| Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
may be the third incarnation of Godzilla’s
mechanical doppelganger, but it could be said
that the third time’s the charm. In
truth, the plot may be similar to Godzilla
vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), but
fixes a lot of the flaws, as well as adding
some interesting subplots and characters.
It also takes a page from Godzilla,
Mothra, & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters
All-Out Attack (2001) and forms a
deep connection to the original film.
By the year 1999, it has been
many decades since the assault of the original
Godzilla on Tokyo, but many other monsters,
such as Gaira and Mothra, have attacked in
the interim. A massive typhoon strikes Tateyama,
but that is the least of Japan’s problems;
a new Godzilla erupts from the depths and
cuts a path of destruction through the surrounding
area. The Anti-Mega Losses Force, a branch
of the JSDF specifically assembled to counter
such disasters, is sent into battle against
the monster king. but his unstoppable strength
is too much for them. During the confrontation,
maser cannon pilot Akane accidentally knocks
a jeep into a ravine. Godzilla’s foot
smashes the vehicle, along with its hapless
passengers.
It is soon realized that a
new weapon must be constructed to combat the
King of the Monsters. Using spinal cells from
the bones of the original Godzilla (slain
in 1954) and state of the art technology,
they construct a “Mechagodzilla”,
dubbed Kiryu. Akane, due to her proficient
skills, is chosen to be one of Kiryu’s
pilots.
As Kiryu is unveiled to the
entire world, Godzilla is once again detected
on a collision course with Japan. Kiryu is
deployed. After assaulting Godzilla with Kiryu’s
mouth-mounted maser cannons, Akane prepares
Kiryu’s ultimate weapon, the Absolute
Zero Cannon, to finish Godzilla. However,
Godzilla’s iconic roar disturbs something
deep within Kiryu’s organic circuitry.
Kiryu refuses to respond as Godzilla retreats.
Suddenly, Kiryu’s eyes glow an ominous
red and he emits a roar identical to Godzilla’s.
Kiryu proceeds to unleash his entire arsenal
on the city around him, destroying everything
in his path. Unable to regain control, the
only thing that can be done is to simply wait
for Kiryu’s power supply to drain.
As repairs are underway in
an attempt to prevent Kiryu from going berserk
in the future, Godzilla once again appears
in Tokyo Bay. Japan’s only hope lies
in Kiryu, but with the spirit of the original
Godzilla sleeping deep within the machine,
will this cyborg help or hinder the escalating
situation?
The characters are most entertaining
in this film. Akane (Yumiko
Shaku), the main heroine, is cold and
reserved at first, a result from the mistake
she made in her battle with Godzilla, but
gradually grows warmer with time and understanding.
Tokumitsu Yuhara (Shin Takuma) is another
interesting character; an emotionally effective
scientist role (gasp!). Comical to a fault
and loving to his those around him, his affable
nature is an electrically-charged foil to
Akane in the beginning. His daughter Sara
(Kana Onodera) is also a charm. Though her
connection to her plant may seem strange at
first, her backstory and her innocence gives
her a certain defining quality and wisdom
beyond her years; she tends to pick up on
things the other characters don’t. In
some ways, this unique quality harkens back
to the days of Miki Saegusa (Megumi
Odaka). Hayato Igarashi is another interesting
character (played by Akira
Nakao, a veteran of Heisei fame for
his role as Commander Aso). He shows true
emotion, and acts like one would expect a
leader who is faced with the difficult task
of weighing the risks of Godzilla with the
risks of Kiryu.
Of course the monsters also
had a huge role in the film. Godzilla is a
force of nature, and his appearance is well
fitting for the role, lifelike and feral.
The flashing of the dorsal spines leading
to the gradual energy build-up is an interesting
effect, as is the fire bursting into his mouth
before he finally unleashes his attack. This
particular Godzilla is meant to be an indestructible
juggernaut. No weapon that is used against
him can do any lasting damage until Kiryu’s
ultimate weapon is unleashed, and even that
fails to put him down. Godzilla also shows
some degree of intelligence in the final battle,
taking advantage of Kiryu using ambush strategy.
Although, it should be noted that the impetus
to belligerence doesn’t lie solely with
Godzilla. During their initial battle, Godzilla
doesn’t attack Kiryu, and one could
argue that he displayed more of a reserved
curiosity which ultimately erupted into raw
emotion when Kiryu made the first damaging
move.
As for Kiryu, he’s quite
simply one of the best suits I’ve ever
seen. He’s truly a sight to behold,
appearing mechanical, but also organic enough
that his fluidity isn’t out-of-place.
While his missiles aren’t effective
against Godzilla in the least, they’re
a great effect and look amazing. The mouth-mounted
Maser Cannon is also an excellent visual;
a true electrical blast (which is exactly
what it’s supposed to look like). The
wrist-mounted beam cannons are wonderfully-rendered,
as is the electrified blade. Although the
Absolute Zero Cannon is a stunning
effect, it does prove to be more interesting
to have Godzilla interrupt the charging sequence
(instead of standing in there and getting
blasted like an Ultraman villain). The limber
tail is also a plus, as opposed to the stiff
and useless ones attached to past Mechagodzilla’s.
Ultimately, Kiryu is a perfect balance between
firepower and mêlée skill. He
also tends to have quite a bit of character,
and this aspect isn’t mentioned as often
as it should. He seems to be alive
in places, the “Godzilla” side
of him a more obvious aspect than others.
The glowing red eye and Godzilla roar were
great ways to show the original Godzilla manifest.
Kiryu is also an interesting character for
the fact that he was given a name of his own
(being a mix of the Japanese words for “mechanical”
and “dragon”) instead of simply
donning the default moniker, Mechagodzilla.
This sets him apart.
As for the musical score, Michiru
Oshima is wonderfully skilled. One
prime example is Kiryu’s excellent theme,
which has an heroic sound that works well
in contrast to the classic, ominous Godzilla
theme. This provides a bit of symphonic exposition,
characterizing Kiryu as the mechanical protector
of Japan and Godzilla as the living natural
disaster.
Ultimately, Godzilla Against
Mechagodzilla proves to be one superb
thrill ride from beginning to end. Great characters,
a fun plot, and an amazing Mechagodzilla suit
all make this an A+ adventure. While it doesn’t
manage to top its predecessor GMK
(2001), it is still a strong film. And, at
the risk of sounding biased, I must admit
that Kiryu is one of my all-time favorite
monsters (err… mech).
|
(4/5)