GODZILLA-THON #26 - Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Man, do I hate that poster. The poster for Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) looks incredible next to this, and that was previously the worst of the series. Now, admittedly, I have no clue who the chick in front is; and it's very likely she's some sort of major star in Japan. Perhaps Toho saw her as a big draw to bring in younger fans. I don't know. What I do know is the only selling power any Godzilla film should ever need is Godzilla, not the latest flavor of the month. Am I making too big a deal of this? Probably. Godzilla has a fairly solid design this go around, and Kiryu/Mechagodzilla is all revamped and adapted to modern technologies. That should be enough to get people interested, no?

Again, I find myself surprised by a Millennium series entry (I'm beginning to think I need to re-evaluate my stance on it as a whole, though it's still my "least" favorite) because this was yet another retcon of the series. Once again, the timeline has been restarted from 1954, when the first Godzilla was killed. A second Godzilla has been wreaking the usual havoc across Japan for some time, not that the movie gets into any sort of specifics. After a bout with the JSDF in 1999 that saw heavy casualties, a decision was made to construct a robotic adversary to save the people of Japan from Godzilla. In a semi-ironic twist, the JSDF decides to build the mechanical body on top of the original 1954 Godzilla's bones. I know what you're thinking, and just forget the bones evaporated at the end of Gojira. This new technological titan is dubbed Kiryu, Japanese for Machine Dragon. Kiryu's outfitted with all the latest in heavy artillery, with a special weapon called Absolute Zero, which can freeze anything instantly before crushing it to dust.

The film begins to pose some interesting philosophical questions when Kiryu and Godzilla have their first encounter. Although taking down G is extremely difficult, Kiryu more than holds its own... until Godzilla lets out a distinct roar. Immediately, Kiryu is flooded with memories transferred from the skeleton of G54 that lies within its metallic carriage. As Godzilla retreats to the sea, Kiryu goes haywire and launches a full-on assault that more or less levels the city. It only stops because the power ran out after an hour of the kind of city-leveling action that gets Michael Bay harder than a rock. Go ahead, make the pun... The JSDF does some maintenance work on Kiryu, but some people feel it would be best to leave it be. A young girl, who seems way smarter than she likely should be, suggests Kiryu has a right to life just as anything else on this earth. It should befriend Godzilla, not fight him. Naturally, the JSDF doesn't see it that way so they launch Kiryu to once again fight G. The battle is spectacular, ending with - you guessed it - the Absolute Zero. As is tradition, Godzilla meets it head-on with his atomic fire breath. And as is also tradition, that's usually grounds for major damage to both parties.

Kiryu not only makes for a worthy opponent to Godzilla, but also a great character on its own. I really dug the concept of using Godzilla '54's bones as a literal skeleton upon which to build his robotic equal. The idea of a bio-mechanical Mechagodzilla is novel. I love that the bones still contain some energy, a life essence of sorts, and it adds a layer of autonomy to what is supposed to be a completely human-controlled mech. Thoughts flood its memory banks in waves, unleashing instant emotional outbursts that are uncontrollable. It's truly some of the most introspective stuff ever included in the series. Thankfully, this film isn't the last we see of Kiryu, either.

Interestingly, Titanosaurus was originally going to make an appearance by helping out Kiryu during the big brawl. That never came to be, but it would have been nice to see that old shrieking dino get another appearance in the series. Though, truthfully, I was never a huge fan of it. 

Godzilla is once again more or less back to his Millennium series self. The Big G of GMK was strictly a one-off, special event type of deal. The KiryuGoji suit created for this film had a smaller head than those used for the first two films of the Millennium series. They also fixed those jacked up teeth that made Godzilla look like Austin Powers' father. His scutes were reduced in size enough not to look insanely jagged and needlessly humongous, and the coloration was returned to a bone white finish. Speaking of color, G was done up in a charcoal grey once again; no more green for this guy. I wish the suits for the first two Millennium films looked this good. It's still not my ideal look for the Big Guy, but taking into account all of the other designs used for this series I'd certainly place this one in second place behind GMK. His atomic breath is also back to blue. Even though he breathes flame a lot throughout the film, the way the filmmakers get his scutes glowing and that little hint of fiery death appears in his mouth just before an explosive burst is expertly done.

The human element is less important to this story than the questions posed by Kiryu's creation. I mean, really, what else are the humans doing in this Millennium series other than trying in vain to find a way to kill Godzilla. Constantly. And they always fail. You know what this series has been sorely lacking? Aliens. Both the Showa and Heisei era films used aliens as a central plot device on more than one occasion (I'm counting Space Godzilla as an alien). Aliens have traditionally added a unique conflict for the humans to deal with, while Godzilla had his hands full with a battle or two. The only time it's interesting to see the military desperately look for ways to off Big G is when it's for a solo outing. The universal questions wrought by Kiryu's creation certainly spill over to our human characters, requiring a great deal of understanding and reasoning on their part. But mostly, they're just trying to kill Godzilla. Is this all that much different from nearly every other entry in the series? Not exactly. The army has always tried to vanquish Godzilla. Maybe after 25 films it's just a bit tiring to see them scrambling for outrageous new ways to kill the Big Guy.

Scoring duties for this entry fell upon composer Michiru Oshima, who also worked on Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) and this film's sequel, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003). If you read my entry for Megaguirus, you'll know I wasn't terribly fond of the music there. Oshima's work is a bit improved for this film, but there has yet to be a Millennium series score that's had any effect on me. Mostly, I just can't stand the "theme" given to Godzilla in these movies. I put theme in quotations because it's just a couple of low notes meant to signal his arrival, nothing iconic by any means. I'd rather hear recycled Ifukube scores than listen to the forgettable scores found in each Millennium entry. Only GMK broke the mold and tried something different, but even that has a cold, digital feel that couldn't match Ifukube on his worst day. The music works well enough for the films, and that's my problem. Godzilla's iconic themes, the unforgettable leitmotifs we all know by heart, are timeless. You hear those cues and you know what it's from. Nothing in the new series of movies comes close to matching the emotional response the classic themes produce. Am I being overly critical? I doubt it.

Director Masaaki Tezuka claimed they had no intentions of making a direct sequel to this film while producing it, yet it just happened to come together naturally after the success of this entry. With 1.7 million admissions, this was the second most successful entry of the Millennium series; makes sense Toho would want to give audiences another go-round with the same characters. And, hey, why not add in an old favorite while we're at it...  

GODZILLA-THON #20 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Keeping on with the once-a-year cycle Toho preferred, Godzilla was set to get back into action with one of his most powerful adversaries of the Showa era: his evil robotic clone, Mechagodzilla. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) brought back some old faces, introduced new concepts that would be further utilized in future films, and saw the return of a new incarnation of the series' most divisive character: Baby Godzilla. He isn't called Minya, or Minilla, here, though he does share the same basic origin. Despite the fact that they were a year early, Toho declared this the "40th anniversary" film for the series, also making note of the fact that this was Godzilla's twentieth big screen outing. At this point, he had done more films than James Bond. With all the fervor behind this picture, the intention was to make it very special by moving up the permanent retirement date of Big G. Director Ishiro Honda was even reported to have been approached to return to the series, but his death prevented any further activity. In the end, all of the grandiose plans were shelved, and Godzilla got a standard sequel that has surprisingly good continuity, more excellent battles, and a strong return for three long absent monsters.

Humans have finally gotten smart! The U.N. has created a branch called the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center (UNGCC), whose sole task is to find a way to stop Godzilla. Again, using their brains the U.N. decides to salvage the scrapped remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah and use the futuristic technology to build things that can (hopefully) kill Godzilla. The first one they build is a flying ship, Garuda. The second (which probably should have been the first just in case they ran out of space metal or something) was Mechagodzilla. Meanwhile, a group of scientists visits a a remote island and finds what appears to be a large bird egg. Soon after, Rodan shows up to defend her turf. Just as the team is running for cover, Godzilla appears out of the ocean and begins to fight with Rodan, badly wounding the bird. The research team manages to abscond with the egg back to Kyoto, where it hatches to reveal... Baby Godzilla! This little guy is "Minya is Godzilla's Revenge" sized, but he's definitely cuter. Minya looked like a dirty circus freak wearing a rubber body suit. Baby Godzilla looks like, well, a baby Godzilla. Anyway, he gets attached to the female scientist who happens to be there when he's hatched, forming an immediate bond. He acts like a big puppy, really. And he whines, which attracts Big Daddy. Godzilla shows up and trashes the shit out of Kyoto before Mechagodzilla hits the scene, but the technological titan malfunctions during battle, giving Godzilla the win. Figuring that adult is responding to baby's calls, the team shields Baby Godzilla away to discourage Godzilla.

Once he's in captivity, researchers run a few quick tests on Baby G and determine he has a second brain located in the lower spine area. Deducing Big G must also have the same brains, the UNGCC devises a plan to destroy the second brain, rendering Godzilla paralyzed and able to be easily defeated. Baby calls out again, but this time the cries draw Rodan. The UNGCC is forced to send both Garuda and Mechagodzilla into early battle with Rodan, a skirmish that ends with Rodan critically wounded. Godzilla soon shows up and does battle with Mechagodzilla, but just as the bout looks like a stalemate Garuda combines with Mechagodzilla to create Super Mechagodzilla. This new incarnation is equipped with the G-Crusher, projectiles which can be fired into Godzilla's hide and used to annihilate his second brain. Super MechaG fires and hits, jolting Godzilla's second brain and causing it to explode. Godzilla is writhing in agony and about to receive a death blow when Rodan sacrifices itself on top of his body, fully imbuing him with all of his radiation and energy. Godzilla is instantly revived and fucking pissed. Explosions of nuclear energy are occurring all around him when he unleashes his new weapon, courtesy of Fire Rodan: the Spiral Fire Ray. That just sounds like something that fucks shit up. Sure enough, MechaG can't stand the heat and his ass gets fried like a bucket of chicken. Just as Godzilla is about to leave, Miki Saegusa (a returning Megumi Odaka), contacts Godzilla via ESP and convinces him to be Baby G's daddy, since it was implied earlier that Baby G might be from someone else. Whoever that is, the film never speculates. He takes the little tyke, and the film ends with them heading toward the ocean. It's a very typical and fitting ending.

I read that the original plan for this film's ending was to have Godzilla killed,  but his energy would then be transferred to Baby Godzilla, who would in turn grow into a large Godzilla. There was also the idea to have Godzilla killed, but a damaged Garuda would leak nuclear energy that revives Godzilla. Toho seemed to be intent on killing off Godzilla for his "50th anniversary" feature (even though it was a year early), a plan they didn't make good on until a couple years later, when the "energy revival" concept was used, too. Personally, I think the ending works great. It's typical of the Showa era films, and I loved the idea of a dying Rodan's energy being used to not only revive Godzilla, but to make him even more powerful, too. There hasn't been much fluctuation in the Big G's powers over the years; nice to see him get a new toy to play with.

The series decided to bring back the idea of a child in Godzilla's life. Baby Godzilla isn't all that annoying of a character, even if his appearance is a bit goofy. He's sort of cute in a retarded puppy kind of way. One thing is for sure - he actually looks like he could be Godzilla's kid. Unlike Minya, who looks like what would happen if Godzilla screwed his own sister. Baby G looks like an anime character come to life, and he's far less annoying than the Raptor Zillas from Emmerich's 1998 debacle. The scenes with him and the female scientist, and Miki, are... dare I say... cute.

What the film lacks in story - because, really, it lacks plenty since the entire plot is basically "let's build MechaG and kill Big G" - it makes up for in monster battle action. Godzilla and Rodan are shown early on, with lots of big skirmishes taking place periodically during the film. Godzilla and Mechagodzilla have some serious showdowns, which are very reminiscent of their fights in the '70s. This film has a few callbacks to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), most notably the double-beam-explosion that wounded both monsters during their first encounter. This new MechaG is powerful, but it isn't until he's paired with Garuda and able to take down Godzilla's second brain until he can gain the upper hand. I've always felt that the most dangerous robotic incarnation of G was his '70s clone. It seemed like such a crazy futuristic killing machine. So ruthless. I never got that feeling from Mechagodzilla II, or Kiryu.

Rodan makes a series comeback here, having been absent since 1968's Destroy All Monsters. The film originally was going to feature Titanosaurus in this role, but for whatever reason Toho replaced him at the last minute with Rodan. We get two distinct versions here - regular, and fire. The difference being that Fire Rodan is more powerful and looks cooler. Baby G hatched from an egg left in Rodan's nest, so there's a bit of a link between the two of them. Rodan responds to Baby G's calls, which is why MechaG and Garuda are forced into an unexpected early battle. Rodan isn't much of a fighter outside of the ability to blow like an industrial fan and run into things. It's not like it breathes fire or has laser eyes or anything. Well, not until the final fight with MechaG, when Rodan has become Fire Rodan and gained the ability to shoot an energy beam. Makes sense. This is the '90s. Can't be flapping wings and hoping for the best anymore; you need some serious power. It doesn't last all that long, though, before MechaG pretty much obliterates Fire Rodan.

My personal favorite moment in the film comes when Fire Rodan, critically wounded, lays atop a paralyzed Godzilla and not only regenerates his second brain, but also imbues him with all of the additional nuclear powers it had received earlier in the film. Godzilla gets a super recharge, like he just did all the cocaine and is crazy full of energy. The real kicker is that Rodan's sacrifice gave G a new form of atomic breath, one which MechaG can't even begin to attempt withstanding. His new Spiral Fire Ray is devastatingly powerful, easily melting the synthetic diamond exterior on the new MechaG. At this point, after twenty films, it's high time Godzilla got a few new abilities that didn't involve him flying or doing a super kick.

Koichi Kawakita once again made some modifications to the Godzilla suit. This iteration, the RadoGoji, looks nearly identical to the previous suits, only the head has been widened a bit and the shoulders and legs are a bit slimmer than before. He doesn't have the extreme bulk on his legs the last couple of suits employed. Honestly, most fans (myself included) would be hard pressed to see a difference in suits from the last picture. Kawakita's Godzilla has a very defined, iconic appearance, and it never deviated much from that aesthetic aside from the final film of the Heisei series.

Akira Ifukube once again returned for scoring duties. His work here seems to be revitalized after the mostly ho-hum score to Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Classic themes are once again reprised, but Ifukube puts enough of a new spin on the compositions to give them a new feel and a new life. As ubiquitous as it is, I never tire of hearing Godzilla's trademark theme lumber through the soundtrack. Ifukube would bow out of the next entry as composer, but he did make a return for the "final" Toho Godzilla picture, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

But before that could happen, he'd have to fight yet another clone. This one from outer space...

GODZILLA-THON #15 - Terror Of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Before bowing out of the '70s and effectively ending his Showa era of films, Godzilla had one last battle to endure. This entry, Terror of Mechagodzilla, would see the return of two of Godzilla's "fathers" - director Ishiro Honda and composer Akira Ifukube. The screenplay was submitted via yet another Toho contest, this time being won by a female contestant named Yukiko Takayama, one of only two women to have written a Godzilla film up to that point (the other being Son of Godzilla). As per usual, her draft was heavily re-written by the studio. This film picks up right after the end of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, giving us one more bout with Godzilla's robotic nemesis, as well as introducing audiences to another kaiju that had a one-and-done appearance, Titanosaurus. Although Toho didn't necessarily want this to be the final Godzilla film of the Showa era, declining revenue and ticket sales, in addition to a nationwide energy crisis, meant that Godzilla would be shelved for nearly a decade. Fans generally agree that he went out on a high note, though, with this film taking on a darker tone than the series had employed in quite some time.

Picking up right after the events of the last film, Terror of Mechagodzilla finds the alien race from the last film - those guys from the Third Planet from the Black Hole - trying to rebuild Mechagodzilla, while also working with the deranged Dr. Mafune (Akihiko Hirata), who has somehow created Titanosaurus, a massive aquatic beast that he wants to unleash upon the world. A fellow marine biologist, named Ichinose, works with Interpol to find the whereabouts of Dr. Mafune. They eventually find his daughter, who turns out to be a cyborg. The aliens hope to use both monsters under their control to wipe out the earth and rebuild anew, but Mafune is erratic and lets Titanosaurus go on a rampage without their consent, and Interpol figures out the beast is sensitive to ultrasonic frequencies. Eventually, Mechagodzilla is repaired and the two titans begin to destroy the city of Yokosuka, but Godzilla arrives in time to do battle with both. The film climaxes in a very traditional sense, with the humans defeating their alien attackers as Godzilla does his best to destroy both enemy monsters to retain his crown as King.

This film marked the final contributions for a couple of the series' most notable people. Director Ishiro Honda came back to give Godzilla his temporary sendoff. This was Honda's eighth feature in the series, and his run was only marred by one truly underwhelming film - All Monsters Attack. He moved away from using some of the most kid-friendly aspects of previous films, maintaining a grim, dark tone throughout this entry. I'd say Terror of Mechagodzilla is every bit as dark as Godzilla vs. Hedorah, only without the social message attached to it. The alien plot line is a little undercooked, since it had just been used in the previous film, but Honda does well in keeping the monster activity peppered throughout the running time so it never lags. There were plans for Honda to come back to the series and direct 1993's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, but he died before production could begin. There is no doubt, however, that his name will forever be inextricably linked to Godzilla.

Akira Ifukube returns to deliver his first new score for the series since 1968's Destroy All Monsters. Although he was credited as composer on Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), everything used on that film was stock. His score for Terror of Mechagodzilla is, frankly, fucking exquisite. It can't be properly appreciated within the context of the film, but on its own this is one of his best efforts ever. The music is very synth-heavy and dark, with many low, rumbling keyboard notes anchoring the score. Some of the standout tracks use instruments that haven't been heard previously in any Godzilla score, such as an organ. Ifukube has this amazing ability to craft new music for the series that is unique in its own right, but still fits in perfectly with his compositions as a whole over the course of the series. Themes are reprised with differing instrumentation, suiting the mood of what the scene calls for. After the more playful and light soundtracks that Masaru Sato had been composing, this was a welcomed change of pace to remind viewers the world of Godzilla is not always so fun. I mean, it is to us, but a return to the doom and gloom days was needed.

The MegaroGoji suit was used here again, for the last time, with more changes being made to his facial appearance. This "new" suit, dubbed MekaGyakushuGoji, had a smaller muzzle, with lowered brows and smaller eyes. Quite honestly, it looks very similar to the look he had for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, only with an expression that conveys equal parts humor and horror. He's still got the bulldog face, but it's softened a bit. There was a second Godzilla suit created for Mechagodzilla in disguise that was used in the previous film, and here it's used for Godzilla's final shot as he wades into the ocean and swims away. It's a clunky looking suit, definitely better suited to Mechagodzilla in hiding than a proper Godzilla, but as I've stated many times before Toho liked using old suits for water shots.

The American version of Terror of Mechagodzilla had a few minor trims (including the one shot of nudity in the entire series, which is funny because the boobs you see belong to a mannequin), hich reduced the running time by around five minutes. It received a theatrical release in March 1978 under the title of Terror of Godzilla. The following year, when it had been sold to cable, the film was titled back to Terror of Mechagodzilla and had an additional six minutes of footage added before the title card as a prologue. This new intro utilized footage from Godzilla vs. Monster Zero and All Monster's Attack (which itself contained footage from other movies), serving as an introduction to the character of Godzilla, as well as the alien races that have attempted to destroy him and our world. While totally unnecessary to the film itself, it's a well-edited piece that offers a great overview of some events that led up to this picture.

And so ends Godzilla's Golden Age. Fans can, and will, debate about which era was the best in series - Showa, Heisei, or Millenium - but for my money, nothing beats the unadulterated joy that comes from watching these early installments. Sure, we get a few clunkers along the way, but there's nothing outright unwatchable. Even All Monsters Attack has some merit, though it isn't much. Even with the one or two "bad" entries aside, that leaves thirteen (!) films of our favorite fire-breathing monster, fighting his way through numerous, varied adventures. Very few, if any, characters in cinema have ever enjoyed such a run. But, Godzilla had more or less run his course since his birth in 1954, and a short break from cinema can do wonders for a character. He'd come back almost a decade later, resembling the feared beast he began as, kicking off the Heisei (or Vs.) series that brought back many of his most memorable allies and villains. It's a film that I watched so much on VHS as a kid the tape practically wore out - Gojira (1984). 

GODZILLA-THON #14 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Godzilla was about to celebrate his 20th birthday, and what better way than with a new movie? Director Jun Fukuda returned for his last, and arguably best, entry in the series with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The plot would see the return of familiar conventions to the series, namely, a nefarious alien race trying to destroy Japan. This time around they got smart and decided to build a robotic duplicate of Godzilla, assuming a tireless, mechanized version of the big beast would easily defeat him. Toho allotted this entry a bigger budget than the previous films had to work with, a necessity that I'm glad wasn't ignored because production values had been slipping since the heyday of the early-to-mid '60s. The result of all their efforts is one of the best films the Showa series has to offer. All of the classics elements that made the series so much fun are present here, with multiple monster fights, a superb score from Masaru Sato, an engaging subplot with some truly bizarre aliens, weird songs sung by strange women, and Anguirus! Who basically just shows up to get his ass kicked.

Truth be told, this was one of, if not the, best film for me of all Godzilla's movies. Period. My rankings have wavered a bit in recent years (and they certainly are as I go through the entire series again), but fans seem to all agree that this entry was a highlight of the entire run. I remember spending an entire afternoon sitting on my Aunt May's floor, back in... 1988, I think, and watching my old VHS on a loop. I just couldn't get enough of it. It's a real pleasure to see that even as an adult, I find it holds up very nicely.

In this entry, a woman has a prophetic vision that a giant monster (Ghidorah, inexplicably) will destroy a city. When a strange metal is uncovered, the men who uncovered it also find a warning about the signs that signal a monster is going to arise and destroy the world. The archaeologists take the artifacts they've found and go looking for answers. Meanwhile, Godzilla appears from Mt. Fuji and begins a campaign of terror, smashing Okinawa to pieces. His old buddy Anguirus shows up and starts attacking him, but during the attack a piece of skin is ripped off of Godzilla, revealing a shiny metal beneath... Mechagodzilla! Before he can inflict any more damage, Anguirus is beaten within an inch of his life, then Mechagodzilla brutally rips his jaw apart. Soon after, the real Godzilla shows up to see who crippled his buddy, leading to a confrontation where Mechagodzilla is fully revealed. He and Godzilla have a major battle, which ends when both sides use their beam weapon - atomic breath for Big G, laser beam for Mecha - resulting in a massive explosion that sends a damaged Godzilla into the water and short circuits Mechagodzilla's system.

While both monsters are out of action, Keisuke and Saeko bring a totem of King Caesar they found to a holy temple, hoping to have the beast awakened. Meanwhile, Prof. Miyajima (Akihiko Hirata) and others are captured by the aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole at their underground facility, where they try to force the professor to repair their damaged Mechagodzilla. Why space aliens would travel so far without a competent repair man is beyond me. Keisuke and a mysterious man sneak into the facility, freeing their friends, but Prof. Miyajima and two others decide to be recaptured in hopes of stopping the alien invaders. Keisuke and Saeko get the statue to a descendant of the Azumi clan, who has to perform an awesome sung prayer in order to awaken King Caesar. He awakens just as Mechagodzilla comes to attack, resulting in a fight between the two. Not long after, Godzilla - newly recharged thanks to absorbing the power of a lightning strike - arrives to help out his new buddy. The duo successfully smashes Mechagodzilla to pieces, stopping the foretold destruction of the world, before they each make an exit to get some much needed rest.

Godzilla has fought many foes throughout his history, but very few have had as much of an impact as Mechagodzilla. After his appearance here, he would go on to appear in every era of the series as an opponent. It's a damn genius idea, really. Having Godzilla face off against his equal, created by an alien race hellbent on destroying the planet. Mechagodzilla is a formidable enemy, with a vast array of attack options that do some real damage to Big G. His laser "breath" is probably on par with Godzilla's atomic flame, but then he's also got a chest cannon, missile fingers, and he can create a force field by spinning his head really fast. His introduction is one of the best in the series, totally legendary, giving him a suit of faux skin to look like Godzilla, fooling everyone into thinking he was the one responsible for the damage. And then dat reveal... One of my favorite moments in the entire series is when King Caesar and Godzilla are about to tag team Mechagodzilla, so what does he do? He takes an attack position, lines up his front weaponry on Godzilla and then spins his head around 180 degrees to combat Casesar, too. And once the action starts up, it's a frenzy.

The level of brutality was increased for this entry, too. While I'm not a big Gamera guy, word is that Toho felt their films needed to keep up with the blood quotient other daikaiju films had been showing. In addition to Anguirus' aforementioned jaw destruction - which shocked the living shit out of me as a kid - there are also a few scenes of Godzilla sustaining heavy damage. In one, Mechagodzilla unleashes his laser ray at Godzilla's neck, causing a crimson spray to emanate from his neck as if there were a friggin' hose in there. There's also a brief shot when Godzilla, after his first meeting with Mechagodzilla, is knocked into the sea after their beams explode, and blood bubbles up to the surface. The series had seen blood before in Godzilla vs. Gigan, but this was taking things up a notch. Personally, I don't find it necessary. These movies have played fine for years without getting gory, no need to start now. And that's coming from a hardened horror fan.

One of my favorite elements to this story has always been the aliens they used here. A favorite device of the '70s Godzilla films was not to only use aliens, but to have them be some kind of animal being in disguise - cockroaches, silver slugs, and, here, they look like rejects from Planet of the Apes when killed. It's a cool effect, watching their skin dissolve to reveal a purplish, gnarled gorilla-like face beneath. They've also got one of the most awesome underground labs ever, located in a famous cave that people can visit today. It's very much something you'd expect a Bond villain to utilize. I sometimes wonder if the Bond series had much of an influence on this series because some of the parallels are too obvious to ignore.

Godzilla got a minor facelift this time around. The MegaroGoji suit used in the previous film, Godzilla vs. Megalon, was given a new facial appearance, with the body remaining the same. Godzilla's brows were reduced a little, giving him more of a rough, almost bulldog-like appearance. The idea was to make him look less friendly than he had for the previous few films. The movie also is one of three to give Godzilla power through lighting, though this one is the most explicit. In both Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster and Gojira (1984), he's revived by a lightning storm - though in the latter there's a nuclear fallout that surely helped. Here, Godzilla, after being badly wounded fighting Mechagodzilla, retreats to an island (Monster Island?) where he absorbs electricity from a storm overhead, drinking in the electricity and causing his spines to spark furiously. Let's face it, Godzilla's powers have never been all that consistent outside of his atomic breath. I thought this was cool as anything when I was a kid, and that was probably all that mattered to director Jun Fukuda, too.

King Caesar made for a rad tag team partner. Toho took the most risks during this period, introducing many new kaiju to the series and making many famous along the way. Caesar is awesome because here was this huge dog/lion beast that can shoot lasers and he's all legendary and stuff. Some lady has to sing a song just to wake the guy up. But his character was firmly intertwined with the plot to this movie, making his inclusion in future films unnecessary. But, of course, we got him - along with many other faces that hadn't been seen in decades - in the final (as of now) Toho Godzilla film, Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). I remember that being a rough watch the first time I saw it. I'm looking forward to reviewing it for this blog, but I doubt a second viewing will sway my opinion.

Mechagodzilla is just a flat out amazing villain. There's nothing bad I can say about how he's portrayed here, his first of five appearances against Godzilla. His design is iconic, almost as much as Godzilla himself. His attacks are brutal and swift. I love how special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano modeled his movements after Kabuki, giving him a stiff gait to his walk. It looks very robotic. 

Let's talk about how wonderful Masaru Sato's final score for this series truly is, because he created one of my favorites of the whole series. The main theme is slightly playful, with notes ascending and then descending in a simple pattern that'll get stuck in your head. He adds in some intrigue, action, a little suspense... it's a rousing track with many high points. As I mentioned before briefly, a prayer must be sung in order to wake up Caesar. This song has been one of my favorite pieces of music since I was a kid. Maybe it's in the delivery or the melody - I don't really know - but it stands out as such a great piece of music. I'm so glad Toho released all of those Perfect Collection sets so that I could finally own a couple versions of it in proper quality.

The American version of the film featured a few alterations for theatrical release, mostly involving the cutting of bloodletting and other violence. The title was changed to Godzilla vs. The Bionic Minster, but it had to be changed a week later when Universal, who owned the popular The Bionic Woman, threatened a lawsuit. So, the posters were pulled and the title changed to Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster. 

Godzilla would have one more showdown before exiting the '70s and ending the Showa era of his pictures. A decline in ticket sales, along with an energy crisis in Japan that affected TV and film productions, would see Godzilla off big screens for almost a decade. But before that, one more battle with his mechanical nemesis...