Plot
A glowing Godzilla is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown which would cause irreparable damage to our planet. Meanwhile, a new destructive creature has been formed from the after-effects of the Oxygen Destroyer, the device which killed the Big G back in 1954. The plan is to use Godzilla Jr. as bait to lure Godzilla into fighting Destroyer.
Analysis
This 1995 offering by famed Toho Studios is one of the several Godzilla movies aimed at capturing a more modern audience, leaving behind the outdated but enjoyably cheesy original Godzilla films I’ve loved for many years, and replacing it with a series of slightly more professional, elaborate, and well-made films. Emphasis on slightly. The rubber suits and stale dialogue are still present in this flick (thus limiting its appeal, these films aren‘t really for mainstream audiences), but they’re of a higher quality than fans of the Old School Godzilla films might be used to. Basically, if you’ve never really considered watching a Godzilla film before, you might actually get some enjoyment out of this film, and although the cheese is lessened somewhat, fans of the Godzilla films of the 50s, 60s, and 70s will still find much to like about this film. There’s even a solid story and a message quite well-conveyed!
No one involved in this film is likely to win an Academy Award, least of all the screenwriter, but for a Japanese monster movie, this film actually has more food for thought than most. You see, Godzilla is a man-made monster- born out of nuclear waste, and here we have the radiation-affected giant lizard about to unleash Armageddon on us. And then there’s Destroyer/Destoroyah, a supposed monster representation of the Oxygen Destroyer from the original 1950s film. This is one of the few Godzilla films I’ve seen that lends an appropriate sense of gravity to proceedings, we actually care about the characters and situation here. It’s got a kind of epic feel about it, and I don’t just mean in the sense of the all-star Toho classic 'Destroy All Monsters'. Momoko Kochi turns up as a link to the 1954 film, as she warns of the dangers of the Oxygen Destroyer. No matter its success in destroying Godzilla, using Destroyer may end up biting us on the arse.
Speaking of the participation of Kochi, who is wonderful, the film not only stands on its own two feet as a solid film (though references to Godzilla Jr. and the Organisation of Godzilla watchers, known as G-Force- anyone remember that cool cartoon show? Yeah, OK I‘m digressing- mean that at least some familiarity with Godzilla would be handy), but manages to bring Godzilla films past and present together in an interesting story that concerns environmental issues still prevalent today, whilst having references to the original 1954 film. The special FX, meanwhile, are not exactly at ILM level, but anyone who is not totally in awe of the vision of a seriously pissed off Godzilla glowing bright red/orange causing destruction clearly needs to check their pulse. They may lack the camp value of the FX of the earlier films but they serve their purpose in a much more grown-up, darker Godzilla film. Best of all, legendary composer Akira Ifukube came out of retirement to work on this film, and his contributions are much appreciated, with the familiar Godzilla theme music a welcome addition for fans.
Even though some thought has clearly gone into the story of this film (and don‘t be surprised if you damn near shed a tear with the film‘s surprise ending), it must be said that it is still a bit too silly for mainstream audiences. If you can get past the idea of Godzilla itself, you’ve still got to contend with the cute little G-Force girls who apparently have ESP, as well as G-Force’s new weapon, a fighter plane called Super-X III which apparently has Cadmium missiles and freeze rays, which are very cool, but also kinda silly and are perhaps the one major aspect of the film that reminds one of the older Godzilla films.
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Rating (out of 5) |
Comment |
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Action
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More plot driven than most of these films, but there’s still enough monster mashing and Super-X III action to please fans.
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Tension
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Surprisingly tense for a Godzilla film, especially in the wonderful scenes of the Destoroyah monsters running around attacking in the shadows.
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Violence/
Gore
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These are essentially intended for general audiences but the violence has definitely stepped up a bit compared to most others. Mostly just monsters destroying things in their paths.
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Bare Flesh
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None
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Well I don’t suppose the Big G is wearing any clothes, but c’mon…
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Plot
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Although still a little silly, a well thought out update of the old dangers of radiation theme.
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Verdict
If monster movies are your thing and you don’t mind a little plot now and then, you’ll probably love this, one of the best films of its type, if lacking that likeable goofy charm of the earlier Godzilla films.
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Facts, figures and boobs
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1.
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This, the 22nd Godzilla film was set to be the last, but Godzilla’s retirement was a short lived one, including the much-maligned American remake in 1998 and 'Godzilla 2000'.
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2.
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Momoko Kochi, who plays a grown-up version of the character she played in the 1954 “Gojira” died of cancer two years later.
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3.
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This was the last film of producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, who served on all of the Godzilla films up to this point.
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4.
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The film uses inserts from the original 1954 as an homage, with thankfully no Raymond Burr in sight.
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Movie Pictures
(Click picture to enlarge)
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