Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

[LSD Jellyfish]

Oh, how I remember the golden years of the early to mid '90s, growing up as a Godzilla fan. The monsters were King Seesar, Spiega, Angilas, Minya, and Gimantis (or Kamakiras), and the movies were Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla versus the Sea Monster, Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, and Gigantis the Fire Monster. Then in the late '90s Toho went totally bonkers out of absolutely nowhere and now we're forever stuck with King Caesar, Kumonga, Anguirus, Minilla, Kamacuras, Invasion of Astro-Monster, All Monsters Attack, Ebirah: Horror of the Deep, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla Raids Again...

I don`t mind, and clearly remember myself using names as Spiega, Gimantis, Angilas, and Minya(in fact I still prefer Minya because it just roles off the tongue better). Angurius/Angilas, is just a different interpretation of ANGIRASU. Spiega and Gimantis are fine, because their Japanese names are just the words for Spider and Mantis with traditional kaiju sounds added to them.

My complaint of Shisa vs. Caesar is different, because a large significance of the characters name is changed and lost by the spelling.

[Zarm]

My complaint of Shisa vs. Caesar is different, because a large significance of the characters name is changed and lost by the spelling.

Agreed.

[eabaker]

The Shimizu who helps Miyajima has very little to do, but the other brother does deliver more interest. He doesn't have any real development, but he's more key to the plot than the other one. He's the one having to deal with the statue and the alien agent, plus Agent Nanbara really enters the story through him.

This is exactly what I was referring to when I said, "an awful lot of the runtime is just a few of the characters running around, not really advancing story (much less characterization)." All the stuff involving the statue is what really drags the movie down for me.

[GojiDog]

While I enjoy this movie, I will fault it for spending so much time building up King Ceasar only to have him be fairly ineffective at the end.

I mean they made that statue seem VITAL and he gets a big musical introduction and everything! He puts up a good fight at first, but is soon overpowered and Godzilla has to do most of the heavy lifting.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

While I enjoy this movie, I will fault it for spending so much time building up King Ceasar only to have him be fairly ineffective at the end.

I mean they made that statue seem VITAL and he gets a big musical introduction and everything! He puts up a good fight at first, but is soon overpowered and Godzilla has to do most of the heavy lifting.

Totally agreed. Just watched it again last night and realized how useless he is in the final battle. Honestly, GvMG would be a way better movie if King Caesar was cut out and Godzilla and Anguirus teamed up against Mechagodzilla in the final battle.

[Xenofauna]

I feel like I'm the only one who thinks King Caesar being overwhelmed by Mechagodzilla is the POINT. It's another demonstration of how Mechagodzilla is an incredible force to be reckoned with. You'd really rather have one less monster in the Toho menagerie because you don't understand the point of that scene?

[Terasawa]

Replacing Seeser with Anguirus or any other monster would render the film's Okinawan setting moot.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

I feel like I'm the only one who thinks King Caesar being overwhelmed by Mechagodzilla is the POINT. It's another demonstration of how Mechagodzilla is an incredible force to be reckoned with. You'd really rather have one less monster in the Toho menagerie because you don't understand the point of that scene?

I understand the point of the scene just fine. But it's stupid to build up a new monster for the whole movie just so he can get his fluffy ass kicked. Why do we need to see how strong Mechagodzilla is for a third time? We already saw him kick the shit out of Anguirus and overpower Godzilla. Having him outmatch a third monster, one we've never seen before, is just redundant. And frankly, I could take King Caesar or leave him. He's my third least favorite Toho kaiju, after Minilla and Gabara.

Added in 1 minute 52 seconds:

Replacing Seeser with Anguirus or any other monster would render the film's Okinawan setting moot.

I never felt like the setting was all that important to the movie anyway. The finale could just as easily have taken place in Tokyo or Osaka or Nagoya or anywhere else in Japan.

[Terasawa]

I guess I don’t get that, because the entire movie is a chase to awaken a kaiju version of an Okinawan mythological creature.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

I guess I don’t get that, because the entire movie is a chase to awaken a kaiju version of an Okinawan mythological creature.

Exactly! And then, after that movie-long chase, said monster is a useless waste of time. Had the film snipped out King Caesar and placed 100% focus on the Mechagodzilla plot line, I think it would have been stronger. Or, if the filmmakers were really passionate about including Caesar and Okinawa, they could have made Caesar instrumental to Godzilla's victory over Mechagodzilla. You know, instead of having him smack the robot a few times while Godzilla has him in a death grip, and otherwise be useless in the fight. I'm all for including Caesar if he was utilized well, but I don't think that he was.

[eabaker]

I guess I don’t get that, because the entire movie is a chase to awaken a kaiju version of an Okinawan mythological creature.

Yup. It's almost like the movie acknowledges in that moment that almost its entire plot has been pointless filler. One almost has to appreciate the honesty...

[daveblackeye15]

Like I feel like you could forgive King Sesar if they made further clear Godzilla can't beat Mechagodzilla on his own but the two working together could do it. I mean the final battle is really most Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Only points Sesar comes back is the big barrage scene and ramming Mechagodzilla when Godzilla has him...that's it! So put more Sesar in the final battle team effort...boom fixes that issue.

[edgaguirus]

I guess I'm the only one to support King Sesar. Yes, the kaiju wasn't a big part of the fight, but he lacks a real distance weapon. Before Godzilla arrived, he was doing a decent job against a robot bristling with missiles and lasers.

Speaking of Anguirus, he didn't do that much in the fight in G vs Gigan. It mainly focused on Godzilla and Gigan. Anguirus also smacks Ghidorah as Godzilla holds Ghidorah in a deathgrip. I see parallels between the two, with the exception of the big buildup.

[eabaker]

I guess I'm the only one to support King Sesar. Yes, the kaiju wasn't a big part of the fight, but he lacks a real distance weapon. Before Godzilla arrived, he was doing a decent job against a robot bristling with missiles and lasers.

Speaking of Anguirus, he didn't do that much in the fight in G vs Gigan. It mainly focused on Godzilla and Gigan. Anguirus also smacks Ghidorah as Godzilla holds Ghidorah in a deathgrip. I see parallels between the two, with the exception of the big buildup.

Well, the contradiction between the big buildup (it's the driving force of the whole plot) and the meager payoff is really the issue.

[szmigiel]

Even though I like the movie and the final battle, it could have been scripted a whole lot better. When King Sesar starts out he is doing okay, his ability to reflect Mechagodzilla eye beams seems useful, but once MG starts with the missiles he is outmatched. Funny thing is when they are attacking MG from front and back, MG points the missiles at Godzilla and the eye beams at King Sesar, who should have been able to reflect them back.

You can't really point out where King Sesar helps turn the tide of battle, other then just being an extra foe for MG to deal with. Even in the previous film there are points where Jet Jaguar helps turn the tide. Tossing the napalm bomb away from Godzilla at the last second, and flying Godzilla over the wall of flames encircling them.

[ReiwaGodzilla]

This is a great movie, i love it, Mechagodzilla Showa is awesome! King Caesar and Godzilla too!

[ReiwaGodzilla]

It's one of the few Godzilla movies i actually like and care for the characters (though, i didn't watch most Showa movies and Godzilla vs Megaguirus).

[The Octopus]

I just wanted to ask something. Is that fake Godzilla suit (disguised Mechagodzilla) the same suit that was used later in the film to portray Godzilla (The scene where he comes out of the water at Okinawa before the big climatic fight)?

Also is it the same suit used to portray Godzilla again at the end of Terror of Mechagodzilla when he swims away at the very end of the movie?

Is it all the same suit or is it different ones?

[Terasawa]

I just wanted to ask something. Is that fake Godzilla suit (disguised Mechagodzilla) the same suit that was used later in the film to portray Godzilla (The scene where he comes out of the water at Okinawa before the big climatic fight)?

Also is it the same suit used to portray Godzilla again at the end of Terror of Mechagodzilla when he swims away at the very end of the movie?

Is it all the same suit or is it different ones?

1. No, the water Godzilla costume in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was not the same costume they used for Fake Godzilla.

2. The “Fake Godzilla” suit was used for the water tank scenes in TOMG.

[The Octopus]

1. No, the water Godzilla costume in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was not the same costume they used for Fake Godzilla.

What was the point of that costume then? I find it hard to believe they built it for that one scene in Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla.