Shin Godzilla: Design Review

Shin Godzilla

Since this movie has been out a considerable length of time this will be a spoiler heavy review of the design of Shin Godzilla. 


Although Godzilla is a McGuffin I will address how he is designed and depicted in this movie. I am a bit ambivalent about this design. I do not hate it (I don’t hate any Godzilla design) but it is also far from a favorite design. This is the largest Godzilla standing at 118.5 metres (389 ft) which is taller than any other Japanese Godzilla and taller than Legendary Godzilla, the most recent American incarnation of the monster, which stood at 106.7 meters (305ft). His face is craggy and menacing looking which is one of my favorite aspects of this design.

He has numerous spines/fins on his back which has often been a favorite feature of this creature (Godzilla 2000 being my favorite depiction of this aspect of Godzilla). However the fins/spines are so numerous on his back that they are rendered inconsequential which I find disappointing.

I sometimes call Shin Godzilla “Zombie Godzilla” because in his final form he moves so lethargically slow which means this Godzilla really doesn’t have much of a personality as other Godzillas have had. His atomic ray, which comes from other parts of his body than just his mouth is the best feature of this design. It is the most destructive atomic ray we have seen to date. It is a pure delight to see and with him able to shoot it out from his spines as wells as his tail is complete genius in my view. It is one of the reasons this movie is fresh. It takes a well worn trope in a Godzilla movie and reinvents it in an unexpected and excitingly fresh new way.

Although Godzilla spends the majority of this movie just walking zombie like on his way to Tokyo (what does he think he’s doing with all of this walking…taking the One Ring back to the fires of Mount Doom?) he is more physically animated while firing his atomic ray which does come across as a bit incongruous.

To depict the rising level of crisis the Japanese Government has to confront, Godzilla appears in several developing  forms and transformations which is an entirely new aspect of Godzilla. We have seen this done in other Godzilla movies (Godzilla vs Hedorah and Godzilla vs Destroyer) but in those movies the villain monster is the one that develops through several stages not Godzilla himself. I really like this twist on the Godzilla legend and given the context of the movie it makes perfect sense. I also like the fact that Godzilla doesn’t stay too long in these younger forms and quickly evolves into his adult and final form. 

Godzilla and all the buildings and other objects he destroys are no longer rendered through a man in a suit or models. As a special effects junkie I praise and welcome this change and find that Toho (or whomever did the CGI) did an excellent job. I do love and appreciate the old suit and model approach to the older movies and they were fine for their times. While I do feel some nostalgic sadness that those days are over, as a viewer I really love the new CGI approach. It is time for Toho to move into the 21st Century.

 

 

Godzilla’s Enemies Part II

6. Gigan: This is a monster I both love and hate. Gigan is a cyborg monster that has extraterrestrial origins. He has sharp hook like claws for hands and a buzzsaw protruding from his abdomen. I find the design very silly and ridiculous. In the 70s, when he debuted, his suit made him look flabby. By the time Gigan showed up in a Godzilla movie the movies had become very kid friendly due to the influences of Gamera and the Ultraman series. Gigan was not used again until the last movie, Final Wars. In this movie he had a bit of a dramatic make-over. He was much slimmer and swifter and more powerful. I liked this design so much better! So I didn’t like Gigan from the 70s but the one used in Final Wars is a pretty cool design. Movies he has appeared in” Godzilla vs Gigan, Godzilla vs Megalon, Godzilla: Final Wars.
7. Gorosaurus: Gorosaurus is a plucky little monster that made his first appearance in the Toho/Rankin Bass movie King Kong Escapes. Although no relation to the 1933 movie King Kong, Gorosaurus plays the same role as the T-Rex in the 1933 movie. He is a victim of Kong abuse and is defated the same way the T-Rex was defeated in the 1933 movie. The next time we see Gorosaurus is in the movie Destroy All Monsters and his notable scene is bursting up through the ground destroying the Arch de Triumph. Gorosaurus was seen again in stock footage only. I like this monster. He looks like a T-Rex and in that way is the only monster that resembles Godzilla himself. I would to see Toho use him once more. With the advent of CGI they could make a more life-like and fierce looking Gorosaurus!
8. Hedorah: Hedorah had creative origins. He was a product of our environment. The 70s was a time of awareness of the environmental issues that was causing problems all over the world. Hedorah (aka the Smog Montser) was the result of mankind trashing his environment. In the movie Godzilla vs Hedorah (Godzilla vs the Smog Monster) he develops via stages from a tad-pole like creature to a giant monster that likes to suck off the fumes from smoke stack belching factories. The idea is much better than the execution. Given the suit making at the time the final stage does look a little goofy in my opinion. Hedorah appears briefly in Final Wars. I do mean briefly! As soon as he appears on screen he is literally roasted by Godzilla.
9. Jet-Jaguar: Jet-Jaguar is not really a foe of Godzilla. He is actually a robotic pal from the movie Godzilla vs Megalon. In the movie Jet-Jaguar teams with Godzilla to defeat the combined forces of Megalon and Gigan. Jet-Jaguar is a robot that has a silly grin on his face that can magically grow to the size of 50 meters (the same size as the Showa era Godzilla). Again Jet-Jaguar was inspired by Ultraman and is very silly in my opinion.

Rating Godzilla’s Enemies: Part I

There have been 29 Godzilla movies, 30 if you count the 1998 TriStar film (and I do) by and most don’t and since this is a piece about the enemies Godzilla has fought it really doesn’t count because the 1998 Godzilla did not fight any other monsters. The 1954 and 1984 Godzillas didn’t fight with any monsters either. Since 1955 with Godzilla Raids Again Toho has pitted Godzilla with a number of different and unique foes to varying degrees of success. I haven’t always been crazy about the foes Godzilla has been up against. Some of the monsters are like Godzilla himself, dinosaur like in many aspects, and those are my favorites. Others have been designed after bugs and other insects, crustaceans; while some have followed the fantasy route.

The Godzilla franchise encompasses three distinct eras. The Showa eras (1954-1975), The Heisei era (1984-1995) and the Millennium era (1999-2004). Many of these monsters, such as Mothra, were used in all three eras, while some only saw action in one area (Jet-Jaguar, Showa), (Biollante, Heisei) and Orga (Millennium). In rating these monsters I need to view them across all eras. Each monster was designed differently when used in other areas. Sometimes that re-design was significant, and other times it was not. There were times the redesigned monster influenced whether or not I enjoyed the character.

Here in alphabetical order is my review of each monster.

1. Anguirus: Anguirus was first seen in the movie Godzilla Raids Again (aka Gigantis, the Fire Monster in the US) and he was the first monster that Godzilla ever fought in a movie. He is said to have been a mutated Ankylosaurus. At first Anguirus was an enemy of Godzilla but in subsequent films he became an ally of Godzilla joining him in battles against other monster threats. I like this monster due to the fact that he is like Godzilla himself, a mutated creature that is also a force of nature. My only complaint is that he walks on four legs which means that when he is portrayed by a suit actor the actor will be on his knees giving the monster a very strange stance, although the film makers try hard to hide the fact that he is on his knees. Anguirus was seen in seven Godzilla films. Godzilla Raids Again, Destroy All Monsters; All Monsters Attack(stock footage); Godzilla vs Gigan; Godzilla vs. Megalon; Godzilla: Final Wars
2. Baragon: Baragon is another mutated dinosaur-like creature who made his first appearance in Frankenstein vs Baragon. He is a strange monster. He has big floppy ears and a large horn on his snout and he likes to burrow underground. He is another monster that walks on all fours and suffers from some of the same problems that Anguirus suffers from while being filmed. Other than his first appearance Baragon has not seen a lot of action. He was seen very briefly in Destroy All Monsters and there is stock footage of him in Godzilla: Final Wars. He did have a large role to play in the movie Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters all out Attack. In that film Baragon is the first of the guardian monsters to fight Godzilla in what is one of the most enjoyable monster fights ever. Baragon is sorely outmatched but this plucky little monster gives it his all fighting against one of the most powerfully depicted Godzilla’s ever on film.
3. Battra: Battra is the evil twin to Mothra. He is only depicted in the Heisei era film Godzilla vs Mothra: Battle For the Earth. Although Mothra is a giant moth-like creature, Battra doesn’t resemble a moth but more of an flying insect with horns protruding from his head and he has glowing red/orange eyes. Like Mothra, Battra also appears in his larval form. However, he doesn’t have to go into chrysalis in order to metamorphose into his adult form. I do enjoy the movie he is in and although I am not crazy about monsters that are based on insects, Battra is executed very well.
4. Biollante: Biollante is one of the all-time strangest monsters Godzilla ever had to face. I have mixed feelings about this one. Biollante only features in one Godzilla movie, the Heisei era: Godzilla vs Biollante (although it is seen briefly in a flashback in Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla). In my opinion Biollante is one of the most creatively designed monsters and also one of the most silliest in regards to looks and origins. Biollante was a monster created by a scientist. He mixed Godzilla cells with that of a rose and somehow the spirit of his dead daughter got thrown in the mix and viola! A giant 120 meter rose/plant monster with a large snout and many rows of sharp teeth!! Yeah, it is very silly. Like other Toho monsters this one goes through several metamorphosis until it reaches its final stage. The final look of the monster is pretty cool I must admit. Despite the very silly premise Biollante does show Toho studios thinking outside of the box and creating something entirely new.
5. Ebirah. Ebirah is nothing more than a giant lobster. His two appearance were in Godzilla vs the Sea Monster and Godzilla: Final Wars. The only thing I liked about this monster is the fact that in both movies they use him to really show his size and scale. One of the stranger usages of Ebirah is in the movie Final Wars were the mutants fight him in some industrial setting. You would think they would have placed a giant lobster somewhere in the sea.

Godzilla 2000 (1999)

After the failure of Godzilla 98 at the box office Toho returned to making Godzilla movies. Godzilla 98 had a $130 million budget but only made $136 million domestically. Godzilla did make another $242 million overseas for a total of $379 million. These numbers were not solid enough for Tri-Star to make the two squeals originally planned so the right for Godzilla reverted back to Toho Studios.

This new movie and the 4 Godzilla movies that came afterward are known as the Millennium Series and for continuity buffs only two of these movies would be related to one another. They all pretty much ignore the continuity of both the Shōwa and Heisei Series. In today’s parlance it is as if each movie of the Millennium series was a re-boot. I will say more on that with each of the Millennium Series movie I review.

Before I move on to the review of Godzilla 2000, I want to add that even though I grew up on the Shōwa Series the Millennium Series is my favorite series and I look forward to reviewing these movies.

Here is a synopsis of the plot. There exists the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN) which is a network of individuals that independently study Godzilla and try to predict his landfalls. A reporter is following a small father-daughter unit that has predicted Godzilla’s next attack on Japan. While Godzilla’s whereabouts are being predicted scientists from Crisis Control Intelligence (CCI) have discovered a 60 million year old UFO at the bottom of the ocean. Unbeknownst to the scientists the light they used to find the UFO has woken it up. Just as the UFO begins to fly around Japan Godzilla arrives in Tokyo Bay where it is greeted by the Japanese military. Godzilla fights the UFO to a draw but not before the UFO copies the DNA of Godzilla. Yuji Shinoda, the GPN scientist discovers that Godzilla DNA contains Re-generator G-1 which enables him to heal quickly. Yuji also has a conflict with the head of the CCI who beleives Godzilla should be destroyed while Yuji believes that Godzilla needs to be studied. When the UFO returns it uses the Re-generator G-1 cells and morphs into a giant monster which confronts Godzilla in an epic battle with Godzilla triumphant in the end.

Other than the original 1954/56 version of Godzilla, this is one of my all time favorite Godzilla movies. First of all this movie introduces us to a redesigned Godzilla. Although many people often mistakenly refer to Godzilla as a giant green lizard, in this movie he actually is depicted green in color. He has been reduced in size from 100 meters in thigh to around 50 to 55 meters depending on which source is correct. He also has giant irregular sharp dorsal fins that are silvery and purple in color. Now if you would have told me that Godzilla was going to be depicted green with purple dorsal fins for this movie I wounded have said the designers are crazy! But this design works.

Actually it is my favorite Godzilla design out of all of them. This exact design would be used for the next movie, Godzilla Against Megaguirus. In 2001’s, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack , an entirely new design would used. The Godzilla 2000 design would be utilized once again for the next two movies except with a more traditional color scheme. The last Godzilla film, Godzilla: Final Wars, which came out in 2004, would do a more retro re-imagining of the Shōwa Series design. A unique and creative development that began with this movie is the way Godzilla’s atomic breath begins to fire. We have the traditional illumination of the dorsal fins but what is new is that as the dorsal fins are lighting up we see the plasma beam building up in his mouth as energy from the air gets sucked in. That is an awesome effect! It is orange in color which I don’t care for but it would return to the more familiar bluish white in later movies. 

I also like the story. I do find it odd to pair Godzilla with aliens but since these are two of my favorite subjects in science fiction it can be enjoyable when done well. The Godzilla franchise has a hit and miss reputation with these types of films and I find this one to be one of the best enjoyable hits of this kind of movie. I still have a few unanswered questions though. Unlike other Godzilla vs Aliens movies we never get to see the aliens in this film, we only see the ship morph. So I am not sure if there are aliens in the space ship or is the ship itself the alien?

I like the actors and the main character, Yuji Shinoda is very likable. So are the reporter and Yuji’s daughter. However, the way his daughter and the reporter bicker does get old after a while, thank God it doesn’t last. I really enjoy the special effects with this movie. The scenes in the early part of the movie where Godzilla is attacking the city against a red sky is very moving. I like the final morphing of the alien into Orga, although the name of the monster never is mentioned in the movie, and Godzilla’s creative manner in which he defeats his nemesis. Though the morphing a creature or alien into different stages has been done before, and will be done again, I don’t mind as long as it works within the movie and this one works quite well.

This is one of the movies that also balances the concept of the good Godzilla against the bad Godzilla. In the later 60s and 70s Godzilla became the hero. The Heisei Series, for the most part, returned Godzilla to the original malevolent role. He is a malevolent monster in this movie and his role as the hero is circumstantial and not intentional. He is acting in self-defense and if it happens to help humanity while he is protecting himself that is just a side benefit. The movie is fun and entertaining. It is not somber and foreboding like the original, but it is lighthearted thoroughly enjoyable with an interesting story with fascinating alien concepts about along with likable characters that makes me want to watch to see what happens to them all.

 I rate this movie: A+

Godzilla Franchise Timeline.

As a big fan of Star Trek I have observed that continuity is an important and fun aspect of being a fan. Since the 1960s Star Trek has grown into a large universe of stories and characters that fans like to have molded into a cohesive continuity. For the large part it has been successful. The Godzilla franchise is a different story. I have observed that continuity is important for some fans of the franchise but not to the degree it is for Trekkies. For myself I do not feel continuity is as important in the Godzilla franchise as it is for my enjoyment of Star Trek. In Star Trek the focus in storytelling is on the human characters we can relate to, so I find continuity more essential in that franchise. In Godzilla stories the general focus is on a giant monster and only a very few human characters are featured in more than one movie. That lessens the need for continuity between films for my enjoyment.

Before I move forward I want to distinguish the difference between Continuity and Canon. I have been on forums and message boards where some fans use these terms interchangeably. They are not synonyms. Canon refers simply to a complete body of work. Continuity is the weaving together of i the characteristics of characters, plot, objects, and places as understood by the reader or viewer. So something can be Cannon, part of the official body of work, but not be congruent with established continuity. Even in Godzilla movies some type of Continuity exists and is essential. For example, Godzilla being basically a monster that is indestructible and having the ability to breath a plasma/fire type of weapon is established continuity for the character. That is one main reason why many fans turned up their noses at the 1998 American version of Godzilla. The American version of Godzilla deviated away from the continuity of the established characteristics of Godzilla that it was difficult for fans to see that creature as the Godzilla they have come to enjoy and appreciate.

The Godzilla franchise is divided into three eras. The first two eras are named after the reign name of the Emperor of Japan. A unique aspect of the Japanese monarchy is that during the reign of a monarch the emperor is not refereed to by his given name. He is simply called the Emperor or His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. After the death of the emperor his reign will be given a name. In the case of Emperor Hirohito who ruled from 1926 to 1989 his posthumous reign is called the Shōwa Era. Therefore the Godzilla movies made from 1954 to 1975 are called the Shōwa Series of Godzilla movies.

Godzilla was retired for 9 years after 1975 and this is where the naming of the eras of Godzilla movies makes an exception. The Godzilla movies made from 1984 until 1996 are called the Heisei Series which is the future reign name of Japan’s current Emperor, Akihito. In 1984 Toho Studios rebooted the Godzilla franchise. While technically the 1984 movie, called simply Gojira in Japan and Return of Godzilla in the US, it was produced and released in the Shōwa Era of Godzilla movies it is considered part of the Heisei Series due to the fact that the movie started a new continuity that would continue for the next 6 Godzilla films. The Heisei Series of Godzilla movies ignores the existence of all the Shōwa series movies except for the 1954 original.

After the failure, or shall I say relative failure, of the 1998 American Godzilla film Toho decided to continue to make more Godzilla films. Starting in 1999 with the movie Godzilla 2000 and continuing for 5 more movies culminating in the 2004, 50th anniversary extravaganza, Godzilla: Final Wars. This series of movies has come to be known as the Millennium Series. Each of these movies ignores both the Shōwa and Heisei movies to a large or lesser degree. Godzilla 2000 does not mention any previous movie but does indicate Godzilla has been around before. Except for  Shōwa Era and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (which is a story told in two parts) none of the Millennium Series movies are connected to each other.Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack  mentions the American Godzilla giving some evidence that would place that movie as part of the Millennium Series. Godzilla: Final Wars is difficult to place. Since it is a celebration of 50 years of Godzilla and given the fact that most of the monsters featured in the film are from the Shōwa Series (with some exceptions) most place it with the Millennium Series due solely to the fact that it was released in 2004.

I enjoy all the movies pretty equally across the three series. Although I grew up on the Shōwa Series, my first Godzilla movie in the theater was Destroy All Monsters in 1969, my favorite series is the Millennium Series because I enjoy the stories more, they are less campy than the later Shōwa Series, and the special effects are so much improved over the other series and there are at least 4 different Godzilla designs to enjoy.

 

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II 1993

This was the 20th Godzilla film and even though it came out in 1993 it was the film that would celebrate 40 years of Godzilla. In this movie we see the return of classic characters from the Showa era, Rodan and Mechagodzilla. We also find out that Godzilla once again has a new son but this time it isn’t Minya from the Son of Godzilla and other movies, it is a totally new character. Many fans didn’t really care for Minya and it seems they didn’t care for this new character either. Akira Ifukube was on board to provide the music once more. In 1992 Toho Studios wanted to give the directing duties to veteran Godzilla director Ishirō Honda but he died early in 1993. With Honda’s passing the directing duties were given to Takao Okawara.

Although this movie is titled Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II it is not a sequel to the 1973 movie Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla despite the inclusion of the the Roman numeral II. This movie is actually a sequel to the previous film, Godzilla vs Mothra.

The story begins where the previous movie left off. The United Nations creates a task force with the aim of defeating Godzilla, it is called United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center (UNGCC). They take the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah and build two machines in their effort to beat Godzilla. The first one is called Garuda and the second one is Mechgodzilla. In the Showa series Mechagodzilla had an alien origin but in the Heisei series Mechgodzilla’s origins are strictly Earth bound and human.

The movie flashes forward to a couple of years into the future where a team of Japanese scientists come across a large egg on Adona Island in the Bering Sea. The egg seems to give off strange signals which attracts Rodan an adult giant pteranodon created by the nuclear waste. The scientists think the egg they have found is another baby pteranodon. Suddenly Godzilla rises from the ocean and begins to fight Rodan. During the skirmish the scientists escape with the egg. After they leave, Godzilla is successful in severely wounding Rodan.

The egg is taken to Kyoto and when it hatches out pops a baby Godzillasaur which imprints on a very cute Japanese scientists, Azusa Gojo played by Ryoko Sano. Side note: Toho has had a reputation for hiring very attractive leading ladies over the years and this movie has two of my all time favorites. Soon Godzilla arrives in Kyoto looking for his baby. The Japanese Defense Force sends Mechagodzilla to fight Godzilla but he malfunctions allowing Godzilla to destroy Kyoto uninhibited. Tests are conducted on baby Godzilla and it is discovered that he has two brains. The brain in his midsection controls his movements. Theorizing that Godzilla also has two brains the UNGCC devises a plan to use this device called the “G-Crusher” to stop Godzilla in his tracks. They use Baby Godzilla as bait but the plan fails when a super charged and healed Rodan, now called Fire Rodan, answers the call instead. Rodan destroys the helicopter that is carrying the cargo container holding baby Godzilla and Azusa Gojo.

The UNGCC uses Garuda and a repaired Super-Mechagodzilla to fight Rodan who is trying to get to baby Godzilla. While battling Rodan Godzilla shows up and confronts his metallic alter ego. When Rodan is mortally wounded Garuda and Super-Mechagodzilla team up to fight Godzilla and succeed in paralyzing him. Revived once again by baby Godzilla’s call Rodan tries to flee when Super-Mechagodzilla shoots him down. Rodan falls on top of Godzilla and as he is dying transfers his life force to Godzilla. Godzilla revives and finds baby Godzilla. Little baby Godzilla is frightened of big Godzilla until Miki Saegusa, the young psychic who has been in the previous movies, telepathically communicates to baby that he needn’t be afraid of Godzilla. The two then head off into the ocean.

I really enjoy this film and like it a bit better than the previous Godzilla vs Mothra. The special effects are top notch and the acting is pretty solid. I really liken the inclusion of Rodan since we have not seen him in along long time and really hasn’t had any battles with Godzilla since Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster in 1964. I have always liked Rodan a great deal and feel he has been under used by Toho so I am really happy for his inclusion into the movie. My one complaint about Rodan is the name they call him. In Japan he is actually called Radon and that is what he is called here. This is the English dubbed version that is calling him Radon so you would think that in the dubbed version they would have used the name Rodan which is the familiar name English speaking audiences know him by.

I like this new baby Godzilla, it really cute and even though he is only a plot point rather than a true character he is used well. The action scenes with the monsters are also well filmed and executed. Rodan and Godzilla have never looked better. Speaking of looking good one of the joys for me with this movie is seeing the lovely Shinobu Nakayama as the adorably cute Yuri Katagiri and Ryoko Sano as the equally adorably cute Azusa Gojo. This movie is one of the top movies of Godzilla’s Heisei series.

I rate this movie: A

Shinobu Nakayama

Ryoko Sano

Godzilla vs Mothra: Battle for Earth. 1992

With the great success of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Toho rushed into production its sequel. In many ways this movie is a remake of Godzilla vs the Thing. It reintroduces Mothra in this new continuity and has similar elements. Akira Ifukube returns to grace us with his musical genius and legendary Godzilla actor Akira Takarada makes his first apperance in a Heisei series Godzilla film. He starred in several Godzilla films from the Showa era including the original 1954 movie. The twin fairies who often accompany Mothra are present in this film, although they were called the Shobijin during the Showa era, in this movie they are refereed to as “the Cosmos.”

The movie begins with a meteor striking the earth that results in both waking up Godzilla, who is very cranky without his morning coffee, and also uncovering a giant egg on Infant Island. We also see, an man named Takuya stealing an artifact from a cave suspiciously dressed like Indiana Jones including the Whip! He narrowly escapes disaster in true Indiana Jones style. He is arrested once he escapes the cave he is in and he is confronted with a proposition: His ex-wife, Masako, along with members of the Marutomo Corporation, have have persuaded the authorities to release him to help investigate the egg on Infant Island.

It is on Infant Island that Takuya, Masako and Andoh come across the egg and the twin fairies calling themselves the Cosmos. The Cosmos explain that an ancient civilization created the monsters Mothra and Battra (Mothra’s evil twin) and that Mothra once defeated Battra in a war that also destroyed this ancient civilization. As Takuya, Masako and Andoh are bringing the giant egg back to the Japanese mainland Godzilla arrives just as the Mothra larva hatches. Then Battra also shows up and a fight between Godzilla and Battra occurs and Mothra escapes.

Andoh is upset that the egg has hatched and fears that his bosses at the Marutomo Corporation will be upset. In order to bring something back to his bosses Andoh steals the Cosmos. Mothra then heads to Japan looking for the Cosmos and causes great destruction. Takauya steals the Cosmos from Andoh and is reunited with his ex-wife Masako and their daughter and he pledges that he will turn his life around. Just at this point the Japanese Defense Force attacks Mothra who begins to spin herself into a cocoon.

Godzilla then returns to Japan just as Mothra breaks out of her cocoon and appears in her final and familiar form. We also see Battra spontaneously transforming into his final form. Mothra and Battra team up and begin to fight Godzilla. As they defeat him Mothra and Battra fly Godzilla out to sea but not before Godzilla roasts Battra with his atomic plasma breath killing him. As Godzilla and Battra fall into the seas Mothra returns to an airport run way where they explain that in 1999 a meteor will destroy the earth and that Battra was sent to destroy the meteor. The Cosmos does reassure everyone that Mothra will take over Battara’s job and save the earth from the meteor when its time.

This is not a bad movie, neither is it spectacular. I think it is much better than the latter Showa movies but I would say it is an average Heisei series movie. It certainly is not the worse of the Heisei series that comes soon. The story is enjoyable and the characters are certainly likable. Even Takuya, who is the thief we see robbing the cave at the start is snot really painted as your typical bad guy. But things like stealing the Cosmos was done in another movie so some of the elements of this movie are things we have seen before. Also, it is great to see Akira Takarada in another Godzilla movie he is not given much to do at all. He is in scenes with the prime minister and we seem them only standing around complaining and wringing their hands about how awful everything is.

Godzilla looks pretty menacing in this movie and is designed the same as he was from the last movie. Although this design is not my favorite I like the menacing aspect of his look throughout this series as it is preferable over the cartoon look he developed in the later Showa series. There are some scenes of Battra causing destruction and in the foreground we see people running. These effects around scenes like this are much better than they were in the 60s and they really give you the perspective of scale these monster have.

All-in-all a good entry in the franchise even though it really isn’t offering anything too new. Battra, as Mothra’s evil twin, is a good creative idea and I wouldn’t mind seeing him in another movie. I do enjoy popping this DVD into the player every now and then, like I did last night in order to review this movie, so if you have never seen it I would recommend it.

 I rate this movie: B

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah 1991

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This is one of my favorite of the rebooted, or Heisei series, and it has everything in it! It has Godzilla and spectacular monster fights with his number one nemesis, Ghidorah, (now raised in rank to King Ghidorah), time travelers and androids! It also has a very convoluted plot and enough twists and turns to satisfy anyone. There is humor and action and destruction. The special effects are also very well done.

The movie was directed by Kazuki Omori and this would be a very controversial film for him. The film depicts a very pro-Japanese tone in an era of rising Japanese financial power and many thought the film was anti-American. I can see that at the time some of the remarks, scenes and characters could be construed as anti-American sentiment, but viewing it here 21 years later those comments and scenes to have lost much of their sting. One of the more favorable aspects of the film is the return of original music producer and writer Akira Ifukbe.

The plot: As I said it is convoluted and as with many time travel movies it has large Swiss Cheese style holes in it. The movie begins in the year 2204 and we see a submarine examining the remains of King Ghidorah resting at the bottom of the ocean. The next scene shows the year 1991 and a UFO flying over Tokyo. The next day it lands and out come three people. Two Caucasians, one named Wilson, the other Gurenchiko and a gorgeously sweet and adorably cute Japanese woman named Emmy. Instead of typical aliens coming out of a UFO these three are time travelers from the year 2204. They are called the Futurians and they have come from the future, with an android in tow, to rescue Japan from the clutches of Godzilla. The Futurians mention that Godzilla will return shortly and the destruction that follows will make Japan a radioactive wasteland and uninhabitable in the future.

The sub-plot involves a wealthy business man named Shindo who experienced a large dinosaur, called a Godzillasaurus, on Lagos Island in 1944 during World War II. It seems that in 1944 the Godzillasaurus rescues a Japanese force from annihilation by an American squadron on Lagos. Shindo was a member of that Japanese force. This Godzillasaurus remained on Lagos Island and was subject to fall out from nuclear testing resulting in the first creation of Godzilla in 1954. Terasawa, who would write a book about Godzilla in the future, is taken by the Futurians, along with psychic Miki Saegusa and professor Mazaki back to Lagos Island in 1944 to prevent the creation of Godzilla. They bring with them three cute dragon like creatures called the Dorats. I bet you can see what is coming next. After witnessing the Godzillasaurus defeating the American forces (watch for a funny and groan worthy Steven Spielberg joke) the Futurians teleport the wounded Godzillasaurus to the ocean floor in the year 1991. Right before they go “back to the future” Emmy leaves the Dorats behind.

When they all arrive back in 1991 we discover that Godzilla never existed (although many people do seem to know about him) and in his place comes King Ghidorah. Yup, the little Dorats have mutated into one giant monster. It seems the Futurians were not there to save Japan after all. Instead they came to ensure Japan’s destruction. It seems that in the future Japan was not destroyed by Godzilla but had in fact become the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth.

Emmy, it seems has been unaware of the plans  fellow time travelers and begins to work with Tersawa, Miki Saegusa and professor Mazaki to try to bring back Godzilla in an effort to defeat King Ghiodorah. Shindo has a nuclear powered sub built in an effort to resurrect Godzilla. However before their plan can be put into service a Russian nuclear sub crashes near the Godzillasaurus and suddenly the largest Godzilla ever seen comes out from the depths of the ocean. This Godzilla makes short work of King Ghiodorah, ripping his middle head off in the process. Now without anyone standing in his way Godzilla begins paving a path of destruction across Japan.

Emmy, Terasawa and professor Mazaki now have to concoct a plan to defeat Godzilla. So Emmy says lets go to the future and bring back King Ghiodorah to defeat Godzilla!!! Hu? What? Hmmm…but didn’t you just create Godzilla to defeat King Ghiodorah in the first place? Now you want to bring King Ghiodorah back to defeat Godzilla…it seems like we’re caught in an never ending loop! So Emmy returns to the future where the body of King Ghiodorah is revived and enhanced with cybernetics to become Mecha-King Ghiodorah. With Emmy piloting Mecha-King Ghiodorah she/they defeat Godzilla and she drops both monsters into the ocean.

This movie is a wild and wacky ride and a heck of a lot of fun. I am also a huge Star Trek fan and many fans such as myself really enjoy the continuity within that franchise. The Godzilla franchise is another story. The original Showa series (1954-1975) is a loose continuity, meaning its there but all the directors of the various films were flexible with the continuity. Godzilla vs King Ghiodorah shatters that continuity. The rebooted Heisei series scuttled the prior continuity except for the original movie. Well, this movie even destroyed the limited continuity of the first two Heisei movies. In the 1954 original Godzilla dies at the end. The rest of the Showa era series is ignored and  in the Return of Godzilla, the Godzilla that is depicted in that movie is the second incarnation of the creature. But this movie erases all of that. Now, for the rest of the Heisei series Godzilla never appeared in 1954 at all! He never appeared in 1984  Return of Godzilla or 1989 (Godzilla vs Biollante). In fact the events from those movies are erased! So this movie reboots the entire franchise once again with Godzilla making his first appearance in this movie. Then, as you will see in a few weeks, the last of the Heisei series does reference the 1954 appearance of Godzilla! Confusing isn’t it? So the continuity is a bit of a mess.

So if you don’t care about continuity this movie is a lot of fun and action. The acting is good although the scenes with the android are a bit silly. Godzilla looks real good and the special effects with him and King Ghiodorah are very well done. I think the time travel element is very creative and used for a good plot device in moving the story forward.

I rate this movie: A

How Tall was Godzilla?

Before I post this weeks Godzilla review I wanted to have a little fun. Godzilla was much smaller during the Showa series of films (54-75) and taller in the Hesei series (84-95). The increased height was due to the fact that in the later series the buildings in Tokyo were built so much taller that they would have dwarfed the first incarnation of the monster, so he had to be made larger. If you look in the left hand corner at the bottom of the picture you can see him in comparison with a person. 

(click on the picture to see the full picture)