Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)
Fight till it's smashed up!
Well, it’s finally arrived - the end of the Millennium set. Ever hear a statement that’s both true and false? See, technically both Tokyo S.O.S. and Final Wars are after this one and considered part of the set, but there’s already entries for those two on here, so it’s the last one that we need to still look at, but it’s not actually the last of the set. Now that I have your confused attention or maybe I’m just starting to lose you, tonight’s movie contains a giant bio-robot and yet another angry Godzilla. Can the tiny humans finally pull of a W against the force of nature, or is their new toy nothing more than a train to get thrown back down? Check your seat belts, tonight is Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla.
I’d just like to point out the brilliance of naming it against instead of making it further confusing by making it versus - in which case there’s already two of. Anyways, Japan is getting sick of being stomped on by all manner of monsters, and have really upped their ante in getting some victory points. They’ve raised their tech to the infamous level of Masers - which for the audience eye looks a bit like a lightning-laser hybrid that gets shot out of a satellite dish clad tank with a light bulb in the dish. They’ve racked up some good wins too - beat themselves a Mothra, a Frankenstein (look, it’s not that Frankenstein, but it’s a thing trust me), and of course the original Godzilla himself way back when (the only movie that any of these ones ever seem to really reference). When a new Godzilla shows up, the anti-monster forces need an upgrade to their weapons because the masers just don’t cut it against such a threat. Enter MechaGodzilla - a bio-robot built using the best technology the scientific minds of Japan can muster, all integrated with DNA computers built out of DNA siphoned straight out of the original dead-zilla. Surely, the big G won’t stand a chance this time around!
So, I’d like to point out that I guess the main intent of Millennium arc was actually that they were all treated as stand-alone movies (which I guess is kind of obvious after last weeks) - which I guess never sank in right when I was younger because I would have sworn they were all attached. Of course, the biggest exception is S.O.S., which serves as a direct sequel to this one (even though it really doesn’t sequel-bait any more than the other dozens of Godzilla films). I just felt I should mention this, as I did to a little looking up after the last one and figured “hey, maybe we should do a bit of being educational on something for a change,” you know? Anyways - when it comes to storylines this one isn’t any real standout opposed to others of the franchise, but it also doesn’t really slouch too much on it’s B-roll stories. There’s some stuff you could pull out of it on being a loner and the need for social interactions (friends, family, that sort of thing) to really be a whole person, there’s the whole rage of nuclear weaponry and the ever present danger of science meant for good being turned into such weaponry, there’s some minor governmental bits where we get to see some of the downsides of the effects of Godzilla, even when this time around the government isn’t nearly as useless as it’s been in some of the others. Also, you get a kid poaching some questions like how if you have the technology to basically bring back the dead, why a giant monster and not (in the kid’s case) mom? As if that’s not enough to distract you during the non-action packed moments, there’s also a very awkward romance thrown in there, so you can go on and cringe about that for a little bit while the fighters get excited about fighting and the scientists get excited about science.
As we should be used to - I watched the Dubbed version. Can’t comment on original line deliveries as such, but the dubbed actors sound fitting, if not a bit goofy at times. Like I mentioned, there’s a real awkward romance plot in there, and that kind of alludes more to what I mean by the goofy then an actual comedy sort of goofy. Still, the actors body languages all seem well and fitting of the events on screen, so no complaints there. There are some rather potent lines delivered by the kid character, which is done well enough but also somehow off putting that a little kid would have such deep knowledge, even if it is somewhat a pitch of “innocence lost as you become an adult that changes your ways of thinking” and mild trauma. Of course, there’s some lines in there that are kind of dumb or less enthusiastic then they could be given a giant monster’s existence - but that being said it is also set up that this happens frequently, so I’m sure at some point it would become rather old hat, like “Again? Come on man, I just wanna go play some ball!”
Waiting to kick some tires.
Only two suits here - that of Godzilla and that of MechaGodzilla. Yeah, they use some old footage (I believe it’s old footage anyways, I suppose it could have been reshot for this, but it’s not beyond TOHO to throw some of their old stuff in there given they have so much of it) of Mothra and the Frankenstein monster, but as far as the main focus of this movie it’s just the big G and his robo-clone. Both the suits are relatively animated as far as the actors underneath, and they do some decent stuff with the heads as well - including a waking Godzilla eye that looks rather practical this time around. Speaking off, Godzilla has some different eyes here, resembling very reflective animal eyes this time around (although, like a hobby shop version not like an actual eye plucked out and stuck in there). They both look good and let the action play out, but it also still manages to get some decent actual acting behind the creatures, making you believe that “oh, that must have hurt” or “somebody has had enough of this” despite still being a couple people in suits.
And speaking of suits, guess who doesn’t get totally left behind this time? Yeah, although most the human characters are in the same boat as always - “modern” wear, lab coats, suits, and uniforms - the main MG team all have some pretty rocking pilot suits complete with grappling hooks! The props, miniatures, sets, and all of that jazz also looks great here. There’s some bits here and there that could have probably been done better - a couple of static images zipped across the screen instead of actually wire-pulling a suit for example, or the ever present occasional composite being off, but it’s good enough. They actually have a shot or two where it even works to the movies advantage - like a certain high speed shoulder tackle. Beyond that, there’s some great still-shots in this thing, so as a movie the cinematography is pretty well done as well - which yeah, I know, I haven’t really mentioned it in most the other G reviews, but that’s largely because when I watch a movie I do it like the normal person - I’m not here to analyze shot composition and angles, just to be entertained and maybe wowed by some sweet effects or acting.
Audio department did a fine job as well. All the staples you’ve grown accustomed to in a Godzilla movie are here, from folly like lasers and explosions, to the soundtrack sounding much like you would expect. It’s all balanced well - you won’t miss out on hearing someone because of sound effects being loud - and like I previously mentioned the dubbed lines aren’t delivered in a bad way, even if at times they don’t quite sync right and I feel like one point a line got used by the wrong voice (although that could have just as likely been me confusing characters who didn’t have all that much screen time).
Happy customer.
I love me giant robots, and I love me giant monsters, so of course I’m more than happy with this one. It felt like it was a relatively natural progression of events as told by the (single) movie’s events, and it sets up the next one relatively well to boot. It’s a relatively even power level as well, effectively being Godzilla versus an armor clad Godzilla with missiles and a battery time limit, so none of that ten-second skirmish and that monster is out of here like in some of the G flicks. If you want a fun wrestling match atmosphere, you’ll love the final battle, but some might find themselves craving just a little bit more Godzilla out of this one - he’s really only on the screen three times. Still, expect some really nice shots, and plenty enough awkward romance and over-wise kids to pad out the time he’s not there.