Mothra Vs. Godzilla - English Version

English Version

American International Pictures originally released the film in the United States in September 1964, and it opened in New York City on November 25, 1964, retitled Godzilla vs. the Thing. Mothra's appearance was kept out of promotional material, which hinted that Godzilla's opponent would be a hideous tentacled creature and referred to it only as "The Thing". New York Times film critic Eugene Archer reacted to the film and its title: "Well, there are three things, not counting the movie. One has wings and looks like a big bee. The other two are hatched from the first Thing's egg, after quite a bit of worshipful kootch dancing from a pair of foot-tall native goddesses...".

In video releases of the 1980s, the film was titled simply Godzilla vs. Mothra. However, Mothra is still repeatedly called "The Thing" in the film, confusing many film-goers who thought "The Thing" and "Mothra" were two separate monsters.

This is the first Showa Godzilla film to be nearly completely intact for American release (a very few small scenes were edited out). The first three Godzilla films were heavily edited.