Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) Mekagojira no gyakushu (original title)

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Yukiko Takayama (screenplay)
Yukiko Takayama (story)

Release Date:

March 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Metal meets monster.

Plot:

Godzilla comes to the rescue when an alien race rebuilds Mechagodzilla to destroy Earth's cities. A traitorous scientist gives them a second weapon: Titanosaurus.

Plot Keywords:

Godzilla | Alien | Mechagodzilla | Scientist | Robot

Cast

Katsuhiko Sasaki	...	Biologist Akira Ichinose
Tomoko Ai	...	Katsura Mafune
Akihiko Hirata	...	Dr. Shinzô Mafune
Katsumasa Uchida	...	Interpol Agent Jiro Murakoshi
Goro Mutsumi	...	Alien Leader Mugal
Tadao Nakamaru	...	Interpol Chief Tagawa
Shin Roppongi	...	Yûichi Wakayama
Tomoe Mari	...	Yuri Yamamoto
Tôru Ibuki	...	Tsuda (bearded alien)
Kenji Sahara	...	Army Commander Segawa
Kotaro Tomita	...	Professor Ôta
Ikio Sawamura	...	Mafune's Silent Butler
Masaaki Daimon	...	Submarine Captain Kusakari
Yoshio Kirishima	...	Alien Henchman #2
Kazuo Suzuki	...	Alien Henchman #1
Masayoshi Kikuchi	...	Alien Henchman #3
Takuya Yuki	...	Alien Henchman #4
Jun Nishihara	...	Alien Henchman #5
Akinori Umezu	...	Boy # 1
Toru Kawai	...	Gojira
Ise Mori	...	Mekagojira 2
Katsumi Nimiamoto	...	Chitanozaurusu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Toshihiko Furuta	...	Interpol Worker
Masaichi H.
Shizuko Higashi	...	Old Country Lady
Toshio Hosoi
Kazuo Imagi
H. Ishiya
Saburô Kadowaki
Hiraya Kamita
Shigeo Katô
Takuzô Kumagai	...	Defense Corps Executive
Yasuzô Ogawa
Teruzo Okawa
Taro Yamada
Kiyoshi Yoshida

Directed by
Ishirô Honda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yukiko Takayama		screenplay
Yukiko Takayama		story

Produced by
Henry G. Saperstein	....	executive producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Akira Ifukube

Cinematography by
Sokei Tomioka

Film Editing by
Yoshitami Kuroiwa

Production Design by
Yoshifumi Honda

Production Management
Keisuke Shinodo	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kensho Yamashita	....	chief assistant director

Sound Department
Fumio Yanoguchi	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Yasuyuki Inoue	....	art director of special effects
Kan Komura	....	assistant director of special effects
Teruyoshi Nakano	....	director of special effects
Takesaburo Watanabe	....	mechanical effects

Visual Effects by
Yoichi Manoda	....	optical effects
Yukio Manoda	....	optical photographer
Kazunobu Mikame	....	matte work
Sokei Tomioka	....	special effects cameraman

Camera and Electrical Department
Toshio Takashima	....	lighting technician

Production Companies

• Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises Inc.
• Toho Company

Distributors

• Bob Conn Enterprises (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Kuk Dong
• Manga Films (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Simitar Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Wonder (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Mekagojira no gyakushu" - Japan (original title)
"Mechagodzilla's Counterattack" - Japan (English title) (literal title)
"The Terror of Godzilla" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

83 min | UK:89 min | USA:79 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Norway:11 (video premiere) | UK:15 | USA:G | West Germany:12 (nf)

Company:

Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises Inc.

Trivia:

In the original script, the final battle was supposed to take place entirely in Tôkyô (which would be devastated by the end of the film), but Tôhô deemed this too expensive, so the entire battle was placed in the more cost-effective countryside near the city.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At about 45 minutes into the film, Titanosaurus is being bombarded by the air force. The electrical wiring and the pyrotechnic explosives and clearly visible along both sides of his neck.

Quotes:

[as Titanosaurus attacks Tokyo, one of two kids is eager to take a peek at the monster]
Boy # 1:Don't go. Don't go, Ken, it's too dangerous!
Boy # 2:All right, I'll go there by myself!
Boy # 1:All right, I'll come, too.
[Titanosaurus sees them; the boys panic and run away as Titanosaurus chases them and prepares to trample them]
Boy # 1, Boy # 2:[terrified] Ahhhh! Godzilla! Godzilla! Godzilla!
[Godzilla pops up]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Little Red Riding Hood (2009/I) (V)

Terror of Mechagodzilla

Things did not bode well at the start, with a seven-minute greatest hits sequence that never seemed to end, but by the time it was over I found myself grateful for so much action so early on. When the story proper started it was with some very impressive underwater model work (I couldn't see the seams at any rate).

But what really marked this out as a superior entry is the plot. A reclusive discredited scientist is employed by aliens to use his thought-controlled pet Titanosaurus to destroy Tokyo along with the newly-rebuilt Mechagodzilla, their combined might certain to overcome that pesky Godzilla. Meanwhile an Interpol agent and a marine scientist investigate the disappearance of an exploratory submarine, the trail leading them to the scientist's beautiful but non-too-helpful daughter.

It might sound like the usual gubbins on paper but there's genuine tension in many of the scenes, it's logical and exciting, and rather than feeling like drawn-out filler while we wait for the real action to begin it's successful on its own terms, even managing to pull off genuine pathos bordering on tragedy at the end.

When it does begin it's hands down the best destruction I've seen so far in the series. They're right in the centre of Tokyo surrounded by skyscrapers ready to be demolished and incinerated. The camera pans across the cityscape as whole swathes of it are destroyed, and it truly is spectacular. What makes it even more powerful is that it's not a fight sequence for the most part - it's just two big boys laying waste to the city.

Godzilla himself is given a wonderful entrance, and in those moments it's a thrill to see this (of all films) so overtly referencing The Third Man (of all films).

They do escape to the country for the final showdown, but there's still the odd power station to be sat on and let's face it, we've already had our money's worth with the destruction of Tokyo. The fight is lengthy too, with Godzilla on the back foot for most of it, and while we're never unsure of the outcome it does get pretty hairy for the big guy.

For the budget the special effects are often superb and always imaginative (like the alien technician walking inside Mechagodzilla's head or the shot that takes us from his massive, dormant frame as he's being worked on, through a window, and finishes with the aliens and doctor watching the progress from a lab).

The music throughout is excellent, and the female lead is impossibly gorgeous.

What's not to love?