Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
AKA
Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster
Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster
(1974)
Page 2
For Godzilla's 20th Anniversary Spectacular, Toho decided to do something that, quite frankly, I'm surprised wasn't done earlier in the series, the ever so nasty evil twin (an idea so good, the used it again for G's 40th Anniversary, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla). Looking like a prototype of the DragonZord from the first few seasons of Power Rangers, the ever-so-popular Mechagodzilla makes his debut in this fan-favorite movie.
But, just because it's a fan favorite, doesn't mean it's one of my favorites.
My god, this movie is boring. There are worse Godzilla movies out there, but even films like Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster can hold my attention to a decent degree, wheras Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla only succeeds in making me nod off. The only Godzilla movies that dull me half as much as this one are Godzilla vs. Biollante and ?Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth, and even they have a certain underlining energy to them that helps keep me awake.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is director Jun Fukuda's final Godzilla film, and an overwhelming "Thank god" was heard across the globe. Having helmed the previous two films in the franchise, which also happenned to be the most stitched together and poory made, Fukuda seems to be desperatly trying to prove he's not the hack those films would lead you to believe. He and Toho opt to make Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla a return to form for the series, and desperatly try to make this project as serious and somber as possible.
A noble jesture, I must admit. However, I have to say that if the movie your making is about a giant radioactive superlizard (who can, appearantly, turn himself into a magnet now, I might add) and a giant puppy dog with laser beam eyes doing battle with a giant robot controled by evil blue space-monkeys and your trying to make it with a straight face, you might want to rethink several aspects of it.
I'm glad the project is not like Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Megalon, but the elements that make movies like this fun have become lost in translation. The monster action is light, and even when it's onscreen, it's barely impressionable. There is a lot of laser beams and Godzilla falls down a lot, that's about it. The plotting of the film is horrible and about as contrived as a film can be. When the fake Godzilla appears toward the beginning of the film, the fact that it's not Godzilla is so incredibly unsubtle with it's drasticly mechanical sound effects that even the dimist of 3-year-olds can figure it out (that is, if the title of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla hadn't already tipped them off). The human plot is bland and uninteresting, as they walk around with a statue and discuss the plot with inane logic and dialogue. And yet another alien invasion plot surfaces in the series. You know...if there are really that many alien races in the universe, why can't they just invade each other and leave us alone for once?
And finally, King Ceasar, who I despise with a passion. I hate his ugly giant head. I hate his shaggy costume design. I hate his vague mystical background. I hate the fact that he jumps around and tries and tackle Mechagodzilla for 2 minutes before Godzilla shows up and saves his sorry ass. I hate that he appears and reappears constantly during the final battle, leading me to believe he's off hiding somewhere so while Godzilla does the dirty work for him.
To give credit where credit is due, this is indeed the most polished of Fukuda's Godzilla films (though I prefer the pretty island locals of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Son of Godzilla to the barren countryside of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla anyday), and he couldn't ask for more bang to go out on. The Mechagodzilla costume is slightly akward, but well-designed, none-the-less. It genuinly looks like a hunk of heavy metal and the suit actor moves pretty well in it.
I realize this one is a favorite amung many, and I respect that. I just simply can't get into it. It's one Godzilla film I'm never in the mood to watch.
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