Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)

A new Godzilla causes the JSDF to construct a cyborg countermeasure from the original monster's remains. The beast's restless soul is discovered to inhabit the machine as the pilot must learn to find value in her own life.

Directors:

Masaaki Tezuka, Katsumune Ishida (uncredited)

Writer:

Wataru Mimura (screenplay)

Stars:

Yumiko Shaku, Shin Takuma, Kana Onodera

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yumiko Shaku	...	Akane Yashiro
Shin Takuma	...	Tokumitsu Yuhara
Kana Onodera	...	Sara Yuhara
Kô Takasugi	...	JSDF Lieutenant Togashi
Yûsuke Tomoi	...	JSDF 2nd Lieutenant Hayama
Jun'ichi Mizuno	...	JSDF 1st Lieutenant Sekine
Akira Nakao	...	2003 Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi
Kumi Mizuno	...	1999 Prime Minister Machiko Tsuge
Takeo Nakahara	...	JSDF Chief Hitoyanagi
Yoshikazu Kanou	...	Hishinuma
Kôichi Ueda	...	General Dobashi
Akira Shirai	...	Shinji Akamatsu
Midori Hagio	...	Kaoru Yamada
Naomasa Musaka	...	Gorou Kanno
Shinji Morisue	...	JSDF 1st Lieutenant Hayama

Storyline

To protect Japan from yet another monster attack, this time from a new and malevolent member of the Godzilla (Gojira) species, the Japanese government creates a human-piloted cyborg, codenamed Kiriyu, using the skeleton of the original Godzilla (Gojira) that attacked Japan in 1954.

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Plot Keywords:

monster | giant monster | creature feature | father daughter relationship | tank | 

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Taglines:

Kidô, Kyômei, Hyôsai (Startup, Resonance, Smashed Ice)

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Genres:

Action | Family | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for sci-fi action and some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like the other films in Toho's Millennium Series, this was intended to be a standalone film. After production had completed, director Masaaki Tezuka approached producer Shogo Tomiyama with the idea for a sequel. It was filmed the next year as Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003). Contrary to popular belief, a second sequel was never intended.

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Goofs

In the blackout, all the lights go out, even the cars.

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Quotes

2003 Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi: Kick his ass!

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Crazy Credits

There is a scene after the end credits.

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Connections

Features Mothra (1961)

User Reviews

A quintessential Godzilla movie; great for kids and kids-at-heart

GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002) Like others in the Godzilla series, this new entry establishes itself as a direct sequel to the 1954 original, even using digitally altered footage from that film, as well as clips from MOTHRA and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS to once again illustrate Japan's troubled history with unruly giant creatures. When Godzilla once again threatens her shores, Japan's female prime minister (Kumi Mizuno) calls together her greatest scientific minds, including cyber-biologist Tokimitsu Yuhara (Shin Takuma), whose inclusion in this group gives his precocious daughter Sara (Kana Onodera) a backstage pass to witness the creation of a new bioweapon developed using the recently-uncovered original Godzilla bones.

The elite JSDF team assembled to pilot the machine is augmented by the lone survivor, Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku), of an eight minute opening Maser-gun battle with Godzilla, her presence made all the more uncomfortable by the vindictive suspicions of a teammate whose brother perished in that disaster. Christened Mechagodzilla, this robo-beast amounts to the re-arming of Japan, something the rest of the world finds rather dismaying, and when the unit's memories of its demise in 1954 are stirred by Godzilla's roar, the battle's a draw, the combatants stand down, and the Prime Minister's out of a job. When Godzilla returns, there's no choice but to reprogram MechaGodzilla and send it back into battle, during which, not surprisingly, Akane herself must take the helm to not only save her country and discourage the naysayers, but to prove to herself - and, of course, to young, conveniently motherless Sara - that no life is worthless. Both of the 'final' shots in the movie - take your pick; there's a sequence after the closing credits - are fitting.

GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS director Nasaki Tezuka returns to the series with a highly worthy effort, finding a pitch-perfect blend of suits and CGI in his impressive battle sequences, while allowing for reflection (as always) on Japan's nuclear-tainted history, nodding to the ever- increasing empowerment of women in Japanese society (though neatly reminding us that they, too can fail on a large scale before earning redemption) and, as in GODZILLA 2000 and many others in the series, cleverly constructing a modern family dynamic between the pilot, the scientist and his daughter.

People groused that Shinsuke Kaneko's GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORA: ALL OUT GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK, while simultaneously jump starting a moribund franchise with still-vastly-improved visual flare, lacked the dynamism and realism of his 90's GAMERA trilogy, but they were missing the point. Save the first film, GODZILLA has always been for kids, maybe not as young as the original GAMERA series of the 60's, but kids nonetheless. And, I suppose, kids-at-heart. The stories can be pure formula, the character dynamics refried from earlier entries (in fact, many of the most subtle FX in this movie, simple dialogue scenes on catwalks around the Mechagodzilla hangar with the behemoth in the background, are simply more convincing updates of scenes we saw in the 70's), but as long as there's enough razzle-dazzle and a vicarious point-of-entry for the kids, the movie's probably a done deal in the eyes of Toho executives. Here, the Sara character is our vicarious tour guide to the inner workings of the JSDF and all its stoic patriotism (even her friends, walking home with her from school, are slack-jawed at her privileged access to headquarters).

Where the GAMERA updates were intended to make full use of the character's added features (mainly flight) and the advances in modern special effects and high-concept screenplay writing to draw in more savvy audiences, the Millennium Godzilla series, like those that came before, have always retained a comparatively simple modus operandi: appeal to the kids, and make the adults wish they were still kids. On this level, GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA probably surpasses the previous three entries and at a lean, nicely paced 96 minutes (88 in its American incarnation I'm told; WHY DO THEY BOTHER!), it's certainly the easiest on the behind and quietly sets up the sequel, GODZILLA, MOTHRA, MECHAGODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. (2003). I give it an 8.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] (Japanese)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

14 December 2002 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla

Filming Locations:

Studio 9, Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,122,958

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1