Up From The Depths Reviews | Every Godzilla Movie (So Far)

[Music] what could i possibly say about gojira that hasn't been said a million times already the film is the granddaddy of all kaiju movies it created a genre and influenced the course of japanese cinema in ways that are still felt today it was one of those lightning in a bottle type movies where various creative forces come together to create a work of art that changes everything gojira is about the end of the world if the end of the world came in the form of a giant radioactive dinosaur it of course sounds silly on paper but like all good ideas it's the execution that matters and here it is executed almost flawlessly and the result is a timeless classic that spoke to an entire generation allowing them to consider and cope with a national tragedy that still stung and lingered in their minds [Music] now none of this would have been possible without the talents of the cast and crew both on and off the screen drawing from his own experiences during the war director ashiro honda brings an earthy documentarian style to the film making it feel believable and thus all the more haunting especially in no small part to special effects maestro ijai suburaya whom working within his limitations managed to craft sequences of destruction that while dated are still impressive to this day the human characters aren't the most complex but their simplicity gives the story an elegance that grounds the extraordinary events within the mundane akira takarada momomokochi akahiko hirata and takahashi shimura all bring their characters to life in subdued and relatable ways that make it easy to sympathize with them but the star of the show is godzilla of course here at his most abjectly evil a fire-breathing dragon of mass destruction who rises from the ocean depths with apocalyptic intentions this film introduced everything that would go on to define the monster his iconic look a mutant crossbreed between a t-rex and a stegosaurus his atomic breath able to set ablaze anything it touches his invulnerability the unlimited potential of atomic power made flesh and of course who could forget his trademark earth-shattering roar created by the always incredible akira if kubi whose musical compositions elevate the film to the stratosphere giving godzilla an instantly memorable theme that you'll catch yourself humming every once in a while [Music] with so many films in this franchise most of them colorful fun and schlocky it can be shocking for the uninitiated to discover just how dour and melancholic the original film is not content with being another by the numbers monster flick gojira is a mood piece that uses the blockbuster format to explore then modern day concerns over mankind's pursuit for the next big super weapon and the dangers of atomic power as his name suggests godzilla is a living deity a being who seeks to punish us for the sins of his creation man woman or child it doesn't matter all are guilty and so the film doesn't end with the beast dead the city saved and the hero victorious while godzilla does die his death casts a dark shadow over the future of humanity what hope do we have when good men unwittingly create super weapons how can we survive when we have the power to create monsters gojira isn't your average godzilla movie it isn't even your average monster movie it is something more a legitimate work of art with a message and a heart that happens to feature one of cinema's greatest fictional characters in over 60 years it still doesn't get much better than this for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the deaths [Music] godzilla raids again is the antithesis of its predecessor whereas gojira was made from the heart raids again is a cash grab a shuttly put together sequel rushed out a mere six months after gojira hit theaters in an attempt to capitalize on its success while gojira was a meticulously crafted thriller acting as a cautionary tale raids again is just another monster movie though that is not to say that it doesn't have some merit place shortly after godzilla was killed by the oxygen destroyer raids again follows pilots shoichi sukiyoka and koji kobayashi as the two accidentally stumble upon a second godzilla this time locked in battle with another unknown monster to deal with the appearance of these rival beasts japan has to scramble up a plan to keep them from bringing their battle to the country godzilla raids again is noteworthy for many reasons most of all for establishing the structure that would eventually define the majority of both the godzilla franchise and kaiju films in general it features godzilla's first ever foe anguirus an ankylosaurus type creature that would go on to become an ally to the king of the monsters the two duke it out in the middle of a city this time osaka and of course godzilla wins lighting poor anguirus flame with his atomic breath [Music] unfortunately the battle is very underwhelming in fact all the monster action in this movie is underwhelming no attempt is made to add any sense of scale or weight to the creatures and so when godzilla and angers fight it looks incredibly cheap the two basically flop around biting and snarling at each other awkwardly this is no doubt a result of the rushed production with ashirohana unavailable toho called in director for hire motoyoshi oda and the direction is as bland as you'd expect the film has a very languid pace despite making no attempts to build any tension godzilla and anguirus just sort of appear and from that point pop in and out of the film without any sense of real narrative purpose now maybe if the human characters were more interesting they would make up for the uninspired monster action but they are as bland and bare bones as you can get they aren't terrible and they don't annoy but they also make no lasting impression you'd be hard-pressed to remember any of their names the most memorable character by far is played by hiroshi koizumi mostly because of his familiarity within the godzilla franchise koizumi would go on to act in a bunch of other godzilla movies most notable being mothra vs godzilla takashi shimura returns briefly to her prizes roles dr germany but he exists only to recap the prior movie still as pedestrian as godzilla raids again is as a whole it does shine in some spots ijai subaraya's special effects work is still impressive relative to its time and anguirus was and still is a great member of godzilla's pantheon the film also introduces an interesting idea that godzilla is drawn to light and so the military devises a genuinely creative plan to divert godzilla's attention away from the city it of course fails thanks to the efforts of a few bumbling comics but points for trying godzilla raids again is not a very good entry in the franchise mostly for being so inoffensive even at a poultry 80 minutes long it is quite a slog to get through the movie just isn't as exciting as it should be it's a very flat lifeless movie things just happen without any sense of genuine dramatic stakes godzilla's return should be better than this and so as a sequel it just doesn't cut it for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths by 1962 godzilla had been in hibernation for seven years and in that time touhou studio had built an impressive library of kaiju films nearly all of which had proven successful and so to celebrate the studio's 30th anniversary touhou released king kong vs godzilla which finally brought the big g back into the spotlight to face off against the very monster that inspired his creation it was a rivalry of the ages east against west two icons battling it out for supremacy king kong vs godzilla is basically a japanese remake of the 1933 classic merged with a sequel to godzilla raids again at the same time that godzilla re-emerges from the ice an expedition funded by the fictional pacific pharmaceuticals sets out to the mysterious pharaoh island to capture the monster that the natives worship which turns out to be the giant ape kong kong escapes and with godzilla rampaging through japan it becomes only a matter of time before the two collide for the ultimate battle this movie marked the true beginning of godzilla's transition towards being light and campy despite still being a destructive force he is given an energetic almost jovial personality relishing in the pain and destruction he causes and clapping his hands like an overexcited child conversely kong is a more subdued grizzled character prone to getting wasted and passing out these monsters have distinct personalities and it makes for an amusing and entertaining dynamic when the two cross paths this lighthearted tone extends to the human cast as well the characters are exaggerated and animated reflecting the film's satirical nature the standout is definitely mr tako played by ishiro arashima who was known at the time as the japanese charlie chaplin and consequently gets many of the film's biggest laughs his character is an absurd cartoonish caricature of a greedy businessman so obsessed with money and publicity that he is willing to bring a giant monster to japan to become a mascot for the company to boost ratings it is a ridiculous plan and the film knows it indeed what might surprise some first-time viewers is how self-aware king kong vs godzilla really is much like mothra the previous year the film is a satirical critique of capitalism specifically the rise of commercialism and advertising the entire reason kong is brought to japan is one giant publicity stunt and throughout the movie characters talk about and place bets on the two creatures as if they were famous wrestlers the movie doesn't take its promise seriously at all and so you have to go in with the right mindset to really appreciate what it's trying to do this doesn't however mean the film doesn't deliver the goods though king kong vs godzilla is fun colorful classic 60's era popcorn entertainment ishiro honda ijai subaraya and akira if akui obsensively the fathers of godzilla all return and do fantastic work this is especially the case for ifakubi some of whose most iconic tracks originate here the film is also really well paced and balances the human and monster scenes in such a way that never gets boring kong and godzilla both get their moments to shine and their final fight on mount fuji is great for how dynamic and playful it is despite how fun it is however king kong vs godzilla does have some significant issues the biggest flaw is unfortunately kong himself simply put he looks distractingly terrible here everything about him comes off as incredibly cheap and fake and as a result you'll spend a lot of time laughing at kong which detracts from his screen presence and the film retcons or outright rewrites certain established characteristics of both monsters merely for the sake of the plot still king kong vs godzilla is one of the most important kaiju movies ever made not just because it brought together two of cinema's most iconic monsters and not just because it was incredibly financially successful both in japan and the us but because without it the godzilla franchise might not have gotten its second wind it set the standard for all the films that followed thus the longevity of the series can be credited to this film so in many ways godzilla owes his decades-long career to kong it may not be perfect but king kong vs godzilla is a gloriously entertaining entry in the franchise that should not be missed for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] with king kong vs godzilla being a resounding success for toho the studio wasted no time repeating the formula deciding once again to pick godzilla against another well-known adversary this time however they had their own roster of monsters to choose from and without a doubt the most popular one at the time was mothra who was hot off the success of her own film and so birthed mothra vs godzilla a film that has long been considered a high point of the early showa era godzilla films [Music] when a massive storm washes mothra's egg to the shores of japan a duo of slimy businessmen set forth to put it on display for profit the shaba jin with the aid of a journalist his photographer and a scientist beg for her egg to be returned while at the same time godzilla rises from the earth to rampage once again out of desperation humanity must set aside its pride and call on the help of an aging mothra to stop him [Music] mothra vs godzilla is a more serious-minded film than his predecessor reigning in the goofiness in favor of a more earnest meaningful experience this is not to say that the film doesn't have its levity but it achieves a balance between the campy and the sincere godzilla is back to being a pure villain again and aside from a few clumsy moments he's almost on par with the original pushing his way through every play in the military has further reinforcing how unstoppable and invincible he really is this was a wise choice because provides a nice contrast to mothra whereas godzilla is unrelenting unforgiving and brutish mothra is righteous forgiving and fragile these differences make their match up all the more appropriately dramatic and gives the film a sense of real thematic stakes that frankly is missing in your run-of-the-mill godzilla movies there's also a great cast of characters here and many of them are played by veterans of the franchise akira takarada returns for the first but certainly not the last time as does hiroshi koizumi and kenji sahara this time playing against type as the villain newcomer yuriko hoshi makes a great first impression as the plucky photographer junko and amy and yumi ito return as the shabajin lending their voices to some genuinely captivating songs just like mothra and king kong vs godzilla before the film critiques capitalism and corporate greed though it's less satirical and more straight to the point unlike nelson from mothra the two human villains kumiyama and torahata are not over-the-top caricatures just blind obsessed businessmen they are played entirely straight and their story ends in a sudden and brutal act of violence that can take you by surprise if you aren't prepared for it ashirohana is at the top of his game here as is ichai suburaya and akira ifakubi and together the two of them pushed the r of tokusatsu to new heights the direction is thoughtful and brisk the special effects legitimately great and if a kubi's score proved so influential it continues to be reused to this day the battle between godzilla and the adult mothra is the highlight and while brief it's visceral and surprisingly realistic mothra tries her best to keep godzilla on the defensive but all it takes is one blast of his atomic breath to take her down unfortunately after this is where the film loses steam godzilla's battle with the two mothra larva is a huge come down from the high intensity of the previous fight and it's centered around a rescue mission of a group of school kids that comes out of nowhere and has no relevance to the plot it feels shoehorned in just to give the characters something to do in the final act so while most of the movie is a fun and entertaining ride it ends on a low point and thus doesn't make a good final impression admittedly mothra vs godzilla doesn't do much new in fact it outright copies the formula that had been used in prior films what it does do however is further refine the elements that make up that formula into a better more cohesive whole and in this way it became the gold standard for all the films that followed despite suffering towards the end for the most part it is an exceptional monster movie and a classic of the kaiju genre for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the devs [Music] [Applause] [Music] with mothra vs godzilla another hit for touhou the studio quickly rushed together another sequel however this time godzilla wouldn't merely be facing off against another popular monster no this time toe set out to create an all-new monster one so big and so powerful it would require not one not two but three monsters to take it down and so the end of 1964 saw the release of ghidorah the three-headed monster the film that truly set the stage for godzilla's gradual turn into a hero figure a strange meteorite lands in the forests of japan while at the same time a princess from a foreign land survives an assassination attempt only to turn up proclaiming to be an alien prophesizing the end of the world as her predictions begin to come true and godzilla and rodan both awaken to wreak havoc a young reporter and her cop brother work to keep the princess safe from her assassins while mothra attempts to unite godzilla and rodan against a common enemy king ghidorah the three-headed space monster that hatches from the meteor with the goal of destroying planet earth [Applause] for better and worse ghidorah the three-headed monster is when the godzilla series started to take a real dramatic turn towards the overtly outlandish and campy more so than ever before the monsters are given very explicit personalities which makes for some amusing interactions the most infamous being the scene where mothra attempts to talk godzilla and rodan into fighting ghidorah while very silly it does humanize the monsters making them more than just big lumbering beasts with the sole purpose of destroying cities the fight that follows is a franchise highlights and the first of many four-way monster brawls that would become commonplace in the series while underwhelming in certain aspects the fight overall is a lot of fun and sees godzilla mothra and rodan combining powers and utilizing creative tactics to win against ghidorah however it's clear that most of the effort went into getting this fight right because the preceding fight between godzilla and rodan is very weak in comparison it's tame repetitive and features some pretty mediocre puppetry the human characters are okay but feel like a step down from previous entries yuriko hoshi and hiroshi koizumi both returned to play similar characters to those they played in mothra vs godzilla and many other touhou stalwarts appear as supporting characters akiko wakabayashi makes a strong impression as the princess selena but for the majority of the film she acts aloof and thus isn't given a lot to work with however yosuke natsuki as detective shindo makes for a decent leading man and his chemistry with hoshi who plays his sister is actually pretty strong the film's biggest issue though is that there is a huge disconnect between the human storyline and the monsters while most of the previous films were able to connect what the human characters were doing to the monsters in some way here the two have almost nothing to do with each other making it kind of hard to get invested in what's going on as a result you'll spend a lot of time wishing it would just cut back to the monsters a feeling only amplified by how entertaining most of the kaiju action actually is you want more than what the film is capable of giving you leaving you feeling dissatisfied this feeling extends to the titular creature itself without a doubt king ghidorah is a wonderfully realized practical effect and every moment he's on screen the film captures your attention unfortunately he's absent most of the film to the point where he comes off almost as an afterthought he lacks the narrative impact a kaiju of his caliber ought to have as a result ghidor's very first appearance is rather weak but it's a testament to the hard work craft and imagination that went into bringing him to life that he went on to become so iconic despite this ghidorah the three-headed monster is a very flawed but undeniably ambitious entry in the godzilla franchise especially given its absurdly short production schedule the things it does well mainly ghidorah and the climactic fight at the end it does really well but it's hampered by a story full of half-baked ideas that feels disconnected from the monster action and some of the special effects aren't quite up to the caliber you come to expect from these movies at this point it feels like a rush job however unlike godzilla raids again and under ishiro honda's guiding hand ghidorah the three dead monster still manages to generate the kind of cheesy thrills that would go on to define the franchise all while introducing godzilla's most iconic enemy is an important film and should not be skipped by any godzilla fan for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths by 1966 toho's special effects films were more popular than ever ghidorah the threaded monster proved to be an even greater financial success than the previous film and so it only made sense to continue making more movies given how popular godura had become the studio once again brought together the fathers of godzilla to craft a direct sequel titled invasion of astro monster which brought back the same monsters minus mothra for a brand new adventure that would take the godzilla franchise into the next frontier and even further transform the former nuclear nightmare into the nation's hero it is the distant future of 1960x and astronauts fuji and glenn are on a two-man mission to explore the mysterious planet x there they discover its inhabitants the exilians are being tormented by king ghidorah and in a desperate bid to rid themselves of the monster the aliens call for the aid of godzilla and rodan to help them humanity kindly obliges hoping to establish positive relations with this seemingly peaceful alien race but all is not as it appears and it turns out that planet x has other far more dastardly plans for earth invasion of astro monster is another notable milestone for the godzilla franchise it is the very first film to feature alien invaders who use mind-controlled monsters to attack the earth a plot device that will become increasingly prevalent as the series went on it is also the first godzilla movie touhou co-produced with an american studio as a result the film stars an american actor nick adams who speaks english alongside the rest of the japanese cast this along with the almost buck rogers-esque science fiction story and setting gives the film a more distinctly western flavor that makes it more accessible to american audiences make no mistake though this is a japanese godzilla movie to the core invasion of astro monster caps off ashiro honda's trilogy of g flicks with a bang upping the stakes while delivering a story that while still a bit cheesy is genuinely engaging and captures your attention the human storyline is wonderfully interwoven with the monster action and in fact is done so well that you don't mind when the monsters aren't on screen the pacing is excellent starting slow and building up until all hell breaks loose at the end where it finally delivers on all the mayhem and destruction you've been waiting for this film also has one of the better cast of characters in a godzilla movie akira takarada and nick adams have really great chemistry making the cross-cultural friendship between fuji and glenn feel all the more authentic akira kubo stands out in his very first appearance in the series as the sympathetic and down as luck inventor tetsuo however the two who make the biggest impression are nick adams who adds a sense of american swagger that really livens things up and the lovely kumi mizuno who is iconic as miss namikawa and while their romance is mostly handled off-screen and admittedly pretty shallow it does add a bit of star-crossed tragedy to the story in defense of earth we're gonna fight to the last man baby now where's your conscience or have you turned that over to your computers too huh aside from a few wonky shots here and there these special effects and model work are exceptional for the time period and the selective use of the monsters means that they almost always look great when they are on screen this film also has the distinction of being one of the few godzilla movies to take place in space and the execution in art design has a charming 60's era b-movie feel that instantly endears the citizens of planet x dictated by logic and computer programming are some of the most memorable aliens to appear in the series and sport a look that is somehow both stylish and laughably cheesy in the best possible way unfortunately this film also has the distinction of being the first entry in the series to use stock footage from prior movies moments from rodan and mothra are reused during the big final destruction sequence and while only die-hard eagle-eyed viewers will notice it did set a bad precedent for future films while cheapening this one a little also as good as the movie and overall story is there's no denying that the monsters do kind of feel like an afterthought and the plan of the exilience doesn't really make sense when you think about it however none of these issues takes much away from the overall enjoyability of invasion of astromaster it sparks an engaging science fiction story quick but intense high quality monster action above average characters and fantastic special effects and art direction that is frankly of higher quality than a lot of similar kinds of films of this era it is a superior sequel to ghidorah the threaded monster and a testament to the importance of plot and character even in a silly monster movie it arguably just might be the best entry of the godzilla series to come out of this decade making it one of the most accessible and entertaining films in the franchise for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Applause] [Music] while invasion of astro monster arguably proved to be a high point for the godzilla franchise up to that point the film ended up doing less at the box office than expected and so to cut costs for the follow-up toho reduced the budget brought in an entirely new production team and began to shift the focus of the series to appeal more to children and teenagers and so this is how we ended up with ibera horror of the deep a decidedly different kind of godzilla movie than those that came before it after his brother goes missing at sea young ryota and his two friends along with a bank robber steals a yacht to find him they get washed ashore on an island where they discover a terrorist organization called the red bamboo is enslaving the inhabitants of the nearby infant island home of mothra in the hope of defeating the red bamboo and escaping the island alive they awaken a sleeping godzilla who sets his sights on the island's protector the giant lobster ibera ibera horror of the deep moved the series from its more global science fiction-based roots to a more low-key remote setting since the entirety of the movie takes place on an island there are no city destruction scenes an intentional omission made in an effort to reduce costs while this definitely makes the film feel smaller in scope compared to the previous films the island setting makes for a more exotic adventurous tone that adds a bit of freshness to the franchise which at the time was starting to grow stale adding to the uniqueness of this film is godzilla's role in the story and how he is portrayed since this was originally meant to be a king kong film godzilla acts in ways that are out of character for him he shows an interest in humans that he never had before and his preference for using rocks feels very kong-esque even the antagonist monster ibera a simple lobster with no unique abilities seems like a more natural fit for kong than godzilla when viewed in this way the movie becomes a fascinating thought experiment of what could have been it's a shame then that the actual finished product isn't nearly as interesting as its production reflecting its budget ibera marks a significant declining quality for the series the plot is contrived providing the barest framework for getting the characters to the island and the characters themselves are rather bland and make some very questionable decisions just for the sake of moving the plot forward akira takarada stands out the most as yoshimura a bank robber with a heart of gold akihiko hirata also returns sporting an eyepatch once again as the red bamboo leader along with kumi mizuno as daio a native of infant island who escapes and tags along with the gang as they manage to be a thorn in the side of one of cinema's most incompetent terrorist organizations as far as the monsters go both godzilla and mothra have seen better days mothra looks as if she's been collecting dust on a shelf for a while and by the end of the film godzilla has been used and abused so much that the suit is practically falling apart ibera on the other hand is a wonderful effect and is executed quite well the two fights between godzilla and ibera are decent and entertaining but don't truly excel though shots of them fighting underwater was a first for the series what helps this film is its pace new to the franchise john fukuda's flashy colorful direction gives the film energy and keeps the plot moving along at a great pace there is never a down moment and so it is never boring or too slow despite not showing up for an hour once godzilla is awakened he is a constant presence and it is cool having mother show up to give the film a connection to the prior entries though the absence of yumi and emi ito is notable despite some inspired stuff however eberra horror of the deep can't quite escape the realities of its production there's simply no denying that this is the black sheep of the franchise a godzilla film that was not originally intended to be a godzilla film the movie just doesn't stand up to the great entries that came before and while not a disaster by any stretch it is rather forgettable and offers very little reason to ever re-watch it for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths by the time ibera horror of the deep was released it was becoming clear that the godzilla franchise was starting to lose steam ishiro honda ejai subaraya and akira fugabe were all working on other films and as budgets continued to be slashed and as the kaiju genre began appealing more to children godzilla was quickly losing his edge so in an effort to appeal to younger audiences toho did the unthinkable they gave godzilla a kid of his own and thus the son of godzilla was born a creative choice that still proves controversial to this day a small team of scientists along with a nosy journalist are stationed on the remote sagal island with the goal of perfecting a weather control device their efforts are complicated by the presence of a trio of massive praying mantises called kamakaris the giant spider kumanga and most notably a newly hatched baby godzilla-like creature whose cries for help draw godzilla to the island where he claims and begins raising the baby as his own it's not long before these various forces clash as the scientists figure out a way to escape the island alive son of godzilla is one of the most divisive films in the franchise and frankly it's easy to see why more so than any other film up to this point it is explicitly made to appeal to kids with minya the unofficial mascot of this transition for many fans he is the face of everything that had gone wrong with the franchise misshapen and pudgy and too cute for his own good he is to put it bluntly ridiculous looking he doesn't look anything like godzilla making the instances where the characters confuse the two comically absurd [Music] and yet this doesn't take away from the overall enjoyability of the film despite the desperate nature of the premise son of godzilla is an immensely fun and colorful film that never bores the tropical island setting is better utilized here than was in the previous film providing a logical backdrop to the weather control experiment that the human characters take part in which is an intriguing premise that hooks you fairly quickly the giant insects that populate the island also make for naturally threatening monsters that in a rarity for the franchise provide an immediate threat to the characters the human characters are shallow but are lively enough to keep you engaged in the story and the cast is full of familiar faces akira kubo makes his second appearance in the franchise as goro the reporter who drops in on the island unannounced as does tadao takashima who plays lead scientist professor kasumi akihiko hirata and kenji sahara also return as does yoshio sochiya who played the head exilian in invasion of astro monster here standing out for his portrayal of a man gone mad with heathstroke and like in a bear there is a lone native girl psycho played by beverly merida only this time she has much more agency using her knowledge of the island to help the scientists the stars of the show though are of course the monsters and the one who stands out in ways both good and bad is menya while a terrible design minya is an endearing little fellow whose antics provide the film's most entertaining moments he has a childlike innocence that anyone who has been around kids can recognize his scenes with godzilla are very charming and the father-son relationship that develops between them is well performed amusing to watch and yes even heartwarming while not as flashy as some of the franchise's more popular monsters kumanga and kamakuras make for some terrific antagonists the puppeteering work on them is exceptional especially for kumanga who is probably one of the more threatening villains of the franchise particularly if you don't like spiders and while the kamakuri aren't quite so menacing they make for good bully characters for menya to go up against jun fukuda returns in the director's seat and like with abera he gives the film a colorful energy that makes it non-stop fun there are some really great shot compositions and the sound design does a wonderful job conveying the emotions of the monsters without dialogue while massrosato's score is both bouncy and suspenseful when appropriate fitting the tone of the story perfectly while it's easy to see why one could despise son of godzilla there is no denying that it is one of the more delightful entries in the franchise the story for both the humans and the monsters is very entertaining and both play off of each other very well the special effects are quite good despite the lower production values and while menya and godzilla both suffer from some seriously questionable designs their relationship is genuinely sweet and ends on an image that is effective poignant and now after all these decades iconic son of godzilla may not be the classic godzilla of old but as a film for children it excels making this a perfect film to introduce to a little g fan in the making for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] after son of godzilla it was readily apparent that the godzilla series and kaiju films in general were on the decline with each film making less than the last and so toho and producer tomoyuki tanaka feeling like they had run out of ideas decided it was time to put godzilla to rest thus destroy all monsters was intended to be the grand finale of a franchise that had run for over a decade and to end it right toho brought in original series director ishiro honda increased the budget and stuffed as many of their classic creatures into the film as possible all in an effort to conclude the series with as big a bang as possible [Music] it is the year 1999 and mankind has advanced to the point where they have complete control of earth's monsters containing them on an island dubbed monsterland suddenly communication with monsterland is lost and all the monsters begin attacking major cities across the globe a race of aliens called the kelax reveal that they have control of the monsters and intend to use them to wipe out humanity unless they bow to their whims with surrender not an option it's up to captain ketsuyo yamabe and the crew of the spaceship moonlight sy-3 to fight back and return control of the monsters to humanity before it's too late destroy all monsters is a true love letter to the house that toho built with a whopping 11 monsters at the time it broke new ground featuring elaborate set pieces of mayhem and destruction with multiple monsters on screen at once these sequences required complex planning and coordination by the entire crew and so it comes as no surprise that these sequences provide the film its greatest moments the most memorable being the big fight at the end where all the monsters gang up on king ghidorah while short it is immensely entertaining serving as a celebration of a genre that delighted an entire generation [Applause] [Music] indeed everything involving the monsters shines in this film godzilla comes back with a brand new and much improved look as does anguirus his first appearance since godzilla raids again the film wastes no time setting the monsters loose and from that point they remain a constant presence the pacing is very good with the monster scenes spread out evenly enough so that it's never too long before they appear and aside from a few comically brief cameos most of them get a moment or two to shine [Music] this is a good thing because the human drama in between the monster action leaves much to be desired destroy all monsters is a true blockbuster in the sense that spectacle takes clear priority over plot or giving the audience anyone to connect with more so than many of the films that came before it the characters here are especially bland akira kubo returns for the third time as leading man captain katsuo the righteous hero who can do no wrong while yukiko kobayashi plays his girlfriend kyoko whom he must save from the mind control of the kelax the rest of the cast is rounded out by a host of familiar faces but they exist merely as expository devices to push the plot forward this really holds back destroy all monsters from being the true classic it aspired to be in essence this film sports the same plot as invasion of astro monster only far less interesting the kelax are very generic and shallowly presented with their plan having little nuance or intrigue they feel like an afterthought a plot device to allow the monsters to rampage across the world cities are destroyed but you never feel the impact and so you never quite feel like the world is in danger despite the high-stakes intensity of the plot making everything aside from the monsters rather unengaging [Music] what truly saves this movie though is the action and overall production quality since ijai subaria's health was waning at the time his protege sadamasa arakawa took his role as special effects director and he proved more than up to the task as destroyal monsters has some of the best effects work of the series the all-out assault on tokyo in the middle of the film is a highlight an amalgamation of everything you love about 1960's era togosatsu akira afukube also does some of his best work here giving the film one of his many instantly memorable themes that won't leave your head for days and so destroy all monsters is not the perfect swan song for the franchise as was intended it contains a pretty basic bare bones plot that only exists as a vehicle for the special effects and the characters are pretty uninspired and make the stuff between the monster sequences a chore to get through but it is worth it because everything involving the monsters is great it pushed the art form of tokusatsu even further and gave the franchise one of its most memorable fights while it may be severely lacking as far as the story is concerned as a piece of technical wizardry it inspires and therefore is a must-see godzilla movie worthy of your time for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the devs [Applause] while destroy all monsters was originally meant to be godzilla's swan song it did well enough to convince producer tomiyuki tanaka and toho that there was still some gas left in the franchise inspired by the success of the rival gamer series which was made for children on the cheap it was decided that the next godzilla film would follow this model and so all monster's attack marked a major turn for godzilla shifting his series even further from its roots for the sole purpose of delighting the next generation who knew nothing of the horrors that inspired his creation a young boy named shiro lives a lonely life bullied by other kids and left to fend for himself by his absentee working-class parents a huge fan of godzilla he retreats into his own mind using his imagination to visit monster island where he gets to watch godzilla fight other monsters and hang out with his son minya who is also being bullied by a monster named gabra when two bumbling bank robbers kidnap him ishiro emboldened by the lessons he learned on monster island must stand up for himself if he wants to escape their grasp [Music] all monsters attack is considered by many fans to be the worst godzilla movie ever made and in many ways this is true its lower cost is made obvious by the fact that most of the monster footage is recycled from previous films and what little new footage there is inspires little admiration minya also returns to the forefront and if you had little affection for him in son of godzilla he'll despise him even more here because now he talks main character ishiro is just as divisive at once both plucky and obnoxious and if you can't stomach that then this film will no doubt grate on your nerves given all this it'd be easy to deem all monsters attack as completely worthless as it offers little quality kaiju action but as a piece of godzilla history it does have merit director ishiro honda manages to elevate a cash grab giving it a little more depth than you might expect more so than many entries in the franchise this film is a product of its time a glimpse into the experiences of many kids at the time and the effect post-world war ii industrial japan was having on working class families indeed structurally and thematically the film is quite clever all monster's attack is the only entry in the series where the reality of godzilla or any kaiju for that matter is called into question since every sequence featuring a monster takes place inside ishiro's head it is implied that the film takes place in the real world where godzilla is merely a fictional character and istro is just one of his many fans this adds an extra layer of meta complexity that no other godzilla film has had since and for all this film's problems this is respectable for the very first time in the series a kid serves as the main protagonist and ishiro serves the role well enough while he irritates in the english dub in japanese is played by tomonori yazaki it's much easier to sympathize with him especially when watching within the proper historical context in fact as far as characters go eastro is one of the better developed characters of the franchise with a fully realized arc that surely spoke to many kids of that time with all that being said however no amount of academic analysis can make up for the cheap quality of all monsters attack as both a godzilla film and a kaiju film it mostly fails because so much of it is reused material that is poorly shoved into the movie the result is incredibly jarring as godzilla consistently changes looks from scene to scene and if you've already seen the previous films you'll be bored rewatching large chunks of this film the only new monster gabra is by far one of toho's weakest creations though he does work as a cowardly bully character for godzilla to beat up on [Applause] while the first half is decent enough as a sort of saturday afternoon kaiju special once ishiro gets kidnapped by the two bumbling bank robbers the film suffers as all pretense of this being a godzilla film is dropped in favor of slapstick situational comedy and not a particularly good one the robbers are comically moronic to the point where all believability is thrown out of the window which is when you have to remember that this movie is meant for little kids when all is said and done though all monsters attack is not the blight on the godzilla franchise many would say it is in fact when you take into consideration how cheap the film is it's kind of amazing it's as sufficient as it is while certainly no masterpiece it has a lot more going on underneath the surface than you might expect it's just that as a godzilla movie it doesn't satisfy and so if you go in looking for a traditional monster movie you'll be sorely disappointed however it's a good entry to introduce young children to godzilla and for that it has value and has its place in the franchise for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] [Applause] with all monsters attack toho managed to figure out a way to keep the godzilla franchise going with smaller budgets and an explicit focus on appealing to kids producer tomiyuki tanaka still determined to keep the series going decided it was time to inject some new blood into the series and found a fresh new talent by the name of yoshimitsu bano to do just that and so with near full creative control bono went on to direct godzilla vs hedorah a film that still remains the most bizarre entry of the series after dr yano and his son ken are attacked by an aggressive tadpole-like creature they determine that it is an alien life form that feeds on man-made pollution named hedorah it begins to grow and mutate terrorizing japan with its toxic sludge hedorah proves to be a difficult foe and so it is up to the combined might of godzilla and the ingenuity of man to figure out a way to stop him before the entire planet is reduced to waste it must be stated once more that godzilla versus hedorah is without a doubt the trippiest most surreal film in the godzilla series featuring psychedelic visuals randomly placed animated vignettes and a funkadelic soundtrack it feels straight out of the 70s and depending on who you ask that's either a good or bad thing the film is as close to an avant-garde godzilla movie as you can get with tone and experimentation taking clear priority over plot which is incredibly simple even by godzilla standards this is a straightforward versus movie with only the most basic framework of a plot holding it together but under the unorthodox direction of bono it becomes anything but your standard godzilla fair the most interesting aspect of this film is hedor himself conceptually he makes for one of godzilla's most fascinating foes a constantly evolving but not so subtle metaphor for the pollution plaguing japan at the time his design is wonderful and a special effects work that went into bringing him to life is top notch he displays a multitude of deadly abilities that manage to give godzilla a harder time than he is used to and the two scrap it out almost throughout the entire film [Applause] you'd think this extra emphasis on monster action would make godzilla vs fedora non-stop fun but the fights here are quite underwhelming slow paced and lagging in many exciting or suspenseful moments there are long stretches where godzilla and hedorah just stand around and stare at each other for what feels like forever these moments severely detract from the impact these fights should have making the action in this film very dull the characters are all cardboard cutouts existing merely as human vessels to move the plot forward the two who matter the most are dr yano played by akira yamauchi and his son ken by hiroyuki kawasei these two appear to be the only people smart enough to figure out what hedorah is and how to stop him and ken in particular does make free solid protagonists for kids to latch onto he's always rooting for godzilla and shows a keen sense of forward thinking which while not exactly realistic does make him likable [Music] for the first time godzilla fully steps into the hero role as protector of the earth that children can look up to and yet despite this godzilla vs hedorah is one of the more disturbing films in the series featuring moments of death and destruction that are graphic in a way the series hadn't been since the original if not more scenes of people being drowned in sludge choking on sulfuric acid and flesh being dissolved to the bone are plentiful the stark contrast between the childlike nature of the story and the gruesome reality of its victims is part of what makes this film so intriguing despite its issues [Music] indeed even with so much interesting stuff going on godzilla vs hedorah never quite excels it is all style and no substance characters have no purpose other than to act as povs through which to view the action and as such often act illogical purposely putting themselves in harm's way so disposable are the characters that the last 20 minutes forgets about them as it focuses exclusively on the final fight between godzilla and hedorah which while often too slow does contain some good moments the most infamous being when godzilla uses his atomic breath to fly it's hands down one of the most creatively insane moments in godzilla's history godzilla vs sedora is a fascinating movie that can never escape the trappings of a genre it has some really clever ideas and directorial choices and conceptually hedorah is a great monster but its incredibly simple plot makes it feel like an episode of tv stretched out to a feature length film and so large stretches of it are very tedious it's easy to see though why one could appreciate it for both being so stylistically different from all other godzilla films ever having a message that spoke to an important issue at the time while far from great it is also far from the worst godzilla movie ever made and should be seen at least once by every fan so they can make up their own mind about the weirdest godzilla movie for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] turned off by the strange quirkiness of godzilla vs hedorah toho and producer tomoyuki tanaka were determined to get the godzilla series back on track the experimental phase as brief as it was was over budgets were reduced even further jun fukuda was brought back to direct and it was decided that king ghidorah would return once again all in an effort to make the franchise more marketable but ghidorah would not be alone nor would godzilla resulting in the tag team monster brawl that is godzilla vs gigan down on his luck manga artist gengo is hired to do conceptual work for world children's land an amusement park based around earth's monsters upon running into a woman looking for a brother gengo and his friends discover the park is a front for extraterrestrial cockroaches who plan on conquering the earth with the help of king ghidorah and their own monster the cyborg gigan with the earth in danger once again godzilla and anguirus leave their home on monster island and head for japan to fight for their planet as the japanese film industry was in shambles at the time godzilla vs gigan is as cheap as they come with copious amounts of stock footage from toho's vast backlog of titles used to fill out the special effects sequences this includes the score which is entirely composed of old akure ifukubi tracks the monsters themselves are also reused holdovers from prior films and you can tell especially in the case of godzilla and ghidorah even the story is reused utterly unoriginal and relying on the tried-and-true formula that it worked in the past this is to say that godzilla vs gigan as opposed to its immediate predecessor plays it as safe and as cheap as it can [Music] and yet the film strangely works on many levels despite these glaring faults despite yet another alien invasion plots the alien cockroaches who hail from the space hunter nebula m are significantly more interesting than the kelax were and destroy all monsters and their plot while kind of nonsensical generates a nice bit of intrigue for the characters to stick their noses in and speaking of the characters they are quite entertaining here quirky and funny in a way that makes it easy to get invested in them gengo in particular played by hiroshi ishikawa is a rather unique protagonist whose profession makes him very relatable the other standout is tomoko played by the striking eureka hishimi gengo's no-nonsense girlfriend who can kick butt better than any of the men can [Music] you get out what godzilla vs gigan lacks in originality it makes up for impure unadulterated fun the film has a nice pace building up to the monsters and once gigant and ghidorah are unleashed it is non-stop kaiju mayhem the sequence where the two decimate tokyo despite littered with stock footage is explosively delightful and when godzilla and anguirus finally enter the fray the four-way battle never stops the film is simple and focused on delivering what fans at the time wanted and despite all odds it does so splendidly in a way that overcomes its cheapness it should be noted that this film marks the final time the late suit actor haruo nakajima would portray godzilla and he gives a great final performance even though the suit is practically in tatters at this point this is also ghidorah's final appearance in the showa series which was probably a good thing because he looks ready to retire gray-haired and lacking in the energy of his early years [Music] the only new monster is the titular gigan and he makes a great first impression the over-the-top nature of his design makes him stand out amongst toho's then ever-growing cast of kaiju covered in head to toe with blades he is a convincingly threatening enemy for godzilla to fight against making it no surprise he would go on to become a fan favorite anguirus makes a much welcomed return and while he is constantly being beaten on his never give up attitude makes him an incredibly sympathetic sidekick for godzilla their friendship is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the film that the franchise unfortunately never capitalized down again [Music] in many ways godzilla vs gigan is the quintessential 70s eric godzilla film cheap and safe but able to overcome its deficiencies by being so darn entertaining without resorting to being too ridiculous the human characters are fun and their story is well balanced with the monsters and even though much of the action is composed of stock footage there are many great new moments that make this fight one of the franchise's best the film doesn't break any new ground but it wasn't trying to and within its limitations it manages to be a satisfactory entry in the series chock full of colorful monster action it's another great introductory film that is sure to delight any children lucky enough to witness it for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] [Applause] by 1973 the godzilla franchise was on its last legs television was quickly becoming the preferred way for adult audiences to entertain themselves leaving children as the only major demographic still going to the theater and so recognizing this toho out of desperation fast tracked another godzilla movie this time with the intention of mimicking the trends at the time and thus giving kids everything that they wanted the survival of the franchise depended on it the result is godzilla vs megalon a movie that for better and for worse symbolizes how far the series had fallen an inventor named goro along with his younger brother and close friend finds themselves being stalked by a duo of mysterious men and discovers that they are the agents of cetopia an underground civilization that seeks to punish the surface dwellers for their reckless atomic bomb testing to accomplish this they send their god monster megalon to destroy everything in its path soon goro's robot jet jaguar sets it upon himself to fight megalon but when gigan shows up to add to the trouble it's up to godzilla to come to the rescue and help jet jaguar fight back godzilla vs megalon marked a new low for a once illustrious franchise even by godzilla standards it is cheap silly and absurd with little originality to stand on once again an ancient or alien civilization has a bone to pick with humanity and sends a couple of mind-controlled monsters to dole out some punishment and once again godzilla and an ally of his choosing comes to the rescue it was clear godzilla was becoming increasingly irrelevant and this was a last-ditch effort to keep the series relevant in a time when television shows like ultraman were popular and so everything from the plot to the characters to jaguar himself is meant to mimic the kinds of shows that captured the attention of japanese kids at the time given this there is little actual plot to speak of and what little of it there is exists merely as a reason for the monsters to do their thing this is unfortunate because there are some interesting concepts in the film in a more thought-out film zootopia could have had some potential to be quite fascinating but here it is presented as an afterthought the one-dimensional characters also act in ways that are unnatural just to move the plot towards the inevitable monster brawl more so than almost any other godzilla movie it is clear that this story exists only to serve as an excuse for rubber monsters to punch each other and punch each other while they do for all its many many faults godzilla vs megalon excels and delivering exactly what it set out to and nothing more much like godzilla vs gigan before it the film doesn't waste much time before bringing the action and once it gets going it rarely lets up the final fight which takes up the last third of the film is a fever dream of rubber suited monster mayhem and is thus a joy to watch all four monsters are genuine characters with discernible personalities that kids can latch onto with godzilla and jed jaguar paragons of virtue and megaline and gigan cackling bullies who need to be taught a lesson there are some gloriously goofy moments that are sure to make you crack a smile as long as you remember not to take it seriously it's non-stop goofy fun that makes everything that came before it worth the wait and credit where credit is due godzilla vs megalon birth two of the franchise's most cherished creations much like gigan megalon is an inspired and creatively designed monster with some really cool abilities and an obnoxious personality that makes him a lot of fun to root against and jet jaguar while an obvious ultraman knockoff is the opposite an underdog that's really easy to root for who even gets his own kick and theme song that once you hear it we'll stay with you forever in so many ways godzilla vs megalon has no right to be as entertaining as it is despite a phone and direction by john fukuda despite a nonsensical bear mounts plot despite cardboard characters and despite yet more stock footage it all falls aside when you get to the glorious 2v2 fight that closes the film an extended action scene punctuated by great moments and humorous interactions between the monsters it's just fun there's really no other way to put it it's right up there with the silliest godzilla has ever been and for some this is a travesty but if you watch it with kids or even with a couple of friends it's actually one of the more entertaining movies in the franchise and goes to show that even at his trashiest godzilla still knows how to give the people what they want for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Applause] [Music] even with drastic cuts to the budget godzilla vs megalon was a flop at the box office seemingly proving that japanese audiences just weren't interested in godzilla anymore but toho wasn't ready to give up just yet and with the 20th anniversary of the series coming it was decided to give godzilla an adversary worthy of the occasion and what could be a more worthy foe than a robot doppelganger of the big g himself thus the mighty mechagodzilla was born ready to face off against godzilla in the aptly titled godzilla vs mechagodzilla [Music] a strange prophecy begins to take shape while at the same time godzilla appears to return to his destructive ways but when a second godzilla appears to stop him it is revealed to be a disguised mechagodzilla a weapon of mass destruction under the control of the simians space apes who want to take over earth mechagodzilla proves to be powerful and so a couple of archaeologists a professor and an interpol agent worked together to summon the ancient monster king caesar to aid godzilla in taking out the mechanized monster for good godzilla vs mechagodzilla was a breath of fresh air in a time when the quality of the franchise was beginning to spiral down the drain as a 20th anniversary film meant to celebrate the series there was pressure to deliver and so unlike its immediate predecessors it has a proper budget and a more thought out but equally bonkers story and the results speak for themselves because from the first few minutes this film grabs your attention setting up mysteries and moving the plot along at a brisk pace that never leaves you bored wondering when the monsters will show up and make no mistake godzilla vs mechagodzilla is chock full of monsters angerus makes a welcomed appearance once again and yet again gets beaten to a pulp this time in a shockingly bloody and brutal way then there's king caesar a lion god with a unique ability to reflect attacks back with his eye while definitely not considered one of toe's classics he's a decently designed and realized kaiju the star of the show though is mechagodzilla whose design still remains the best even after multiple incarnations his sleek steampunk look and hard edges adds a sense of danger to his appearance which is backed up by a huge arsenal of weaponry he's basically a walking turret and the moments where he unloads onto godzilla and king caesar are a feast for the eyes [Music] [Applause] [Music] luckily though even when the monsters aren't on screen there's a decent sized cast of characters that while one-dimensional are likably tenacious and clever to the point where they make the bad guys look stupid the standout character is the interpol agent nambara played by shin kishida the guy oozes cool and the film plays him like a bad guy until his real mission is revealed this film also sees the return of a few familiar faces the most notable being akihiko hirata as professor miyajima a man forced to work on mechagodzilla against his will goro mutsumi also makes a strong impression as the leader of the simeons a man so cocky and evil it becomes a joy to watch him fail godzilla vs mega godzilla's greatest strength though is its pace and overall production value the film returns to the more complex storytelling of the 60s era films while still retaining the faster pace of the 70s and the result is a happy medium that balances human plots and monster action very well there's always something interesting going on some mystery to be solved and while the plot doesn't always hold up to scrutiny you'll be too busy bobbing your head to mastrosato's catchy soundtrack and enjoying jon fukuda's energetic direction to care too much the special effects are up to the standards of the series golden era and the monster fights are fun creative and explosive without being laughably goofy like the last few films if there's a weak link to be had it has to be the whole plot involving the prophecy and king caesar there really isn't any explanation as to why the simians care or even know about the prophecy and so it feels rather shoehorned in with everything else going on and aside from king xr himself it never quite pays off in a very satisfying way still it does give the characters a macguffin to chase after which helps give the story its vibrancy and sense of momentum so it's hard to fault it too much godzilla vs mega godzilla is a quality entry in the franchise one it desperately needed at the time of its original release while still clearly a 70s era godzilla film it actually has the budget to properly bring the story and its monsters to life and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel it does inject some new ideas into a familiar concept in such a way that makes it feel a bit more fresh most importantly however it introduced an inspired new villain into the godzilla mythos one that would go on to become one of the franchise's most popular and recognizable monsters on par with mothra and king ghidorah wacky but also somehow reserved this film is packed with everything a godzilla fan could love for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] with godzilla vs mechagodzilla proving to be both critically and financially more successful than many of the preceding films it only made sense to the higher ups at toho to keep the series going in this direction seeing this as an opportunity to return godzilla to his glory years it was decided to verge away from the light and campy tone that defied the franchise for so long in favor of a more classical and serious approach to this end ishiro honda was brought back to direct a direct sequel terror of mechagodzilla the film that despite all this ended up being the final installment in the first era of godzilla films [Applause] as interpol searches for the remains of mechagodzilla they are attacked by an aquatic dinosaur called titanosaurus the encounter puts them on the trail of the mysterious dr mafune a mad scientist with a grudge against mankind who owes the life of his daughter katsura to the simians who have turned her into a cyborg and are repairing mechagodzilla for a second attempt at conquering earth under the control of a conflicted katsura titanosaurus and mechagodzilla attack tokyo leaving godzilla to face off against them all on his own [Music] from the very first frame it is apparent that terror of mechagodzilla is a different breed of film compared to its immediate predecessor while godzilla vs mechagodzilla was fast frantic and colorful this film is slow brooding and dark it still relies on the tried and true alien invasion plot but without the increasingly goofy and simplistic characters storylines and monsters they have been devolving the franchise for so long while still engaging in the over-the-top monster mayhem you come to expect from the franchise at this point it attempts to tell a more somber serious tale of star-crossed lovers and embittered old men i say attempt because its reach far exceeds its grasp indeed terror of micah godzilla never feels like it ever fulfills its potential the story in concept is actually quite compelling and there are themes and ideas that had they been fleshed out would have made for an enthralling story but alas it all feels crammed into a short by even godzilla standards 80 minute run time and because of this the drama at the center never manifests into anything beyond the shallow and conventional and on top of that the slow methodical pace and you have a godzilla movie that feels a bit drab the characters are certainly a step up from prior entries and there is some emotional complexity going on but the film isn't deep enough to go beyond the surface level akihiko hirata returns once again once again playing a scientist though this time he really gets to ham it up as dr mifune the most compelling character though is his daughter katsura played by tomoko ai a cyborg split between her loyalty to her father and her sympathy towards mankind this feeling is embodied by her affection for akira ichinose played by returning actor katsuhiko sasaki a biologist researching titanosaurus who can't help but be drawn to ketzera's beauty the core of an engaging love story is there but almost no time is given to its development thus leaving you feeling cold however this cannot be said for anything involving the monsters while terror of mechagodzilla may be slow going when the kaiju show up to do their thing they do so with gusto the scene where titanosaurus and mechagodzilla rampage through tokyo while brief is spectacular and the subsequent battle with godzilla is explosively entertaining there are moments of awe-inspiring pyrotechnics on display that really make you appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making these movies it's one of the best action scenes of the showa era [Music] and there's no denying that terror of mechagodzilla benefits from the return of both ishiro honda and akira ifukabe while perhaps not as sharp as his previous works honda's direction makes the film feel like a classic golden era godzilla film and fukuba's score which is less bombastic than many of his previous scores suits the dark brooding nature of the story the new monster titanosaurus also feels like a return to the past a creature lacking the flashiness of megalon or gigan while maybe not the most memorable kaiju his simple design distinct roar and sympathetic nature arguably make him one of the most underrated [Music] terror of mechagodzilla should be admired for its ambition to return godzilla to the more thought-provoking filmmaking that defined the earlier entries but it is never able to escape the tropes and formulas that had been defining the franchise throughout the 70s because of this it never excels at being either type of film it is a film caught between two eras a final attempt to bring godzilla back from the brink of irrelevancy and consequently it failed performing so poorly at the box office that touhou finally threw in the towel putting godzilla in hibernation until the time was right to bring him back at the very least however the film sends godzilla out with a bang as the final third features some of the best kaiju action of the series thus giving the classic era of godzilla the joyous send-off it deserves for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the [Music] depths [Music] following the box office failure of terror of mechagodzilla toho attempted to rejuvenate the godzilla franchise for nearly a decade acknowledging that the series descent into children's fare had likely alienated older fans producer tomiyuki tanaka decided that it was time for godzilla to return to the sobering antinuclear roots that made the original film so special and to do it in a way that felt modern and contemporary thus the series was rebooted and the mythology of all the previous films was discarded in favor of a direct sequel to the 1954 classic and so after nine long years godzilla was given a fresh start back to terrorize tokyo in the perfectly titled the return of godzilla [Music] reporter goro maki stumbles upon a deserted fishing ship the yahata maru with the sole survivor claiming to have seen a giant monster emerging from an erupting volcano quickly it becomes apparent that godzilla is back and following the sinking of a soviet nuclear sub japan and the major nations of the world scramble to figure out a way to stop him from coming ashore soon after he does exactly this and as tensions mount as godzilla makes his way through tokyo the survival of japan and the human race at large is left hanging in the balance the return of godzilla marked a significant milestone for the at the time 30 year old franchise not only did it see the return of japan's most iconic monster after a long absence but it was also a return to the tone and themes that had made the original a masterpiece stripped of the kid-friendly heroics and nonsensical plots of the later showa era films godzilla's back to being truly menacing again this is reflected in the new design which is big and mean and lacking in any semblance of humanity he's portrayed more like an animal an animal whose instincts can be used against him a surprise turn that makes godzilla more vulnerable than he has ever been despite his increased power it's a refreshing and realistic take on the character that signaled the drastic change in direction the franchise needed this change in direction is further reflected in the tone the return of godzilla is arguably an even darker film than the original an eerie somber melancholic atmosphere permeates throughout and the film isn't afraid to rely on grotesque and ghoulish imagery to set the mood which is enhanced by a soundtrack that is both beautiful and bombastic in contrast to the vast majority of the prior films it tries to be as realistic as possible showing glimpses into the consequences of godzilla's existence on everything from international politics to the little people he crushes along the way this is a complicated way of saying that this film feels epic in a way most of the previous films never did like the original the return of godzilla has an explicit anti-nuclear theme the film isn't afraid to have a thoughtful discussion as to the moral implications of atomic power within the politics of its cold war era some of the most riveting scenes are of the prime minister being pressured by the us and the soviets to use nuclear weapons on japan and its conclusion is appropriately subdued and eloquent moments such as this are when the film is at its most dramatically potent and is a stark reminder yet again that godzilla is at his best when the films are about more than just mindless giant monster action with that being said the return of godzilla certainly doesn't skimp out on the mayhem and destruction the film has a nice handful of quality set pieces that wisely don't attempt to merely mimic the original the super x in particular proved to be quite a worthy adversary for godzilla and their encounters provide for some of the film's most memorable moments the special effects are leagues better than they had been 10 years prior and go a long way toward making it feel like a legitimate film as opposed to the cheap rubber suited antics of many of the earlier entries for as thematically powerful as the return of godzilla is however it does suffer from some major blemishes the film is quite sloppily edited in places and there are some special effects shots that haven't aged very well mostly though it suffers from a lack of compelling characters the three young leads played by ken tanaka yasuko sawaguchi and shin takuma respectively failed to leave a lasting impression with the love story between goro and naoko being particularly trite and uninteresting professor hayashida played by the almost unrecognizable yosuke natsuki fares much better voicing much of the film's underlying philosophy the best character though is prime minister mitamira played brilliantly by kenju kobayashi with few words he is able to convey the immense pain and frustration of a man forced into an insurmountable situation providing the film its emotion and heart the return of godzilla is the type of godzilla movie that only gets made once every generation reflecting the anxieties and hopes of the time period in which it was made and while it doesn't quite reach the heights of the original it is an admirable and much needed return to form for the franchise at the time it's a fantastic start to a new era of godzilla films and in time has become recognized as one of the franchise's best entries for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] despite successfully rebooting the franchise with the return of godzilla the film didn't perform as strongly as the studio had hoped unsure of what direction to take this new godzilla series toho ended up having a contest where the public could submit their own story ideas the finalists ended up being a dentist named shinichiro kobayashi whose incorporation of themes regarding biotechnology and genetic engineering caught the attention of director kazuki omori the resulting film is godzilla vs bilante a film that set the stage for the rest of the heisei era in all the right ways [Music] following godzilla's imprisonment in mount mihara a genetic arms race begins with regards to godzilla's cells five years later after dr shiragami had lost his daughter erica to a terrorist attack he merges her dna with that of a rose and godzilla in a desperate attempt to keep her alive which births the monster's plant violente at the same time godzilla reemerges from mount mihara and with both monsters on a collision course japan has to once again figure out a way to save their country from the children of man's scientific hubris godzilla vs violante is one of the most fascinating entries in the godzilla series while a natural progression of the tone and style established in the prior film it is also wholly different than any other film that came before it the story is more complex involving numerous plots and subplots the cast is larger involving many characters and organizations and the scope is more expansive taking place on a global stage concerning multiple nations it's a complicated fast-paced story at least more so than most godzilla films and it's told in a way that keeps you engaged all the way through vs bilante also attempts to engage in some thought-provoking themes as well while still continuing the anti-nuclear theme that was so potent in the return of godzilla it is accompanied and modernized with a focus on the dangers and moral ambiguity of genetic engineering the film continues to show how the existence of godzilla has impacted the scientific and political landscape and while this can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the plot it is no less compelling and makes the film feel truly contemporary even 30 years later this is a poetic serious film driven by genuinely compelling ideas which is a far cry from the campy schlock that defined the franchise for decades prior each character brings a welcomed point of view to the story that adds to its breath and scope dr shiragami played by koji takahashi brings a stoic sympathy to the well-meaning but ill-fated scientist while kunihiko mitimura as kazuhiko kirishima plays his moral opposite questioning the role of science in the modern age of politics masanobu takashima is great as kuroki a young mager who is burdened with stopping godzilla and who makes up for his inexperience with quick thinking and gut instinct toro minigishi is colonel goro gondo is another great character who brings a sarcastic lighthearted wit that lightens the story and makes him inherently likable and of course we can't forget megumi odaka as the psychic mickey segusa who plays a small but important role here that will continue to expand as the series goes on you'd think with so many characters and so much going on that the monsters would feel secondary to everything else but this is not the case godzilla vs bilante never forgets to keep the monsters in the forefront and those who come strictly for the kaiju will get their fill the film wastes no time getting godzilla back into action and once he is unleashed he is a constant presence throughout despite the title the film is actually more about stopping godzilla and it's a thrill ride watching the human cast have to come up with new solutions to each new situation we get an upgraded super acts some great military engagements spectacular city destruction scenes and in between all that a couple well choreographed monster fights it's practically non-stop action from beginning to end that somehow never overshadows the more heady aspects of the story the special effects are exceptional on almost all fronts and in many ways broke new ground for the franchise both godzilla and violante are brought to life with a wonderful degree of expressiveness and the fights between them while brief are brutal godzilla's new design is so good it has become iconic giving him a menacing more animalistic look that feels believable while still being recognizable and both forms of violente are perfectly realized a blend of beauty and horror that brings to life the themes of the film with precision and clarity the final form is an especially impressive special effect and could easily stand toe to toe with the modern day movies of today [Music] unfortunately all the good stuff makes the negatives shine all the more its attempt to be earnest and serious is often undercut by terrible english-speaking actors they are so bad they take you out of the experience and since the film is heavily political they unfortunately have a lot of screen time the music by koichi tsugiyama is also a mixed bag with some tracks being appropriately somber and beautiful and others over the top and cheesy that clashes with the tone of the film [Music] still even with its flaws godzilla vs bilante is an exceptional godzilla movie on nearly all fronts it blends serious minded human drama with thrilling kaiju action better than probably any godzilla film that preceded it it birthed a leaner meaner more realistic godzilla and brought him into the modern age all while also taking risks and not relying on the tropes and formulas of the past it is a film ahead of its time often overlooked and forgotten but is now considered by many to be one of the best godzilla movies ever made for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the [Music] [Music] devs after godzilla vs bilante failed to draw audiences toho was left wondering how to make the franchise more appealing to a wider audience while still continuing with the current more serious approach that was quickly defining this new era to accomplish this it was decided it was time to bring back one of the classic monsters from godzilla's pantheon of foes and after some consideration eventually the studio settled on one of the most popular and recognizable of them all king ghidorah and so for the first time since 1972 godzilla and ghidorah were given a rematch this time under very different circumstances in the delightfully bonkers godzilla vs king ghidorah after a ufo is seen flying over japan its occupants are revealed to be humans from the distant future who have come to save the nation from an impending and catastrophic attack from godzilla by traveling to the past and erasing him from history they succeed and in his place king ghidorah is born a monster controlled by the futurians whose actual goal is to destroy present-day japan who have become a world superpower in the future seeing no other option japan has to figure out a way to birth godzilla back into existence with the hope that he'll save them from total subjugation after the more grounded approach of the previous two entries in the heisei era godzilla vs king ghidorah sees the series take a sharp turn towards the more fantastical concepts that define the showa era time travel dinosaurs fighting in world war ii and roller skating robots are just some of the ridiculous things you can expect to see and it's all crammed into a really engaging science fiction plot that continues to take godzilla seriously while still embracing the franchise's inherent cheesiness and this combination makes for an immensely entertaining thrill ride of a movie with enough twists and turns that you'll never stop wondering what happens next despite the title though godzilla vs kangador is actually more of an origin story than a versus movie the time travel plot is used to finally give audiences a definitive origin story of the famous monster revealing him to have been a rather docile creature before a bunch of men with machine guns made him mad and he ends up suffering for it this adds a valuable sense of pathos to godzilla while also further complicating his connection to japan indeed for as silly as this movie is at its core it is an examination of japan's complex relationship with godzilla more so than ever before his dual nature is on full display at once both savior and destroyer it's a fascinating idea to explore and it is that idea that gives the film its thematic and emotional punch amidst all the sci-fi shenanigans in monster brawls [Music] it helps that the film also has a sizable cast of above average characters who keep you invested in the story megumi odaka is given a lot more to do this time as miki sagusa and kasuke toyohara as tarasawa is a charismatic and likable leading man ana nakagawa is very charming as emmy a japanese woman from the future torn between her mission and her affection for her homeland perhaps the most iconic character though is the android m11 played by american actor robert scott field whose distinctive look and physicality makes him very memorable there are also some notable familiar faces the most significant being yoshio tsuchiya as shindo a businessman who is saved by godzilla in world war ii and views him as a savior it's a welcome to return from one of the showa era's most memorable actors and he gets to shine in one of the film's most powerful moments [Music] with regards to special effects godzilla vs king ghidorah continues to up its game improving upon the accomplishments of the last film godzilla looks even better and is more expressive and king ghidorah is brought to life with greater fluidity than ever before the film adds an extra twist to the classic monster by bringing him back as mecha king ghidorah who is an even more impressive site the battles between the monsters are rather short but explosive and are all the more dramatic because they are integral to the plot director kazuki amore continues to bring a more modern western style to the series embellishing the film with a tight pace and lots of action this is enhanced by the return of the master akira of fukube whose score is a combination of old and new themes that perfectly fits the tone of the film [Music] the biggest blemish of the film is that it is riddled with inconsistencies and plot holes the use of time travel is always a tricky plot device in fiction and godzilla vs king adore is especially sloppy with it rules are established only to be forgotten and if you think about the plot too hard it falls apart into absolute absurdity the film also isn't quite as polished as the previous entries containing some rough looking special effects shots with godor in particular looking rather stiff and awkward when flying these are all minor issues though overall godzilla vs kingdor is another high quality entry into the second era of godzilla films it throws a ton of new and interesting ideas into an engaging if convoluted plot that is at its heart about godzilla and is thus a treat to anyone with an affection for the character it is a true blockbuster a film that hides its deeper ideas within an action-packed and dramatic story that can be enjoyed on the most basic of levels it doesn't always make sense but godzilla vs king adore is packed with so much quality kaiju content that you'll be having too much fun to care for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] with godzilla vs king ghidorah performing well at the japanese box office toho looked to capitalize on it's success and was originally planning to bring ghidorah back in a direct sequel however upon discovering that mothra was more popular particularly with women it was decided to dust off a previously shelved mothra script and rewrite it as a godzilla movie and so a year later mothra returned to the big screen for the first time in 25 years new and upgraded ready to face godzilla once again in godzilla vs mothra [Music] a massive meteorite crashes and awakens a sleeping godzilla which uncovers a mysterious large object on the unexplored infant island a small expedition is sent to the island to investigate and there they discover the cosmos two twin miniature girls who reveal that the egg is mothra who will hatch soon to do battle with her counterpart the black moth batra as mothra and batra fight for the fate of earth and humanity godzilla enters the fray who proves powerful enough that the two might have no choice but to work together to defeat him [Music] godzilla vs mothra sees the heisei series shifting further away from the moral and political complexity of the earlier entries the fantasy elements are embraced even further and there is a greater effort to make the film more family friendly with the inclusion of slapstick comedy and family drama this is of course appropriate given that this same style was used in the original mothra and in fact there are many story elements taken from the original mothra vs godzilla making this a loose remake in many ways the results are kind of a mixed bag where godzilla feels like an afterthought in his own movie [Music] while directed by newcomer to the franchise tako akamura it is once again written by kazuki amory who pumps the story up with a pro-environmentalism message this is not surprising as environmental themes have always been inherent to the godzilla franchise but here it is particularly heavy-handed lacking the sort of nuance that had made the earlier heisei films so strong instead of letting the action in the plot support the thematic undercurrents they are stated outright making the film feel preachy which sucks much of the drama out of what is actually a very interesting story that works better on a conceptual level than an execution the characters reflect this with most of them being mouthpieces meant to spout the film's obvious themes the two best characters are the two leads takuya and masako divorcees forced to explore infant island together the actors tetsuya besso and satomi kobayashi have good chemistry and watching their relationship develop from antagonistic to reconciliation is one of the film's highlights magumi odaka is back again as mickey segusa but here she is given nothing to do but stand around and watch as the movie plays out on screen with all the other characters akira takarada makes a welcomed return though he is also given little to do though not twins keiko imamura and sayaka osawa do an admiral job replacing the original yumi and emi ito as mothra's twin fairies they have lovely voices and their modern renditions of the classic mothra songs are memorable in their own right [Music] godzilla vs mothra does have some quality monster action that makes up for its narrative shortcomings the inclusion of batra as a sort of dark twin to mothra is a really inspired addition to the mythology and the conflict between the two is the film's most compelling element even if it feels like it could have been fleshed out more mothra herself is upgraded to better handle the new more powerful godzilla though her execution while not bad is a step down from the more natural insect-like movements of the original godzilla himself is brought to life with the same degree of believability as the last film and while he does kind of feel like a third wheel in this film his role as a wild card antagonist is actually quite enjoyable the final three-way battle between godzilla mother and batra is decent but suffers from the stiffness and over-reliance on beam attacks that would go on to define the heisei era godzilla vs mothra benefits from solid direction and a fast pace that never leaves you bored the film is clearly influenced by western cinema particularly indiana jones which isn't exactly original but does give the first act an adventurous tone that is appropriate to the material it is also enhanced by another fantastic score by akira ifukube who once again brings back classic themes while also introducing new ones his theme for batra in particular is a standout a hard and threatening contrast to mothra's soft ethereal theme it's really hard not to get sucked into the drama when it's accompanied by such beautiful music godzilla vs mothra is a clear step down in quality to the previous films in the heisei era it lacks their technical and narrative sophistication instead relying on heavy-handed environmental messages and broadly sketched one-dimensional characters to appeal to a broader audience it's undoubtedly a more commercial film and it benefited from this becoming the highest grossing godzilla movie since 1962. it's a solid film with some interesting ideas cool monsters and another amazing score by akira fukube it may not be the greatest of the heisei series but it's still a decent addition to the franchise that brought some new ideas to one of godzilla's most classic of enemies for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] [Applause] [Music] godzilla vs mothra ended up being the most profitable film in the franchise in decades proving to toho that their strategy of bringing back the monsters of old was the way to go and so a sequel was immediately greenlit and it was decided to bring back not just one but three classic characters from the showa era rodan mechagodzilla and perhaps most shocking of all the son of godzilla thus an epic three-way kaiju conflict was set in what was originally to be the final installment in the heisei series godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2. through reverse engineering the remains of mecha kingdora mankind manages to finally create a weapon capable of killing the mighty godzilla dubbed mechagodzilla its mission is to rid the world of the king of the monsters for good at the same time an expedition to adanoa island discovers a massive egg guarded by a monstrous pteranodon named rodan they take it back to japan and while being studied the egg hatches revealing a baby godzillasaurus as both godzilla and rodan converge to claim the baby as their own mechagodzilla is sent to intervene setting the stage for the ultimate battle between the forces of nature and the technological power of man godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 is yet another solid action-packed and highly entertaining entry in the heisei series its aspirations to prematurely end the series with a bang makes it feel epic like everything but the kitchen sink was thrown in in an effort to satisfy its audience given this you'd think the film would be a mess but thanks to a tight script by newcomer wataru mamura that touches on some of the franchise's time-honored themes it manages to keep it all together with a simple streamlined plot that focuses on the monsters without forgetting the humans in the cockpit indeed godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2's greatest strength is the monsters the film plays with the pathos of the kaiju better than perhaps most of the films that preceded it mechagodzilla is no longer the tool of a bunch of comic book villains from outer space reimagined instead as a tool of man a change that adds real tension to its battles with godzilla this along with the rivalry between godzilla and rodan creates high-stakes monster drama that is sure to grip those who love these characters rodan's new look is sleek and natural a vast improvement over the rather dopey look of the showa era and mechagodzilla while not quite as menacing looking as the original is a great redesign that reflects the new era godzilla is just as good as ever and suit actor kenpachiro satsuma adds extra layers of character to him that makes you feel for the monster the biggest surprise of all though is baby godzilla who unlike menya manages to actually look like the son of godzilla while still remaining adorable he is the heart of the film and you'd have to be a cold-hearted cynic not to feel for the little guy [Music] don't think that all this means that the humans are put in the back burner while maybe not quite as good as some of the earlier heisei films they add a valuable human perspective to the monster drama that neither condemns nor condones the psychic mickey segusa is still a major supporting player and her increased role here gives magumi odaka a lot more to do allowing her to develop the character to a far greater degree than the last few films combined masahiro takashima as the self-admitted pteranodon enthusiast kazumi aoki is a charmingly air-headed and single-minded leading man and ryoko sano is immediately sympathetic as asusa gojo with her relationship with baby being the emotional centerpiece surrounded by a large cast of supporting characters these three help guide the audience towards an emotional connection to the monsters without sacrificing their human interests what makes all this even better is that it's not dumb and mindless but actually serves a greater theme of man vs nature that has always been inherent to the franchise godzilla vs mega godzilla 2 brings this theme to the forefront in a compelling way that while no means deep feels like a natural progression of the series up to this point without reducing itself to outright preaching about its message like some of the prior films have aside from a few ham-fisted one-liners toward the end the film relies on its premise to convey its ideas with each monster representing a different point of view allowing you to enjoy it as a big loud monster movie that also contains some nuggets of broadly sketched wisdom should you go looking for them on top of all this godzilla goodness is an incredible new score by akira fukube the master outdoes himself here creating themes that perfectly represent each monster his upgraded theme for rodan reflects this new and improved version of the monster and his soft and sympathetic melody for baby is enough to tug at your heartstrings most notable though is his theme for mechagodzilla which instantly conveys the astonishing threat and power of the weapon better than any that has come before or has come since simply put it's a masterpiece godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 is so good that there are very few criticisms to be made like every godzilla movie these special effects aren't seamless and can be hit or miss with rodan in particular suffering from the same stiffness that plagued all other flying monsters of the series mickey's motivation towards siding with godzilla is also a bit muddled it feels too sudden and at no point does it ever feel like there's a moment where she has any sort of epiphany and that's it really in many ways godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 is the epitome of the heisei series a high water mark that represents everything good about the second era of godzilla the monster and human drama is balanced beautifully the themes are simple yet elegant and the action is plentiful and it is all woven together by an instantly memorable score by akira fukube it is a near-perfect godzilla movie a ballet of kaiju carnage with a little substance sprinkled on top for good measure it is everything a godzilla fan could ask for and is thus one of the finest and most consistently entertaining entries in this long-running and beloved franchise for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] despite initially planning to end the heisei godzilla series with godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 the film proved profitable enough to convince touhou to keep it going for a little while longer running out of ideas they dusted off a concept that had originated in the late 70s but never saw the light of day which had godzilla facing off against an evil twin of himself that comes from outer space it was also decided to include one of toho's more obscure creations from the even more distant past to mix it up even more and so 1994 saw the release of godzilla vs space godzilla in japan a film that while entertaining feels like it's going through the motions [Music] mickey sagusa reluctantly agrees to participate in project t a plan to attempt to control godzilla with her psychic abilities as g-force begins preparation for this radical idea a new threat emerges from the depths of space space godzilla a monster birthed from the exposure of godzilla cells to a black hole after space godzilla kidnaps and entraps godzilla's son the king of the monsters sets out to get his revenge and seeing the greater threat humanity sends its latest anti-kaiju weapon moguera to help him kill the beast and save the earth from total destruction if godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 represents everything that is great about the heisei era then perhaps it could be argued that godzilla vs space godzilla represents everything wrong with it creatively it feels like it's running out of steam relying on the past instead of coming up with anything original once again japan comes up with a plan to stop godzilla and once again a mech is created to accomplish this and once again the villain is some variation of godzilla this isn't to say that the film is creatively bankrupt as it does have some compelling ideas but as a whole it feels rather uninspired and cheap doing little to advance the overall story and mythology of the series despite its reliance on it nasa wasn't able to come up with an explanation for what happened here we can only speculate that it's some sort of huge monster godzilla vs space godzilla has a notably different style to it that further differentiates it from the other films in the series any semblance of realism is now gone replaced by a more family-friendly lighthearted tone accompanying a story centered around human drama and relationships new director to the franchise kensho yamashita plays with romance and concepts of love though it is all fairly shallow and doesn't quite resonate because the film fails to adequately balance it with the monster action you come to expect still this change in tone can be appreciated with the right mindset and makes for a more unique film despite everything else around it being quite conventional the human characters are actually pretty good and are elevated by their connections to the past after being relegated to a supporting character for four films mickey sagusa is finally the lead here and magumi odaka is more comfortable in the role as ever playing the one person who sees godzilla as more than just a monster john hashizumi brings a quiet charisma to koji shinjo a member of g-force who begins to fall in love with mickey as he begins to see things from her point of view while zankichi yoneyama gets to have fun playing his more laid-back partner kiyoshi sato the standout character is yuki played by akira emoto an older member of g-force with a grudge against godzilla for killing his best friend revenge plots are nothing new to the godzilla series but akira's performance brings a freshness to the trope that makes you like him and his story arc is one of the more satisfying of the series for the first and only time in the heisei series godzilla is depicted as the unequivocal hero of the film while the series has always shown the king of the monsters in a somewhat sympathetic light here he is a victim a father and a misunderstood creature who we humans can't seem to leave alone constantly attempting to either destroy or control him suit actor kenpachiro satsuma continues to bring new levels of character to him without anthropomorphizing him and the depiction of his relationship with the adorable little godzilla is sweet and tragic albeit frustratingly brief for silly as the concept is space godzilla is an undeniably cool monster and makes for a compelling villain sporting some interesting abilities and a design that is quite inspired and menacing looking and while moguera comes off as a significant downgrade from mechagodzilla the inclusion of this updated old school mech is appreciated and the final three-way battle where godzilla and mogura tag team space godzilla is the film's [Music] highlight and yeah even all this good stuff can't distract from how cheap and by the numbers godzilla vs space godzilla is the film suffers from some pretty bad special effects at times and the pace is all over the place with the middle act being bogged down by an espionage plot that goes nowhere and only exists to fill the run time takayuki hattori does an admirable job replacing akira at fukuba while some of his score is rather forgettable some tracks are instantly memorable and complement the tone of the film the film's biggest problem though is that it just feels like filler which reflects the current state of the franchise at the time since touhou was still waiting for the american godzilla film to enter production the series was in limbo and you can tell the film feels aimless and exists merely to keep the series going still within this framework godzilla vs space godzilla was able to mine some good material out of the franchise introducing an interesting new original monster while making godzilla even more sympathetic and thus set the stage for the series true conclusion a year later it's not the most original godzilla movie but its good characters strategic monster fights and unique tone make it a very flawed but worthy addition to the franchise for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the devs [Music] after godzilla vs space godzilla failed to inspire higher box office attendance toho came to the conclusion that it was finally time to retire the godzilla series once again in order to give the final film a proper sense of finality it was decided to do the unthinkable kill godzilla and what better way to do it than by having him face off against another monster created from the one weapon capable of doing just that and so director tako akawara screenwriter kazuki omori and composer akira ifukube all returned to give the famous monster the send-off he deserved in the explosive conclusion to the heisei series godzilla vs destroyer following the destruction of birth island a burning godzilla goes on a rampage in hong kong while his son remains missing concluding that his heart is suffering from a nuclear meltdown g-force rushes to find a way to stop it before the entire planet is destroyed meanwhile a scientist working with micro-oxygen discovers that a colony of constantly evolving pre-cambrian crustaceans has been mutated by the detonation of the oxygen destroyer 40 years earlier dubbed destroyer this powerful new monster terrorizes japan and with godzilla jr reappearing as well humanity can only stand by and watch as these various global threats collide in a battle that will decide the fate of their existence [Music] godzilla vs destroya is a special kind of godzilla movie even though it suffers from many of the same issues that plague later entries in the heisei era it benefits from a premise that mines much of its drama from the past to create a proper and cathartic conclusion to the series an air of finality hangs over every frame and from the film's opening moments it grips you letting you know that there is something seriously wrong with godzilla and that he won't be making it out of this one alive for fans who have been invested in the character for decades it ties a knot in your gut that doesn't leave until the credits roll making for an emotionally exhaustive yet enriching viewing experience that will make you appreciate the big guy all the more this experience is further enhanced by the film's deep-rooted connections to the original 1954 film that brings the story full circle there is so much reverence and respect given to the impending demise of godzilla and the story treats it with the sense of awe and dread it deserves here godzilla's death is not some throwaway event it holds the world and every living thing on it hostage reminding us once again of the untapped destructive potential of atomic power frankly the premise is ingenious and extremely creative and adds ungodly amounts of tension to the film seeing godzilla burning from within eyes glowing hot skin steaming is one of the franchise's most unforgettable images adding even more pathos to the character so that when he takes his final breath you'll be hard-pressed to find a g-fan without something in their eyes the connection to the original film extends even to the cast yoko ashino and yasafumi hayashi play yukari and kenkichi yamane descendants of the same dr yamane who discovered godzilla in 1954. together these two represent the new generation those who don't quite understand the true horror of the oxygen destroyer quite like their aunt emiko does played once again by momoko kochi and while her screen time amounts to a little more than a cameo it's wonderful to see her back and every scene with her helps add to the gravitas of the story takuru tatsumi plays dr kensaku ijuwin a scientist who has discovered the secrets of dr sarazawa's work despite his sacrifice and his naive level-headed rationality adds hope to a world of science gone amok and finally magumi odaka returns to give a great final performance as miki segusa whose consideration for godzilla even the most dire of circumstances allows her to represent the hearts and minds of every g fan as the inevitable draws ever closer even destroyer itself plays with one's knowledge of the original film and its ability to inspire fear comes from the power it represents in relation to godzilla its design is equally inspired a demonic and unequivocally evil looking kaiju that lacks any sense of remorse or compassion and the film takes advantage of this playing with horror conventions in ways few godzilla films ever have every stage of its evolution tops to last concluding in a final form that makes you gasp the first time you see it godzilla's son plays a more prominent role than ever and looking ever more like his father powered up and full of expression he's immediately sympathetic and his fight with destroyer is nerve-racking like the previous films him and godzilla share some intimate moments making for some of the film's most heartwarming and tragic scenes [Music] godzilla vs destroyer also benefits from akira at fugu bay's music who returns to give godzilla his voice for the final time his new theme for godzilla is both powerful and poignant and his destroy a theme bombastic and unrelenting conveys the unholy destructive wickedness he represents perfectly and his score that accompanies godzilla's death is yet another masterpiece that makes you feel the loss of this beloved and complex creature [Music] despite everything that's been said here godzilla vs destroyer is not a perfect film it has some pretty mediocre special effects at times and the way it resolves is kind of underwhelming in certain aspects but as the conclusion to the heisei series it is so fulfilling it's hard to imagine it any other way it brings the series full circle pays respect to the past adds a terrifying new kaiju to the mythos and treats the death of a japanese icon with the veneration he deserves it's a sad but satisfying finale that'll make you miss the king of the monsters as soon as the credits roll for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths in 1995 toho ended the godzilla series with godzilla vs destroya giving tristar pictures room to forge ahead with the long dormant american film which at that point had been in production hell for years hot off the success of independence day writer director duo dean devlin and roland emmerich were hired to put their own personal stamp on the character and were determined to reinvent him for american audiences and so sporting state-of-the-art special effects and supported by an expansive marketing campaign 1998 finally saw the release of the long-awaited american godzilla film simply titled godzilla a film that would go on to have profound effects on the franchise going forward [Music] when a japanese fishing vessel is attacked in the south pacific nrc scientist nick tatopoulos is reassigned by the us government to figure out what it could be theorized to be a new species created by nuclear tests and french polynesia the creature comes ashore in new york displacing millions of people and throwing the city into chaos as the military continuously fails to contain the beast nick and a team of french secret service men venture into the city to find its lair where they discover it has laid eggs it then becomes a race against time to wipe it out before a new species is born there is no film in the godzilla franchise more detested than the 1998 american godzilla for many fans it is an abomination a film that fails to capture any of the spirit of the japanese films and translate it for american moviegoers this is mostly true but not exactly accurate as the first 20 or so minutes makes a good first impression playing fairly close to the tone and structure of the original film so much so that first time viewers may be wondering what all the fuss is about give it time though because the longer the film goes on and once godzilla is revealed in full it's all downhill revealing an unremarkable soulless reimagining that fails to understand its own title character indeed godzilla's biggest failing is godzilla itself stripped of the personality abilities and thematic power that defined the original here he is nothing more than an animal an innocent overgrown critter who's come to new york to nest while the creature does elicit sympathy it has none of the charm or character that made him popular in the first place this effect is multiplied a thousand-fold by a design that while interesting in its own right strays too far from the traditional look to be comfortable calling godzilla it's a shame because in another movie this monster would excel but here it merely calls attention to itself maybe we can get in the korean grocer's hospital it doesn't help that godzilla 98 is bogged down with a rather dull imploding script that fails to excel in the most basics of the genre those looking to scratch their itch for action and destruction won't find it here with the exception being godzilla's first arrival a decently shot set piece that uses perspective to keep the monster hidden aside from this it's lots of running and hiding from helicopters which gets old fast the story grinds to a screeching halt in the third act when godzilla is pushed aside for an extended action beat involving hundreds of velociraptor-like baby godzillas it's far too reminiscent of jurassic park to the point where one could easily forget you're watching a kaiju movie the characters are mostly fine and to give the film credit all fit into the traditional types you'd find in the japanese films the scientists the reporter the military man they're all here despite fitting the dweeby nerd stereotype on paper matthew broderick feels somewhat miscast as nick tatopoulos while maria patillo is just the opposite as audrey timmons whose wide-eyed naive manor fits the characters so perfectly it's almost unbearable hank azaria is likable enough as animal a cameraman with more courage than zilla itself and finally there's jean reno as philippe roach who is easily the best and most charming character surrounding these four is an enormous cast of supporting players some of which are actually fairly good while others are insulting and great on your nerves back off gene the special effects of godzilla 98 are a mixed bag and have not aged well while some shots of godzilla look great when shrouded in rain and fog others don't sporting a weightless glossy look that screams fake far more than a man in a suit does aside from that though all the miniature work and practical effects look fantastic it makes you appreciate the kind of stunt performing that was involved that isn't as common in hollywood filmmaking today the score by david arnold is also pretty good if not a bit generic it's both mysterious and awe-inspiring when appropriate and thus does a lot of the dramatic heavy lifting this is good for the film because on its own it can't seem to stick to a given tone while taking itself seriously it's undermined by goofy one-liners and poorly timed jokes that robs it of any dramatic tension or suspense despite all of its problems godzilla 98 can be enjoyed if you cast aside any notions of it being a godzilla movie viewed as a generic american monster movie there are things to like about it the monster is cool some of the action is good and the first act is legitimately atmospheric however the film is terribly paced and most of the action scenes with the monster fail to be as creative as even the worst or cheapest godzilla movie while not the abomination is often labeled as as an adaptation meant to introduce the character to mainstream western audiences it's a huge misstep a dark and arguably necessary chapter in the godzilla franchise that is more fascinating than the movie itself for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths following the critical disappointment of the 1998 american godzilla film toho immediately revived the franchise in an attempt to capitalize on audience demand hoping to return godzilla to his roots and remind fans of what made the monster special the studio brought on a couple veterans of the heisei series to craft a new story that tried some new things while remaining faithful to the formula that had made the series so popular and so along with the dawn of a new millennia came the beginning of the next era of godzilla appropriately titled godzilla 2000 millennium [Music] with godzilla a constant threat to japan the godzilla prediction network an independent organization run by yuji shinoda and his precocious daughter eo exists to study and contain the destruction in his wake on the opposite end is crisis control intelligence an agency run by shinoda's rival mitsuokagiri that seeks to kill godzilla at all cost as godzilla seeks sources of power in japan cci uncovers a massive meteorite deep in the ocean which springs to life revealing itself to be a vessel from outer space the ufo begins showing unusual interest in godzilla's dna leaving shinoda and the others to uncover the mystery of its intentions while the king of the monsters takes the fight to this unusual life form within its opening minutes godzilla 2000 feels like a direct response to the much maligned 1998 american godzilla film it is very atmospheric drawing out godzilla's appearance from the ground level in such a way that feels like a breath of fresh air as if to remind the audience of who the true godzilla really is from there the film tells a familiar story in an unfamiliar way a story of mysterious visitors from outer space and of two rival organizations with opposing views on how to deal with godzilla monster fights military engagements and quirky characters are all here in full force and while the results are rather mixed g fans who felt spurned by the american film no doubt felt right at home indeed godzilla 2000 is the equivalent of a warm blanket a film that does everything just right enough so as to satisfy fans without truly excelling or being especially memorable in many ways it feels like a contradiction a film that takes a lot of risk while also sticking to formula it's admirable in some areas implementing new storytelling and special effects techniques that weren't possible even just a few years earlier but oftentimes it bites off more than it can chew displaying obvious technical and narrative flaws that makes for a pretty rough viewing experience godzilla 2000 most benefits from a really solid cast of characters and clever concepts the godzilla prediction network is a fun idea and yuji and io shinoda played by takahiro morata and mayu suzuki are good protagonists displaying levels of intelligence and tenacity that endear you to them quickly faring a little less better is naomi nishida as yuki ichinose a reporter who begrudgingly tags along with shinoda while her attitude irritates at first you warm to her as she begins to warm towards shinoda shiro sano plays shiro miyasaka a scientist torn between his work for cci and his loyalty to his friend but the character who makes the biggest impact is hiroshi abe as mizio katagiri his dashing looks and stone cold stare make quite a strong impression in the battle of philosophies he has with shinoda on how to deal with godzilla makes for some interesting dynamics between the two the film is also the first to go a bit into the science of godzilla and explore what makes him invincible revealing his regenerative abilities it's the film's most fascinating subplot so much so that you almost wish it was focused on more than the ufo which isn't the most interesting villain only becoming so when it transforms into orga one of the more bizarre monsters toho has ever created with his comically large claws and crooked teeth it's at once both pathetic and unnerving godzilla's new design is great sleek and sharp and threatening while eliminating much of the bulkiness of the heisei design but his unblinking expression makes him feel a bit lifeless at times especially compared to the previous films the battle between the two is a decent monster brawl but suffers from some pacing issues feeling rather slow and monotonous at times on the technical side of things godzilla 2000 is also a mixed bag in an attempt to be more modern the filmmakers experimented with some new special effects techniques and the results vary the film makes extensive use of cgi and green screen and most of it is terrible and poorly implemented which is in stark contrast to the traditional suit mation and model work nearly all of which is exceptional takayuki hattori lends his musical talents once again and like his work on space godzilla his score complements the human drama well while being a bit planned on the action front godzilla 2000 is a film caught between two different eras it plays it safe while taking risks and the result is a film that feels like it was trying to keep up with the standards of modern hollywood filmmaking while also staying faithful to the techniques of the past a critique and response to everything that was perceived to have gone wrong with the 98 film it has some interesting twists and turns and it's populated by a great cast of characters but the story is rather forgettable and the special effects vary widely in quality to the point where it distracts it's a middle-of-the-road godzilla flick but not an especially remarkable start to the millennium series for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths with godzilla 2000 failing to jumpstart touhou's new series the way the studio had hoped thoughts of a direct sequel were scrapped and replaced with another stand-alone reboot with loose ties to the original screenwriters hiroshi kashiwabara and wataru mamura were retained while some new blood was brought on in the form of director masukai tazuka whom had served as assistant director on many of the heisei films together the team attempted to inject some much needed freshness into the series with godzilla vs mega gears a film that instead ended up showing just how stale it was already starting to feel following a series of economy crippling attacks by godzilla japan creates an extreme new weapon to eliminate the monster for good the dimension tied a device capable of firing a miniature black hole with the hope of imprisoning him forever however the use of the weapon has unforeseen consequences in the form of the mega new lawn highly aggressive prehistoric dragonflies which have been mutated and are now multiplying at a rapid rate while the swarms of mega newla seek out godzilla as an energy source for the queen megagiris the dimension tide proves to be japan's last and only hope for eliminating both threats in one shot godzilla vs mega gears is a return to the formula that had defined the heisei series like the later entries of that series it focuses on an anti-godzilla agency and their attempts to eliminate godzilla with a bold new piece of technology while a new more pressing threat arises in the form of another monster this gives the film a very been there done that feel that is amplified by a bland story and a monster so generic it feels like it belongs in a run-of-the-mill sci-fi movie this is a shame because the premise of the film for as formulaic as it is has some elements that make it feel fresh the dimension tied while falling more in the realm of fantasy than sci-fi is an undeniably intriguing concept the idea of trapping godzilla in a black hole and the potentially catastrophic existential consequences that could come from that has so much creative possibilities this makes it all the more painful then that godzilla vs mega gears never plays with these possibilities instead deciding to play it safe yet again the characters reflect this and are all one-dimensional falling into the same tropes the franchise has been privy to time and time again misato tanaka plays major kirikou tsujimori captain of the g grasper team with a grudge against godzilla for killing her commander her thirst for revenge feels shallow and thus doesn't quite engage though tanaka does a good job with what she's given shosuke tanihara is likeable as hajime kudo but he also isn't given enough to work with beyond being the self-taught nerdy inventor with low ambitions brought into extraordinary circumstances series veteran yuriko hoshi returns to play professor yoshino yoshizawa and unfortunately her talents are mostly underutilized though it is no less great to see her back and finally there is masato ibu as motohiko sugiyora the anti-g team director with a dark secret he also placed the type as the corrupt authority figure but ibu does give him a little nuance there's also a kid jun played by hiroyuki suzuki who is the first to stumble upon the mega newland threat while he has a large presence in the first act he disappears from the rest of the movie leaving you to wonder why the character was included to begin with as with most godzilla flicks godzilla vs mega gears is most entertaining when the monsters are on screen though it suffers even in this regard the godzilla 2000 design is reused and looks just as good but also retains the same blank expression that makes him feel somewhat artificial the film contains a few memorable sequences with him the highlight being godzilla's fight with a swarm of mega noula despite some shoddy cgi it's visually compelling and forces godzilla to employ some creative tactics to rid himself of the past aside from this the mega new lawn while a nice throwback to the original rodan make for a rather bland antagonist though a scene where a couple gets attacked stands out for how shockingly brutal it is mega gears is a decent enough design but her execution is lacking and not very convincing even by previous film standards the battle between her and godzilla is a mixed bag entertaining but full of one too many humorous moments that conflict with the more serious tone of the rest of the film the special effects are about on par with the previous film though suffers in some ways thanks to a reduced budget model work is convincing during wide shots but close-ups do them no favors the cgi also fares no better though is less jarring this time around where godzilla vs mega gears does truly excel though is the soundtrack while new to the franchise the score by michiro oshima is easily the best thing about the movie and her godzilla theme is a worthy successor to ifukube it commands your attention big and brassy in an instantly memorable way that thoroughly conveys the destructive force godzilla represents like all good music it sticks in your mind long after the end credits have rolled it's too bad that the rest of godzilla vs mega gears is so unremarkable looking past the intriguing initial setup you'll find just another godzilla movie the kind that is enjoyable for fans but aside from the amazing score leaves no lasting impression on the mind any innovations it employs are surface level serving a fairly generic story that both the franchise and the genre has seen countless times already it's got its moments but as a whole godzilla vs mega gears is one of the king's more forgettable adventures for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths godzilla vs mega gears was a box office bomb for toho forcing the studio to go back to the drawing board once again desperate for a hit they turned to the man who had successfully resurrected gamra in the 90s shisuke kaneko who had also had his sights set on directing a godzilla movie for many years determined to add his own spin to the time-worn franchise kaneko altered the origins of many of the classic monsters and threw them into a story steeped in mysticism and magic the resulting film is godzilla mothra and king ghidorah giant monsters all-out attack which despite the obnoxious title is one of the most thoughtful action-packed and visually stunning godzilla movies ever made after nearly 50 years of peace the threat of godzilla looms on the horizon once again sitting admiral taizo tachibana and the jsdf on high alert at the same time his daughter yuri a reporter specializing in urban legends finds herself on the trail of the guardian monsters massive beasts who had defended japan in ancient times powered by the souls of all those wronged by japan and world war ii a vengeful godzilla emerges to destroy the forgetful nation while baragon mothra and kingdora all awaken to fight back leaving yuri her father and the rest of japan to watch as these three monsters guard them from their destroyer after two rather lackluster efforts to rejuvenate the godzilla franchise with some fresh ideas gmk was the home run the studio needed radically altering the status quo while still remaining faithful to the same ideas that originally made godzilla an enduring monster rooted more in fantasy than science fiction the film dispenses with the expositional scientific jargon that often bogs down the average monster flick replacing it instead with a potent sense of spirituality that frees it to do new and different things that while not always of sound logic keeps the viewer on their toes making for an unpredictable and explosive viewing experience that will delight fans of the genre for the first time in decades godzilla is pure evil vengeance possessed the manifestation of the pain and suffering the japanese inflicted on others during world war ii a pain that the film points out younger generations are beginning to forget the film condemns this growing apathy showing no mercy to those in godzilla's path and in fact goes out of its way to show the human cost of the destruction he leaves in his wake much like the original he is the harbinger of japan's destruction and thus does not care whether you are innocent or not this return to godzilla's roots is reflected in the design which also harkens back to the original but differs in ways that reflects this film's more spiritual approach dead-eyed and burly this godzilla is an unstoppable juggernaut annihilating his enemies in moments of visual flair unseen unto this point it's one of the most riveting portrayals of the king of the monsters ever committed to filming [Applause] the other kaiju benefit from kaneko's direction as well despite being left out of the title baragon steals the show a scrappy little underdog who oozes more personality than any of the other monsters the suit mation shot composition and effects work used to bring him to life are consistently good and the fight between him and godzilla is the film's highlight mothra benefits from a new design that makes her look more warrior and wasp-like though she still suffers from a bit of stiffness unfortunately king ghidorah is the worst off suffering from a stunted sometimes plasticky look that is a far cry from the imposing stature of previous incarnations the fights between the monsters are simple but high impact and brutal and are so visually arresting it will often leave you breathless [Music] on the human side gmk is refreshingly simple divided between two points of view the reporter yuri tajibana and her father admiral taizo this allows the film to remain focused and move at a brisk tight pace and both characters are given adequate amounts of development so that the audience actually cares about them chiharu niyama plays yuri with a confident but foolhardy tenaciousness and ryudo yuzaki as taizo balances that with level-headed determination and fatherly warmth bolstered by a good cast of supporting characters together these two give the film its human heart despite not sharing much screen time making it easy to get invested in the story even when the monsters aren't on screen technically gmk also makes a strong impression sporting some of the franchise's best special effects work through impeccable framing and punchy sound design the film conveys the size and weight of the kaiju better than most other films in the series and their powers are brought to life with compelling if imperfect visual fidelity the computer effects work is still severely flawed but its integration with the submission and model work is a vast improvement over the last few films and finally it must be said that kao otani's score is simply magnificent while stylistically very far removed from past godzilla scores it is equally as resonant and memorable as the best ifukube track and a worthy addition to the vast library of fantastic music this franchise has inspired [Music] gmk doesn't have many flaws but its single biggest one is its ending the way in which godzilla is defeated while certainly not conventional is just plain silly and undermines not only all the dread and foreboding built up around him but the sense of realism surrounding the film itself it lacks consequence and frankly makes no logical sense ending aside though gmk is without a doubt an excellent entry in the godzilla franchise the story is refreshingly different the characters are simple and relatable the action is pure eye candy and it sports an instantly iconic incarnation of godzilla that remains faithful to what he originally represented back when he was conceived in 1954. it is a great introductory godzilla movie that both hardcore fans and casuals alike can enjoy and a strong contender for one of the best godzilla movies ever made for more views and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] after gmk proved a bit more profitable than its predecessors toho set out to reboot once again this time however it was decided to finally establish a continuity with more than just the original godzilla and forge ahead with a planned trilogy of films with the hope that this would finally get the franchise onto a steady profitable track and so the creative team behind godzilla vs mega gears including director masukai tazuka screenwriter wataru mamura and composer machira oshima were brought back to resurrect mechagodzilla for the new millennia in godzilla against mechagodzilla it is the year 1999 and 45 years after godzilla devastated tokyo he returns setting the entirety of japan scrambling to find a way to stop him to do this the nation's top minds are assembled to build a biomechanical robot off the original godzilla skeleton and four years later mechagodzilla dubbed kiryu is created piloted by a disgraced soldier seeking redemption kiryu is japan's only hope of putting an end to the threat of godzilla once and for all on the surface godzilla against mechagodzilla doesn't have much going for it its premise and character archetypes are near carbon copy of godzilla vs megagurus and unlike that film it can't even claim to have an original monster instead relying on the more recognizable and popular mechagodzilla to boost fan interest what it makes up for in its lack of originality though is its execution and some clever twists that make for a breezy and enjoyable if not somewhat bland viewing experience [Music] the film's greatest strength is its refreshingly simple premise that adds a new spin to the mechagodzilla concept while once again a weapon of mankind this time there is a logical purpose for being made in godzilla's image which adds a spiritual connection to the two that previous incarnations never capitalized on stripped of any potential side plots or crazy developments that might distract from this godzilla against mechagodzilla is the film that utilizes the classic foe in its purest form the scene where godzilla's roar triggers kiryu to turn on its makers is an inspired twist that first time viewers aren't likely to see coming becoming one of the film's most spectacular and dramatic moments [Music] adding to this is the new mechagodzilla's design a wonderful merging of the originals hard-edged menace and the sleek sophistication of the heisei design godzilla also gets a makeover returning to the 2000 look while refined to appear slimmer and more threatening the fight that concludes the film is one of the franchise's most entertaining it's fun well paced and dynamic and for the first time mechagodzilla is portrayed as the underdog giving this fight a different flavor to it than previous duels between the two never had further adding to the film's freshness despite everything around it being so familiar [Music] while simple the characters of godzilla against mechagodzilla are elevated by solid performances yumiko shaku is suitably understated as akane yashiro the pilot of kiryu who desperately wants to make up for a past mistake they got her comrades killed unlike kirikou from godzilla vs mega gears her motivations are more nuanced and go beyond revenge and thus makes for a more interesting character the lovely kumi mizuno makes a welcome extended cameo as prime minister machiko suge succeeded later in the film by new prime minister hayato igashiri also played by veteran of the franchise akiro nako the standout characters however are the scientists yokomitsu yahara played by shin takuma and his daughter sarah played by kana onodera the two make for a charming pair and together give the film an innocent sense of humor and heart technically godzilla against mechagodzilla is one of the most consistent entries in the millennium series suit mation and milo work are solid and cgi is used to enhance what is already there adding more fluid motion to the fights with kiryu in particular given a sense of speed and agility that previous incarnations didn't have the action scenes are all exciting and fun to watch especially when enhanced by machiro oshima score who brings back her excellent motifs from godzilla vs mega gears her new theme for kiryu complements godzilla's perfectly and when the two play back and forth against each other in the film's climactic showdown you'll be mentally pumping your fists with glee godzilla against mechagodzilla is a rather by the numbers godzilla movie though within that it excels in certain aspects while lacking in almost any sense of originality it brings enough new ideas to the table to add just enough freshness that makes it worthwhile its simple albeit formulaic premise and characters make for the type of movie that you can effortlessly sit down and watch and be entertained by at the most basic level while not the most memorable entry in the franchise it's a decent monster movie that doesn't overstay its welcome and is supported by some fun fights that will make g-fans feel right at home for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] having laid the groundwork with godzilla against mechagodzilla toho immediately went ahead and began work on a direct sequel finally breaking the pattern of standalone films that had defined the millennium series up to that point the return of director masukai tazuka and his creative team ensured that the next film would feel like a natural continuation of what came before and in much the same way that the last film was a direct sequel to the 1954 film it was decided to make the follow-up a direct sequel to the original mothra and thus the stage was set for an epic three-way showdown between godzilla mechagodzilla and mothra in godzilla tokyo sos a year after its battle with godzilla kiryu is repaired and modified ready to protect japan against the king of the monsters should he come ashore once again things take a dramatic turn when the shavajin appear pleading for godzilla's bones to be returned to the sea and promising that mothra will fight godzilla in kiryu's place japan is frozen with indecision until godzilla attacks tokyo and when an outmatched mothra arrives to hold him off it's up to cure you to even the odds and fight against its biological brother one final time for better or worse godzilla tokyo sos is a true sequel to godzilla against mechagodzilla carrying on everything that made that film work while retaining the same recipe that keeps it from excelling this is as straightforward a godzilla movie as they come with focus on fast-paced action and spectacle and a bare bones plot and characters to hold it all together and while this certainly makes for some thrilling monster brawls it feels a bit derivative a feeling that's amplified by a weak story that exists merely to showcase the special effects what stands out the most about tokyo sos is its explicit connection to the original mothra for fans this will no doubt be a pleasant surprise but sadly the film does very little with it beyond mere setup the central conflict of the film which sees mothra and the shabajin pleading for the skeleton of the original godzilla to be laid to rest has so much dramatic potential to be mined and themes to be explored but the film never attempts to instead using it as a bookend for a fight that takes up nearly half of the run time make no mistake it's a good fight but had these interesting ideas been developed and integrated into the story better it could have been so much more it's fortunate then that on their own everything with the monsters is great tokyo sos sports some of the franchise's best action scenes and special effects mothra in particular looks better than she ever has before looking very much like the classic mothra but updated slightly and made more beautiful with more fluid and lifelike movements kiryu and godzilla remain unchanged though kiryu does have some new tricks up its sleeve the battle between the three iconic kaiju is well shot and choreographed and contains some great moments but it does suffer from major pacing issues since the battle begins halfway through the film it drags in certain places grinding to a halt when kiryu needs repairs and all that's left is the two twin mothra larva to hold godzilla off it's very reminiscent of the original mothra vs godzilla showing once again how tokyo sos relies on the past instead of coming up with anything original the characters are even more straightforward than those of the last film containing only the barest of motivations to push them through the plot yumiko shaku returns briefly to her prize for role as akane but is quickly written out of the movie to make way for a new group of characters the new lead is noburo kaneko as yoshito chujo a mechanic with a deep affection for mecha godzilla kaneko is all right in the role but the character is too underwritten to make any sort of lasting impression the most interesting thing about him is his relation to a classic character from the past hiroshi koizumi returns to play his uncle dr shinichi chujo from the original mothra and it is wonderful to see him back even if he exists merely as an expositional device the shabajin returned as well this time played by masami nagasawa and shihiro atsuka and while it's always a joy to see the twins and hear a new rendition of the mothra song their role within the plot is very surface level only appearing to either give dire warning or aid the protagonist [Music] also making a welcomed return is composer michiro oshima whose musical compositions are still on point her godzilla and mechagodzilla themes continue to get your blood pumping and this time they are accompanied by her new theme for mothra which feels distinctly different than previous themes while still retaining the feminine feel and essence of the character her music is a feast for the ears and together with the consistently good special effects and impactful sound design gives the film and its predecessor a tone unlike any other film in the franchise one that makes up for many of their shortcomings godzilla tokyo sos is as bare bones as a godzilla movie as you can get its plot is absurdly simple existing merely to provide some context for the monster fights that makes up the majority of the film the action is good some of the franchise is best in fact but with so little else to support it you grow weary as it goes along it's a passively entertaining movie that is sure to give you your giant monster fix and little else for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the devs [Music] with godzilla tokyo sos performing at a record low at the japanese box office toho decided it was time to once again put the godzilla series in hibernation however since 2004 was set to be the 50th anniversary of the franchise the studio figured it might as well go out with a bang to helm the celebration toho hired director ryui kitamura an unorthodox choice whose style was hoped would lure in casual moviegoers and hardcore fans alike said to be the most expensive and expansive kaiju movie ever made godzilla final wars was unleashed unto the world giving fans a g-flick unlike any other in a world routinely ravaged by monsters the earth defense force led by a group of mutant humans with enhanced strength and agility protect mankind from the destruction left in their wake when all the monsters suddenly begin attacking major cities across the globe an advanced alien race calling themselves the exilians comes to humanity's aid promising peace and prosperity on a galactic scale however it is quickly revealed that the auxilians want to subjugate planet earth for their own purposes and with all the monsters under their control mankind's last hope lies in their ultimate enemy godzilla godzilla final wars can be summed up in one word excess as a celebration of 50 years of godzilla it attempts to cram in as much reverence as possible even at the expense of logic or plot more so than any other godzilla film before spectacle is the clear priority here fast frenzied and absolutely unrelenting it hammers you into submission throwing action scene after action scene at you at such a rate that by the end you'll be exhausted this will undoubtedly rub some the wrong way but for those who will happily revel in the more absurd nature of the genre and are eager to consume as much kaiju carnage as humanly possible it's a smorgasbord of pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment that never bores the story of final wars is nothing new and is in fact very much a remake of destroy all monsters what makes the movie stand out is the style of director ray yue kitamura who brings a distinctly more modern western sensibility to the franchise that could be argued makes it more palatable to the uninitiated gone is the classic setup where monsters fight monsters while the humans can only stand by and watch here the humans are as much in the fray as godzilla is allowing the film to cross cut between the two in such a way that keeps you glued to your seat motorcycle chases aerial dogfights and over-the-top kung fu fill the run time when the monsters aren't on screen together these halves make for an experience with absolutely zero substance to it the equivalent of a burger from your favorite fast food joint and boy is it undeniably tasty nice work the human cast is made up of an impressive roster of young and old and appropriately many of them are veterans of the franchise akira takarata kumi mizuno and kenji sahara all make appearances with takarada in particular playing quite a substantial role and clearly loving it masahiro matsuoka plays sunichi ozaki a mutant whose conscience allows him to tap into the latent power within at his side is rei kikukawa as miyuki otanashi a u.n biologist he is assigned to protect aiding them is her sister anna played by maki mizuno a journalist who smells the deception of the exilians before anyone else the two who steal the show though are kazuki katamura as the evil controller of planet x and don fry as douglas gordon the captain of the flying warship gotengo kitamura is deliciously over the top playing a villain so gleefully egotistic it is a joy to watch him get his comeuppance on the opposite end is don fry whose performance is so comically dry it has to be seen to be believed or anything else you have so just keep your mouth shut the cast of kaiju is just as expansive a who's who of godzilla's most classic friends and foes final wars is so filled to the brim with monsters that most of them get mere minutes of screen time which may disappoint some but they make the most of what they're given the biggest surprise is the inclusion of a tristar american godzilla hear dubs simply zilla who shows up just to get beaten by the real godzilla who in this film is comically unstoppable cutting through the film's roster of kaiju like a slasher villain taking down one after another at such a rate that some may get frustrated but that is the film's charm no one monster can touch godzilla making for some truly humorous and gratifying moments that reaffirm his unofficial title as king of the monsters final wars benefits immensely by the increased budget sporting some of the franchise's most eye-popping action scenes the production value is a significant step up from prior entries and the compositing of suit mation model work and computer effects is the best it's ever been all of which further contributes to the film's immense scope in fact the film is so epic in scale that it often loses sight of its own narrative coherence the story falls apart upon even the slightest of scrutiny and certain characters and plot points are awkwardly crammed in not out of necessity but of obligation simply put taken on its own the film is a gigantic sloppy overblown mess it's a good thing then that godzilla final wars is so outrageously entertaining as a 50th anniversary celebration of the godzilla franchise it checks every box filled to the brim with references callbacks and in-jokes to the point where it becomes a detriment to itself the film is a mishmash of many genres set within the framework of a kaiju movie that is fun from start to finish it certainly isn't the most thematically rich godzilla movie but taken for what it is a modern day throwback to the kind of schlocky goofy fun the franchise was so fond of in the past final wars is a blast and a satisfying way to commemorate a significant milestone of one of japan's most iconic fictional characters for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths despite all of toho's efforts godzilla final wars severely underperformed at the box office causing them to announce that the series would be placed on hold for at least 10 years soon after though yoshimitsubano the writer and director of 1971's godzilla vs hedera acquired the rights from toho and began shopping around his idea for a 3d godzilla short film eventually the idea grew into a feature-length film and the rights to godzilla found its way into the lap of warner brothers and legendary pictures who announced their intention to reboot godzilla into the modern era while remaining faithful to the concept of the character to accomplish this they hired gareth edwards an independent filmmaker who had made a splash with a genre film of his own to direct and so just in time for his 60th anniversary a second american-produced godzilla film smashed its way into theaters once again simply titled godzilla with the hope that it would breathe new life into the now 60 year old franchise on the day of his dad's birthday young ford brody loses his mother to a power plant meltdown 15 years later ford now enlisted in the navy returns to his family only to be immediately torn away by the arrest of his father in japan who is convinced that the meltdown was no accident but was instead the result of some unknown massive creature whose presence is being covered up by the government just in time the long dormant creature dubbed muto hatches as does its mate sending the world into a tailspin of chaos and destruction as mankind desperately tries and fails to subdue the beasts another giant creature an ancient alpha predator named godzilla rises from the ocean to hunt them down while ford makes it his mission to get back to his family godzilla takes the fight to the mutos leaving humanity's survival in nature's hands sixteen years after the us's first attempt to introduce godzilla to mainstream western audiences godzilla 2014 feels like an apology a film that goes out of its way to get godzilla right in all the ways the former got it wrong structurally it is very much a classic showa era godzilla film where a monster appears to threaten the earth and godzilla arrives to stop it however devoid of the camp often associated with those films and given a shiny new coat of paint only the american movie industry can afford this formulaic and simple premise is given new life injected with a sense of believability and realism that makes it immensely accessible for newcomers while also being endearingly affectionate enough for older fans to appreciate mommy look dinosaurs by far the most striking thing about godzilla is the immense scale director gareth edwards brings to the picture perhaps more so than any other film of its kind the monsters here feel truly enormous with almost every shot framed in such a way that effectively conveys the imposing stature of beasts so large they don't even notice mankind's existence this framework makes the film feel epic in a way few films are spanning multiple countries and cities while also remaining focused on the human perspective on the ground this is to say that the film is as intimate as it is epic never indulging in destruction for its own sake making for a more restrained action blockbuster the kind that is increasingly rare to come by these days indeed it may come as a surprise to some just how long it takes for the mayhem to get going the mystery of the mutos is an intriguing setup it made all the more effective by having it anchored in the context of a family whom they've torn apart aaron taylor johnson is better than people give him credit for as ford brody a soldier trained by past trauma to keep his emotions in check and do his duty even in the face of monstrous odds elizabeth olsen places his wife l an equally dutiful mother tasked with protecting her son amidst the turmoil she isn't given much to do but olsen is naturally sympathetic in the role the always reliable ken watanabe brings the invaluable japanese perspective as dr ishiro sarazawa the one person who sees godzilla as the solution instead of the problem sally hawkins david strathearn and juliet benotch round out the cast but it is brian cranston who captures your attention as ford's father joe brody a man trapped in the past by grief his performance is unsurprisingly magnetic making the story immediately engaging something killed my wife and i have a right to know once the monsters are unleashed however godzilla gets going and never stops relishing in the art of tension and suspense every set piece builds upon the last until it reaches a crescendo made up of the kind of classic kaiju conflict the franchise has been known for the film's first proper introduction of godzilla a 10-minute long sequence in hawaii is a master class of escalation meant to maximize its impact the film is full of these types of sequences and all of them are different in significant ways adding tons of variety to the action aided by special effects so good you don't notice them incredible sound design that perfectly sells the size of the monsters and a pounding soundtrack by composer alexander despat godzilla becomes the kind of action movie you use to show off your entertainment system for the first time in years godzilla is a hero in this film albeit a apathetic one who pays no mind to the humans scurrying beneath his feet this was a surprise to many at the time but in hindsight an appropriate choice despite his limited screen time godzilla oozes personality a fact aided by a design that perfectly adapts him for the modern age balancing a need for realism with faithfulness to the past while kind of bland the mutos make for an interesting and oddly sympathetic antagonistic force unlike many of godzilla's enemies these creatures aren't treated as purposefully malevolent but instead are treated as animals just doing what animals do this further contributes to the film's intentions to treat the concept of godzilla as realistically as possible while still adhering to the fantasy inherent to it that makes it so appealing godzilla 2014 has some major blemishes though that keep it from being perfect the film makes a huge mistake by killing off brian cranston's character in the first act since his performance is arguably the emotional heart of the film his absence is immediately felt and abruptly disengages you from the narrative that up until that point had been so engaging and while it is admirable that the film strives for restraint and the art of the slow build it teases the audience one too many times for its own good it eventually gets to the point of legitimate frustration which will leave some a bit dissatisfied when it's all said and done even with these flaws the 2014 godzilla is a triumph as far as reboots and adaptations are concerned as a godzilla movie meant to appeal to mass audiences it succeeds while also being a proper original blockbuster of its own it adheres to the classic godzilla formula while still doing its own thing and does so in a way that properly sells the scope and scale a kaiju movie with a 100 million dollar plus budget ought to have it's a highly entertaining surprisingly restrained and extremely respectful adaptation that godzilla fans can accept with open arms for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] with the 2014 american godzilla film proving to be both a critical and financial adrenaline shot for the franchise toho figured it was a good time to bring the monster home and announced their plans to make a godzilla film unlike any other to do this they sought out hideyaki anno a visionary creative force within the world of japanese animation a massive fan of godzilla anno was given the freedom to write and direct alongside his friend and longtime collaborator shinji higuchi and together the two hoped to create a film with as much social and political relevance as the original while making it their own simply titled shin godzilla it would end up being one of the most striking and profound entries in the series [Music] the discovery of a mysteriously deserted yacht coincides with the sightings of a massive creature in tokyo bay as the horrifying monster begins making its way on land leaving devastation in its wake the japanese government desperately scrambles to figure out a way to stop it constantly evolving to every strategy they employ the fully formed creature dubbed godzilla proves invincible threatening the existence of all life on the planet with little hope left the world considers the use of atomic weapons on japan forcing the scrappy nation to come together and figure out an alternative solution before their worst nightmares are realized like the original in 1984's the return of godzilla shin godzilla is a film that speaks to the fears and tensions of its time in this case unexpected natural disasters that leave governments at a standstill using godzilla as a stand-in for those fears in a way that adds a new spin to the character and in this case as filtered through the unique vision of hideaki anno it becomes a whole different beast a film that is so unabashedly different from anything that came before it while at the same time honoring the spirit of not just the original but of the franchise as a whole shin godzilla lacks the sort of cheese that even the best of the franchise often couldn't avoid utterly earnest and sincere the film treats an admittedly absurd scenario with a sense of realism rivaled only by the original and is told with a hectic breakneck pace that perfectly replicates the nature of the drama that unfolds it throws you into the deep end without a life jacket expecting you to keep up with a huge cast of characters and an ever escalating sequence of scenarios that recalls the horrific imagery that came out of the 2011 tohoku earthquake the film doesn't pull any punches showcasing images of apocalyptic devastation few films have ever matched it is an intense cathartic cinematic experience that only its nation of origin can ever truly understand what elevates shin godzilla even more is that it balances this intensity with a biting satire that gives the film a sharp sense of wit armed with a pointed script anno mocks and parodies the japanese government to great effect without ever devolving into outright caricature the film's sprawling cast doesn't allow much depth but every character no matter how minor has their quirk and is treated with a humanistic touch that allows you to empathize with them even as they make questionable decisions serving as the audience surrogate is randu yaguchi played by hiroki hasegawa a young ambitious politician whose growing frustration with the old guard is rewarded with more responsibility as the situation with godzilla grows more dire playing opposite him is satomi ishihara as kyoko and patterson a lively and equally ambitious japanese-american politician working as a liaison between the two nations together these two work as the film's beating heart and are surrounded by a quirky cast of characters too massive to account for completely here though ran osugi must be singled out for his performance as cgi okochi the well-meaning but clearly weigh in over his head prime minister of japan as does yutaka takanochi as hideki akasaka who brings a sense of dignity and poise to the role the most controversial aspect of the film may well be godzilla himself even more so than the reviled 98 american film shin godzilla alters both the origins and the look of the monster to such an extent that it will put off purist but within the context of the film it works becoming one of the most disturbing movie monsters ever committed to film its cold dead stare combined with its grotesquely misshapen form makes for the most terrifying godzilla yet a creature with no conscience or remorse he is even given some new abilities and the moment where he first unleashes the full extent of those abilities is a moment as beautiful as it is horrifying a visually stunning master class of destruction unrivaled even by big budget hollywood films technically shin godzilla is a massive step forward for the franchise it is the first touhou produced godzilla film not to use summation instead using motion capture and cgi to bring him to life and the results are surprisingly consistent even flawless at times the special effects in general are a significant improvement combining traditional model work and computer graphics into one seamless hole that very rarely ever breaks immersion sound design makes intentional use of the old school sound effects of the showa era films and the music is a combination of classic afuka bay tracks and an original score by shiro sugisu which is haunting and operatic and absolutely fantastic [Music] shin godzilla is that rare godzilla movie that is so much more than just a monster movie more than anything at its core it is about japan its place in the modern world and its hopes and aspirations when faced against insurmountable odds under the expert direction of hideaki anno and shinji higuchi the film soars the heights reached only by the original becoming the only entry to truly match its greatness it is methodical thoughtful relentless and most importantly immensely entertaining and rewatchable offering its viewers new things to appreciate about it upon every viewing it's an astonishing work that reminds you just how versatile godzilla as a concept and character really is and how the monster matters as much today as it did back in 1954 for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths shortly after shin godzilla dominated the japanese box office toho announced that a godzilla animated trilogy of films was officially in the works written by renault novelist and anime screenwriter gen urobuchi it was hoped that the limitless potential of animation would set the franchise free to do new and creative things and take it into even more bolder directions and in another first for the series all three films were set to be distributed internationally on netflix shortly after their theatrical releases in japan it was the dawn of a new and exciting era for godzilla which makes it that much more unfortunate than that the first chapter planet of the monsters fails to live up to its possibilities following the near extinction of mankind at the hands of godzilla the last survivors aided by two technologically advanced alien races escape into outer space and search for a new planet to call home 20 years later with morale at an all-time low and the chances of finding a habitable world nearly non-existent it is decided to return to earth there they find that 20 000 years have passed and the planet's ecosystem has evolved around godzilla's presence with nowhere else to go the last remnants of humanity has no choice but to make one last stand and reclaim their home from the king of the monsters conceptually planet of the monsters was a long overdue step for the godzilla franchise many fans have no doubt clamored for the series to make its way into anime form where it would no longer be constrained by the limitations of reality the possibilities were nearly endless and within its opening minutes the first chapter of the anime trilogy promises to live up to those possibilities establishing a future world ravaged by monsters and made more politically complicated by the presence of several alien visitors both of which clearly take inspiration from the franchise's rich past as far as setups go a fan couldn't ask for more however the longer the film goes on the more you realize its potential is being squandered leaving you with a film that spends way too much telling instead of showing [Music] no matter what with our own hands indeed planet of the monster's greatest sin is not taking advantage of its medium instead of engaging the viewer with gorgeous eye-popping visuals it bogs itself down with endless scenes of dramatic grandstanding and tedious technobabble to the point where most viewers will probably feel utterly disengaged this effect is multiplied by a script that spends almost no time developing the world or its characters there is an immensely interesting and entertaining universe to be explored here but the film never takes the time to far more interested instead and making sure you know the technicalities of how godzilla's atomic breath works sure it's an interesting thing to learn but without an engaging narrative to support it it's very difficult to care most of the characters have no dimension to them at all and the few that do are one note the protagonist haro sakaki is unforgettable for how forgettably stereotypical he is he is the archetypal anime hero obnoxiously angry and overbearing in a way that merely annoys his melodramatic proclamations are constant and grow weary some real quick and are further encouraged by the only other standout character metfis a strange and off-puttingly monotone xf priest who takes a particular liking to haruro he's easily the most interesting character pushing circumstances along to give haruo more authority the rest of the cast is just background noise the character yuko is particularly egregious a stock anime love interest with no agency or depth there are plenty of others but since so many of them look the same and so little is given for them to do they are interchangeable which can lead to confusion as to who is who not even godzilla could however it's possible that it might have multiplied that thing is a unique genetic aberration impossible perhaps worst of all is that planet of the monsters also fails to live up to its name featuring very little monster action aside from godzilla there are flying creatures so generic they're barely worth mentioning godzilla himself is absent for almost the entirety of the film and when he does show up he barely moves while this does do a good job conveying his immense weight and size it shows yet again how the film fails to take advantage of the art form however to its credit the film does alter godzilla in some interesting ways here he is depicted as elemental and plant-like the symbol and personification of mother nature's wrath and while his absence from the film is made all the more painful by its lethargic pace the impact he has in the final act does make a strong impression conveying a terrifying sense of scale and religious awe that almost makes all the buildup to it worth the wait planet of the monsters uses a pseudo-3d style of animation and the results are a mixed bag while there is a visual elegance to certain stationary moments when in motion it comes off as rather stiff and awkward on the whole it's not terrible but it's a style that does take some time getting used to and finally it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack is great takayuki hitori returns and delivers what might be his best work for the franchise his score does all the heavy lifting conveying all the emotions that the film on its own cannot godzilla planet of the monsters is a disappointing start to the anime trilogy and a disappointing first foray into the world of animation despite a setup enriched with creative ideas it gets bogged down with a narrative more concerned with the technicalities than in telling an emotionally involving story had the film at least delivered some visually stunning set pieces this might be forgiven but it fails even in that there are some good moments and it ends on a high note that leaves you curious as to what happens in the next film but on its own it's a dull watch that even the most dedicated fg fans will find a chore to get through for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths despite planet of the monsters providing a rather rocky start to the anime trilogy its final moments gave hope that the next chapter would mark a substantial improvement and move the story in a more interesting direction and fans didn't have long to wait to find out six months later city on the edge of battle was released which promised to continue the journey of harrow while bringing mechagodzilla into the fray whom was merely teased in the prior film fortunately the middle chapter does improve significantly on its predecessor though it also continues to make many of the same mistakes devastating attack has left haruo and the survivors stranded on earth where they are aided by a strange indigenous people calling themselves the hotua through them they discover that mechagodzilla thought lost is still operational and has evolved into an entire city through its ever-expanding nanometal technology with the now christened mechagodzilla city now under their control plans resume to kill godzilla but when the existential threat of the nanometal becomes more apparent haro may have to choose between his goal of raiding humanity of godzilla and humanity itself the city will not only consume godzilla but everything else as well its propagation will not stop until it has consumes the entire earth there is no denying that city on the edge of battle is a better film than planet of the monsters with all the setup out of the way it finally feels like the story is beginning proper and with the cast of characters reduced to a handful individuals whom prior were lost in the shovel now stand out and are given more to do this is not to say that it is completely rid of the same issues that plagued the first chapter far from it in fact but with a clear mission and a better more philosophically character-driven story it doesn't drag or bore nearly as much in fact there are moments and plot developments that are quite inspired if not still disappointing if you were expecting your typical kaiju action indeed much like how godzilla was altered substantially for these films so too was mechagodzilla only even more so so radically different is this interpretation that it can't even be labeled as mechagodzilla proper and thus those hoping to see it here will be severely frustrated constructed from the insidiously named nano metal of the perversely logical bilisoluto it has constructed an entire city around its remains becoming a symbolic fortress of the all-consuming nature of human technology uncomfortably cold and empty it is juxtaposed to the warm and inviting layer of the hotua the ancestors of mankind whom have evolved to survive and co-exist with a planet dominated by godzilla these are interesting new spins on the franchise's most classic elements that developed the world a lot better than the first film and thus make for a far more engaging story you mean the two of them are twins however sitting on the edge of battle is still hampered by an over-reliance on scientific technobabble while better balanced here it still takes up too much of the run time runtime which could be better used to develop the characters more thankfully the character who sees the most positive development is haruo no longer an obnoxious angry anime boy here he is more contemplative and self-reflective while still obsessed with killing godzilla haruo's more mellow approach makes him less overbearing and thus more likable yuko is also given more to do though she is still mostly relegated to love interest the exif and bill saludo are both more clearly defined this time with the logic by all means approach of the latter becoming the main dramatic conflict that drives the final act this gives the film's climax more meaning even if it feels like a repeat of the last film all monsters are called monsters because they cannot be defeated by people city on the edge of battle continues with the same style of animation and the strengths and weaknesses remain as well there are shots and images of utter beauty and the way in which the 3d is shaded and colored to resemble traditional 2d is both uniquely appealing and oddly distracting it mostly works but there are times when the human characters don't look or move quite right what is flawless though is the sound design everything from the subtle clicking of a hologram to the thunderous movement of godzilla has a heft to it that sells the believability of the world the music by takayuki hattori is still just as good and with better material to accompany it this time it stands out all the more even going so far as to throw in some 80s style techno synth to shake things up [Music] it's still not all what most fans probably want but taken for what it is sitting on the edge of battle isn't half bad and is a much better film than its fledgling predecessor it's still rather dull in certain aspects and godzilla is as much of an afterthought as ever but character development and world building are a bit more nuanced and though not exactly original there are some genuinely intriguing ideas at play that are very much in line with what the franchise has always been about it's definitely not for everyone so your mileage may vary but if you can get past the lackluster first film and go in with an open mind you'll find an extremely flawed idea-driven film that adds some unusual twists to the godzilla mythology for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths city on the edge of battle was a nice step up from planet of the monsters but was still dissatisfying in many respects by now it was clear that the godzilla anime wasn't going to be what many fans had hoped but there was still a chance that it could all come together in a satisfying way that sheds new light on a story that up until that point had proven very divisive and so the end of 2018 saw the release of the final chapter of the trilogy titled godzilla the planet eater which ends the controversial series on a high note [Music] with tensions high after the destruction of mechagodzilla city the survivors of earth turn to metfis and his strange religion for comfort claiming that their salvation can only come in the form of their god metfis summons the three-headed golden terror named ghidorah which has arrived to consume the planet while godzilla faces off against the existential nightmare power confronts metfis in a conflict of philosophies that will determine the fate of the human race and the earth they've been fighting so hard to reclaim [Music] for many reasons godzilla the planet eater is the most watchable film of the anime trilogy of the three films it feels like it has the most at stake and the overall themes and ideas that are driving the story feel more digestible and coherent on top of that it introduces new ideas that take the godzilla mythology into even more interesting avenues ones that the franchise had only toyed with prior in the end it all comes together in a way that when taken with the preceding films makes the entire journey greater than the sum of its [Music] the king parts the void not of this realm above all what the planet eater has over the other films is the overwhelming sense of apocalyptic doom just like how godzilla and mechagodzilla were reinterpreted in radical ways so too is king ghidorah and here it absolutely works while it may be controversial to say for perhaps the first time ever ghidorah lives up to the concept of an intergalactic planet destroyer its ability to traverse time and space is truly frightening and the sheer cosmic horror of its being is conveyed in moments of genuine tension and suspense the film takes it even further by having the exif worship it in a cultish manner that is actually pretty unsettling together these aspects give this ghidorah a lovecraftian edge that has always been inherent to the character giving this film a real dramatic thrust that the other two films lacked the planet eater is also the only chapter in this trilogy to have an actual monster fight though those still hoping for a more standard action-packed brawl will be disappointed while the fight between godzilla and godor is rather simple it works as a visual companion piece to the bigger ideas the film is attempting to explore and there are aspects of it that are compelling in their own right and because of this godzilla is given more to do this time though he is still treated more as an abstract than a character by this point though it is clear what the intention was with this godzilla and if you are willing to roll with it you'll find there is a lot to chew on it may even come to appreciate how it manages to be so different while remaining true to what the monster has always represented the human cast is reduced to an even smaller handful in the planet eater and it benefits greatly from it haruo and metfis are the central focus with both representing two sides of the existential debate that drives the film pauro continues to grow more likable as he grows more mellow and thoughtful and metfies becomes an even more interesting character as his true intentions are made clear much of the run time is dedicated to metfee's tempting howard with his nihilistic beliefs and while the ideas explore here are nothing new it's kind of neat to see a godzilla film attempt to be more brazenly abstruse even at the expense of those looking for more conventional godzilla affair within this limited universe it is simply the natural conclusion the planet eater has some of the most visually arresting imagery of the trilogy as well mixing in images of beauty and horror in such a way that recalls the very nature of ghidorah itself and takayuki hattori's music continues to do much of the dramatic legwork with his theme for ghidorah a standout for how quickly it manages to convey how terrifying it is still given all this good stuff the planet eater is held back by all the things that held back its predecessors characters still lack depth merely vessels for ideas and without good characters to empathize with there is little reason to care about the story and that is really the biggest problem with the planet eater and the anime trilogy in general it is so focused on exploring ideas it forgets to tell a compelling story with characters to grow attached to leaving you watching from a distance it's divine punishment [Music] thus the planet eater for all it manages to do right can't overcome the shadow of everything that came before there is so much to appreciate about the film and the utterly strange way it traverses the godzilla franchise's time-warner ideas but it comes too little too late and serves as a reminder of how good it could have been had there been an emotional reason to care it's easily the best of a trio of films that when taken as a whole works as an admirably risky and fascinating experiment that may get you thinking and little else for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Music] with the 2014 godzilla film being both a critical and financial success warner brothers and legendary pictures immediately announced that there would be a sequel shortly after which they dropped the bombshell that mothra rodan and king ghidorah would be making appearances as well taking the place of gareth edwards as director was michael doherty a genre filmmaker known for his cult hits trick or treat and krampus together with his co-screenwriter zack shields he was tasked with crafting a story that would build the world of warner brothers monsterverse while at the same time paving the way for the upcoming rematch between godzilla and king kong and so after a long five-year wait godzilla king of the monsters finally hit theaters in may 2019 an epic action-packed film that for both better and for worse faithfully embraces and translates the franchise's often eccentric storytelling style for general audiences five years after the presence of godzilla and other titans have been revealed to the world the monster hunting organization monarch has discovered and contained numerous creatures across the globe following the completion of a device that allows humans to communicate with the titans dr emma russell and her daughter madison are kidnapped by eco-terrorist alan jonah who begins freeing the titans to save the earth from mankind's destructive actions with the help of madison's father mark monarch sets out to stop him but not before he awakens mothra rodin and worst of all the ultimate alpha king ghidorah who challenges godzilla for supremacy of planet earth in many ways godzilla king of the monsters feels like a deliberate course correction in response to the criticisms of its predecessor while the 2014 film relished and taking its time this film hops from one epic set piece to another at breakneck speed the kaiju are clearly the focus here and while this will no doubt satisfy those who felt that the last film skimped out on the monster mayhem it does come at the expense of a truly great story worthy of being invested in thankfully everything involving the monsters is top notch and the joy comes from seeing these classic characters being given the kind of big budget treatment many fans have longed to see it must be stressed how well realized the creatures of king of the monsters really are modern computer effects are used to bring godzilla mothra rodan and ghidorah to life in ways they never have been before imbuing them with nuanced behaviors and quirks that subtly develop their characters without anthropomorphizing them too much all four monstars are designed wonderfully and given their moments to shine updated to fit within the tone and style of this series of films while still remaining remarkably faithful to the originals and while the mythology and alliances are shifted somewhat it's nothing toho themselves haven't done before and in this case are actually quite inspired making these creatures feel fresh despite how old they actually are the only downside is that much of the time the monsters are shrouded in darkness and weather effects which works for dramatic and narrative purposes but still there are times when you wish things would clear up so you can get a better look at them in genre tradition king of the monsters has a rather large cast of characters each of whom contribute their small part to the ensemble and while no one is necessarily bad many aren't given much to do and get lost in the shuffle this is kind of a shame because many are played by great character actors and part of the fun is seeing these big names act out in a legit godzilla movie plot ken watanabe's dr sara zawa is a welcomed return the human representation and reminder of the franchise's beating heart thomas middleditch bradley whitford and z zang round out the cast among many others but the film is mostly focused on the russell family played by vera fermiga kyle chandler and millie bobby brown respectively and to whom your mileage may vary like the 2014 film their family drama is the least compelling aspect of the film and feels kind of forced amidst all the more pressing global scale drama going on around them this won't bring him back to us chances are though you'll be too enthralled by the spectacle to be too bothered by the more cliched aspects of the story king the monsters certainly isn't lacking in action as rarely a scene goes by without a monster appearing on screen and there are many a moments that are likely to give fans goosebumps michael doherty's direction is fast and ferocious and his screenplay plays it straight with annoying wink to the audience peppering in many homages and callbacks some of which are thrown in with the subtlety of a hammer perhaps the best thing about the film though is the soundtrack by composer bear mccreary his original score is great in and of itself but it's his reuse of the classic godzilla and mothra themes that are the icing on the cake and are enough to make any fans squeal with joy [Applause] ultimately godzilla king of the monsters is a really fun high octane thrill ride that doesn't have too much to offer beyond that and that's just fine while it plays around with religious and environmental themes it's very surface level only serving to contextualize the monster action and little more but for those who love monsters especially these particular characters that will be more than enough all four of the main stars are treated like the cinematic titans they are each of them given moments of striking visual beauty that stick with you and may well become iconic down the line it does risk alienating those who aren't quite as enthusiastic about the kaiju genre but it could be argued that this film wasn't made for them this is a big budget hollywood godzilla film made for fans by fans and while there is a sense that it could be better taken for what it is it's a worthy sequel to the 2014 film and more than a worthy entry into this historically long-running franchise for more reviews and opinions on all things godzilla subscribe and stay tuned to up from the depths [Applause] you

Channel: Up From The Depths

Views: 2,900,515

Rating: 4.7333126 out of 5

Keywords: godzilla, godzilla 1998, zilla, gino, tristar, toho, american, review, analysis, retrospective, trailers, up from the depths, wikizilla, king kong, critique, history, kaiju, giant monsters, gojira, ishiro honda, akira ifukube, science fiction, movies, film, fantasy, tomoyuki tanaka, rodan, mothra, king ghidorah, japan, franchise, series, showa, scene, trailer, king of the monsters, heisei, millennium, reiwa, shin godzilla, vs, mechagodzilla, gigan, son, every, godzillathon

Id: D7A4nS7qG00

Length: 198min 42sec (11922 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 20 2020