GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA
(Gojira X Mekagojira)
December 14, 2002
After decades of being attacked by various monsters, Japan looks to build a new super weapon to counter the return of Godzilla. After recovering the skeleton of the original 1954 Godzilla, scientist use it to build a new bio-mechanical monster to battle it's counterpart.
Toho figured if familiar monsters brought in the attendance and results at the box office, surely doing it again would work. Masaaki Tezuka returned to direct the film and Michiru Oshima returns to provide the score for the film with the help of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra to provide a bigger and bolder score than in Megaguirus.
The continuity of this movie is interesting. It implies that along with the original Godzilla, the events of the original Mothra film and War of the Gargauntuas are canon. The only thing that kinda fudges it is that during an exposition scene, its said that the JSDF killed those monsters...except if you saw those films, they didn't.
In the first Godzilla movie, after Godzilla was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer his entire body was dissolved, skeleton and all. In this movie however, the skeleton remains intact.
With that, we have the creation of Mechagodzilla (Hirofumi Ishigaki) built right over it. What could possibly go wrong?
This is the most unique interpretation of Mechagodzilla on film. Besides the origin, it also has it's own nickname: Kiryu. If I had no idea of what a Mechagodzilla would even look like, Kiryu is more or less what I would picture in my head, that design won me over instantly. Plus, it actually has an actual tail as opposed to the pathetic stumpy tails previous versions possessed.
In addition to the usual beams and missiles you come to expect, Kiryu comes equipped with one unique/devastating weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon which fires a powerful freezing beam. However there is one major drawback for this mecha, the skeleton serving as the framework contains the restless soul of the first Godzilla giving us a literal ghost in the machine, one that can reawaken and take control of Kiryu.
The idea of the first Godzilla coming back to life to fight the current Godzilla was actually proposed back in the mid 90's.
Godzilla himself returns to a more slimmed down version of the original Millennium design with his traditional color scheme and I don't know if it's just me, but his face looks very wolf-like. Tsutomu Kitagawa also returns to fill the suit of both the present and the 1954 Godzilla in a flashback (it may look like CGI, but it ain't)
In many ways Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is very similar to Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, not only because Masaaki Tezuka is the director but ya know, the main character is a woman who lost her colleagues to Godzilla and gets put in charge of the new super weapon that's constantly having issues to combat him. As much as I really enjoy Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, I have to say that Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is the superior film.
Akane (Yumiko Shaku), the main character of our story is a more sympathetic character. Upon Godzilla's return to Japan, Akane is driving one of the Maser Tanks sent to try and repel him. When it doesn't work, Akane panics and accidentally crashes the tank into another vehicle knocking it off a hill where it was later crushed by Godzilla.
While she may have revenge on the mind, survivors guilt is the bigger issue. She has her moments of self doubt but that doesn't stop her from doing her duty which is also helped by the fact that most of the members of the Kiryu Squad have her back, including its commander, Lt. Togashi (Koh Takasugi). In terms of looks alone, Togashi looks like he could be one of the meanest men on the planet who'd snap at the drop of a hat (it's the eyebrows). But no, he's actually a pretty chill, level headed dude but at the same time, he's still a commander who doesn't take any bs. No, a-hole duty for this squad goes to Hayama (Yusuke Tomoi), who constantly gives Akane crap because his brother was one of the people killed by Godzilla in the beginning of the film.
Filling the scientist role is Dr. Yuhara (Shin Takuma), his work includes bringing prehistoric organisms back to life through robotic exoskeletons which he demonstrates with a live Trilobite specimen, so naturally his talents are put to good use providing the main operating systems for Kiryu. He also tries and hilariously fails to put the moves on Akane, but she ends up bonding more with his daughter Sara (Kana Onodera), who also experienced trauma after her mother died while pregnant with another child. Needless to say, the subject of life and death, Akane's self doubt, Kiryu's creation essentially resurrecting the first Godzilla and the laundry pile of implications that comes with, there are so many layers to this cast and story and I love it for that.
Veteran cast members include Kumi Mizuno and Akira Nakao. Mizuno was the leading lady in several of Toho's Showa era science fiction films, most notably as Namikawa in 'Invasion of Astro-Monster' while Nakao played G-Force Commander Aso in the last 3 Heisei Godzilla films. Mizuno plays the Prime Minister while Nakao would become her successor toward the middle of the story.
One more great thing about Kiryu is that it doesn't just rely on rockets and beam attacks, Kiryu can also throw hands with Godzilla more than any past versions, which makes the final fight especially refreshing and entertaining. But Kiryu isn't all heroics. After Godzilla lets out a roar, it triggers the soul of the original Godzilla which takes over and briefly goes on a rampage through Tokyo. One of my favorite special effects moments takes place during Kiryu's rampage, it's when Kiryu walks right through one of the model buildings. I'm not sure if this was a subtle reference to the 98 film or not, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a great entry in the franchise overall, it takes familiar characters in fascinating new directions, the human cast and special effects are all solid.
Despite a somewhat low attendance, it was a success at the box office so another film was on the table, but instead of another reboot, the next entry would be the Millennium series' only direct sequel, which will be covered next time.
Also, there's an after credits scene, so keep watching till the end.
Toho figured if familiar monsters brought in the attendance and results at the box office, surely doing it again would work. Masaaki Tezuka returned to direct the film and Michiru Oshima returns to provide the score for the film with the help of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra to provide a bigger and bolder score than in Megaguirus.
In the first Godzilla movie, after Godzilla was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer his entire body was dissolved, skeleton and all. In this movie however, the skeleton remains intact.
With that, we have the creation of Mechagodzilla (Hirofumi Ishigaki) built right over it. What could possibly go wrong?
In addition to the usual beams and missiles you come to expect, Kiryu comes equipped with one unique/devastating weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon which fires a powerful freezing beam. However there is one major drawback for this mecha, the skeleton serving as the framework contains the restless soul of the first Godzilla giving us a literal ghost in the machine, one that can reawaken and take control of Kiryu.
The idea of the first Godzilla coming back to life to fight the current Godzilla was actually proposed back in the mid 90's.
Akane (Yumiko Shaku), the main character of our story is a more sympathetic character. Upon Godzilla's return to Japan, Akane is driving one of the Maser Tanks sent to try and repel him. When it doesn't work, Akane panics and accidentally crashes the tank into another vehicle knocking it off a hill where it was later crushed by Godzilla.
While she may have revenge on the mind, survivors guilt is the bigger issue. She has her moments of self doubt but that doesn't stop her from doing her duty which is also helped by the fact that most of the members of the Kiryu Squad have her back, including its commander, Lt. Togashi (Koh Takasugi). In terms of looks alone, Togashi looks like he could be one of the meanest men on the planet who'd snap at the drop of a hat (it's the eyebrows). But no, he's actually a pretty chill, level headed dude but at the same time, he's still a commander who doesn't take any bs. No, a-hole duty for this squad goes to Hayama (Yusuke Tomoi), who constantly gives Akane crap because his brother was one of the people killed by Godzilla in the beginning of the film.
Filling the scientist role is Dr. Yuhara (Shin Takuma), his work includes bringing prehistoric organisms back to life through robotic exoskeletons which he demonstrates with a live Trilobite specimen, so naturally his talents are put to good use providing the main operating systems for Kiryu. He also tries and hilariously fails to put the moves on Akane, but she ends up bonding more with his daughter Sara (Kana Onodera), who also experienced trauma after her mother died while pregnant with another child. Needless to say, the subject of life and death, Akane's self doubt, Kiryu's creation essentially resurrecting the first Godzilla and the laundry pile of implications that comes with, there are so many layers to this cast and story and I love it for that.
Veteran cast members include Kumi Mizuno and Akira Nakao. Mizuno was the leading lady in several of Toho's Showa era science fiction films, most notably as Namikawa in 'Invasion of Astro-Monster' while Nakao played G-Force Commander Aso in the last 3 Heisei Godzilla films. Mizuno plays the Prime Minister while Nakao would become her successor toward the middle of the story.
One more great thing about Kiryu is that it doesn't just rely on rockets and beam attacks, Kiryu can also throw hands with Godzilla more than any past versions, which makes the final fight especially refreshing and entertaining. But Kiryu isn't all heroics. After Godzilla lets out a roar, it triggers the soul of the original Godzilla which takes over and briefly goes on a rampage through Tokyo. One of my favorite special effects moments takes place during Kiryu's rampage, it's when Kiryu walks right through one of the model buildings. I'm not sure if this was a subtle reference to the 98 film or not, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
Despite a somewhat low attendance, it was a success at the box office so another film was on the table, but instead of another reboot, the next entry would be the Millennium series' only direct sequel, which will be covered next time.
Also, there's an after credits scene, so keep watching till the end.
Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon
and thank you for joining me here in my lair.
So long...
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