Destroy All Monsters

Destroy All Monsters (Japanese: 怪獣総進撃, Hepburn: Kaijū Sō-shingeki; lit. 'Monster All-Out Attack') is a 1968 Japanese epic kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa and supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the ninth film in the Godzilla franchise, and stars Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi and Yoshio Tsuchiya. In the film, a race of malevolent aliens called the "Kilaaks" release giant monsters across the world, forcing authorities to investigate their potential weaknesses and regain control of the monsters. Destroy All Monsters was released theatrically in Japan on August 1, 1968. The film was released by American International Pictures with an English-language dub in the United States on May 23, 1969. Contemporary American reviews were mixed, with praise mainly held for the climactic monster battle. Retrospectively, the film has received more praise. The film was followed by All Monsters Attack, released on December 20, 1969.