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

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

Post by Julia Bristow »

Oh okay then.
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Re: An odd Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla moment...

Post by Terasawa »

This doesn't "bother" me, but I agree that it's weird that one of the main cast isn't around for the movie's "curtain call". But then, neither are the Interpol agents. Maybe they took Professor Miyajima to Interpol HQ to learn about what he knew of space technology? :P
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Re: An odd Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla moment...

Post by Space Hunter M »

It's quite simple really. Mr. Hirata demanded to have a few more seconds of screentime before the end of the shoot, regardless of the contextual errors it would create. Pretty silly, huh? You could go the extra mile and say he went into exile, assuming the identity of one Dr. Shinji Mafune, before willingly rejoining the aliens.

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Re: An odd Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla moment...

Post by edgaguirus »

The screen writers or the producers just didn't give him the extra screen time. The professor's role was completed, meanwhile the people who found the statue go on to see that the statue is returned to its rightful place. It feels right for their characters.
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Re: An odd Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla moment...

Post by Pkmatrix »

It's simple: they don't KNOW Miyajima and the others have survived. After all that's happened, perhaps they didn't expect Miyajima and the others to have survived their mission? It's odd we don't see them again, but everything shown on screen indicates that they did survive.

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

Post by Lain Of The Wired »

For anyone who cares, I began uploading more pics of KC on Godzilla Wiki, check them out
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Re: Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Post by Gamera vs Rodan »

Just finally saw this and it's possible it's my favorite Showa Godzilla film in color. Though, I've got Terror of MechaGodzilla up next!

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

Post by Jon »

A criticism I see a lot about this film is how Anguirus, King Caesar, and Godzilla don't do very much in their fights. I would argue that it created a sense of real danger to them because they are living animal creatures against a robot that doesn't feel pain or get tired (or run out of ammunition, apparently). It was my first Godzilla movie and it still holds up for me. They also did a tremendous job in the movie with the sound effects to make MechaGodzilla seem heavy and solid, adding to how imposing he was.

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

Post by DoctorMafune »

Goji wrote:SPX director Teruyoshi Nakano has said that the building that Godzilla appears from is more or less right on (or next to) the water. So he apparently swam underneath it, and burst through through that way. Random? Yeah. Awesome? Definitely.
I think it was in the documentary Bringing Godzilla Down to Size that Nakano admitted that he knew it didn't make much sense for Godzilla to burst out of that building, but he went with it because it looked cool.

Jon's comment about a common criticism—Godzilla and KC not doing a whole lot during the battles—had me reflecting (n.p.i.) on King Caesar's tactics. I kind of liked KC's ability to absorb energy attacks and to channel them back at an opponent, given that (according to an Okinawan student of mine), that's sort of what the "shisas" are supposed to do: bring in good (spiritual) energies and expel evil influences. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that KC retains a portion of the energy that he takes in, making him stronger... before sending the rest back.

But against MechaGodzilla, it just wasn't enough. :mrgreen:
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Re: Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Post by Jon »

Yeah, what he was able to do was great. I also enjoyed his judo hip toss and football tackles into MechaGodzilla.

To comment on Godzilla bursting out of that building - it's not altogether so different from his appearance in Mothra vs. Godzilla coming up from underground. He just didn't know there was a building above him, haha. Like Anguirus underground in the same movie or Rodan sleeping in the mountain in Invasion of Astro-Monster, I think the dinosaur kaiju try to sleep in pockets of the earth for the most part, so they all can use some excavation abilities.

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

Post by Godzillian »

As a kid I always thought Godzilla was sleeping in the ware house lol. It is really hard to think why he would come out under the building but it looks cool.
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Re: Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Post by Monster Zero »

This is my favorite Godzilla movie. It's just great.

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

Post by 20th Century Boy »

I didn't like this movie. I didn't care for any of the characters, and the plot dragged whenever there were no monsters. It had its moments, but nothing special as a whole.

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

Post by gojira96 »

I watched this movie again yesterday. It's still awesome.

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

Post by LiquidG »

One of the best of the Showa series, absolutely love it :D
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Re: Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Post by Rodan »

Simply the best, as far as fun G-films go. I could re-watch this a thousand times.

This is the height of hero-Godzilla. The soundtrack is amazing, from Mechagodzilla's villainous jazz cue to King Ceasar's theme song (I'd love to see a future Godzilla movie take on this wacky, jazzy aesthetic). The characters are goofy but likable and distinct, and you have the holy trinity of Showa stereotypes in the form of a professor, two researchers and the most hilariously bad-ass secret agent ever put to '70s film. The fights don't feel boring for a second. Godzilla gets his ass kicked! Aliens!

There's really nothing to say about this, critically, other than that it's the first entry to actually achieve what Gigan, Hedorah, Megalon, and even some of the earlier entries were striving for. It's a straight-up, wild, fun ride to a hero vs. villain monster battle that you actually feel invested in. It has an incredibly unique, and intentional, aesthetic, and every moment's memorable.

If I want to watch a Godzilla movie with friends, this is it. If I want to watch a Godzilla movie on my own, this is usually it as well.
I think it was in the documentary Bringing Godzilla Down to Size that Nakano admitted that he knew it didn't make much sense for Godzilla to burst out of that building, but he went with it because it looked cool.
This is Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in a nutshell. But it totally, utterly works.

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

Post by Just Plain Dan »

Favorite Godzilla design of era + new kaiju + reappearance of Anguirus + cool soundtrack + epic fights = Favorite Showa Film!

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

Post by Moonewe73 »

Happy 40th to my favorite G film of the 70's! Cheers to MechaG and King Seesar!

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

Post by he-ba »

I love this film! It gives a good showa feeling, kind of like a reboot of the early 60's, after being in a mediocre trend since Godzilla's Revenge. Mechagodzilla looks great, maybe the best of them all, King Caesar is a great new Kaiju (the others of the 70's are cool, they're just not in the right environment) and we get a great appearance by Anguirus! I wouldn't really mind if he was replaced by Baragon. Even though those rumors are false, it would still be cool to see him have a much needed appearance after he was ignored in DAM (there were solid reasons, it's just sad he was never again revisited.....) The plot is very interesting, the way they use Okinawa because of its reuniting with Japan is very clever, and the actors don't seem stiff at all! The soundtrack is awesome because it only fits with this movie and no other one!

And Happy 40th to my 3rd favorite movie of all time! I read about this in G-Fan, and I was so excited! Also happy 50th to Mothra vs Godzilla and Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, 30th to Godzilla Returns, 20th to Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla, and 10th to Godzilla Final Wars! Just wanted to get that out of the way..........
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Re: Talkback Thread #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Post by eabaker »

Happy anniversary to my third-least-favorite Showa Godzilla film (second least-favorite of the 70s). :-)
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