Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Movie Info

Who says I’m not the star?

Godzilla has returned, and the people of Japan fear the destruction he brings.  Tokumitsu Yuhara (Shin Takuma) could hold the key to stopping Godzilla.  Using the bones of the original Godzilla, Tokumitsu has constructed a hybrid robot called Kiryu aka Mechagodzilla.  Lieutenant Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku) seeks to redeem herself after failing to stop Godzilla’s initial attack and together Akane and Tokumitsu hope Kiryu will be enough to stop Godzilla once and for all!

Directed by Wataru Mimura, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (ゴジラ×メカゴジラ or Gojira tai Mekagojira or Godzilla X Mechagodzilla) is the twenty-seventh film in the Godzilla franchise.  Following Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah:  Giant Monsters All-Out Attack in 2001, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is considered part of the Millennium series which began with Godzilla 2000.

Godzilla movies are weird.  Sometimes they are in continuity, sometimes they are standalone.  This movie a bit of a combination of both new and old…plus, Godzilla battles a new Mechagodzilla which is always fun.

Godzilla is attacking?!? The obvious choice is to find the original Godzilla’s bones and build a Godzilla android hybrid to battle him…

Godzilla is a villain in this entry of the series.  The force has been formed to stop Godzilla and the series primarily revolves around the drama of Akane, Tokumitsu, and Tokumitsu’s daughter Sara (Kana Onodera).  The movie does acknowledge some of the past kaiju movies like War of the Gargantuas and Mothra, but it appears that the film primarily ignores all of the Godzilla films except the original 1954 film.  Since Godzilla is the sometime hero and the squad is bent on killing him, the movie ends in a bit of a draw (of course) with Godzilla walking into the ocean (again).

The movie is formed around Yumiko Shaku who is the primary controller of Mechagodzilla.  She isn’t the strongest actor, but she’s also not backed up by very many strong actors so it almost seems to work.  Everyone appears to overact from the fellow soldier attacking Akane to the soldiers supporting her…it is over-the-top.

Well this is humiliating…

The visuals of this movie are done in classic Godzilla form, but they have modernized them in ways.  There is a lot more attention given to framing and computer generated aspects with the classic “big monster fights”.  I do prefer Godzilla films where there are more kaijus though…

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is more of the same if you aren’t a fan of Godzilla.  If you are a fan of Godzilla, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is more of the same…but in a good way.  The movie has a lot of what you might have liked in Godzilla films from the ’60s and ’70s, but does bring some new aspects and storytelling to the mix.  Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla was followed by Godzilla:  Tokyo S.O.S. in 2003.

Followed By:

Godzilla:  Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)