Should Godzilla vs Mothra been Mothra vs Battra instead?

[Drewzilla]

I just watched the Japense cut of Godzilla vs Mothra tonight and once again I remembered that this is the worst Godzilla film in Heisei and one of the worst in the franchise in general, or atleast I think. It was pretty much Mothra's first film re-done with Godzilla and battra throne in, and I feel Godzilla didn't feel right at all. Battra atleast made sense as being darker opposite, Godzilla never made sense to the whole of it all, and to be honest the last fight made him come off as the eviler of the 3 since Mothra and Battra decide to unite against him as the greater good.

So after it was done, a thought came to me. Should this film not had Godzilla not at all? I mean, it sounds weird saying that Godzilla himself should be cut from one of his own films, but it hardly seems like his film. For one, I think Battra as the main villian would be better. Them giving Godzilla's time to Battra could of build him better. I mean he could of had a better entrance then simply being un-burried (Mothra was re-born litterally), he could have transformed into his final form in lengthier time like Mothra then a spur of the moment transformation (although I still maintane his larva form is better then his final form), and I even think maybe should have had his own Cosmos as apposed to being solo (they made an evil one in the Mothra Trilogy).

I honestly feel that maybe if Godzilla wasn't in this film, it could of been better. Granted, there was the way to heavily pushed "Save the Earth" theme and Spielberg rip off with Japanesia Jones and the Temple of the Rip Off. But the sugjestion of being 1 monster less and focusing more time on Battra as the villian would have helped it.

What do you guys think?

[Mini-Godzilla]

Yes. I would prefer this as one of the Rebirth of Mothra films. I love the human characters and the environmentalist message of the film, and both could have received more attention if a certain radioactive dinosaur weren't showing up constantly and gumming up the works. TBFE reminds me of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. In both cases, I wish that Godzilla were out of the picture altogether so that Mothra could take center stage. That's not because I dislike Godzilla, or because I prefer Mothra, but rather because Mothra deserved more films of her own!

[HayesAJones]

I would have been cool with that. If it had been just Mothra and Godzilla or just Mothra and Battra, it would have been a better film. I like it, but it's still pretty bad. And Battra was a character that could be easily expanded upon too.

But of course, I would want a new Heisei Godzilla movie to replace it. Maybe a standalone "Godzilla vs. Bagan" or a "Godzilla vs. Gigamoth" as a followup to a Godzilla-less version of this film.

[HedorahLives]

I enjoyed Godzilla's antics in this film and the film in general, but I can see where you're coming from. Godzilla definitely takes a backseat and it's pretty much the only Heisei film where he isn't the main focus.

[Tyler]

I guess they thought sticking Godzilla and Mothra together in one film would make more $$$.

[Godzilla 1995]

I guess they thought sticking Godzilla and Mothra together in one film would make more $$$.

And they were right, Godzilla vs Mothra was one of the best-selling Godzilla movies.

[Blackout286]

This is my favorite Heisei film out of all the other Godzilla heisei films. Godzilla made some sense when you really think about it.

Now Godzilla, although somwhat not the main focus. Is the main villian of the film. He's a major threat to human life which gives Mothra a good reason to fight against him. Godzilla is also a major threat to the world, which gives Battra a reason. Although mankind is a threat to the world as well, they aren't as big of a threat like Godzilla.

Battra although a darker version of Mothra is not a villian within the film, he's a Anti-hero. He's the earth's warrior and his sole purpose is to protect it from any threat of any kind. A good purpose, however the way he get's the job done is very negative and not the right way. A Anti-Hero. Someone who's good but does things in a less positive way.

[godzilla1996]

Hey here's a thought, replace Godzilla's role with Bagan.

[Legion1979]

This movie wouldn't have made the money it did without Godzilla's name in the title. There's no way this film would have been made without him.

[Hellspawn28]

Godzilla and Mothra are big money makers in Japan. The movie also made a lot of money because the movie got good reviews which made people go see the movie. I don't think removing Godzilla movie would have made the movie any better.

[GodzillavsJason]

Yeah i think this is a good idea they can take Godzilla out of that god awful movie keep it with Battra and Mothra and film another film Godzilla film back with that one like for the Godzilla film they should do Godzilla vs Gigan because Angurius and also another Ghidorah or Mecha King Ghidorah could appear i think that would have been a great movie since fans wanted Anguirus and Gigan to be in the Heisei series. Also if they did do that in the movie with Battra and Mothra have Battra kill Mothra so his series can be called Rebirth of Battra and have Battra corrupt the cosmos who are later known as Lora and Moll in the rebirth series so Battra and the three cosmos can fight Des Ghidorah, Dargarla, and Grand Ghidorah fo control of the world. Now that would be a great series.

[Arrow]

The movie probably would've been better had Godzilla not been included. One of my issues with this film (added to dozens of others) is that this doesn't feel like a Godzilla movie. It feels like a Mothra movie with Godzilla tossed in. To be fair this is a problem with Mothra vs. Godzilla as well, though that film does a better job of balancing the two monsters. There's so much material that could've been explored had the filmmakers been allowed to expand on Mothra's character without having to give time to Godzilla as well.

[Drewzilla]

The movie probably would've been better had Godzilla not been included. One of my issues with this film (added to dozens of others) is that this doesn't feel like a Godzilla movie. It feels like a Mothra movie with Godzilla tossed in. To be fair this is a problem with Mothra vs. Godzilla as well, though that film does a better job of balancing the two monsters. There's so much material that could've been explored had the filmmakers been allowed to expand on Mothra's character without having to give time to Godzilla as well.

I think the orriginal Godzilla vs Mothra worked better because Godzilla there had a purpous. In that film, he kind of returned to his roots fromt he orriginal 1954 film where he was Nuclear destruction in the form of a creature, and this is played upon with the villiagers that worsiped Mothra as they learned first hand what that destruction is like and view Godzilla as Karma of sorts. In the Heisei film.....they never really adress the fact that Godzilla is man's creation and he's there own terror reaped upon the, he shows up, it's "Oh shit, here's Godzilla" and the battle begins. Even in the "Save the Earth" message they push so heavily, they never adress him as one of the faults of man, it's Mothra beats him and "we need to take care of the earth".

[miguelnuva]

Battra: anti-hero good
Mothra: hero good
Godzilla: anti-villian nuteral

Their is no clear villian in Godzilla vs Mothra and I like godzilla in the flim because when Godzilla is in a movie with mothra (minus GMK and Tokyo SOS, Final Wars) it's like godzilla is crossing over into a mothra flim as apposed to making just another of his movies.

Rebirth of mothra 4 whould have been a great movie feturing battra,mothra and godzilla battling bagan or if godzilla guessed stared in ROM 3.

[FlawedCoil82]

I wouldn't have liked this movie as well if it was just Mothra fighting Battra. The problem for me is that, overall, I just don't find Mothra to be an entertaining monster that I want to root for. In her trilogy movies, I really liked Death Ghidorah, Dagarla and Grand King Ghidorah and would have much rather seen Godzilla fighting them instead. Even when she fights Godzilla, it bores me because I don't find her that appealing as a monster. The same thing goes for Battra. I found him far more entertaining in his larva stage than I did his adult stage. So this film would have been no better than the other three Mothra trilogy films in my opinion, had Godzilla not been in it.
Jack

[HedorahLives]

The movie probably would've been better had Godzilla not been included. One of my issues with this film (added to dozens of others) is that this doesn't feel like a Godzilla movie. It feels like a Mothra movie with Godzilla tossed in. To be fair this is a problem with Mothra vs. Godzilla as well, though that film does a better job of balancing the two monsters. There's so much material that could've been explored had the filmmakers been allowed to expand on Mothra's character without having to give time to Godzilla as well.

I think the orriginal Godzilla vs Mothra worked better because Godzilla there had a purpous. In that film, he kind of returned to his roots fromt he orriginal 1954 film where he was Nuclear destruction in the form of a creature, and this is played upon with the villiagers that worsiped Mothra as they learned first hand what that destruction is like and view Godzilla as Karma of sorts. In the Heisei film.....they never really adress the fact that Godzilla is man's creation and he's there own terror reaped upon the, he shows up, it's "Oh shit, here's Godzilla" and the battle begins. Even in the "Save the Earth" message they push so heavily, they never adress him as one of the faults of man, it's Mothra beats him and "we need to take care of the earth".

You're onto something here. In the movie, the meteor is the main catalyst for the ensuing destruction, as it does three things; piss off a hibernating Godzilla and uncovers Mothra's egg in the storm, which in turn prompts the emergence of Battra. The meteor can't really be blamed on man (though the screenwriters try) because it's just a random universal occurence, but Akira Takarada's character (in the only dialogue the movie really gives him) talks about how the meteor is really some sort of bad karma for man's misfortunes. The big deal is the rekindling of the rivarly between Mothra and Battra over the fate of earth's people. Godzilla is just kind of an extra problem. In the end, his presence allows Mothra and Battra to resolve their conflict by taking on a more powerful, more belligerent enemy. So I'd say that Godzilla ultimately has a purpose in the story, but he's not the main focus. Mothra '92 stands out for being the only Heisei film that isn't really Godzilla-centric.

[godzillafan]

im not jumping in the bandwagon with all you guys that hate the movie i liked it. it had a great score and a great storyline. i would give this movie 5/5

[Drewzilla]

im not jumping in the bandwagon with all you guys that hate the movie i liked it. it had a great score and a great storyline. i would give this movie 5/5

I wouldn't call it a band wagon on hating it, it's simply that it comes off as bad to a lot of people. I got nothing against you liking, but I can find hardly anything I do like about it. The only things I do like about it where Godzilla vs Larva Battra underwater, the Mothra song being used and Godzilla's entrance from the volcano. Everything else though I just angers me, Mothra and Battra's poor prop designs (I actually concider this the worst Mothra incarnation in the entire franchise), the blatant Indiana Jones rip offs, how little use they made of Miki Siguesa, the save the earth message that they pushed way to heavily, and the reason why I started this thread, the fact that Godzilla is hardly focused on.

If they had taken out Godzilla and this had been problebly better since they wouldn't have wasted him and possibly Miki aswell (since she was only in Godzilla films). Don't know how much better it have been, maybe not much, but still better. But as it is now, I concider it the worst film of the Heisie series (Ironic that it's the most succesfull) and one of the worst in the entire franchise. I got nothing against you liking it, that's your opinion, but mine is vastly different.

[godzillafan]

well you got to admit the final battle was amazing

[Goji]

well you got to admit the final battle was amazing

It was?

IMO, It's actually one of the worst in the entire series. It's boring as hell, and the Mothra and Battra marionettes just don't look good in motion, much less tangling with Godzilla.