Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) [Tokusatsu Review]

Godzilla X Mechagodzilla; or, Kiryu to the Rescue
     Why Godzilla? I wish they'd bring Mom back to life, not a monster.
After the successful release of Shusuke Kaneko’s Godzilla, Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), the producer Shogo Tomiyama continued the trend of rebooting the Godzilla universe with each new entry of the Millennium series. However, Toho decided to bring back one of the classic monsters yet again to please the fanbase. As a result, director Masaaki Tezuka was brought back on board together with screenwriter Wataru Mimura and music composer Michiru Oshima. Their task was to provide a new 2000s reimagining of Mechagodzilla. Indeed, the creative team completed the task by turning the robotic kaiju into a peacemaker who fights the Big G on equal terms.

Release Info

Directed by: Masaaki Tezuka Starring: Yumiko Shaku, Shin Takuma, Kana Onodera

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゴジラ×メカゴジラ Runtime: 88 min

Synopsis
45 years after the destruction of the original Gojira, a new member of the species emerges from the sea depths and wreaks havoc across Japan. The JSDF troops are sent to fight the new Godzilla. Due to a tragic accident during the fight, Lieutenant Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku) is demoted. In the meantime, the government decides to use top-of-the-line technology and remains of the original Gojira to create an advanced Mechagodzilla cyborg, which is nicknamed Kiryu. Akane in order to regain her honour in the JSDF relentlessly trains and becomes the pilot of Kiryu. When Godzilla strikes again, Kiryu is dispatched to stop the King of the Monsters once and for all…

No I in Team
Allow me to explain that this particular text is actually a re-review of the film because I did write about it on the blog 7 years ago, but I was not a well-versed writer back then with the capacity to express my thoughts efficiently. Therefore, I thought it would be fun, as in the case of Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), to revisit Godzilla X Mechagodzilla and provide fresh opinion on one of my favourite entries of the franchise.

The first major advantage which makes the film work is the fact that Godzilla X Mechagodzilla is not a stand-alone adventure like the previous three Millennium movies, but it harkens back to the classic era of Toho Tokusatsu flicks, creating a fictional universe out of Gojira (1954), Mothra (1961), and The War of Gargantuas (1966). It is actually explained in the film by the Prime Minister character, played by Kumi Mizuno, that Japan used to defend itself from many other Kaiju monsters after the destruction of Gojira. This, in and of itself, functions as a better love letter to the franchise than the mountain of throwbacks included in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

In addition, I appreciate the brisk pacing of the film done mainly due to skillful editing by Shinichi Fushima and Shinichi Natori. The movie’s runtime is 88 minutes, relatively short for a Godzilla flick, but the crosscutting of action, pathos, and human interest stuff never feels boring. Huge part in setting the right tone of the picture has the music score by the legendary Michiru Oshima. I already wrote tons of praise for this composer in my article series The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla, so let me just say that Oshima nails it to the cross when it comes to scoring battle sequences or small, poignant moments between human characters. Indeed, she reinvented the sound of the Godzilla franchise.

When it comes to creature design and special effects, these are icing on the cake. I love the evil Godzilla appearance, which makes the King look more animalistic, like a wolf. Kiryu, on the other hand, is just outstanding. He is definitely my favourite incarnation of Mechagodzilla out there. The blending of practical and CGI effects coupled with great cinematography by Masahiro Kishimoto also enhances the viewing experience, especially during the fight scenes.

My only problem with the film after many years is the uneven screenplay. Screenwriter Wataru Mimura yet again delivers light, swashbuckling, science-fiction adventure, but the romantic subplot and the trauma of the main character barely work in the film. Lieutenant Yamane is cold and inaccessible, which makes it hard to believe that a nerdy scientist and a single-father Yuhara (Shin Takuma) falls for her. What is more, the plot involving Sara (Kana Onodera), the scientist’s daughter, also seems underdeveloped. The child suffers from the loss of her mother, and (from what I understand) desires to cherish all life, including that of Kiryu and Godzilla, but she has zero problem when Yamane reboots Kiryu to fight the King in the epic finale… Either something was lost in translation, or there were Sara-Yamane scenes shot that ended up on the cutting room floor and will never see the light of day.

With regard to performances, Yumiko Shaku does well as the main lead, but her character lacks development, unfortunately. Shin Takuma and Kana Onodera are sweet as the father and daughter, but there are not enough scenes between them. In addition, director Masaaki Tezuka riddled Godzilla X Mechagodzilla with episodic roles and cameos. We can spot the franchise veterans, such as Kumi Mizuno and Akira Nakao, but also baseball player Hideki “Gojira” Matsuki, actor Takehiro Murata (known from Godzilla 2000: Millennium) appearing as a bystander, and actress Misato Tanaka (known from Godzilla vs. Megaguirus) appearing as a nurse who is saved by Kiryu.

Recommendations
All things considered, Godzilla X Mechagodzilla is a fun, entertaining film, which is a true highlight of the Millennium series. I remember watching it for the first time on TV in the mid-2000s and being hooked instantly. Later on, I taped a rerun of the film, and eventually got the 2004 DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The movie was also issued on Blu-Ray in 2014.Overall score: 9/10

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