Godzilla films
are often categorized by the period in which they were created, with the
classic Shōwa Series spanning from the original 1954 film to 1975.
Then the franchise was revived again in 1984 with the films known as the Heisei
Series, starting over the mythology of Godzilla and his many foes. This
collection of Godzilla films ended with the apparent death of the beast in
1995, until he was revived again in 2000 with the series known as the
Millennium Series. This concluded with 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, at which point the Toho sets were destroyed,
and rights to another Godzilla film were withheld for a decade.
This dry spell will end with Hollywood
Nearly every Godzilla
film seems to end the same way, with a man in a dinosaur suit slowly moving
through a set of a Japanese metropolis in an almost unintentional path of
destruction. To make up for the inability to move quickly, the battles nearly
always rely on the same poorly executed radio-active fire-breathing attack move
that all giant Godzilla creatures seem to have in their arsenal. Even if
Godzilla is hardly present in a majority of the film, it is certain that he
will arrive at the end for one of these generic battle sequences, all of which
look as though they have not changed much in 60 years of Godzilla movies.
As much as the
ending of the films remain the same, there is a great deal to distinguish one
film from another. The basic premise that inevitably leads to that finale
mid-city with the famed dinosaur shifts from film to film so radically that
these movies can only be categorized as science fiction. They exert such a high
level of creativity in their plot set-up that it is one of the few franchises
that I am constantly surprised by. The collection of Blu-ray films here have a
group of Godzilla releases from the last twenty years, each with its own
creative addition to the storyline that often has far more creatures than
Godzilla in the narrative.
Godzilla Vs. King
Ghidorah (1991)/ Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle
Each of the
three periods of Godzilla films have their own style and storylines, and this
first double-feature unwisely drops unfamiliar audience members into a
franchise already mid-swing. This could have been easily forgivable due to the
familiarity of most Godzilla films, but Godzilla
Vs. King Ghidorah is one of the most convoluted Godzilla narratives of the
Heisei era. The narrative involves aliens, time travel, and confusion over who
is the real villain amongst the giant creatures. Visitors from the 23rd
Century arrive to warn humanity about the dangers of Godzilla, though some
worry about their motives when they bring a revived and revamped King Ghidorah
with them. Godzilla flips back and forth between being a destroyer and
something of a savior for Japan
Godzilla may
often switch between monster and protector, but Mothra has always been somewhat
of a peaceful creature. Godzilla and
Mothra: The Battle for Earth continues this redeeming storyline for the
giant moth, beginning with an egg on Infant
Island
Godzilla vs.
Mechagodzilla II (1993)/ Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994)
Although at first glance this double feature
seems ill-fitted, beginning with a sequel to another, but this is merely
confusion in the titling. Each of the eras of have a Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla film, though only the original carried
this title for Western audiences. Despite being titled Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, this is not a sequel to the original
from the Shōwa Series. Rather, it is a starting off point for the narrative
which would carry Godzilla through the rest of the Heisei Series. This
narrative includes the beginning of the next generation of Godzilla with the
birth of Baby Godzilla from an egg in Rodan’s nest. This leads to a confusion
in maternal instincts that sets Rodan and Godzilla in a fight with each other
before the man-made Mechagodzilla gets in on the fight.
Continuing the
storyline from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, many characters return in
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla. Although the storyline is somewhat of a throwaway,
it continues the saga of Baby Godzilla, who is now Little Godzilla. Godzilla
Earth’s savior against an otherworldly attacker once again, this time sharing
genetic resemblance to Godzilla and
threatening far more destructive purposes. Humans utilize another giant robot
to join in on the fight, eventually joining forces with Godzilla to take down
the space invader.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
(1995)/Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)
In terms of
style, consistency and continuation of storyline, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla/Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla is the best
double-feature in the group of new Blu-ray set releases, but this is the
package with the best monster effects. The first is Godzilla vs. Destoroyah,
which is the final film in the Heisei Series, and my favorite for many reasons.
First of all, it features the wickedest looking giant monster, Destoroyah, who
looks like he came straight out of the music video for a hardcore 80s metal band.
This creature is created from the same substance that was used to destroy
Godzilla in the original 1954 film, bringing things full-circle for a tidy
conclusion to the series. This film also offers up the final chapter for the
next generation of Godzilla as well, replacing Little Godzilla with a nearly
grown creature now called Godzilla Jr.
Though the
creatures in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
align with the style from Godzilla vs.
Destoroyah, this is basically where similarities between the two films end. They are both great monster movies, but it was a strange decision
to put these two together. This film was not the first in the Millennium
Series, but they did not all interact with each other the way that many of the
previous era had. Instead, Godzilla vs.
Megaguirus plays like a sequel to the original 1954 film with the style of
the new era. Although there is still the familiar man-in-a-costume effects to
create Godzilla, some CGI effects begin showing up in this film about a
man-made black hole which unleashes a new monster in an attempt to destroy
Godzilla. Dragonfly creatures called Meganula swarm the flooded city of Osaka
Godzilla: Tokyo
These two films marked the end of the
Millennium Series of Godzilla films, and they are perfect examples of the influence
of a shift in Japanese cinema. CGI goes from non-existent to commonplace over
the course of these two Godzilla films, with Final Wars featuring just as many
computerized creatures as it does men in monster suits. Tokyo S.O.S. blends the old-school with the new in a way which is
far more fluid, though the resemblance of Godzilla films from the past is
occasionally so great that this film becomes undistinguishable. The narrative
is similar those of the previous era of Godzilla, but Tokyo S.O.S. is able to able to capture the scope of Godzilla's size better than any
other kaiju eiga. The opening sequences in which the military fights Godzilla
from the ground allows for his size to be fully appreciated in a way that is
less possible in the familiar Toho sets. Otherwise, the story has elements
which can be found in many other Godzilla films. The twin fairies tied to
Mothra show up to heed a warning to humanity, which they ignore. Godzilla shows
up and eventually does battle with Mechagodzilla, Mothra, and her twin spawn.
Godzilla: Final War takes the style of
the series into a whole new realm. For one thing, it was the first Toho
Godzilla film to receive a PG-13 rating, adding an element of hand-to-hand
combat between mutant humans that resembles The
X-Men more than a creature-feature. Godzilla still shows up, this time as
the defender of Earth one last time. Aliens show up with the ability to control
most of the large monsters on Earth, as well as the mutated humans given the
responsibility of fighting these monsters. Only Godzilla is somehow exempt from
this mind control, and humans rely on him to go on a world-wide battle against
the aliens, giant monsters, and any one else that happens along his path. The
melting pot of stylistic ideas in this film makes for uneven entertainment, and
a bit too lengthy at over two-hours, but it is was a fitting close for the
Millennium Series Godzilla films.
This Blu-ray
double-feature is the only one with any real special features aside from
theatrical trailers. Tokyo S.O.S. has two making-of featurettes, one more
specific to this film while the other looks at the franchise in wider terms.
Final Wars also has a featurette, and both also have theatrical trailers.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 8.5/10
Special Features: 3/10
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