Postby GodzillaXGomoraFight » Tue May 07, 2019 9:56 pm
I have just finished my first viewing of the Japanese version of this film and I think I have found a new appreciation for this movie. I have tried very hard over the years to give the English dub that I have had on DVD since I was a kid a chance and I've never seem to latch on to the movie. I find the English dub to be a bit more boring and these days dubs have really prevented me from immersing myself into viewing the film. Finally seeing this film unedited and with scenes that I have never seen before, I am finally able to put everything together. It is a great feeling that I can finally follow and emotionally connect to the stories of Dr. Mafune and Katsura (Katsura in particular as she struggles to maintain some level of humanity).
Upon finishing the first and perhaps most daunting leg of my Godzilla marathon (all Showa kaiju flicks) with this film, this film without a doubt is the most unique in tone than the other 70s Godzilla films. This film doesn't quite fit with its immediate predecessors and reflects back to the older films like Invasion of the Astro Monster and Godzilla Raids Again. Like Astro Monster, we have an alien plot, mind-controlled monsters, and a love interest who, although ultimately good in nature, cannot escape the influence of the aliens and suffers a tragic ending. The serious tone of the film and the brutal nature of its battle also harkens to Godzilla Raids Again, especially in my opinion to the fights between Godzilla and Anguirus compared to Godzilla and Titanosaurus. Even after Titanosaurus is no longer controlled by the aliens, Godzilla shows no mercy to the dinosaur and sends Titanosaurus into what might be his watery grave. This isn't too different from how Godzilla savagely attacks Anguirus, pushes him into the ocean, and finishes him off with an atomic ray.
One of my favorite scenes in the Showa Era is here, which is when Godzilla first appears and after sizing up Titanosaurus, runs straight at the beast. It is interesting how this movie has such a different tone from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, which I finished watching today as well. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, despite having some of the most gore in all Godzilla films, still manages to be a far lighter film, a testament to how differently this film presents violence under the direction of Ishiro Honda. While I will always be more nostalgic of that film, I would have to say that I think that this film is the superior of the two Mechagodzilla films (in its original Japanese cut at least). The film, like all Godzilla films, is not perfect and one think which I think might always irritate me a little is hearing Titanosaurus' roar constantly during battles. If it was meant to be jarring, it certainly accomplishes that.
I am a little surprised that out of all of the kaiju films that I have watched so far (almost 30 at this point), this is the one film that I felt strongly enough to write this short essay. I find it interesting how one's views about these films can change over time. For instance, it wasn't until my latest viewing of Mothra vs. Godzilla that I could finally see why a lot of people find that film to be among their favorites. Likewise, I am starting to see why this film has a notable fanbase as well. I was never a fan of this film growing up and it was one of the first Godzilla films I saw thanks to the Classic Media boxset. Now, over 15 years later, do I finally see what I was missing out on. It might have been one of the worst Godzilla films in terms of box office, but I find it to be an endearing send-off to the Big G and the original run of Toho kaiju films.