Mothra

Original title: Mosura

1961
Approved
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

5.7K

YOUR RATING

An expedition to Infant Island discovers a native population and tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity. Named Mothra, she sets out to rescue her fairies after they are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman.

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An expedition to Infant Island uncovers a native tribe and twin tiny fairy priestesses of a mythical deity, who sets out to rescue the pair after they are kidnapped by a greedy businessman.An expedition to Infant Island uncovers a native tribe and twin tiny fairy priestesses of a mythical deity, who sets out to rescue the pair after they are kidnapped by a greedy businessman.An expedition to Infant Island uncovers a native tribe and twin tiny fairy priestesses of a mythical deity, who sets out to rescue the pair after they are kidnapped by a greedy businessman.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

5.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Videos2

Trailer 2:09

Trailer

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9:57

Storyline

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Trivia
The Mothra larva was the largest costume Toho would create in the Showa era. The Mothra larva seen rampaging through Tokyo's neighborhood was about 7 feet tall and just over 31 feet long. Weighing about 265 pounds (120 kilograms), a total of eight actors were needed to perform and operate the Mothra larva.

Goofs
When Dr. Shinichi is showing the symbols he discovered in the cave to Senchan, you can see someone in black pants and shoes walking down the stairs behind Senchan's head.

Quotes
[the protagonists confront Nelson to return Mothra's fairies back to Infant Island]
Dr. Shinichi Chujo: I want you to stop this inhumanity and return them to their island.
Nelson's Henchman: Inhumanity? Ridiculous. Strictly speaking they're just scientific data.
Clark Nelson: Those fairies aren't human. They're merchandise.

Crazy credits
In the credits for the U.S. version, including promo material released by Columbia Pictures, Eurasian model Jerry Ito (who plays the villianous Mr. Nelson) is billed as "Jelly Ito."

Alternate versions
The American Version also edited the birth of Mothra sequence, cutting out a good 40 seconds to make it more elaborate

Connections
Edited into Invasion Planète X (1965)

Soundtracks
Infanto no musume
Written by Kôji Kajita (as Susumu Ike)
Performed by Za Pînattsu

User reviews71

Featured review

An anti-monster movie. Lots of fun.

MOSURA (1961, released in the USA as MOTHRA) is like no other monster movie. It's colorful. Most of it's settings are bathed in storybook like colors, has a pleasent, happy ending where the monster lives!

A greedy showman/explorer Clark Nelson (Jerry Ito) finds twin fairies on an island off Japan. He displays them on the Tokyo stage, where they sing what sounds like a lullaby. It is actually a telepathic distress call to their god and protector, Mothra, a giant caterpillar. Mothra comes to Tokyo, searching for the girls and Nelson, destroying most of the city in it's path. The chase goes from Tokyo to Newkirk City (I guess this is suppose to be a little real life hamlet just south of Yonkers!) What I really love about MOTHRA is that it has many things most other monster movies don't. The hero is a comical, older, tubby reporter, a sort of Japanese Lou Costello. The monster is actually pretty. In the Japanese version, there is some wonderful slapstick and odd humor. THese elements make this film so unique. Director Inoshiro Honda was best friends with more famous and more respected Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa loved Honda's monster movies and according to rumor, yearned to make one himself.