With many having now seenGodzilla Minus One, the latest deservedly lauded entry into theGodzillafranchise, it won’t be surprising if a good bunch now eagerly aims to jump back into Toho’s pantheon offilms, hoping to dose themselves with the same thrill once again. The decades of iterations, a build-up of over thirty films and countless derivative works, are made up of just about every imaginable tone and style for the King of the Monsters — from the absolute silliest versions to the down-right grotesque. If you want a scary Godzilla, however, look no further than 2002’sGodzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
This particular instance makes for a perfect blend of Toho’s classic style and a modern monster movie’sthrill-focused sensibility. Directed byMasaaki Tezukaand written byWataru Mimura,Godzilla Against Mechagodzillaputs the kaiju back into the position in which he best performs — the villain. When Godzilla serves as the main opposition to the film’s central characters, especially when we’re given a story that allows us to care more deeply for those characters,he’s able to fulfill the original metaphor for which he was createdand accomplish what all monster movies should — scare us.
Godzilla Minus One
Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
You Don’t Need to Watch Every Movie To Enjoy ‘Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla’
After these brief vignettes establish the opening action, a series of title cards appear on the screen. “Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF),” the first card reads, describing the heavily armed military force being introduced. Following in succession, the title cards continue, “Established in Chiba in 1966… To defend the nation from monsters… It has 4072 members…” While this may seem like standard exposition, we’re witnessing a rare gift in Toho’s massive catalog of Godzilla flicks.Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, for the most part, ignoresdecades of its predecessors, acting as thoughGodzilla(1954)was Japan’s last encounter with the monster.
A mood of dread and visceral impending doom is perfectly set. The trauma conjured by Godzilla’s last rampage still lingers over the people of Japan. InGodzilla(1954), Dr. Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) was finally able to stop Godzilla with the creation of a super-weapon — a weapon which he feared would then be used to wreak its unique capability for death and destruction if left in humanity’s hands, so he took the secrets of its creation with him to the grave.Godzilla Against Mechagodzillaopens with this reality in mind. Now that a new Godzilla has emerged, the people of Japan fear they may be defenseless against a threat that nearly wiped them out decades ago. That’s when Mechagodzilla comes into play. Before this film, we had seen a few versions of the giant kaiju mech, but here it’s as if it’s an entirely new idea. Moreover, this one is a cyborg of sorts. Given the name Kiryu, this Mechagodzilla wasconstructed over the salvaged skeleton of the original, deceased Godzilla.
All of this, laid before you in the first act of the film, is all you need to enjoy the film. Whether you’ve seen only the originalGodzilla(1954),Hollywood’s adaptations, or every piece ofGodzillamedia there is, you can dive intoGodzilla Against Mechagodzillaready to witness the King at his menacing and highly entertaining best.
The Other ’90s Godzilla Movie We Never Got
Before the Roland Emmerich Godzilla movie, another filmmaker was planning to make a radically different take on an American Godzilla film.
‘Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla’ Is Toho’s Classic Godzilla at His Best
With this year’s aforementioned masterpiece,Godzilla Minus One,a new breed of the King of the Monsterswas introduced.Godzilla Minus Oneand 2016’sShin Godzillaare prime examples ofthe success that can be achievedwhen new takes on the kaiju are brought forth while still honoring Toho’s signature charm.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, from the start, is full of intense sequences that truly make you feel as small as the characters gazing up at the beast. Things only get worse when their Mechagodzilla is overtaken by memories of his ancestor’s death — memories that embedded themselves into the genetic memory of Godzilla’s bones. This in turn spurs a wrath of Kiryu’s own making upon an already devastated population. With all of this in mind, however,no moment of action ever overshadows the true purposefor which Godzilla is intended.
Godzilla was created as a metaphor for the devastation of nuclear weapons and the catastrophic psychological damage they inflict upon their victims for generations. When a film likeGodzilla Against Mechagodzillapays particular attention to this — a theme that iscentral to the iconic creature’s entire being— the fear is allowed to be a double-edged experience. The horror is built by thrilling sequences of giant monsters on a rampage (essential to anyGodzillamovie) andthe understated human response to such destruction that exists in the real world.
Godzilla Covers Many Genres, But Nothing Beats a Scary Godzilla
Over the years, Godzilla has beena force of utter terrorand even, at times, just a silly fella. In 1967’sSon of Godzilla, we were blessed with lighthearted moments of the King acting as a doting father to his adopted son, Manilla. They play around, Godzilla fumbles through attempts at teaching Manilla his ways, and it’s an overall pleasant time. In 1973’sGodzilla vs. Megalon(a must-see, by the way), Godzilla performs his infamous tail-slide. You have to see it to truly understand, but it’s exactly what it sounds like — Godzilla slides across the ground on his tail to perform a beautiful drop-kick on his enemy. Then, of course, you haveLegendary’s MonsterVerse, which have become progressively (and exponentially) more off-the-wall with each movie, from the more grim seriousness of 2014’sGodzillato what we’ve recently seen a peak at inthe upcomingGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Every version of Godzillais worthwhile, and there’s a proper time, place, and mood to enjoy each one. A true Godzilla fan loves him at his most dour, unrelenting terror and his most schlocky and ridiculous. That said,the greatest amalgamation of Godzilla’s finest traitsis a medal proudly held byGodzilla Against Mechagodzilla. The climactic battle between the King and Kiryu may truly be the greatest monster battle ever accomplished by actors wearing costumes.
