Editing Godzilla vs. Megalon (section)

===Critical response===
''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' was released theatrically in America on May 9, 1976, though the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' indicates that it opened there in June, and ''[[The New York Times]]'' indicates that it opened in [[New York City]] on July 11. ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Vincent Canby]], who a decade before had given a negative review to ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'', gave ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' a generally positive review. In his review on July 12, 1976, Canby said, "''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' completes the canonization of Godzilla...It's been a remarkable transformation of character - the dragon has become St. George...It's wildly preposterous, imaginative and funny (often intentionally). It demonstrates the rewards of friendship, between humans as well as monsters, and it is gentle."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/22/archives/another-godzilla-movie-monster-is-now-a-good-guy.html|title=Another 'Godzilla' Movie|last=Canby|first=Vincent|date=1976-07-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-02-28|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' has attracted the ire of many ''Godzilla'' fans in the decades since its original release. The film contributed to the reputation of ''Godzilla'' films in the United States as cheap children's entertainment that should not be taken seriously.<ref name="Toho Kingdom">{{cite web|url= http://www.tohokingdom.com/web_pages/m_reviews/anthony_r/godzilla_vs_megalon.htm|title=Toho Kingdom; ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' review|author=Anthony Romero|date=19 April 2003}}</ref><ref name="Stomp Tokyo">{{cite web|url=http://www.stomptokyo.com/movies/g/godzilla-vs-megalon.html|title=Stomp Tokyo- ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' review|author=Chris Holland & Scott Hamilton}}</ref> It has been described as "incredibly, undeniably, mind-numbingly bad"<ref name="Barry">{{cite web|url=http://www.godzillatemple.com/movie13.htm|title=Review at "Barry's Temple of Godzilla"}}</ref> and one of the "poorer moments" in the history of kaiju films.<ref name="Stomp Tokyo"/>

Author Stephen Mark Rainey's critique of the film was strongly negative, published in [[Japanese Giants]], issue four. 1977. Edited and published by Bradford G. Boyle.[https://archive.org/details/japanese-giants-issue-4/page/n17/mode/2up]

In particular, the [[special effects]] of the film have been heavily criticized. One review described the Godzilla costume as appearing to be "crossed with [[Kermit the Frog]]"<ref name="Stomp Tokyo"/> and another sneeringly compared it to ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'', stating that it did "everything wrong that ''Gigan'' did, and then some." However, most of the criticism is of the lack of actual special effects work, as most of it consists of [[stock footage]] from previous films, including ''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' and ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'', but a few pieces of effects work have garnered praise, specifically a scene where Megalon breaks through a dam and the draining of the lake.<ref name="Toho Kingdom"/>

The other aspects of the film have been similarly skewered. The acting is usually described as flat and generally poor, and as not improving, or sometimes, worsening, the already weak script.<ref name="Toho Kingdom"/> One part of the film, on the other hand, has garnered almost universal praise: Godzilla's final attack on Megalon, a flying kick. It has been called the saving grace of the film,<ref name="Barry"/> and was made famous by the mock exclamations of shock and awe displayed on ''Godzilla vs. Megalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s appearance on ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''. Through the end of season three to the middle of season five, that clip would be shown during the opening of each show.

Despite all this, the film is also one of the most widely seen ''Godzilla ''films in the United States — it was popular in its initial theatrical release, largely because of an aggressive marketing campaign, including elaborate posters of the two title monsters battling atop [[New York City]]'s [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] towers, presumably to capitalize on the hype surrounding the Dino De Laurentiis remake of ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'', which used a similar image for its own poster.<ref name="Toho Kingdom"/>

On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], approval rating of 38% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10.<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|title=Godzilla vs Megalon|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla-vs-megalon|type=m|access-date=September 19, 2023}}</ref>