| After 4 standalone movies; Godzilla:
Tokyo S.O.S. delivers the first sequel of
(and some continuation to) the Millennium series.
While the trilogy of films that began the third
series ended with a solid conclusion; Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002) left it
wide open for a sequel. While Godzilla seems to
be down and out, the other title monster is still
around, and the overall continuation with other
non-Godzilla films is enhanced with the addition
of a third title monster and the cameo of another,
lesser kaiju.
A year after the battle with Godzilla,
Kiryu is still under repair. Meanwhile, somewhere
in the ocean, a leviathan awakes. In the Pacific,
American radar shows a UFO flying straight for
Japan. Word is sent to the Japanese and they send
jets to intercept. After hearing singing in the
background, the pilots fire missiles at the object
but are destroyed by a yellow powder as the thing
escapes. Satellite photos reveal a portion of
the UFO, which resembles a large wing.
While vacationing at his country
home in Karuizawa, Dr. Shin’ichi Chujo,
his grandson Shun, and his nephew Yoshito (a mechanic
for Kiryu squadron) are visited by the Shobijin;
descendents of the ones that were acquainted with
the good doctor during Mothra’s attack on
Tokyo in 1961. They have come to him to deliver
a message: return the bones inside Kiryu to the
sea. Disturbing the souls of the dead is a business
humans shouldn’t meddle with. If humans
don’t oblige, Mothra will turn against them.
Yoshito (skeptical of Mothra after her attack
43 years ago) asks who will defend Japan from
Godzilla. The girls reply that Mothra will. The
Shobijin take their leave with Mothra; leaving
behind a tablet engraved with Mothra’s symbol.
After returning to the repair dock;
the other workers notice Yoshito slacking a bit.
At an evening banquet for three departing Kiryu
squadron members (leaving for advanced training
in the US) Yoshito recognizes the woman he saw
earlier: Azusa Kisaragi, who had worked with him
on a ground crew a few years ago. She is assigned
to be a pilot of the Shiragasi, a highly advanced
jet from which Kiryu is controlled. Kyosuke Akiba
is assigned to be the controller of Kiryu, a man
whom Yoshito believes to be too hard on machines.
In the Kiryu repair dock, Yoshito is joined by
Akane Yashiro (the former controller of Kiryu
who’s leaving for the US) who comments to
Yoshito that she thinks Kiryu is happy in disrepair,
but nevertheless, thoughtfully tells Yoshito to
take care of Kiryu.
The next day, Chujo visits with
Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi (an old friend
of his) and tells him about the Shobijins’
plea for the dismantlement of Kiryu. Igarashi
wishes to help but is skeptical, due to Mothra’s
previous attack. Since Kiryu is Japan’s
main line of defense against Godzilla; it was
considered wise that for as long as the monster
exists, so will Kiryu.
In Kujukuri, Japan, the carcass of the giant
turtle Kamoebas washes ashore. Experts claim,
judging from the gashing wounds on the creature’s
neck, that it was killed by Godzilla. Shortly
thereafter, off the coast of Guam, Godzilla attacks
an American nuclear submarine and absorbs the
vessel’s radiation. To make matters worse,
Kiryu's Absolute Zero Cannon cannot be repaired
unless a very large synthetic diamond is purchased,
the expense of which is deemed out of the question.
When asked if Kiryu can move, Yoshito says that
final checkups won’t be complete for another
two weeks; time that they may not have.
Eventually, Godzilla is spotted
heading towards Shinagawa (the area of last year’s
battle). The less-expensive Triple Hyper Maser
replaces the Absolute Zero Cannon as Kiryu's main
weapon, and the mechanized monster is put on standby.
After several failed attempts to quell his fury,
the monster arrives in Tokyo Bay. It is concluded
that this Godzilla is the same one from the year
before, judging from the scar on the chest. After
the military forces are obliterated, it is soon
realized that Godzilla is attracted to the bones
inside Kiryu...
During the evacuation of Tokyo,
Chujo realizes the stone tablet engraved with
Mothra’s symbol is missing and that Shun
must have it. He finds Shun at his school arranging
desks in the shape of Mothra’s insignia,
and shortly following the rendering of the symbol,
Mothra arrives in Tokyo to do battle with Godzilla.
After sundown, Mothra starts to release a golden
powder from her wings, which Chujo explains to
his grandson is a signal that Mothra is about
to die, the powder being her last defense (and
a necessary component to her ability to fly).
During the battle, Chujo and Shun become caught
under rubble after Godzilla strikes Tokyo Tower
with his thermonuclear ray.
Unable to simply stand by and let
Mothra fight alone, Igarashi decides to send Kiryu
into battle one last time. Kiryu is unleashed,
preventing Godzilla from killing Mothra. Godzilla
manages to bring down Kiryu, but before he can
deliver the finishing blow, Mothra strikes Godzilla.
The savage creature turns his ray on her, knocking
her down for the count. On Himago Island, the
Shobijin are surprised when the egg Mothra had
lain only days earlier hatches and reveals twin
larvae! The two infant Mothras take off for Japan
as Kiryu rises again. Its control system is quickly
taken out by Godzilla's unfathomable rage. After
rescuing his uncle and nephew, Yoshito offers
to repair the machine and the maser tanks, as
the Shiragasi is ordered to distract Godzilla.
Before Godzilla can finish off the robot, one
of the larvae sprays silk at Godzilla; to which
Godzilla responds with a blast of his atomic ray,
flinging the larva through the air, landing near
its sibling and mother. After a brief family reunion,
Godzilla attempts take out all three with his
energy blast, but the imago Mothra shields her
young by taking the full brunt of the beam. The
enraged larvae take off after Godzilla, furious
at the loss of their mother.
Yoshito finally fixes Kiryu (with
the aid of the Shobijin) but cannot escape due
to intense damage dealt to the hatch by Godzilla's
atomic ray. He selflessly informs the crew that
he escaped, so that the next round could finally
commence. Kiryu and Godzilla become entangled
in the heat of battle once more, taking the Diet
Building out with them. Akiba converts Kiryu's
right hand (the one lost in the previous battle
with Godzilla) into a drill and jams the spinning
object into the creature’s scar, causing
the King of the Monsters to stumble back in pain.
Kiryu then unleashes a double whammy with the
Triple Hyper Maser and the Twin Maser from its
metallic maw. The screeching beams collide into
the monster’s now open wound, causing the
beast to cry out in intense pain. The cry triggers
memories in the 1954 Godzilla’s bones again;
the thoughts of which are also experienced by
Yoshito, causing him to realize that Kiryu only
wishes to rest in peace. After the larvae completely
encase Godzilla in a silky cocoon, the robot goes
berserk once more and takes the monster to the
Sea of Japan to rest in peace, forever. Azusa
takes off in the Shiragasi after the fleeing robot.
When it is realized that Yoshito is still inside
Kiryu, Azusa blasts open the damaged hatch, allowing
Yoshito to finally escape. Before he escapes,
Kiryu bids him farewell. Akiba ejects from the
Shiragasi and catches Yoshito just in time.
With the day saved, the Shobijin
thank everyone for returning the bones to their
resting place, and they return to Infant Island
with the twin larvae. Little does anyone realize
that danger still remains, as the DNA extracted
from the 1999 Godzilla incident is placed into
special containment...
Character development here is almost
non-existent. Noboru Kaneko plays Yoshito Chujo
(the only new character who really develops in
the movie), a Kiryu mechanic who eventually learns
that Mechagodzilla only wishes to rest in peace.
Azusa Kisaragi (model Miho Yoshioka) is one of
the new Kiryu pilots who has a history with Yoshito;
that’s it. Kyosuke Akiba (Katsuya Onizuka)
is the new hot -headed main pilot for Kiryu; again,
that is all. Only the returning characters from
Mothra
(1961) and Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002) are really
developed in any way. Hiroshi Koizumi returns
as Dr. Shin’ichi Chujo from Mothra
(1961). While he’s mostly here to explain
the events that happened in the aforementioned
movie, it’s still great to see a veteran
actor back in action. Akira
Nakao returns as Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi
and brings back the gruffness he had in Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002). Actors
returning from (and bringing ties to) the previously
mentioned film in smaller roles are: new series
regular Eoichi Ueda (General Dobashi), Lieutenant
Togashi (Koh Takasugi), Akane Yashiro (Yumiko
Shaku), and Naomasa Rokudaira (Dr. Goro Kanno).
While the actresses are new, (Chihiro Otsuka and
Masami Nagasawa) the Shobijin return from Mothra
(1961). In comparison to a more recent effort,
they are much better than their 1992 counterparts;
and, like Godzilla
vs. Mothra (1992), they aren’t
twins, but look enough alike to pull it off.
Special effects in this film are
by far the some of the best (if not THE
best) ever seen in a Godzilla movie. The opening
scene with Mothra and the jets almost rivals a
similar scene from Gamera:
Incomplete Struggle (1999). All the matte
shots blend with the scenes seamlessly. The monsters
all look like they’re really alive. The
shots with the Shobijin are well done, and they
blend in well with the surroundings. The CGI used
is some of the best seen in the series. The only
problems in the cinematography area are some of
the editing jumps, like when Mothra tosses Godzilla
across the city. After Mothra lets him go, it
immediately jumps to Godzilla sliding through
the city. However, these scenes are not that noticeable
and can be easily missed by the casual viewer.
The music score is wonderful. Michiru
Oshima could easily be considered the Akira
Ifukube of the Millennium series, as her scores
can stand on their own and get away with being
repetitive. Her themes for Godzilla and Kiryu
return triumphantly and are just as pleasing to
the ears as before. Her rendition of Mothra’s
theme is wonderful, and the actresses that sing
the song of the Shobijin are better than the actresses
who had a similarly vocal role as the Cosmos in
the Heisei series.
While the human characterization
is weak, it is more than made up for by the monsters.
It’s not surprising for the viewer to show
more emotion for the kaiju than for the human
characters! Of course it wouldn’t be a Godzilla
movie without Godzilla, now would it? His suit
is much more flexible and realistic than in Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002) and his
reason for appearing, due to Kiryu's bones, is
an interesting angle that explains Godzilla’s
appearances in the previous film. The animatronics
in the head give Godzilla more emotion and help
show signs of a relentless hell-bent creature,
only last seen in Godzilla,
Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out
Attack (2001) The CGI used to render
Godzilla swimming is well-done, as it really gives
a good impression of what Godzilla swimming would
actually look like. The fact that Godzilla is
given a greater variety in his roars than in the
previous film helps more emotion to show through.
When Kiryu activates the arm drill in Godzilla’s
scar, with skin flying off, it’s not as
realistic as if there was blood spewing about;
not enough to be graphic, just enough for realism.
In this movie, Mothra is actually made to fit
into the story and she and the Shobijin remarkably
aid with the subplot and themes concerning morality
(instead of being inserted simply for marquee
value, like in GMK). Her design is a
throwback to her Showa days, and the filmmakers
pull off the best portrayal of the monster since
her debut movie. The only problem with Mothra
is the frequency of wing flaps during her flight
scenes (a problem that was almost fixed in her
previous appearance), but it still makes up for
the dreadful stiffness from the Godzilla
vs. Mothra (1992) days. In this film,
Mothra's wings actually flex with each flap. Her
legs are taken from GMK and articulate
realistically, like in the days when Eiji
Tsuburaya was responsible for the effects.
The wind effects and her scale powder attack are
done wonderfully. The fact that the scales blow
up when they come in contact with Godzilla’s
ray is more realistic than the reflection effect
(à la her Heisei appearance). The powder’s
explanation by Dr. Chujo also lends to the move's
credibility. Her battle with Godzilla harkens
back to their first battle in 1964, and her emotional
death sequence is beautifully accomplished.
The twin larvae fair much better
then the larva from 1992, and the one in Rebirth
of Mothra (1996). Animatronics used to
move the mouths and the antennae-like appendages
made the larvae even more realistic. The silk
spray makes more sense then the single string
in previous movies. The reunion with their mother
is heartwarming and the three communicating shows
the intelligence of the creatures. The eyes turning
red when witnessing the imago Mothra’s death
helps show the anger the larvae feel for losing
their mother. In the battle with Godzilla, for
the third time in the long-running series, a larva
latches onto the tip of Godzilla’s tail
(an obviously painful move). The twin larvae wrapping
Godzilla in silk is an obvious throwback to Godzilla
vs. Mothra (1964).
As for Kiryu, this mechanized
kaiju returns with a vengeance. His deeper color
shows the effect of a robot taking a dip in the
ocean (the end of Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla [2002]). While
comments have been made about how the battle style
was different from the last film, one must remember
that Kiryu has a different pilot this time, so
it would be natural for a different fighting style
plotwise. The majority of his weapons are upgraded;
in more ways than one. The Triple Hyper Maser
is a cool replacement for the Absolute Zero Cannon.
The wrist mounted laser guns are much more intimidating
then his old guns. The shoulder rocket launchers
are much better looking then the "hair dryer"
ones from the previous film. After Kiryu has dispensed
this payload, the launchers can be fired as rockets
as well. The replacement for the right hand’s
(which was lost in the last battle) ability to
become a drill is an awesome surprise. One thing
to note: during the battle with Godzilla, Kiryu
tosses him over its shoulder. The move looks realistic
and is very cool. Despite being a robot, Kiryu
does display some emotion when Yoshito is about
to leave the machine. On one of the monitors,
Kiryu says farewell to Yoshito; which is quite
a touching moment.
Another, final monster worth noting
is the dead carcass of the Kamoebas, which is
a nice connection to another non-Godzilla kaiju
movie that is part of the Space
Amoeba (1970) timeline. It’s a
relief that producer Shogo Tomiyama decided to
put this monster in place of Anguirus. If the
original idea to use the fan favorite was not
changed, Anguirus’ role in the film would
have gone over like a lead balloon in the fandom.
There is a saying that "third
time's the charm". For Masaaki
Tezuka, it holds true. Any mistakes of his
previous films are corrected here. While the human
angle is weak; the phenomenal special effects,
the catchy musical score, and the strong monster
aspect more than make up for it. Since this movie
and its predecessor Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002) are considered
the "Kiryu Saga" by many people, with
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS being viewed as Part
2 of the series, it’s much more enjoyable
than if it were simply an individual movie. While
Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla (2002) set up the
story, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS certainly
delivers the goods. |
(3.5/5)