TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA
Taking place after the events of the previous movie;
Interpol agents send out a Submarine to find the remains of MechaGodzilla to
gather information about the aliens that built MechaGodzilla, but are suddenly
all killed by a giant Aquatic Dinosaur like monster called the Titanosaurus.
The Interpol agents start to investigate on the incident and discover that a
Mad Scientist who has teamed up with the aliens from the first film plans to
destroy all of mankind with the Titanosaurus (that the scientist was obsessed
with studying that sadly got him kicked out of the scientific community), and a newly
built MechaGodzilla. As the human's try to figure out how to stop the monsters,
Godzilla returns to fight MechaGodzilla and the Titanosaurus to once again
protect humanity.
Instead of talking about Godzilla or MechaGodzilla first, I'm going to instead talk about the new monster first since we're mostly with him for the first 48 minutes of the movie. After the opening credits of the movie, the film doesn't waste any time and shows us our first glimpse of the new monster right away as it destroys a Submarine. I have to admit, the introduction to the Titanosaurus is a cool introduction. Instead of showing the monster's image right away in this introduction, we instead see his tail fin attacking the Submarine, which makes you wonder what kind of monster is destroying the Submarine? A few moments later during the attack, we then see the Titanosaurus destroying the Submarine right before our eyes and get a nice low-angle shot of the monster that makes him look big and mighty. Looking at the design for this monster, this to me is what the Sea Monster Ebriah should have been like in "Godzilla VS The Sea Monster". It shouldn't have been a silly looking giant Lobster monster; it should have been a prehistoric type of monster with fins like a fish that can fight on both land and sea. I'm not going to say that this is one of the most creative and most impressive monster designs that I've ever seen in the franchise, but it definitely is a neat design. I will admit though, aside from his design, his abilities aren't really that different to any other monster that I've seen throughout the series. He's for the most part indestructible like every other monster; he can cause a Hurricane wind with his tail fin almost like all the other flying monsters, except for the fact that this one doesn't fly; he can Swim underwater much like Godzilla himself, only this monster has fins; and his roar (Or should I say cackle) is just as similar and annoying as the sound that Gabra makes in "Godzilla's Revenge". The only new thing that this monster has to offer aside from his design is his ability to lift Godzilla up by biting into Godzilla's mouth, which is cool but that's pretty much all he does that's new, and he only uses that skill once. I'm not saying the scenes where he uses these cliche powers aren't awesome, because they are, its just that I wish that this monster had something more to offer that's new and fresh, instead of having all the abilities that the previous monsters in the series already have. This monster is also a pretty lame opponent towards Godzilla. When he's with MechaGodzilla he's threatening, but when he's alone, he's pretty much vulnerable and even runs away from Godzilla on one occasion.
Meanwhile as the Titanosaurus destroys Japan, we for the most part are focused on the aliens and the Mad Scientist trying to re-build MechaGodzilla. Once I got my first glance at MechaGodzilla being repaired, I just couldn't wait to see this Robotic giant monster blow-stuff up and fight against Godzilla once more. When MechaGodzilla is finally activated and ready to fight and spread chaos, the wait totally paid off as we see this monster do everything that we enjoyed about this monster from the last film (Well aside from not having the force field). While MechaGodzilla's design and suit is the same, there were a few altered changes to the design by having it looking pointer than it did in the last film (Mostly on his chest and shoulders) and having its initials on its arm being labeled as "MG2" instead of "MG". The aliens also gave MechaGodzilla the ability to still function after when Godzilla uses the same move that destroyed it in the last movie, which granted still doesn't make much sense here, but at the very least it can still function. All these little changes that were added to the monster don't at all take away anything that was awesome about this monster, but instead only enhance how awesome and dangerous it is.
Without counting the stock-footage of clips used in the opening credits as we watch the fight scenes between Godzilla and MechaGodzilla from the last movie (Which for some odd reason, the clips don't show any of the footage of King Caesar fighting off MechaGodzilla), we don't see Godzilla until we're 48 minutes in of this 1 hour and 23 minute movie, but when Godzilla does appear, I must say his entrance is one of his best entrances of all time, which is so awesome that I dare not spoil it for you. However, I did find it really lame that this grand entrance that looks like is leading up to a big fight, doesn't at all give us a fight (I can see where the influence for those annoying fake-out fights in "Godzilla 2014" came from). Moving on to the Godzilla suit, remember how cheap and silly the Godzilla suit looked in the previous film; well here, it looks a lot better. Despite the film not playing out towards kids (Especially when considering the fact that this is the first and probably only Godzilla film to show breasts, even though they're not real), Godzilla’s design still remains as that kid friendly heroic image. However, I really have no complaint against it since the design matches his heroic personality and doesn't look as cheesy and silly as some of his other designs. But this would be the last film where Godzilla would ever be labeled as hero until the last Godzilla film from Toho. One of the things that I hear many people claim about this film is unlike the first film where it was two heroic monsters battling against MechaGodzilla; this film would do the opposite by having Godzilla fight solo against the two evil monsters. While in a sense they are right since Godzilla isn't teamed up with another monster to defeat the two, I strongly disagree with that claim since Godzilla does have an ally, which are the humans. It may not be another monster, but the human's actually do something very helpful to help Godzilla fight against these monsters. So technically, the human's do count as an ally.
Speaking of human characters, I must be honest, all of them except for one bore me so much that even the stuff they talk about regarding the monsters is boring. I mean granted, they're not bad actors. I can actually think of many other Godzilla films with both bad acting and boring and uninteresting characters, but I'm sorry, no matter how hard I try to get invested in what they are discussing and experiencing, I usually find myself being put to sleep. I also found myself disappointed that the aliens who I enjoyed so much in the last film (Aside from their stupid Gorilla form, which for some reason is strangely ignored in this film.) are boring in this film as well. Hell, even the Mad scientist that's been with them for years (Wait, if he was with the aliens for years, where was he in the last movie?) played by Akihiko Hirata (Who's playing the opposite scientist character that he played in the first movie of the franchise) is dull. He has a past, but you don't feel sympathy for the character, nor feel his hatred against mankind. He's not threatening, or fun to watch either, he's just dull. The only character that I did find myself liking and getting invested with is the Mad Scientist's daughter played by Katsuhiko Sasaki. The reason why I found her interesting is because there actually is an interesting complexity to the character. Throughout this film we see this character try to decide if she should do what her heart tells her to do and help the humans and the person she falls into a love relationship with; or remain loyal to both her deranged Father and race of aliens that saved her life and gave her a robotic body to continue with living. The acting from Sasaki and the actions that this character does throughout the film that are good and bad plays out so effectively that you do care for the character and feel absolute sympathy for her with her trying to do with what she think is right. I'm not saying this type of character is new because we did see a similar character like her in "Invasion Of Astro-Monster" who's a cyborg that has a love relationship with one of the humans and isn't sure if she should do the right thing; and the relationship that scientist's Daughter has with the leading man in the film isn't all that interesting either since the guy she's in love with is completely bland. But with said though, I do think Toho did a better job with this character than the previous character that I've just mentioned. Her emotions, story-arc, and actions are acted and written out so well that its pretty hard not to get emotionally invested with this character.
The scenes of fighting and destruction are once again just as awesome and fun as they were in the previous Godzilla film that brought the series back on top again and the effects are for the most part are just as good as the effects that I praised from the previous movie. I mean sure, there are some obvious use of projector screen effects; occasional use of stock footage from the last film; and some of the models looking like toys in a few shots (Especially the Submarine in the opening scene), but to be fair, they’re not as god-awful as some of the other effects in some of the previous Godzilla films that I’ve reviewed. Actually the most painfully bad effect that I can think of in the whole entire movie is the projector screen used when two random kids are running away from the Titanosaurus, which makes them look like they are flying over the city. I know it's supposed to be a sad and dramatic scene, but the way the effect is used and how the scene just quickly comes and goes just makes it seem silly and pointless. I will also admit that the editing at times feels just as clumsy as the special effects, especially in the scene when the daughter is running and hiding from the humans where she for some odd reason just strangely disappears in the same exact shot on two different occasions (And I don't think that was intentional either since she never demonstrates a vanishing power). If I had to pick the weirdest choice that the film makes that feels out of nowhere, rushed, and very clumsy with its incoherent style, it has to be the different uses of flashbacks. We start off with a slide-show about one of the character's past; to sometimes seeing characters in a thought balloon talking; to a quick transition to the daughter's back story that uses a different color to make it appear different than the scenes in the present; to an out of nowhere stock footage sequence of Manda, Rodan, and King Ghidorah in cartoon like boxes as the daughter fears that the Aquatic monster will be like them. What is this "Godzilla VS Hedorah", because that's what I feel like watching at times whenever I see these inconstant style of flashbacks that don't at all feel creative or felt like much thought went into these different choices. As for the film's score, I have to say its one of the best Godzilla film scores that I've ever heard that carries out the horror, the drama, the emotion, and awesomeness of the film just as perfectly as the score for the first film. In fact, the overall tone of the film surprisingly feels more serious and dramatic than the last film, despite having a few campy elements.
So that was the last Godzilla film made during the "Showa Era" and while I still do think "Destroy All Monsters" would have made a much better conclusion, this film still does a fine job with ending the first series of Godzilla films. Despite the weak and not too original new monster; some of the effects and editing looking very clumsy; and the majority of human characters being completely boring, the film does indeed have some great action; the majority of effects being just as cool and campy as the effects in the last film; an awesome return to a famous Godzilla foe; a really interesting leading character; an amazing score; and Godzilla himself looking and behaving a lot better than he did in his last fight with MechaGodzilla. When I see that final shot of Godzilla walking in the ocean during a bitter sweet ending, while also knowing that this is the last Godzilla film directed by Ishiro Honda who's directed many Godzilla films including the first one; it makes for both a perfect conclusion to the "Showa Era" of Godzilla films, and seeing a director getting a second chance of directing another good Godzilla film after his last god-awful Godzilla movie “Godzilla’s Revenge”.
RATING 3/5
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS OF THE "SHOWA ERA"
After watching and reviewing all the Godzilla films from the first series of Godzilla films, the first series is pretty much hit and miss. You'll for the most part get creative and awesome monsters like Anguirus, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Gigan, Megalon, and MechaGodzilla, but you’ll also get some really lame and silly monsters like King Kong, Ebirah, Gabra, and Hedorah. Even with the monsters that I do find creative and kickass, they too at times get either turned into wimps or look silly with their cheap suits and kid friendly image, especially Godzilla himself. While most of the time the action and effects in these films are entertaining, cool, and fun to watch; there are indeed a good amount of times where the action scenes are boring; flat-out silly; have laughable cheap effects where you don't feel the same amount of heart and effort that was put into these effects compared to many other Godzilla films; and of course witness some heavy reliance on stock footage in some of the films, which becomes insultingly shameful. Half of the plots to these films are interesting and creative, especially for the earlier films, but as the series keeps moving forward, you begin to sense a formula to these films that becomes predictable and cliche where you either find the stories and set-ups new and creative, despite how cliche they are; or just plain dull and lazy. When it comes to human characters, well for the most part, the series offers very few good ones that become memorable characters that you give a crap about since the majority of human characters are either flat-out boring or serviceable. The only type of characters played by actors that are usually the most fun and interesting set of characters are the different types of aliens and ancient civilizations that the human's encounter throughout the series.
The biggest complaint that I have with these films as a whole is the constant change of tone throughout the series. While the majority of films in this series are mostly campy and aimed out towards families to enjoy (Especially kids); there are in fact dozens of times where these films will just change their tone. A good chunk of them would be colorful and campy that play on the Sci-Fi element involving aliens; sometimes the film's would try really hard to cater towards kids by being comical, over the top, and cute; the film’s would rarely at times create an actual giant monster horror movie that plays out towards adults (Though those are pretty much the earlier films in the series); and many times, all these different genres would be mashed together in a Godzilla film which would either be done well or feel out of place with the film's overall tone. So the style and tone for this series of films, as well as some of the films themselves are an inconstant mess. The continuity for these films is also very bad. Despite that these film's are connected to each other, they usually act like stand-alone movies as they keep changing the designs for the monsters; give them abilities and weaknesses that either keep changing or being ignored throughout the series; the people would hardly talk about the damages and chaos that the monsters caused in the previous films; and even at times, the film’s would bring the monsters back from the grave with no explanation at all.
Still despite the film series being a complete mixed bag of hits and misses,
I did enjoy the series as a whole. There were honestly very little Godzilla
films that I found myself hating and not being entertained by which were
"Godzilla VS Hedorah" and "Godzilla's Revenge". The English
dubbing for the film's that I had to review are also atrocious as well, and I
only recommend the English dubbed cuts for the people that can't find the
original Japanese cuts, or have kids that can't read yet. Outside of the two
films and the horribly dubbed films, the rest of the film's are enjoyable and a
lot of fun, despite the amount of hits and misses that each film has. Even the
ones that have very few good things going for them like "Godzilla VS
Gigan" and "Godzilla VS Megalon" for example do have an
entertainment value to them. I don't think the first series of Godzilla films
are for everybody due to how much of a mixed bag it is, and honestly
the only Godzilla film that I highly recommend that is actually great is the first one. However, if
you're looking for a series that's creative, intense, action-packed, campy,
colorful, and fun, than these films will indeed have you entertained for both
the awesome and camp factor. As a person who's entering the Godzilla franchise
for the first time, I personally had a lot of fun watching and reviewing them,
and I can't wait to review the next series of Godzilla films for next October.
RATING FOR THE "SHOW ERA" 3/5
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