Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Desolate by the loss of his daughter, a geneticist creates a monstrous new mutation.

Directors:

Kazuki Ohmori, Koji Hashimoto (uncredited)

Writers:

Shinichiro Kobayashi (story), Shinichirô Kobayashi (story)

Stars:

Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kunihiko Mitamura	...	Kazuhito Kirishima
Yoshiko Tanaka	...	Asuka Okouchi
Masanobu Takashima	...	Major Sho Kuroki
Kôji Takahashi	...	Dr. Genichiro Shiragami
Tôru Minegishi	...	Lieutenant Goro Gondo
Megumi Odaka	...	Miki Saegusa
Toshiyuki Nagashima	...	Director Seiichi Yamamoto
Ryûnosuke Kaneda	...	Seizo Okouchi
Kazuma Matsubara	...	Self Defense Forces Officer
Yoshiko Kuga	...	Keiko Owada, Prime Minister's Representative
Yasunori Yuge	...	Prime Minister's Aide
Yasuko Sawaguchi	...	Erika Shiragami
Haruko Sagara	...	TV Reporter
Kôichi Ueda	...	Joint-Chief of Staff Yamaji
Kosuke Toyohara	...	Osamu Amesawa

Storyline

After the devastation of Godzilla's resurgence, a miniature arms race ensues to collect his cells. The cells are obtained by the middle eastern nation of Saradia, where geneticist Genichiro Shiragami is tasked to study them. However, the cells are sought by various groups leading to a terrorist attack that kills Dr. Shiragami's daughter Erika. As Shiragami retreats into isolation, the Japanese government sets it's sights on developing a bio weapon countermeasure against Godzilla should the monster ever be freed from its volcanic tomb. They enlist the aid of Dr. Shiragami, who's experiments result in a monstrous new mutation.

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Plot Keywords:

godzilla | kaiju | japan | tokusatsu | fictional country | 

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Taglines:

The winner of this battle would be the most enormous enemy against human beings (International Tagline)

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for traditional Godzilla violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Carpenter has a small statue of the Godzilla design used in this film in his office.

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Goofs

In both the Japanese and English-dubbed versions, the same mistake about two agents being killed instead of one is left intact.

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Quotes

Kazuhito Kirishima: [to Dr. Shiragami] So you did do it. You amalgamated one of Godzilla's cells together with the plant's cells. Are you proud of this? What kind science do you call this?

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Alternate Versions

Deleted scenes:

• When Godzilla comes ashore at Abarishi, a scene of him walking past a lighthouse and smashing it with his tail was cut.
• After Godzilla's first confrontation with Biollante in Lake Ashino, which is set ablaze by Godzilla's radioactive breath, spores from the plant creature shower the surrounding countryside causing flowers to suddenly bloom.
• Originally Godzilla was to attack the Kansai Airport in Osaka, which was under construction at the time of filming, but permission could not be obtained. Instead, Godzilla and Miki engage in a telepathic battle near a heliport for the site in the Ise Channel.
• A discarded concept was to have Biollante attempt to physically absorb Godzilla during the climactic battle. This was scrapped due to time and budgetary considerations but was the concept was visualized for the climax of 'Godzilla 2000'.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (2008)

User Reviews

Best film in the second series

Gojira vs. Biorante (or Godzilla vs. Biollante as it's know here in the USA) opens up right where Godzilla 1985 left off. A group of scientists searching through the rubble that was once Tokyo make an interesting discovery: Godzilla Cells. These "Godzilla Cells" are actually palm-sized flakes of Godzilla's skin that were either scratched or blown off. Now many different groups of people are fighting to get these cells and one group in particular called Bio Major, which is an American terrorist organization, will stop at nothing to get these cells, even if they have to release Godzilla from his volcanic prison. On a lighter note, a prominent Japanese scientist who lost his only daughter in a terrorist bombing, combines the Godzilla Cells with the cells of a rose plant. Once these cells are joined together, they form a monstrous rose that the scientist names Biollante. Now Godzilla gets loose and pretty soon you can guess that Godzilla and Biollante are going to go at it.

This is in fact my favorite Godzilla movie in the second generation of Godzilla films. It has a real dark tone and a really haunting score. It should also be pointed out that the film is probably the most violent in the second generation of Godzilla films. I say this because there are several bloody shoot-outs, Godzilla gets stabbed in his side by one Biollante's tendrils, a man is strangled to death, and a man is disintegrated by electricity.

Finally, has anyone noticed that the Godzilla costume in this movie is different than the one in Godzilla 1985? I think that is because the costume in G-1985 was stolen and was rumored to be worth over $100,000.

Anyway, Godzilla vs. Biollante gets a 10/10.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

16 December 1989 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Godzilla vs. Biollante

Filming Locations:

Osaka, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company, Toho Eizo Co., Toho Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 83 min (VHS Screener Release)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1