Gojira tai Mekagojira is directed by Jun Fukuda and Fukuda co-writes the screenplay with Hiroyasu Yamamura. It stars Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, Akihiko Hirata and Hiroshi Koizumi. Music is by Masaru Sato and cinematography by Yuzuru Aizawa.
Toho introduce us to Mechagodzilla for the first time, a giant robotic Godzilla fashioned by aliens, cue monster smack-downs and the Earth in peril wrapped in a completely bonkers story.
Godzilla's 20th anniversary celebrations brought us this venture, a strange affair, where it's very easy to warm to and enjoyable for sure, if a tad too cheap and cheesy to be a high point of the original series wave. The human aspects plays like an odd ball spy caper, one that comes with glorious prophecies of monster doom for mankind. Sure enough, it's not long before chaos is brought down upon the city of Okinawa.
Along with the two titular Godzilla's of the title, we also get a bit of Angorus, whose actions and part in the story is a great set up, and here's a newbie joining the fray, King Caesar. Caesar is Okinawa's monster God, officially from Komainu lore in features, but actually looking like some rabid nuclear canine, but it's still great fun as Caesar and Godzilla try and repel the might of the supremely cool and lethal Mechagodzilla.
Sato's musical score is not for me, it's too cartoon like in patches and feels at odds with the peril sci-fi vibe so associated with the series. The artwork is a mixed bag as usual, where most annoying is that the Godzilla costume looks dreadfully cheap, but elsewhere great and nifty model and camera work exude a love for the series that's rather warming.
The ending by way of story wrapping sort of fizzles out, a shame since the pyrotechnics of the final battle are glorious. Which leaves us with a Godzilla film that sits somewhere in the middle tier of the rankings. But if only for introducing us to the awesome Mecahgodzilla for the first time it earns mighty respect. 6.5/10
Toho introduce us to Mechagodzilla for the first time, a giant robotic Godzilla fashioned by aliens, cue monster smack-downs and the Earth in peril wrapped in a completely bonkers story.
Godzilla's 20th anniversary celebrations brought us this venture, a strange affair, where it's very easy to warm to and enjoyable for sure, if a tad too cheap and cheesy to be a high point of the original series wave. The human aspects plays like an odd ball spy caper, one that comes with glorious prophecies of monster doom for mankind. Sure enough, it's not long before chaos is brought down upon the city of Okinawa.
Along with the two titular Godzilla's of the title, we also get a bit of Angorus, whose actions and part in the story is a great set up, and here's a newbie joining the fray, King Caesar. Caesar is Okinawa's monster God, officially from Komainu lore in features, but actually looking like some rabid nuclear canine, but it's still great fun as Caesar and Godzilla try and repel the might of the supremely cool and lethal Mechagodzilla.
Sato's musical score is not for me, it's too cartoon like in patches and feels at odds with the peril sci-fi vibe so associated with the series. The artwork is a mixed bag as usual, where most annoying is that the Godzilla costume looks dreadfully cheap, but elsewhere great and nifty model and camera work exude a love for the series that's rather warming.
The ending by way of story wrapping sort of fizzles out, a shame since the pyrotechnics of the final battle are glorious. Which leaves us with a Godzilla film that sits somewhere in the middle tier of the rankings. But if only for introducing us to the awesome Mecahgodzilla for the first time it earns mighty respect. 6.5/10