Godzilla vs. Megaguirus; or, Entomophobia
Remember you asked me why a woman would want to fight Godzilla? A friend once said, "When you're afraid of something, then you don't run, you fight it." The person who said that, he was my commanding officer. He died in a fight with Godzilla. I'm just carrying on where he left off.
Here it is, the very first Godzilla film from the Millennium series I have seen as a child. Even today, I can vividly remember impatiently waiting the whole day until midnight so as to finally sit in front of a TV, set the channel, and watch Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (full original title: Godzilla × Megaguirus: The G Extermination Strategy).
Remember you asked me why a woman would want to fight Godzilla? A friend once said, "When you're afraid of something, then you don't run, you fight it." The person who said that, he was my commanding officer. He died in a fight with Godzilla. I'm just carrying on where he left off.
Here it is, the very first Godzilla film from the Millennium series I have seen as a child. Even today, I can vividly remember impatiently waiting the whole day until midnight so as to finally sit in front of a TV, set the channel, and watch Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (full original title: Godzilla × Megaguirus: The G Extermination Strategy).
Release Info
Directed by: Masaaki Tezuka Starring: Misato Tanaka, Shosuke Tanihara, Yuriko Hoshi
Language: Japanese Original Title:ゴジラ × メガギラス G消滅作戦 Runtime: 105 min
Language: Japanese Original Title:ゴジラ × メガギラス G消滅作戦 Runtime: 105 min
Synopsis
After being defeated in 1954, Godzilla returns yet again and attacks the first Japanese nuclear plant in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture. This pushes the government to move the capital from Tokyo to Osaka. Due to the fact that the Kind of the Monsters is drawn by radioactivity, Japan created in 1996 clean plasma energy. In order to eradicate Godzilla once and for all, a team of physicists and soldiers from a special team known as the G-Graspers develop a satellite-based weapon known as the Dimension Tide. However, it turns out that the deadly invention not only fails to defeat Godzilla, but also opens up a wormhole to another dimension through which a horrible monster, Megaguirus, arrives in our world. Now, only Godzilla can save the day.
Time to stomp some bugs
To provide some clarification, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus is the second entry in the Millennium series, yet it does not pick up where the previous movie (Godzilla 2000: Millennium) left off. Instead, we are given a story that ignores all Godzilla sequels and acknowledges only the 1954 original. The Toho producer Shogo Tomiyama was disappointed by the box office performance of Godzilla 2000, so he was not keen on building a universe based on strict continuity as in the case of the Heisei series. Rather than that, he wanted to explore alternate scenarios concerning the Godzilla character. Therefore, he hired the veterans of the franchise, Wataru Mimura and Hiroshi Kashiwabara, to script Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.
Many Godzilla fans regard the film as the lowest point of the franchise, but I have to argue against it. Maybe it is all due to my nostalgia because I have seen Godzilla vs. Megaguirus shortly after Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) in my childhood times, but I believe that this is a fairly well made monster flick. Evidently, Mimura and Kashiwabara approached the story in a very traditional manner. This is a typical “versus” movie which has sci-fi elements (The Dimension Tide) and introduces viewers to a new antagonist (Megaguirus).
Had the film been made in the 1990s with the usage of conventional special effects instead of CGI, it could have been a classic entry in the series. Granted, pacing of the narrative is off in a few places, some characters are not that necessary, but it is still an entertaining spectacle. The tone is like from a horror film, harking back to Alien (1979) and The Fly (1986) as Godzilla is haunted by a menacing, insect-like creature. The special effects are acceptable in general (the main heroine riding on the King’s back), and the music score by Michiru Oshima is absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, the movie did not hit the base with Japanese audiences and gained even less than Godzilla 2000: Millennium… Thankfully, director Masaaki Tezuka, the screenwriters, and Michiru Oshima had a chance to prove their worth while working on Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003) movies.
Recommendations
While Godzilla vs. Megagurius is not anything exceptional, it also does not deserve the bad rap it receives. I believe Hiroshi Kashiwabara considers this movie one of his better works while distancing himself from Godzilla 2000: MIllennium because working with director Takao Okawara was, allegedly, very troublesome. Well, if you are in need of a Godzilla film and have not seen Godzilla vs. Megaguirus yet, then give it a try.
Overall score: 7/10
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