GODZILLA-THON #22 - Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Godzilla dies.

Again.

But this time it has so much more emotion behind it. When the first Godzilla died in 1954, he was a creature that we had only spent a single film with, and his death seemed important to restore a harmony to Japan's way of life. The second Godzilla, who appeared in Godzilla Raids Again, lasted right up through the end of the Showa era. When Godzilla made his triumphant return in 1984, this was intended to be the start of a new timeline, with a new second Godzilla, serving once again as a direct sequel to the original film. We've spent a great deal of time with this guy, and his iconic visage has become the de facto look for how many people perceive Godzilla. He embodies everything pop culture describes him as, from his impressive stature and gargantuan bulk, to the sleek look of his head and the ferocity of the triple "maple leaf" fin rows. He's fought man, his plant clone, alien monsters, his robotic clone, Mothra, his space clone, and, now, finally, he faces a certain death. Right from the start, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a dark, brooding film that entirely eschews any camp. Godzilla is returned back to his initially intended state, that of a revered beast who is to be held in awe with equal parts wonder and terror. He is death incarnate - literally - because his expiration means the destruction of the planet as we know it. As if the threat looking from G wasn't enough, there's also his latest, most massive foe yet - Destoroyah. Or Destroyah. Or Destroyer. Toho loves to mess with spelling. This new baddie, born of the famed Oxygen Destroyer, poses an immediate threat to an already-critical Godzilla. Little Godzilla returns here, too, though now he's absorbed enough radiation to be Godzilla Jr. He looks an awful lot like Dad, just smaller. The film combines numerous, big scale monster battles with true emotion, resulting in one of the best films of the entire series. Toho pulled out all the stops to make sure Godzilla's farewell was a memorable one.

Birth Island, home to Godzilla and his son for the last few films, has been leveled in the wake of a nuclear attack or accident, the film never really says. Godzilla is presumed missing, but he soon shows up in Hong Kong, sporting glowing lava-like spots over a majority of his body. His attack is devastating, leaving a wake of rubble and bodies before his exit. The JSDF hires Kenichi Yamane, grandson of Dr. Yamane from Gojira (1954), to figure out what's going on with Godzilla His response: Godzilla is a living nuclear reactor, and his rate of nuclear fissure is increasing with no signs of slowing. Once G reaches 1200 degrees Celsius, he will experience a meltdown. Intense heat will vaporize the atmosphere, eventually causing the death of every living creature on the planet. The JSDF immediately orders the launch of the Super X-III, which is equipped with a freezing weapon to hopefully diminish the heat released by Godzilla's combustion. As this is occurring, scientists discover that microbial lifeforms have begun to appear near the site of the original Godzilla's death, creatures seemingly fueled by the remnants of the Oxygen Destroyer. These parasites soon escape the lab and wreak havoc, eventually evolving into numerous air & land forms. When Destoroyah proves too much for the military to handle, Godzilla Jr. appears to do battle for the first time. He manages to defeat his crab-like land form and aerial form. Godzilla appears soon after, still burning red hot from the internal fire raging within. But Destoroyah isn't done, revealing his final form - a massive, bipedal kaiju with powerful abilities. It knocks Godzilla down before snatching Jr. away and dropping him to his death. Distraught and full of discomfort, Godzilla fights back and unleashes his unbridled fury against Destoroyah, eventually annihilating the beast thanks to help from Super X-III, before a final, emotional meltdown claims his life.

I'll be honest, this movie is kind of hard to watch if you're a serious G fan. It's one thing to know Godzilla was taken out by a device man made to destroy him as quickly as possible, thus minimizing any pain. But to see Godzilla burning from within, lashing out only because he's in such physical pain, gives this film a real sense of gravitas that few other entries have shown. The feeling of helplessness and the sense of mortality apparent in Godzilla are palpable, dripping off the screen with real weight. He's in agony right from the start, and it only continues to get worse with Jr. dying and a lengthy gauntlet of battles against Destoroyah's many forms before he finally succumbs to internal temperatures and melts. That's a tough scene - seeing those signature spines drips away like hot wax, watching his iconic face slide off as he fights with every fiber of his being to remain King. The combination of those images alongside what is easily Akira Ifukube's best score in years, is a cause for reflection on the series that stirs genuine emotion.

It's not all sad, thankfully. Although Jr. appears to die at the hands of Destoroyah, the radiation released by Godzilla's death at the end of the film was siphoned into Jr.'s lifeless body, and before the end credits roll it is revealed that he has been born anew! Ready to live up to his father's legacy as the new King of the Monsters. For the first time, a child of Godzilla's was portrayed as a true mini-Godzilla, taking on his father's trademark appearance, mannerisms, and able to fully utilize his atomic breath. Because he audience was able to see him as a true successor to the throne, his death had much more impact. Plus, it didn't hurt that both Godzilla and Miki sold it hard when Junior bought the farm. I'm glad the film was able to end on a positive note by showing Jr. alive and ready to assume his place.

The Godzilla suit used for this film, the DesuGoji, was actually the same MogeGoji suit used in the previous film, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, except that special effects supervisor Koichi Kawakita removed many sections of the suit and added in tiny red, orange, and yellow bulbs to simulate the burning glow of Godzilla's fiery flesh. The suit also had a mechanism installed that allowed for steam to be released as Godzilla lumbered around. This provided G with a striking appearance, one that likely caught many fans off guard. While there had been numerous suits used over the years, Kawakita really took this one over the top by adding in the molten glow. For the first time ever, Godzilla was rendered entirely via CGI. The scene in question comes right at the end, as he melts down. That would have been a difficult effect to achieve through Toho's usual processes, and on screen it works just fine for the moment. Godzilla wouldn't be fully realized as a CGI creation until 1999's Godzilla: 2000. And before you even mention the '98 film... don't.

Akira Ifukube returned to deliver his final score for the series, and it's easily one of his best. Hardly resting on his impressive laurels, Ifukube weaves some of Godzilla's most classic themes into a dark, brooding score that portends the cataclysmic ending to come. I absolutely love Godzilla's theme when he first appears in Hong Kong. No longer do the music cues sound triumphant in signaling Godzilla's arrival; there is an ominous tonality used to convey that this is a gravely serious matter. There isn't a bad piece of music during the entire running time, and it all culminates in one beautiful, ethereal sendoff for the Big G. Ifukube's "Requiem" is nearly four minutes of the most stirring, emotional music heard in the series. Now that much time has passed and the film can be placed in a greater context, fans realize this isn't just a requiem for Godzilla, but also for the classic series as fans had come to know it as a whole. Never again would Ifukube provide a score.

Nor would longtime producer Tomoyuki Tanaka oversee another Godzilla film again. Tanaka died less than two years after this film was released. He had been there since the very beginning, shepherding the series along every step of the way, ensuring there was a standard of quality to be met with each release. I'm not saying they were all gems, but Tanaka had a vision for the series that was superseded by no one. With his death, and the death of Ifukube close to a decade later, all of Godzilla's "fathers" were gone. The legacy that Tanaka left, however, will never be forgotten because Godzilla is an enduring symbol that will never be forgotten. The two are inextricably linked for eternity.

This was supposed to be the final Toho Godzilla film for some time, with his resurrection not set to occur until his 50th birthday in 2004. Plans were already underway for an American studio to give Godzilla a big budget rebirth on foreign soil, leaving his Japanese legacy to cease with his death here. But, as we all know, that 1998 disaster led to a universal disinterest in any sequels, leaving Toho with the option of making another film sooner than they ever expected. Less than one year after Emmerich's fiasco, Godzilla would be reborn for a new millennium, with a new suit, and an entirely new creative team set to handle his history.

GODZILLA-THON #21 - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

After Toho decided not to kill off Godzilla for his "40th Anniversary" film, the series continued on to what was actually the Big G's 40th Anniversary film proper: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Let the weirdness of that title soak in for a minute before realizing this isn't the series jumping the shark. In fact, high and lows all taken into account there hasn't been a single Godzilla film that truly jumped the shark. Godzilla eats the shark. SpaceGodzilla sounds like a horribly ridiculous idea, but then you think back to the sixth entry - Invasion of Astro-Monster - to be reminded that Godzilla (and Rodan) was taken literally into space to fight King Ghidorah on a barren, rocky planet with what is presumably a hostile atmosphere. Then, suddenly, this idea of a Space Godzilla doesn't sound so out there. Oddly enough, this was a concept that producer Tomoyuki Tanaka had been kicking around since the '70s! Though I haven't really touched upon it yet, most fans are probably aware that Godzilla has had lots of potential adventures drawn up in the conceptual stage of development, with many, many possible foes never leaving the drawing board. Some manage to get resurrected down the line, like Megalon. SpaceGodzilla is actually a pretty rad villain, with an imposing final form once he's out of Super Mega Crystal Mode. This entry also features a couple of returns - last year's Baby Godzilla is growing up so fast that he's now Little Godzilla; and the robot Moguera, who hadn't been glimpsed since 1957's The Mysterians makes a triumphant return looking a bit more contemporary.

Despite the roster of big hitters, the film itself is unusually disengaging for Godzilla. Some Godzilla cells make their way into space - either via Mothra after her battle with Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth, or from Biollante, who is now presumably just floating around in the cosmos - finding their way to a black hole, where intense levels of radiation transform them into... SpaceGodzilla! Which, really, is just a giant wad of crystals with a little Godzilla somewhere near the center. It's an eye-catching look. Meanwhile on Earth, the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) are trying to attach a transmitter to Godzilla's head so that Miki Saegusa can control his mind. It fails, but soon after the JSDF learns from the Cosmos (remember those little twins princesses?) that SpaceGodzilla is approaching and only Godzilla can stop it now that Mothra is on a space adventure. When SpaceG lands on Birth Island, attracted to the radiation there, it begins to attack Little G. Big G shows up soon after, but SpaceG manages to knock him out before imprisoning Little G in a crystal cage thing. Godzilla reawakens and is unable to free his son, so he sets off for the mainland to fight SpaceG. He arrives to find that SpaceG is using a building from the Fukuoka Nuclear Plant (geez, never thought that name would be universally known, right?) to siphon energy. Godzilla and SpaceG have a massive battle, one that comes to include Moguera when the giant robot is sent to aid Big G. It helps G gain the upper hand, at which point he then blasts the ever-lovin' shit out of SpaceG with his fancy new Spiral Fire Ray, totally annihilating his black hole brother.

Let's talk about what this film gets right, because I honestly don't even feel like taking a lot of time to address the wrong. The design of SpaceG is very inventive, looking very much like an otherworldly version of Big G. Unlike Biollante, SpaceG is infused with many more direct elements of G's signature look, making him look like a true cosmic clone. His space-faring crystalline form is wholly outrageous, with these unnecessarily massive crystals somehow helping him fly through the universe. Once he lands and transforms, that's when we get a good look at his mobile form. Kawakita went with a menacing appearance, with these large shoulder crystals giving the creature a serious bulk to throw around. The face is very similar to Big G, but there are some extra deadly teeth surrounding the mouth. SpaceG also has some powerful special powers that make him quite the adversary. He's also got some psychic abilities, like being able to move Little G with only his mind-ray-thing, but it's not a power he overuses. The battles against Godzilla are fierce, and it really seems like things could end in a stalemate until Moguera comes along to give G the edge.

I've never been the biggest fan of Moguera because it's just a robot with no personality. It's like getting excited when the Super X-III debuts in the next film, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. I like the monsters, not the mechs. Still, I will admit to always liking the Moguera design, which is a bit like the endoskeleton for a mechanized penguin or something. Robots have a history of going down hard in just about every Big G film, and while Moguera is no exception he definitely gets some good blows in there and makes a mark in the climactic fight. The fight against SpaceG in space is kinda cornball, even for this series, but the events at the film's end prove its inclusion in the film wasn't a total waste. Interestingly enough, it was originally supposed to be Mechagodzilla (whose remains were used to construct Moguera here) who teams up with Godzilla to fight and defeat SpaceGodzilla. Now that would have been an awesome showdown. Toho, apparently, felt that MechaG was too strong, so the fight would've seemed uneven. To that I say: writing. Write it so that everyone is evenly matched then! Geez, how hard would that have been? Well, actually, looking back at how Toho has notoriously ignored needed script rewrites and given incorrect abilities to other monsters, it's not a big surprise.

Baby Godzilla has grown up into an anime version of Minya, now called Little Godzilla. He is undeniably cute, but he'd probably be more at home in an anime series than a Godzilla film. He just looks too cutesy and his eyes are friggin' huge. Still, he isn't annoying and his peril at the hands of SpaceG gives Big G even more incentive to pound his celestial copy's body into the ground. Little G spends most of the film stuck in a crystal prison, so it's not like he's all over the movie, trying to ruin it with his adorable face and funny mannerisms. Unlike Minya, this is a baby that has an arc over the final three films of the Heisei series, growing and maturing under his father's watchful eye, paving the way for a major moment before the series' close.

You know the drill by now - new film, new suit. Even if it appears to look just like the old suit. Godzilla's new digs, dubbed MogeGoji, was a little bit bulkier than the previous suit, with wider shoulders and clear proof that Godzilla does not skip leg day at the gym. Gone was the pronounced ribbing on the neck, but the face remained virtually unchanged from before. One major change that suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma surely must have loved was the new cooling system that finally allowed the person inside to feel slightly more comfortable. 

That's the good. The bad is the film's plot, which is barely there and entirely uninteresting. Something about JSDF trying to once again control Godzilla via Miki's weak-ass brain waves. Why? Alien mind control I can accept, but humans have blown it practically every time. Just give it up. Even when it does work, it doesn't seem like Miki is actually controlling G's movements all that much. And, again, it's not an interesting storyline. The monster activity is frequent and fun to watch, but everything else in between lags. So far, most of the Heisei films have been punctuated by some stellar monster battles with a dearth of engaging plot lines. I've never felt as invested in any Heisei film as I did in any single Showa era production. Maybe that's because Showa ruled my childhood. The Heisei films are still a great deal of fun more often than not, but aside from Gojira (1984) none have really sucked me in with a solid premise.

Remember earlier how I mentioned that Akira Ifukube handled all of the Heisei scoring duties from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) onward with one exception? Well, this film is that exception. Takayuki Hattori takes over scoring duties here, delivering the cheesiest, lamest, cringe-worthy score of the series yet. Not all of it is outright terrible, with some cues carrying a Masaru Satoh influence, though more often than not what we get is real Mickey Mouse kind of stuff. It sounds like the soundtrack to a cheesy fantasy videogame. The music never reaches the level fans have come to expect after hearing so much stellar work from Ifukube and Satoh. It simply exists alongside the picture, keeping the pace. Music should take on more of a life than it does here. I'm actually listening to the soundtrack now as I type this and it is just horribly lame in many places. In others, it's simply serviceable. 

Godzilla's next film of the Heisei series would be his last. The time had come to die. Literally. Toho even used the tagline "Godzilla Dies" for the next entry, which is one of the best in the series - Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

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 #19 - Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

Quickly moving on after Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah proved to be a box office hit, production ramped up for Godzilla's next battle - his 19th film - this time against another popular adversary: Mothra. Toho didn't want to try introducing new monsters to the series without having some old favorites to headline the cast. So, with Mothra firmly set as the film's co-star, Toho decided to add in a kaiju that had been on the drawing board for a couple years - Battra, the evil version of Mothra. It's described as "black Mothra" in the film, though its appearance is certainly more grotesque than that of Mothra. In addition to bringing back both the larva and fully-formed versions of Mothra (which hadn't been seen 1966's Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster), the film also includes the mini twin princesses, known as the Cosmos here. With all of the essential elements in place, Toho delivered one of the series' most successful films ever, becoming the highest-grossing entry (unadjusted for inflation) and coming in second at the Japanese box office to Jurassic Park.

This is the first film of the series that I have no memories of whatsoever. Although I hadn't seen the previous entry, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, until many years after its release (it didn't get a U.S. VHS release until 1998), the books and pictures I saw of that production made me feel like I knew it. This film was the first one to have no childhood link, no memories of a building excitement to finally see the film proper. But it's easy to understand why this was such a hugely successful film for the series. The story itself is admittedly one of the least-engaging of the series, coming across like a half-cocked comedy with flourishes of an Indiana Jones picture. It's really the battles that make this film, with all three kaiju featured prominently, with numerous battles taking place throughout, culminating in a spectacular showdown at a giant Ferris wheel.

The opening of the film is ripped straight from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with an archaeological excavator, Takuya, dashing through an ancient temple after stealing a prized artifact. He's arrested, but offered the chance to be set free if he goes with a group to investigate an island where ruins have been found. He reluctantly agrees. When the group arrives, they find a massive egg and a hidden cave, where they come upon the Cosmos, two diminutive girls who are the protectors of Earth. They are informed that the egg belongs to Mothra, an ancient deity that fought against Battra, the "black" version of Mothra, when mankind tried to control Earth too much. A recent meteor strike has reawakened Godzilla, and the Cosmos fear it has also stirred Battra from its slumber. The egg is taken from the island via a massive platform towed in the ocean, but en route to Japan the ship is intercepted by both Godzilla and Battra. A battle ensues once the Mothra larva hatches, with both Godzilla and Battra getting in some big hits before Mothra retreats when the two titans decide to take on each other. At the ocean's floor, a large fissure opens up and swallows Godzilla and Battra in mid-battle.

Once back on the mainland, the Cosmos are kidnapped by corrupt members of the Diet of Japan. Mothra enters the city to rescue them, but instead finds a waiting army that launches a full-scale assault. Wounded, but not dying, Mothra makes her way to the Diet building and uses her webbing to form a cocoon. While Mothra metamorphoses, Godzilla reemerges from Mt. Fuji, while Battra returns from the sea, now in a final winged form. Mothra hatches in time to battle Battra, a battle she is losing before Godzilla shows up to get it back on with Battra. Unfortunately for Battra, it quickly loses the fight against Big G, but before a death blow can be dealt Mothra gets back into the melee and uses her "special powers" (in quotes because who the hell knows exactly what it is she's doing) to temporarily disable Godzilla. While he's down, she confers with Battra and forges an alliance, both of them seeing Godzilla as the bigger threat. The final battle sees the newly-formed tag team taking on Godzilla at the amusement part grounds, eventually knocking him down and carrying him off before Godzilla bites Battra and blasts it with his atomic breath, mortally wounding it. Mothra drops them both into the sea and heads off into space to stop some meteor that Battra was supposed to handle, but, you know, now it's dead and all...The end.

I found this to be the first entry in the series where I really felt no investment in the storyline. The faux Indiana Jones opening was bad enough, but there are so many moments of bad dialogue and forced humor peppered throughout that it's really hard to find much to like on the human side of things. It comes down to greedy businessmen and corrupt politicians, something that, coincidentally enough, the first Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964) deal with. But that picture had the benefit of '60s charm and sensibility, whereas this has nothing all that enticing.

This was the third time that Megumi Odaka returned as Miki Saegusa, the chick with ESP who seems to have the hots for Godzilla. Seriously, check out how she reacts to him during her run on the series. When she first appeared in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), there was something for her to do: trying to get inside Godzilla's mind. When that proved far too difficult (he made her pass out from his will), she came back in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) in a diminished role, essentially serving as mental liaison to Godzilla. She knows when he's arriving before anyone else. Here, she mainly helps out in finding the Cosmos and making some minor predictions about Godzilla's movements. I was never terribly fond of her character, seeing little value in someone mentally communicating with Godzilla, but over the course of her character's arc she did kinda grow on me. The series continued to keep familiar faces around during the Heisei era, too, but Miki is the only character to be featured in more than two Godzilla movies. Saegusa has said she'd love to return to the series decades later, as Akira Takarada has, and I say I'd welcome seeing her pop up in a new Toho production twenty years from now. Assuming they're still around and making Godzilla movies then...

Where this picture largely succeeds is in the monster battles. Some films in this series shy away from showing Godzilla until nearly an hour has passed, while others show him early and often. This movie employs more of the latter's formula, with Godzilla glimpsed early on when the huge meteor hits Earth. Fro that point onward, we get a number of battles between all of the principal monsters. I really loved Godzilla's underwater battler with Battra. Cinematographer Masahiro Kishimoto got some amazing wide angle shots that show off the beautiful environment created for these two to do battle. And his work during the climactic battle at the amusement park is, again, replete with outstanding camera work. Once the three-way melee starts going, it rarely lets up for anything else to be shown. And Battra is a formidable opponent for both Mothra and Godzilla, too. The choreography and impressive suit actor work more than make up for any lackluster moments with the human cast.

Godzilla got a minor facelift once again. This new suit ,the BatoGoji, featured changes like golden-hued eyes, pronounced ribbing on the neck, a slightly smaller head, and a minor rearrangement of the dorsal plates. The look is very much in line with Koichi Kawakita's overall design for the Godzilla of the '90s, and I like that he went back and made small, but noticeable, changes for each subsequent film. Honestly, it wouldn't feel like a Godzilla movie if something wasn't changed a little between each entry.

Akira Ifukube returned once again to provide the film's score. I wasn't terribly impressed with his work here, as it features a re-working of some classic themes alongside new compositions that, frankly, aren't nearly as memorable. It's a shame because I really dug what he did for the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah score. It's not bad by any means. Think of it like Ennio Morricone's oeuvre - he's never done an outright bad score (although, admittedly I haven't heard all 200+ he's done), and even his most "lazy" work is exemplary. But because Ifukube set his own bar so high, it's telling if he doesn't quite reach it. I will give him credit for Mothra's themes here, which are these haunting, ethereal interpretations of her classic melody. They're utterly beautiful.

On a more pressing note: this film is another candidate badly in need of a new Blu-ray release. The current DVD, from Sony/Columbia, is a full frame motherfucker with a shitty 2.0 English dub track (good god!). It is deplorable in every sense of the word. I was fortunate enough to find a decent widescreen DVD bootleg, which appears to have been sourced from the Japanese release. With Godzilla's 60th birthday upon us this very year, I'd say it's high time we get every goddamn movie in stunning HD.

GODZILLA-THON #18 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Just take a look at that poster for a second.

I've always admired that artwork. It's visually stunning on numerous levels. Godzilla, intertwined with his most legendary foe, engaging in a heated battle that appears to be even on both sides.

This was a mythical film for me as a kid. I'd managed to find a copy of Godzilla vs. Biollante for rental when it got a release here in the States, but finding this particular picture was much more difficult. Around the time of this film's release, I was spending a lot of time shopping at this local Japanese market, called Yaohan. It's since been completely renovated and turned into a Mitsuwa Japanese marketplace, but back in the day (early '90s) they had a KILLER toy store inside that sold everything Godzilla. Everything. I've got loads of ultra rare collectibles simply because my parents would always take me there after a dentist appointment (right across the street) and I'd blow every penny of my allowance on anything related to the series. One item I purchased was a small book related to this film. I'm assuming it's part synopsis, part behind the scenes info. I bought it because I was obsessed with Godzilla and this had lots of great color photos. Don't forget, I hadn't seen the "new" King Ghidorah yet, nor had I see Godzilla's latest look, so this was big shit in my mind.

Years later, once I finally saw the film it was about what I was expecting, maybe a little less exciting. It opens in the year 2204, when an underwater crew comes across the corpse of King Ghidorah, missing a head, who an unseen woman mentions had fought Godzilla and lost in the 20th century. Cut back to the present day (1992) and evidence of Godzilla reawakening after his battle with Biollante has been confirmed. Aliens from the future have come back in time to warn Japan that Godzilla will decimate the country, leaving it an uninhabitable nuclear wasteland. Their only hope: go back in time to 1944, when a group of Japanese soldiers on Lagos Island came across a dinosaur that helped save them from invading U.S. forces. That dinosaur, Godzillasaurus, would go on to become Godzilla when nuclear testing in that area mutated him. The aliens go back in time with a group from the present, but they curiously bring along three small creatures, called Dorats, that look an awful lot like mini-Ghidorahs. They arrive at Lagos and teleport a wounded Godzillasaurus back to present day, away from the island, before disembarking.

But the aliens also left the Dorats behind, and when they return to the future it's revealed that the Dorats received the radiation meant for Godzilla, turning them into King Ghidorah. Nothing can stop Godzilla from happening, however, and the aliens soon realize they dropped the Godzillasaurus body in an area where a nuclear sub went down back in the '70s. Godzilla is resurrected, and when another nuclear sub is destroyed and consumed by him, his size grows to larger proportions than ever before. Reborn and enraged, he begins to attack the city, no longer the protector the Japanese army thought he was back on Lagos Island. The aliens have Ghidorah under mind control, sending him to fight Godzilla. The battle is fierce, but Godzilla is able to blast off one of Ghidorah's heads and destroy his wings before dispatching of his corpse in the ocean. Concerned this new Godzilla will surely destroy the country, one of the aliens goes rogue and returns to the future to rebuild Ghidorah's corpse, leading to... Mecha-King Ghidorah. The huge brute has been upgraded, with a new robotic head to replace the missing one, metal wings, and a reinforced chest plate. The hulking behemoth, with Emmy, the rogue alien, controlling from inside, goes to war against Godzilla. The fight is just as rough as before, but even in a newly mechanized form Ghidorah just cannot overcome the power of Godzilla, and eventually the two tumble into the ocean, where it is later revealed that Godzilla survived while Ghidorah is now totally dead.

This film got some flack after its release because of the perceived treatment of Americans by the script. It's true that, as an American, it does appear to be anti-U.S. due to scenes of American soldiers being stomped by Godzillasaurus, as well as the fact that the evil aliens are all Westerners with the exception of Emmy, the one Japanese alien who defects during the film. You've got to see this from the filmmakers point of view, though. This isn't necessarily any different than we would have written it in America, is it? The Japanese would be the villains, or more likely the North Koreans today. I can't think of a reason why director Kazuki Omori would have shown Japanese soldiers being killed by U.S. forces in his - a Japanese director - film. It is a little odd that he chose to make all of the evil aliens American, especially since Toho has traditionally always used their own Japanese actors for such a role. That's the only possible tip-off that the film has some anti-American sentiment.

The original idea for this entry was to have Godzilla fight his most popular adversary ever - King Kong. The problem was that Turner, who owned the rights to Kong, wanted nine million dollars for the rights. Toho balked, and instead planned to have Godzilla fight Mecha-Kong, first introduced in King Kong Escapes (1967). Turner made the claim that the character was still too close to their Kong, so the only option was to bring back another popular enemy, namely King Ghidorah. It's really a shame things couldn't be worked out with Kong because it would have been amazing to see what kind of a new suit Toho would design for him, not to mention seeing the two of them battle using modern suit technology.

Godzilla looks more or less just as he did in Godzilla vs. Biollante, but special effect designer Koichi Kawakita did buff him out a little more by adding more muscle and increasing the size of the chest. Godzilla's head also looks slightly more aggressive and a fraction smaller. Once again, suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma portrayed Godzilla. He'd be wearing suits in the series since Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), where he played the Smog Monster. Since Gojira (1984), he's been the guy under the rubber, a job he would keep until the final entry in the Heisei series, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. 

Mecha-King Ghidorah isn't the movie's only robot. The aliens have their own android, dubbed M-11. And, man, is he ever corny. Robert Scott Field does a great job of giving M-11 virtually no facial expressions or sense of humanity. It's kinda creepy. But when he runs, the way the effect is done basically looks like he's power walking but moving quickly. You just have to see it. It's bad.

Godzilla doesn't make a proper appearance until there's 45 minutes left in the film. Until that time, the most we see is the footage of Godzillasaurus, which is admittedly very cool. I love how Kawakita was able to create a new monster that looked like a highly distilled version of the Big G. And Godzillasaurus is pretty damn admirable, too. Saving the Japanese soldiers and whatnot. He really puts his life on the line, with the eventual reward being that he's turned into a massive mutated nuclear monster who wreaks havoc on the coastline whenever he damn well pleases.

Once Godzilla and King Ghidorah meet, it's virtually a non-stop battle until the end credits. The fights staged here are big and impressive, with lots of heavy duty given to both suit actors. Particularly impressive are the miniatures, which are hardly so mini here. Skyscrapers tower over Godzilla in ways not see before, dwarfing him but still proving just as weak under his assault. When G and Ghidorah get going, the city gets leveled fairly quickly. Godzilla is more brutal than ever, really laying his all into killing Ghidorah. And he does it once again. Seeing one of Ghidorah's heads go flying off after a powerful atomic blast is awesome stuff. I really loved the look of Mecha-King Ghidorah, too, but he proves to be just as weak under the intensity of Godzilla's heat ray. There's not a whole lot that can withstand a head-on blast from him.

This film also marked the return of legendary composer Akira Ifukube to the series. His work hadn't been featured since 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla, sixteen years prior. I'm a big fan of how Ifukube reworks some of his classic G themes, but adds more dread and emotional weight to the mix by using piano and other instruments played at a steady, lumbering pace. His opening theme in particular is haunting and foreboding, suggesting the great battle that is yet to come. Ifukube would stay on to compose the rest of the Heisei series from this point onward, save for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994).

The Heisei (or Versus) series maintained a steady pace following this entry, with a new Godzilla film coming every year until 1995. Next up, Godzilla would once again face off against one of his most popular nemeses, this one arguably the most benevolent of them all - Mothra.     

GODZILLA-THON #17 - Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Godzilla's return in 1984 proved to be mostly popular, with the film selling over three million admissions, making a modest return on the $6 million dollar budget. The sequel, though, would take five years to produce. Toho decided to hold a fan contest again, this time selecting the winning script from Shinichiro Kobayashi, a dentist and part-time sci-fi writer. As usual, however, Toho and director Kazuki Omori heavily reworked the script until they had a version they found satisfying. Original plans had Godzilla fighting a rat/fish hybrid creature, to be called Deutalios, which would have been quickly killed before the eventual final fight with Biollante. This idea was scrapped along with the bulk of Kobayashi's script, the final version only containing some elements of his original work. Even though Toho still did their own meddling with the winning script - something any studio would have done - this entry shook the standard formula up more than expected. This was going to be the first film of the Heisei series to feature Godzilla doing battle, and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka wanted to being some new kaiju into the fold. He wanted to avoid relying on past monsters, preferring to give Godzilla a new set of villains to fight against. Even though that idea didn't last long (see: the very next movie), Biollante was certainly a creative creature concept on a number of levels. In addition to the monster fights, we've got chicks with ESP, nations battling over Godzilla's cells, gene splicing, a sunglasses-wearing mustachioed assassin, and another standout score from a first-time composer.

In the aftermath of Godzilla's rampage in Tokyo, top secret soldiers from the U.S. working for a corporation called Bio-Major pick through the rubble, looking for tissue samples from the creature. They find some, but soon after are killed by a mysterious assassin from the country of Saradia. During this time, Dr. Shiragami is working in the Middle East on genetic research and getting ready to leave back to Japan. A terrorist bombing at his facility kills his daughter and destroys much of his work, leaving him distraught.

The film cuts to five years later and we find that Tokyo has been largely rebuilt. There's even a Godzilla Memorial Lounge located inside a building he literally put his foot through. Shiragami is haunted by the death of his daughter, throwing himself headfirst into his work on the possible physic power of roses. He works alongside Miki Saegusa, a teacher at a center for gifted children with physic abilities, who herself has ESP capabilities. Dr. Shiragami is being monitored by both Bio-Major and the Saradian assassin, with both groups intent on stealing his work on Godzilla's genetics. Shiragami had been working on something called Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria, made from Godzilla's own cells, which is a radiation-consuming bacteria that could prove fatal to Godzilla. During a skirmish at Shiragami's lab, the two groups are attacked by a plant-like creature with tentacled arms. Only one man manages to escape. The next morning, the creature has massively grown in size, standing tall in the nearby bay. It looks like a giant rose, with leaf-like arms and a call like a whale. Shiragami confesses that he combined the DNA of Godzilla with the cells of a rose and the DNA of his dead daughter, Erika.

Bio-Major still wants Shiragami's research, so they effectively hold the nation hostage by threatening to blow up Mt. Mihara, thereby releasing Godzilla, if their demands aren't met. When agents go to meet the assassin, a struggle ensues and eventually the timed bombs go off when the countdown cannot be stopped. Godzilla has been awakened, and he's heading straight for the mainland. Troops attempt to combat him with the newly rebuilt Super X II, but it is only capable of partially slowing Godzilla down. Eventually, he reaches Biollante and a fight commences, leaving Biollante seemingly dead after a blast from Godzilla's atomic breath sends her cells scattering out into the atmosphere. Weakened and needing fuel, Godzilla heads for the nearest power plant to recharge his batteries. The government tries to stop him by miscalculates where he will surface, but Miki Saegusa steps in and tries to use her ESP abilities to convince Godzilla not to exit the bay. She only succeeds momentarily before Godzilla's own will power overwhelms her, causing her to faint.

The only hope now is to use the Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria (ANEB from here on out), so Godzilla is lured into downtown Osaka by the Super X II just before he destroys it. Lt. Gondo and his team of men use RPGs to fire missiles containing the ANEB into his body and mouth. Wouldn't you know it, but the stuff doesn't work. The government surmises it must need to heat Godzilla's body temperature to activate it, but that plan, too, fails when the microwave plates they use against Godzilla do nothing but provide more fodder for him to demolish. Just at that moment, however, Biollante returns to the earth in a much more aggressive form, looking like the perfect marriage between organic plant matter and Godzilla's regenerative cells. The hulking behemoth advances forward on her myriad tentacles, ensnaring Godzilla and causing him great physical damage. The battle sees Biollante using her Venus flytrap-like arms to drag Godzilla in closer so he can be consumed. Just as it looks like Biollante is winning, Godzilla delivers a devastating blow with his fiery breath. The blast reverts Biollante into shiny space cell form, shimmering her way back into the ozone. Godzilla passes out headfirst in the ocean like a sloppy drunk, too wounded to move. The subplot with our hirsute assassin and the government team finally comes to a head with one of the series' coolest human deaths: instant microwave combustion. Then Godzilla wakes up, reminds everyone who's boss by skreeonk-ing like a boss, and the film concludes.

Biollante is one of the most elegant and horrifically beautiful kaiju I think I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous design, massive and overflowing, with hints of Godzilla scattered throughout its design without looking overtly like a Godzilla/plant clone. Just check out her scales, which look like tiny versions of G's signature "maple leaf" dorsal spikes. And her jawline and facial sculpting contain the essence of Godzilla's visage. It's remarkable work, all done by Koichi Kawakita, a first timer to the series. The creature's bulk is impressively huge, making it the largest of any monster seen in the series. She's also immortal, so even though she "dies" in the fight with Godzilla it's shown later she's now a big rose orbiting Earth. Despite that fact, this stands as Biollante's only appearance in the series.

Kawakita also gave audiences a new Godzilla, sporting a sleeker look than his 1984 counterpart and sporting some of the most fluid movements ever seen in a suit before. Kawakita's design cues included a lot of new features, such as a smaller, slightly elongated head, a more robust & muscular body, double rows of teeth with fangs less prominent, larger dorsal fins cast from a heavier material to make them look sturdier, and a head that could move back and forth for the first time ever. As good as fans agree Godzilla looked for his second debut in 1984, this suit was the beginning of an era that would see what is arguably Godzilla's most iconic design ever. I'm saying that in the sense of how the public and many fans perceive the image of Godzilla at large. I'm as much a fan of the Showa suits as anything else, but the notion of Godzilla in my head, the beast that I envision him as, is just like Kawakita designed him. Huge yet sleek, lumbering yet agile, not a hero but not an enemy, all of his trademark features looking just as they should.

Godzilla vs. Biollante also sees a new composer stepping in, with Koichi Sugiyama taking over scoring duties. His work here is much more lively than Koroku's score for Gojira (1984), but I like that once again the series is taking the sound in a different direction. His main theme in particular is quite haunting, with some eerie notes that reminded me of the opening to Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). There are numerous suites that make up the score, being culled from a larger selection of cues that Sugiyama composed for the film. This has the effect of giving each major scene of the film a life of its own. Themes are rarely reprised here, preferring to keep the score moving forward without many recurring motifs. Gotta say, so far this Heisei era is starting off with some killer composers to bring Godzilla to life.

This film was more or less the last Godzilla film I watched as a kid. Finding it on VHS was really difficult. Don't forget, at that time even though a film was released straight to video, as Miramax decided to bypass a theatrical release, it doesn't automatically mean you can buy an affordable copy. Rental? Sure. But to own was upwards of $100, depending on the title. I had a hard time acquiring the Heisei series on tape, either because I wasn't trying hard enough or, more likely, I was becoming a teenager and had "more important' things to do. I'm excited to dig back into the series from this point onward because, frankly, I'm not nearly as familiar with the films. I can practically recite any Showa series film by memory - even the "bad" ones - but the later films were only glimpsed by me a handful of times each.

The next entry would see Tomoyuki Tanaka reneging on his idea to introduce new monsters when he felt this film didn't perform up to standards. It managed to sell two million tickets, barely making a profit. So, he felt fans wanted to see the return of old favorites. Who better to lead the pack than the other King? Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) is a film I have fond memories of despite the fact I didn't see it for a number of years after its release...

GODZILLA-THON #16 - Gojira/The Return Of Godzilla/Godzilla 1985 (1984)

Toho had wanted to make a new Godzilla film for some time. In fact, they didn't really want to stop ni 1975 with Terror of Mechagodzilla, but external factors forced Godzilla into early retirement where he remained for nearly a decade. Cut to the 1980s and Toho was planning a new installment in the series, the first of the Heisei era. Technically, however, this isn't a Heisei film. Emperor Hirohito didn't die until after this film was produced, making the first true Heisei era film Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Early plans had Godzilla fighting a shape-shifting creature, likely one of a dozen or more ideas the studio went through before deciding on what's part sequel/part reboot. Titled simply Gojira, it plays out like a sequel to the 1954 original, referencing Godzilla's last rampage and treating his presence like a force of nature. But it can't be a true sequel since the Godzilla in that film died, something that is questioned (with no foundation) here. I like the ambiguity, personally. After Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) continuity was never a strong suit with the series. Plus, this incarnation of the Big G is one of his best designs ever. Godzilla made a full return to his roots, too, reverting back to the destructive, unstoppable beast as he was first envisioned. There are no opponents in this film, unless you count Super X, the government's high-tech, high flying aerial defense vehicle. Changes were a long time coming in the series, and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka - still at the helm 30 years alter - was there to oversee Godzilla's next era as king.

It's tough to discuss this film and not immediately mention the two distinct versions of it that exist. I grew up watching Godzilla 1985 on a loop. I'm not even kidding. I wore that VHS tape down to the limit. This was my favorite entry. I absolutely loved everything about it. Then, years later I learned the Japanese edit of the film was vastly different, and supposedly superior, to the U.S. cut. Once I finally saw it, I had to agree - the Japanese version is a better film. But I grew up on the 'Merica version; it defined a large part of my childhood.

The basic premise is the same in both cuts. A fishing vessel gets caught up in a big storm off a small island coast and one of the crew men, Okumura, sees Godzilla rise up out of the earth just before it cuts to the opening credits. When the vessel is reported missing, Goro, a local sailor, happens upon it and rescues Okumura after doing battle with a mutated sea louse. Okumura learns that what he saw was Godzilla, but even though he alerts the government's top officials they decline to take any action for fear of a public meltdown. But soon they're given no choice when Godzilla rips a Russian nuclear submarine in half, causing an immediate conflict between the U.S. and Russia. Japan's Prime Minister acknowledges that Godzilla has returned, vowing to do whatever they can to stop him short of allowing the use of nuclear weapons. When Godzilla comes ashore to drain power from a nuclear plant, Prof. Hayashida and his team notice that he's drawn by the sound of birds flying overhead. They get the idea to use the frequency to lure Godzilla back to Mt. Mihara and into the active volcano. Before this happens, though, Godzilla appears in the bay before attacking Tokyo. He smashes buildings, tramples trains, and squashes people until the Super X is deployed. It battles Godzilla, managing to knock him unconscious with cadmium missiles before succumbing to his atomic breath. Godzilla eventually awakens and heeds the call coming from Mt. Mihara, where a fiery doom awaits.

Gojira (1984) received a major release in America, with a strong marketing push and many new scenes shot featuring actor Raymond Burr, who starred as reporter Steve Martin in the first American edit of a Godzilla film with Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1956). Many scenes from the Japanese version were excised to make room for the new footage, but the final U.S. version still ran around 16 minutes shorter. The bulk of the changes came in the form of scenes featuring Martin at home, bumbling officials at the Pentagon, Martin being brought in to consult at the Pentagon, and a final recitation from Martin over the end credits. Oh, and let's not forget lots of obvious Dr. Pepper product placement shots. You'd think it was the only thing left to drink in America.

The Most controversial change made to the film involved the editing of the nuclear tension between Japan, U.S., and Russia. In the Japanese cut, the Russians are just as eager to avoid a nuclear conflict as everyone else. When Godzilla attacks Tokyo Bay, crippling a stealth Russian warship with controls to their space nukes, the wounded captain does everything in his power to try stopping the nuke before it's launched. But in the American cut, the captain, bleeding and weak, stumbles into the control room to launch the nuke! Watching the film now, it's laughable to see how the Russians are made to look like such cartoon villains. We're only missing a shot of one twirling his mustache to make it official.

One minor addition to the U.S. cut that I've always liked was Godzilla's final shrill skreeonk before plummeting into the lava below in Mt. Mihara. It's a chilling cry, one that is conspicuously absent in the Japanese edit. It added an extra bit of sympathy for the big beast, as you realize he was only doing what came naturally to him, and now man's interference with nature has once again caused suffering - this time in the form of his own. We all know Godzilla was just taking a nap down there and not actually dead, since he re-emerges from Mt. Mihara in this film's follow-up. But that final shriek, and the shots of the Prime Minister crying (which still confuses me - Godzilla did destroy your city and stomp your people, you know), had a big impact on me way back when I first saw the film.

Most versions of the U.S. cut contained Marv Newland's short cartoon, Bambi Meets Godzilla. My old bootlegged VHS had it, so I must've watched that short about a thousand times. It ends exactly how you think it would. 

We've got a new film, in a new era, on Godzilla's 30th birthday. You know what that means: new suit! The Big G received a major overhaul for his '80s debut, going right back to his roots. All of the design features seen here were exactly as Godzilla looked in the original film, the only exception being this film didn't have small, prominent ears on the head. Which, frankly, looks much better without them. He has four toes now instead of three, the dorsal plates are larger and parallel rows of smaller plates have been added on either side of the main plates. His eyes look grim, with more white showing and virtually no sympathy to be seen. This was the final film for special effects supervisor Teruyoshi Nakano, who believed he had gone out on a high note, considering his work here to be the best he'd done. Quite honestly, that isn't something I can argue with because the work done here is fantastic.

His prop department also built a 50-foot tall foot, to be used in shots of Godzilla trampling houses and people. Also constructed was a 20-foot tall animatronic Godzilla puppet, which had a wide range of facial movements in addition to having two arms that moved as well. It might not look much better than the old King Kong animatronic on the Universal Studios tram tour, but I've always felt the design cues and sculpting were the best the series had seen up to that point. Godzilla looks pissed, with a might fine set of fangs proudly displayed each time he holds his head back and roars with fervor. The puppet's actions are limited to roaring and exhibiting emotions the suit was never capable of, so any complaints about its inclusion might stem from the fact it can't really attack or do anything too action heavy. But it looks so killer.

The entry almost saw the return of some of the series' veterans, but extenuating circumstances prevented either from happening. Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka attempted to sway director Ishiro Honda back to the series, but the word is that he refused based on how poorly he felt Godzilla had been treated in the '70s. This is an odd excuse given Honda's directed the worst film in the Showa series (All Monsters Attack) and the last film of that era (Terror of Mechagodzilla). Personally, I feel that new blood was needed behind the camera if this were to feel like a fresh start. At this point, the person most responsible for Godzilla's enduring success was Tanaka, so as long as he was on board the films were in good hands.

There was also talk of bringing back longtime series veteran Akihiko Hirata, but he sadly passed from lung cancer before production began. He starred in seven films total throughout the series, beginning with Gojira (1954) and ending with Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), having been present for both the first and last film of the Showa era. And he was only 56 when he died. Let this be a lesson kids: don't fucking smoke.

The series had always been known for showcasing a wide range of diverse soundtracks, and the compositions of first timer Reijiro Koroku are among the best any Godzilla film has ever enjoyed. Continuing with the theme of getting Godzilla back to his roots, the themes used here are dark and foreboding, with a degree of melancholy and emotion I don't think I've ever felt from a G film before. Koroku's main theme alone is iconic, promising something grand and ominous to come as the screen crackles with strips of flame peeling away on the screen. The opening credits are mesmerizing and memorable, perfectly setting the tone of what's in store. I find it funny that of my two favorite big monsters - Godzilla and King Kong - both of their respective reboot soundtracks are my favorites in the series. John Barry's work on King Kong (1976) is some of my favorite music of any film ever, and the same goes for Koroku's work here. 

Godzilla finally had his rebirth in the '80s, but this would be only one of two films he made during that decade. The follow-up, Godzilla vs. Biollante, wouldn't be produced for release until 1989, five years later. That's a big gap for a series that used to hit theaters once a year, a benefit Godzilla wouldn't have again until 1991. This next entry would once again rely on a fan contest to choose a winning script, leading to one of the largest, and certainly strangest, foes Godzilla has ever faced. 

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...

GODZILLA-THON #13 - Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Godzilla's return to the big screen may have come just one year later, but the production history behind Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) is quite a story. Toho decided to have a fan-submission contest (an idea that would come into play for Godzilla during his Heisei days) entered exclusively by children sometime in mid-to-late 1972. At the time, the plan was for the studio to select a new character design as a winner and then base a film around that character. The chosen entry was a robot, dubbed Red Arone, who looked a lot like Ultraman and similar robotic fighters. Toho made modifications to the design (to what degree is unknown) and rechristened him Jet Jaguar. Their plan was to have him fight Megalon, a villainous beetle who had been drawn up for consideration in Godzilla vs. Gigan, but was ultimately cut when the budget for that film proved unable to support more monsters. In a somewhat ironic twist, studio personnel concluded that Jet Jaguar would never be popular enough to carry his own movie, causing the project to be put on hold. Within a month, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka had the script rewritten to include Godzilla and Gigan, on opposing sides, and soon production was back underway. Funny how things work out.

This entry doesn't feature aliens from outside our planet but, rather, from within. The long lost civilization of Seatopia has been trapped underground for centuries, and man's undersea testing of nuclear weapons has been disturbing their society. Angered, they crack open a fissure in the Earth and release Megalon to inflict damage on the world above. Goro, an inventor with one of the coolest pads you'll see in a '70s flick, has made his most amazing creation - Jet Jaguar, a robot capable of flight, fight, and following directives. When Megalon is unleashed, Jet Jaguar is dispatched to Monster Island where he gives Godzilla the bad news on what's going down. The Big G hops into the ocean (courtesy of old Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster footage) and starts paddling his way to Japan's mainland. But Megalon is doing a lot of damage while we wait, so Jet Jaguar, in some magical way, attains autonomy, sentience, and the ability to increase his size exponentially. Yes, a robot manages to "will himself larger", as his inventor posits during the film. Really, who cares how it's possible. The movie needs him big so now he's big. Boom. Done. Jet actually holds his own against Megalon pretty well, delivering a flurry of powerful attacks that stun the beetle. But then Gigan arrives, and all of a sudden Jet Jaguar is beaten within an inch of his robotic life before Godzilla shows up and stomps a mud hole in two asses. Now we get the battle everyone has been waiting for, with Jet Jaguar and Godzilla tag teaming both Megalon and Gigan, the latter of whom bitches out and retreats to space, leaving his cohort to face this:

This, for the uninitiated, is Godzilla's infamous flying kick. Much like his actual flying abilities, as glimpsed in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, we never see him perform such a maneuver again. But, wow, would you look at that. Fuck the logistics of how this is even possible, we're seeing Godzilla delivering a flying two-footed stomp to Megalon's battered body!

Some of the fight scenes are marred by the occurrence of stock footage. Again, considering Godzilla was an afterthought to this picture, essentially co-starring in what is ostensibly his own movie, it's not unbelievable to think Toho would have used old footage to pad things out. The only problem, which is always the problem, is the suits don't match up.

Speaking of which, we get a new suit! And it was made in a week? Yep. Known as the MegaroGoji, special effects supervisor Teruyoshi Nakano had virtually no time to get his work done, leaving him with a mere seven days to give Godzilla a brand new set of skins since his last outing had the suit literally falling apart during the movie. I think he did an amazing job given the time constraints. The only hiccup reported was the eyes, which they were unable to get working properly during filming. That issue was corrected for a TV appearance Godzilla was set to make that same year. Godzilla was given a set of larger eyes, with a more pronounced brow, and a friendlier face. The suit itself appears to fit actor Shinji Takagi much snugger previous suits worn by actor Haruo Nakajima.

Godzilla vs. Megalon, despite it's notorious reputation for being one of Godzilla's weakest films, was one of the most-watched entries in the United States. Not in Japan, though, where it was one of only two Godzilla films to sell under a million tickets (the other being Terror of Mechagodzilla). In the U.S., however, it had a respectable theatrical release in 1976 thanks to an infamous marketing campaign which saw Godzilla and Megalon fighting atop the World Trade Center, just as King Kong did that same year. The following year, it had a cable premiere on NBC, hosted by John Belushi in a Godzilla suit, in a prime-time slot. The major downside to that presentation: the network cut the film down considerably so that it fit into a one-hour slot. Ouch.

Toho had been pitting Godzilla against an ever-increasing roster of memorable, unique monsters that fans have been admiring for decades. But none up to this point had proven to be quite as difficult as when he looked into the mirror. Up next, the Big G meets his robotic counterpart...