was watching a dubbed version, I can't really comment on the acting but none of the human characters were interesting or engaging. The biggest problem with the film is the direction: scenes just go on toooo long. The 'dog fight' between flying fairies and the witch in the kids' house is endless, as are the repetitious scenes of Desghidorah emerging from the fire, and the ending of the film is an interminable series of good-byes and reminders of what the 'message' is (in the unlikely event that you missed it). Mothra is a unique and iconic part of Japanese kaiju culture. Her first appearance in 1961 and her battle with Godzilla in 1964 are among the best the genre has to offer. Too bad she's now reduced to being a flying green guilt-trip. I admit that the giant moth has a long history of being a 'guardian' of the Earth, but the heavy-handed 'eco' message in this film is a bit hard to take considering Japan uses about 24 billion disposable chopsticks every year (the equivalent of about 1.6 million trees).
"MOTHRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
E102y15 June 2000
With Godzilla dead and gone (yah, right), Toho concentrated on their other major star, Mothra.
In this first of a trilogy (more, more!) Mothra (the 1992 Mothra) battles a creature called Death Ghidorah (a cousin of King Ghidorah?). Thrown into the mix is the new Mothra, called MothraLeo. With time running out for Earth, can MothraLeo survive to carry on the long line of Mothras that have defended the planet?
Of course he can! If he couldn't, why did "Mosura 2" follow it?
The effects are outstanding in this movie. How can one moth have so many beam weapons?
I have to say that Megumi Kobayashi and Sayoko Yamaguchi, who play the priestesses of Mothra, now called the Elias, are excellent in this movie, as well as Aki Hano, who plays Belvera, one of the new elements to the Mothra saga. Of the two Elais, Moll is more determined than Lora, especially on calling the "old" Mothra into battle.
On the whole, a very good movie! Roll on Mosura 2!
In this first of a trilogy (more, more!) Mothra (the 1992 Mothra) battles a creature called Death Ghidorah (a cousin of King Ghidorah?). Thrown into the mix is the new Mothra, called MothraLeo. With time running out for Earth, can MothraLeo survive to carry on the long line of Mothras that have defended the planet?
Of course he can! If he couldn't, why did "Mosura 2" follow it?
The effects are outstanding in this movie. How can one moth have so many beam weapons?
I have to say that Megumi Kobayashi and Sayoko Yamaguchi, who play the priestesses of Mothra, now called the Elias, are excellent in this movie, as well as Aki Hano, who plays Belvera, one of the new elements to the Mothra saga. Of the two Elais, Moll is more determined than Lora, especially on calling the "old" Mothra into battle.
On the whole, a very good movie! Roll on Mosura 2!
Enjoyable
coconutkungfu-3070418 February 2020
Enjoyable Kaiju film that even kids can enjoy. The entire Rebirth trilogy is basically a silly fun series with decent special effects that actually made me appreciate Mothra little more.
A kaiju film that the whole family can enjoy but nothing spectacular. I'm sure big fans of Mothra will get more enjoyment out of this one.
A kaiju film that the whole family can enjoy but nothing spectacular. I'm sure big fans of Mothra will get more enjoyment out of this one.
Very poor!
spaceinvader50129 March 2003
I've seen that movie last week on TV and was quite disappointed.
The story: The bad sister of the sweet little ELIAS ( known from every other movie including Mothra ) wants to steal the "Seal of the Elias", which was found by a family father at a mountain. So she takes her little dragon and flies to the family's house, where the seal is kept. But the Elias can't let that be, take the mini-version of mothra, called "Fee" and also fly there. In the house, a fight between them starts - which is made absolutely ridiculous! It looks like an old ATARI-Game, when Fee and the little Dragon fly through the house and shoot at each other!
However, the bad sister is victorious in stealing the seal and uses it to free a three-headed monster: Desghidorah. But wait a moment: three headed monster? (Des)ghidorah? Oh, yes, the style of this monster was inspired by the famous King Ghidorah. But not more! This monster has got no personality and seems not to register it's surrounding-the heads just go up and down, up and down...
But what's so cruel about Desghidorah? Well, it absorbes energy from earth, trees and air - which are dead afterwards. Unfortunately, this absorbing isn't visualized - Desghidorah just stamps his feet... To stop Desghidorah from killing all life on earth, the Elias decide to call Mothra - what's done with a song. Yeah, okay, we know the girls like to sing - but they do it three times in that movie! And the songs are awfully kitschy. A funny things about it is the background, which starts to get coloured and coloured flowers flow around - looks like a seventies-music-video!
Mothra arrives to fight Desghidorah, but is to weak and old for the strong-growen monster! So the Elias call Mothra's child - with a song, of course. I don't want to tell the whole story here, some people reading this may not have seen the movie yet...
So I start with my final judgement: The story of the film is weak - but that's not important in a monster movie. What is important is that the special effects are absolutely ridiculous for a 90's movie! Mothra and Desghidorah have nearly no moveable parts, the flying scenes are bad as hell ( there are better ones in some 70's movies! ). Every scene is clearly visible made in front of a blue screen - and the intaken pictures have another contrast than the foregrund... Through all the movie it's very clear that money was a problem in the making of it. None of the monsters ever gets to a city, all fights are shown in woods - that's cheaper than a miniature city. But it's boring! Not a single building gets crushed! And Desghidorah doesn't radiate enough threat to build somewhat like tension...
So the movie gets along boring and tensionless and you get angry about the bad special effects, supporting the bad impressions. According to that, it is far too kitschy and has too much annoing characters!
The story: The bad sister of the sweet little ELIAS ( known from every other movie including Mothra ) wants to steal the "Seal of the Elias", which was found by a family father at a mountain. So she takes her little dragon and flies to the family's house, where the seal is kept. But the Elias can't let that be, take the mini-version of mothra, called "Fee" and also fly there. In the house, a fight between them starts - which is made absolutely ridiculous! It looks like an old ATARI-Game, when Fee and the little Dragon fly through the house and shoot at each other!
However, the bad sister is victorious in stealing the seal and uses it to free a three-headed monster: Desghidorah. But wait a moment: three headed monster? (Des)ghidorah? Oh, yes, the style of this monster was inspired by the famous King Ghidorah. But not more! This monster has got no personality and seems not to register it's surrounding-the heads just go up and down, up and down...
But what's so cruel about Desghidorah? Well, it absorbes energy from earth, trees and air - which are dead afterwards. Unfortunately, this absorbing isn't visualized - Desghidorah just stamps his feet... To stop Desghidorah from killing all life on earth, the Elias decide to call Mothra - what's done with a song. Yeah, okay, we know the girls like to sing - but they do it three times in that movie! And the songs are awfully kitschy. A funny things about it is the background, which starts to get coloured and coloured flowers flow around - looks like a seventies-music-video!
Mothra arrives to fight Desghidorah, but is to weak and old for the strong-growen monster! So the Elias call Mothra's child - with a song, of course. I don't want to tell the whole story here, some people reading this may not have seen the movie yet...
So I start with my final judgement: The story of the film is weak - but that's not important in a monster movie. What is important is that the special effects are absolutely ridiculous for a 90's movie! Mothra and Desghidorah have nearly no moveable parts, the flying scenes are bad as hell ( there are better ones in some 70's movies! ). Every scene is clearly visible made in front of a blue screen - and the intaken pictures have another contrast than the foregrund... Through all the movie it's very clear that money was a problem in the making of it. None of the monsters ever gets to a city, all fights are shown in woods - that's cheaper than a miniature city. But it's boring! Not a single building gets crushed! And Desghidorah doesn't radiate enough threat to build somewhat like tension...
So the movie gets along boring and tensionless and you get angry about the bad special effects, supporting the bad impressions. According to that, it is far too kitschy and has too much annoing characters!
This movie is for children
craig-11131 May 2003
I guess it can be argued that all kaiju is for children, but this one is in the way that the old Gamera films were. The principle human characters are children. The dialog is light and cheery, most of the time. This is not so much about monster battles but kids having an adventure and saving the day.
It's nice and entertaining, but those expecting a typical Godzilla-type kaiju film are going to be disappointed.
It's nice and entertaining, but those expecting a typical Godzilla-type kaiju film are going to be disappointed.
Grade: C "There are three songs in this one. You will love all of them."
itcamefromamonstermovie22 October 2019
We continued "WHEN EARTH DAY ATTACKS" with the first of the Mothra trilogy films. Rebirth of Mothra (Or just Mosura aka Mothra in Japanese) is a very kid friendly movie. We even had the joke for the grade that this puts the "C in Children's film." While it has a kiddish tone, the movie is a solid giant monster movie that showcases Mothra in a really rad light and explores more of her mythology. The human plot can be at times trying, but eh, what do you expect for a children's film on making sure you plant a tree once in a while.
For more, please check out episode 14 of IT CAME FROM A MONSTER MOVIE for the full review wherever you listen to podcasts.
For more, please check out episode 14 of IT CAME FROM A MONSTER MOVIE for the full review wherever you listen to podcasts.
Seems much longer than it actually is, but not that bad
dussaultjulien5 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm surprised to say that I actually liked The Rebirth of Mothra. There are times where you really drugged out and felt like there wasn't much story left, and the ending was kind of unnecessary, but otherwise you shouldn't honestly expect much when coming into this movie. Just have the experience of watching it and go with the flow. Just like any Godzilla movie there are times where it just feels like it needs to end, but doesn't but that's the appeal and charm of these movies.
Somebody complained about the kids being bad actors, but I actually thought they were better than the parents. This movie is geared towards children, so find the inner child in you and give it a shot.
Somebody complained about the kids being bad actors, but I actually thought they were better than the parents. This movie is geared towards children, so find the inner child in you and give it a shot.
This is one of the lesser additions to the monster series but is still a must see
kevin_robbins20 September 2022
Rebirth of Mothra (1996) is a movie that I recently watched on a random streaming service. The storyline follows a mining ⛏ company who accidentally releases Ghidora. A new Mothra is born and sent to stop Ghidora. That could be a tall task for a new born Mothra.
This movie is directed by Okihiro Yoneda (Rebirth of Mothra III) and stars Hitomi Takahashi (The End of the Pale Hour), Megumi Kobayashi (Gamera the Brave) and Sayaka Yamaguchi (The Detective is Way Ahead).
This movie is a little more for kids than the traditional monster movie but it's still fun to watch unfold. The monsters are well created and I enjoyed the little Mothra and little dragon to start the film. The two little ladies used to conjure Mothra are always awesome. Ghidora was a tremendous villain and he's probably my favorite character in the monster universe. I will say the CGI is more fun than good and a bit overdone for some aspects of the movie.
Overall, this is one of the lesser additions to the monster series but is still a must see. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
This movie is directed by Okihiro Yoneda (Rebirth of Mothra III) and stars Hitomi Takahashi (The End of the Pale Hour), Megumi Kobayashi (Gamera the Brave) and Sayaka Yamaguchi (The Detective is Way Ahead).
This movie is a little more for kids than the traditional monster movie but it's still fun to watch unfold. The monsters are well created and I enjoyed the little Mothra and little dragon to start the film. The two little ladies used to conjure Mothra are always awesome. Ghidora was a tremendous villain and he's probably my favorite character in the monster universe. I will say the CGI is more fun than good and a bit overdone for some aspects of the movie.
Overall, this is one of the lesser additions to the monster series but is still a must see. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
okay monster movie, but nothing special
TheUnknown837-131 December 2005
I was actually hoping to see a little bit more out of Rebirth of Mothra than what I did see. I place all of the Heisei Godzilla films above this and its following two films, for they just weren't made all that greatly. This one's probably the best out of all three of them, but it still has many weak points. The story concentrates too much on those little fairies flying around on tiny moths and dragon-things.
And the monster battles, which are reasonably long, have their moments in this film. A few moments, but still there's a few flaws. Mainly, I just felt that the defeat of Desghidorah, the antagonist monster, wasn't dramatic enough. Mothra's death after the first battle sequence was perfect, however. It was sad and heart-wrenching. But still, it didn't compare to the soul-killing death of Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
Overall, Rebirth of Mothra is an okay kaiju film, not the best and not the worst. But it is a film I am definitely not going to be reviewing for a while.
And the monster battles, which are reasonably long, have their moments in this film. A few moments, but still there's a few flaws. Mainly, I just felt that the defeat of Desghidorah, the antagonist monster, wasn't dramatic enough. Mothra's death after the first battle sequence was perfect, however. It was sad and heart-wrenching. But still, it didn't compare to the soul-killing death of Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
Overall, Rebirth of Mothra is an okay kaiju film, not the best and not the worst. But it is a film I am definitely not going to be reviewing for a while.
Never been so disappointed in my life, want my money back
lbishopkyo27 March 2016
Before R.o.M.: I was at my local video store and they just happened to have the entire trilogy on Blu-Ray. I can't even find the movies on DVD, so all three movies on Blu-Ray? That's gotta be a treat, I thought.
After R.o.M.: This movie sucks. I hate this movie a ton. There are a few good things about it, being that it's a kaiju film and whatnot, but the flaws are too strong to be looked past.
The first 2-3 minutes of the film are very promising, as we are introduced right away to Mothra. No build-up. However, as soon as that's done, we are taken right to, without warning, the absolute worst part of the whole movie: annoying, bratty, screaming, whiny kids. There is nothing in this world I hate more than children that aren't well-behaved. These two kids are our main characters, and they are Randy from Christmas Story (1983) and Gertie from E.T. (1982) times a million. They scream, wail, fight, and bicker constantly. I know that's common with little siblings, but they fight so much, it's to the point where their fights are just sporadic. No joke, there's one scene where the kids are just being normal (for once), then they just randomly start fighting and crying again! Well actually, it's more the girl that cries than the boy, and I tell you, she is probably the most annoying crying girl in a movie I have ever heard. That one scene in Pacific Rim (2013) with that crying kid may have been annoying enough, but this makes that scene look normal.
The other biggest, most unforgivable flaw in the whole movie is the CGI. There are these familiars and tiny monsters that appear from time to time, but they are CGIed so badly, they are Birdemic levels of bad. Normally, I could forgive them for being bad since it was the mid 90's, but keep in mind that this is Toho, who previously used CG for Godzilla's fire-breath and lasers in prior films, and they actually looked really convincing! This film's CGI is totally unconvincing. Oh, and even before CGI, Toho was able to make anything look real. This movie's CGI is just a complete joke...yeah, you get the idea.
Halfway into this movie, you'll also notice, that just when you were expecting a run-of-the-mill kaiju film, that this is a kiddie movie. Now, to make a kaiju film for the youngsters to enjoy isn't a bad idea, but aren't there plenty of 6-year-olds into kaiju films already?
Overall, Rebirth of Mothra is just about one of the worst films of all time in my opinion. You can't defend it. You just can't. It was so bad in fact, that I actually stopped watching it 1 hour in. I just couldn't take it! It's too bad! Annoying kids unforgivably bad special effects make this a joke entry in Toho's long line of giant-monster movies. I wish I had spent my money on a Quizno's sub than this.
After R.o.M.: This movie sucks. I hate this movie a ton. There are a few good things about it, being that it's a kaiju film and whatnot, but the flaws are too strong to be looked past.
The first 2-3 minutes of the film are very promising, as we are introduced right away to Mothra. No build-up. However, as soon as that's done, we are taken right to, without warning, the absolute worst part of the whole movie: annoying, bratty, screaming, whiny kids. There is nothing in this world I hate more than children that aren't well-behaved. These two kids are our main characters, and they are Randy from Christmas Story (1983) and Gertie from E.T. (1982) times a million. They scream, wail, fight, and bicker constantly. I know that's common with little siblings, but they fight so much, it's to the point where their fights are just sporadic. No joke, there's one scene where the kids are just being normal (for once), then they just randomly start fighting and crying again! Well actually, it's more the girl that cries than the boy, and I tell you, she is probably the most annoying crying girl in a movie I have ever heard. That one scene in Pacific Rim (2013) with that crying kid may have been annoying enough, but this makes that scene look normal.
The other biggest, most unforgivable flaw in the whole movie is the CGI. There are these familiars and tiny monsters that appear from time to time, but they are CGIed so badly, they are Birdemic levels of bad. Normally, I could forgive them for being bad since it was the mid 90's, but keep in mind that this is Toho, who previously used CG for Godzilla's fire-breath and lasers in prior films, and they actually looked really convincing! This film's CGI is totally unconvincing. Oh, and even before CGI, Toho was able to make anything look real. This movie's CGI is just a complete joke...yeah, you get the idea.
Halfway into this movie, you'll also notice, that just when you were expecting a run-of-the-mill kaiju film, that this is a kiddie movie. Now, to make a kaiju film for the youngsters to enjoy isn't a bad idea, but aren't there plenty of 6-year-olds into kaiju films already?
Overall, Rebirth of Mothra is just about one of the worst films of all time in my opinion. You can't defend it. You just can't. It was so bad in fact, that I actually stopped watching it 1 hour in. I just couldn't take it! It's too bad! Annoying kids unforgivably bad special effects make this a joke entry in Toho's long line of giant-monster movies. I wish I had spent my money on a Quizno's sub than this.
good movie
jacobjohntaylor112 June 2014
This is the 9th M.o.t.h.r.a movie. It is not as good the 7th M.o.t.h.r.a movie Godzilla and M.o.t.h.r.a and the battle for the earth. It is not as good as the 8th M.o.t.h.r.a movie Godzilla vs Space Godzilla. The 10th M.o.t.h.r.a movie M.o.t.h.r.a Rebirth II is also better. But still it is a great movie. See it. The 11th M.o.t.h.r.a movie M.o.t.h.r.a Rebirth III is better. It is not as the 6th M.o.t.h.r.a movie Godzilla vs G.i.g.a.n. It is not as good as the 12th M.o.t.h.r.a Godzilla M.o.t.h.r.a and King G.h.i.d.o.r.a.h giant monsters on an all out attack. It is not as good as the 5th M.o.t.h.r.a movie Destroy all monsters. All the M.o.t.h.r.a movie are good. See all the M.o.t.h.r.a movies
It's good but is DOESN'T END
Darklordnoodlez24 January 2021
A dark kaiju fantasy with some beautiful scenes.
djzilla20 April 1999
Although not generally one of the most popular kaiju (Japanese for monster) movies, Mothra: 1996 is in my opinion one of the most beautiful.
Mothra: 1996 is the first in a new trilogy from Toho studios. It features one of their most popular monsters Mothra. Mothra battles a new creation in the form of Death Ghidora. Although, the fairies in this film are not the same in past films they do an adequate job.
What caught my attention of this film was the first 30 minutes. The beautiful visuals of the northern forest and of it being destroyed by man leading to the discovery of the tomb of Death Ghidora. Death Ghidora is one of Toho's most popular recent creations and is a fearsome looking beast. This film contains no less than 4 separate battles between Mothra and Death Ghidora.
The special effects are up to par and the creation of Belvera, the evil fairy is interesting. Although geared toward younger viewers, die-hard kaiju fans should have no problem enjoying this film.
Mothra: 1996 is the first in a new trilogy from Toho studios. It features one of their most popular monsters Mothra. Mothra battles a new creation in the form of Death Ghidora. Although, the fairies in this film are not the same in past films they do an adequate job.
What caught my attention of this film was the first 30 minutes. The beautiful visuals of the northern forest and of it being destroyed by man leading to the discovery of the tomb of Death Ghidora. Death Ghidora is one of Toho's most popular recent creations and is a fearsome looking beast. This film contains no less than 4 separate battles between Mothra and Death Ghidora.
The special effects are up to par and the creation of Belvera, the evil fairy is interesting. Although geared toward younger viewers, die-hard kaiju fans should have no problem enjoying this film.
The "Dark Crystal 🔮 " of Kaiju movies
alonzosammy16 February 2021
This movie so freaking charming. I've never seen any solo Mothra movies up until last week and this one is the most adorable so far.
Really gives me Dark Crystal or Labrinth vibes. I can't wait to see the next one. 👍🏽
I was not expecting this... disappointment
Bullitt3317 September 2023
I recently watched the original Mothra (1961). I don't know why I was assuming this version would be some kind of updated remake. Well it is not. Rebirth is very much aimed at the family/youth audience. If anything, it reminds me in tone of All Monsters Attack (1969), already one of my least favorite Godzilla movies of all time. I really can't stand the children (or boy) in this.
On the plus side, the visuals and SFX are decent for the era considering the budget. I don't really have an issue with this aspect. Reminds me of the 90s theatrical Might Morphin Power Rangers movies. And the effects are reminiscent of Masters of the Universe (live-action) and Willow, but better. Not better than the original Honey I Shrunk the Kids though.
Also nice that the original fairy twins Mothra song remains intact with little alteration. I guess I'm giving the film a bonus half star for the song and SFX.
One last criticism. While I'm never expecting Shakespeare level writing for any Godzilla/Kaiju film, the plot here is paper thin and could be sketched out on a cocktail napkin. More of a long effects reel or proof of concept than anything else. Now I have a fear of the sequels, but could they possibly be worse than this opening entry??
On the plus side, the visuals and SFX are decent for the era considering the budget. I don't really have an issue with this aspect. Reminds me of the 90s theatrical Might Morphin Power Rangers movies. And the effects are reminiscent of Masters of the Universe (live-action) and Willow, but better. Not better than the original Honey I Shrunk the Kids though.
Also nice that the original fairy twins Mothra song remains intact with little alteration. I guess I'm giving the film a bonus half star for the song and SFX.
One last criticism. While I'm never expecting Shakespeare level writing for any Godzilla/Kaiju film, the plot here is paper thin and could be sketched out on a cocktail napkin. More of a long effects reel or proof of concept than anything else. Now I have a fear of the sequels, but could they possibly be worse than this opening entry??
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