Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

[Arrow]

Godzilla vs. Megalon



Screw Godzilla (1954), Mothra vs. Godzilla, and GMK. This is the greatest Godzilla film EVER!

Use this thread to discuss 13th Godzilla film.

[Hedorah]

This one is a weird one for me, it's one of my favorites, yet I also hate it. It's just so quirky and fun to watch. Megalon is a insane. Jet Jaguar is a foam robot with a creepy smile. The MST3K episode with this is hilarious "Wouldn't it be funny if the earthquake destroyed your robot?" "Yeah wouldn't it be funny if the earthquake killed your family?" Oh and GOdzillas flying kick for the WIN!

[HayesAJones]

This movie is pure, mindless entertainment. Megalon is cool and Jet Jaguar is a lot of fun. Godzilla's flying kick alone is enough reason to watch this film.

[Hedorah]

Had to post this

[Hellspawn28]

I always did like this movie, it was fun movie. This movie gets too much hate if you ask me.

[g2kmaster]

I thought this was a fun film... till I lost my recording of the Sci-Fi Channel print which was in widescreen and was the international print. Having now watched the film for the past 4 years via 2 bad VHS tapes and such, only the kaiju scenes interest me. Everything else is just... meh. Kaiju yay. Humans nay. And Megalon is one awesome creation. Too bad he was wasted with this film. Should have just added him to Godzilla vs. Gigan.

Though I cannot say to many bat things about this film. This film helped establish the "super hero" Godzilla image, the one which Marvel saw for their comics and what cemented Godzilla'sm pop culture status.

[ZigraDude]

It's a really dumb movie, but a lot of fun. Megalon is a great addition to the Godzilla franchise and it's hilarious when he starts to whine or when things don't follow as planned. Jet Jaguar is awesome as well. Plus, the flying kick scene and Jet Jaguar's song are just made of epic win. All in all, a very fun movie and IMO out of all the Godzilla movies (WIih perhaps the exception of Godzilla vs. Gigan), it's the best example of being so-bad-it's-good. I have more fun with this film than with most of the Heisei and Millennium films.

[Tyler]

It is what it is and I like it.

[GotengoXGodzilla]

Yeah, the story and characters really suck in this one. But honestly, if you're watching Godzilla vs. Megalon for the story or the characters, there's something wrong with you. Most people watch movies like this for the action. And boy, does the action in this one kick ass. The monster fights, the military attacks, even the car chase sequences are all awesome.

So, this is a very entertaining Godzilla film and one of the more underrated ones.

[ThunderScore]

Seems like it gets a lot of negative reviews, but I like it more than most of the later entries...

[Arrow]

but I like it more than most of the later entries...

Same. Godzilla vs. Megalon may not be a masterpiece, but at least it doesn't bore the hell outta me *glares at the '90s movies*.

[ThunderScore]

...and I know there's plenty of stock footage in MEGALON, but not as much as in, say... GODZILLA VS GIGAN, which I'd still enjoy more than "the later entries"...

[godzilla1996]

Watch for the fight scenes. Anything with a monster in this movie, watch it. However, I don't understand why it goes from night to day. I always thought that it was because Toho wanted to show us how long the fight is. Megalon is pretty cool. He is a hard to find toy though. I don't know what to say about Jet Jaguar. He's no that cool, but the concept is nice. I also really like this Godzilla suit.

[Arrow]

Watch for the fight scenes. Anything with a monster in this movie, watch it. However, I don't understand why it goes from night to day.

Stock footage and poor editing, probably.

[Legion1979]

Watch for the fight scenes. Anything with a monster in this movie, watch it. However, I don't understand why it goes from night to day.

Stock footage and poor editing, probably.

The sun came up. They were fighting clear through the night. Honestly though, Godzilla vs Mothra and Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla are much worse with this. It goes from night time to daylight in a single shot in both films.

Godzilla vs Hedora pulls off the gradual change from night to day far better.

[JVM]

I can't make up my mind whether this is overrated or underrated.

I mean, I consider it the worst Godzilla film aside GR and G98, but I love it to death, if mostly because GoodTimes left me a nice package of nostalgia.

[Arrow]

I can't make up my mind whether this is overrated or underrated.

I don't think it's either. Most anyone who loves it admits that it's not a good movie. Yet, I see Godzilla vs. Megalon receive a lot of praise within the fanbase. It's easy to see why - a lot of people saw it as kids, it still manages to be entertaining, and it features some nice action scenes. On the other hand, whenever someone wants to justify GINO of GFW by knocking down another Godzilla movie, their first target is usually this one. And more than anything else, it's Godzilla vs. Megalon that's accused of "ruining Godzilla". So it goes both ways.

[Ethan]

Oh I love it. It's such a fanstastic guilty pleasure. Richiiro Manabe's music is awesome, and the Jet Jaguar song is so freaking addictive...

The sun came up. They were fighting clear through the night. Honestly though, Godzilla vs Mothra and Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla are much worse with this. It goes from night time to daylight in a single shot in both films.

Which Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla? I don't recall that happening in Godzilla vs. Mothra except when Battra dies. I didn't find all that abrupt though. The biggest offender is Godzilla vs. Gigan with that crude blue tint they added.

[Legion1979]

Which Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla?

The Heisei one. It's pitch black out up until the moment Godzilla and Baby turn to wade into the ocean, which at this point looks like early daylight hours. The same thing happens in Godzilla vs Mothra. It's black as night when Mothra and Battle carry Godzilla out of Yokohama but the very next time we see them (which is seconds later) it's daylight. I know why this happened - because the later scenes were shot outdoors in sunlight at the big pool - but the change from day to night is far too abrupt.

I don't recall that happening in Godzilla vs. Mothra except when Battra dies.

See above.

[DaikaijuSokogeki!]

...and I know there's plenty of stock footage in MEGALON, but not as much as in, say... GODZILLA VS GIGAN, which I'd still enjoy more than "the later entries"...

At least Godzilla Vs. Gigan shot new footage for the city destruction scenes...

Anyways, this is a fun film although flawed to the MAX. It has a strange quirky charm to it. It's rarely boring and, much like Gigan, makes sure that the characters don't get in the way of the action. The music is another Manabe score I can't help but dig, and the theme song sung by Masato Shimon is downright legendary. The suits look strange yet inventive, although I don't like the new squished face look Gigan touts. The villains are bland, the stock footage usage lazy, and the acting desirable. But it's a short children's movie that doesn't enforce a half-assed moral onto the audience. There is SOME effort here, but it was the toughest times Toho had ever seen. It was the best they could do with the budget they were given.

So overall, it's a mindless and entertaining kaiju flick that means no harm.