Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack; or, Post-War Trauma Godzilla is passé. This week is provide my penultimate review of my Godzilla Millennium series rundown. To be specific, I want to focus on a film about which I have mixed feelings. This is Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack from the year 2001, directed by Shusuke Kaneko.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃 Runtime: 105 min
Synopsis The Japan Self-Defense Forces are alerted about the American nuclear submarine that went missing. In the meantime, a TV reporter Yuri Tachibana (Chiharu Niiyama) films a documentary piece near Mount Myoko, which is hit by a mysterious earthquake. It turns out that Godzilla might have returned and the only way to stop the creature is to reawaken the so-called Guardian Monsters: Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.
Anger and Hatred Contrary to common misconceptions within the fandom, this movie did not come about because of the poor financial and critical reception of Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000). During the production of the aforementioned film, producer Shogo Tomiyama was still keen on developing the idea of revisiting Godzilla in an alternate universe with each new motion picture. Therefore, he recruited the services of an experienced Tokusatsu director Shusuke Kaneko.
Kaneko was a major Godzilla fanboy since childhood, and it was his lifelong dream to actually make a Godzilla movie. Already in the 1990s, when the Heisei movies were at their peak, young Kaneko contacted Tomiyama, but the producer politely refused his pitch to direct. Consequently, Kaneko honed his craft in the Tokusatsu genre by directing for Daiei the now-extremely popular Gamera Trilogy (1995-1999).
When Kaneko was approached with the offer in 2000, he developed several script ideas for the potential film, but the one closest to his vision involved Godzilla as the ruthless villain facing off against protectors of Earth: Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus. Toho accepted the idea, but gave the ultimatum to replace the original monsters with King Ghidorah and Mothra in order to make the film more bankable because the previous outings were box office bombs.
The movie itself certainly feels different in tone and its subject matter from other Millennium flicks crafted by Masaaki Tezuka and Takao Okawara. The GMK film is Shusuke Kaneko’s attempt to bring the King of the Monsters back to his roots, to make him not an anti-hero, but an unforeseeable force of nature that detests humans and wants to destroy all forms of life.
What is more, Kaneko not only changed Godzilla’s modus operandi and his appearance, but also gave the monster a spiritual dimension of origin. Of course, the nuclear aspect of Godzilla remains intact, but Kaneko heavily implies that the Big G is also an embodiment of souls of Japanese soldiers who were left to die by the Imperial Army during the war. In consequence, Godzilla becomes a demon that haunts Japan not only for its trauma stemming from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also for the country’s war crimes. Godzilla’s mercilessness is especially telling in a scene where he slams to the ground a hospital filled with innocent people, including a girl who survived the monster’s previous attack.
It goes without saying that Mothra is always the Kaiju heroine, and she always rocks on that front, but it is impossible for me to picture King Ghidorah as the benevolent dragon who saves the day. This is the major cognitive dissonance that ruins this movie for me. King Ghidorah time and time again, for decades, was Godzilla’s arch-nemesis, not the saviour of mankind.
In terms of cinematography and special effects, the GMK movie is the most 2000-like looking production of the Millennium series. I’m not sure why it’s the cause of this apart from that Kaneko is definitely a modern filmmaker, whereas Tezuka and Okawara feel more traditional with their approach to Godzilla. There’s nothing wrong with both approaches. In fact, GMK has many cinematic nods to Godzilla from 1998, as if Kaneko was indirectly throwing shade at the American production. In addition, the special effects director Makoto Kamiya does a fine job with blending classic miniature work with CGI.
With regard to performances, Chiharu Niiyama and Ryudo Uzaki really carry the film with their performances. Uzaki is especially memorable as the army admiral who undergoes a fantastic voyage deep into the belly of Godzilla. The movie also features appearances of the veteran actors such as Shiro Sano, Masahiko Tsugawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, and Hideyo Amamoto. There are also cameos done by Masaaki Tezuka, Koichi Kawakita, Ai Maeda and Aki Maeda (as twin sisters) as well as Mizuho Yoshida, Akira Ohashi, and Rie Ota (who were the suitmation actors for the titular monsters).
Last but not least, Kow Otani provided a truly menacing music score for the film. I will always cherish the composer’s soundtrack for the Outlaw Star anime, but his addition to the Godzilla franchise cannot go unnoticed as well. “His music was so emotional and classical; it reminds me of old-fashioned kaiju movies, (Akira) Ifukube’s sound. His music makes me excited. It makes your heart beat,” stated Shusuke Kaneko (source).
Recommendations Undoubtedly, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is a film that stood the test of time and can be watched with having the knowledge of the rest of Godzilla films. However, it is very dark indeed, so it does not have a lot of rewatch value for me. The movie was released on Blu-Ray in 2014.
Overall score: 7/10
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As Tears Go By: or, Stand By Me Older Brother At least you were a hotshot for a while. But what about me? Everyone looks down on me. Does that make you happy? People think I'm nothing, like some stray dog just following you around. Did you know that? I'd rather be a hero for one day than go on being a fly all my life. Charged by Wong Kar Wai's ambience from the previous week, I decided it is high time to watch the director’s film I have not yet seen. That is, his directorial debut, which is often not discussed or mentioned among the critics’ top rundowns of Wong Kar Wai’s filmography. So please, put on your shades, switch on your CRT TV, and let’s take a closer look at As Tears Go By.
Release Info
Directed by: Wong Kar WaiStarring: Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Maggie Cheung
Language: CantoneseOriginal Title: 旺角卡门 Runtime: 102 min
Synopsis Wah (Andy Lau) is working for the triad gang as an enforcer. All of a sudden, his distant cousin from Lantau Island called Ngor (Maggie Cheung) comes to Hong Hong to have a medical procedure. Wah hangs out with his best friend Fly (Jacky Cheung), who often gets in trouble with other mobsters because of his hot-headed attitude. When Wah falls for Ngor, Fly has to fight for survival to pay off his debt. Wah rushes to help him.
Glass in the Heart Evidently, As Tears Go By stands out from the rest of Wong Kar Wai’s auteur masterpieces. It is not a bad movie by any means, but it is apparent from the get-go that the young director desperately wanted to break into the cinematic mainstream, and in the process of doing so, he sacrificed his artistic intentions for the purpose of entertaining the audience.
I believe “commercial product” is the best way to describe this motion picture. As Tears Go By really tries to tap into the typical 1980s trend of violent tales about the triads. Wong Kar Wai even borrows from John Woo and Ringo Lam the familiar motives of modern chivalry and overt bromance vibes between the male protagonists. We get blood, gunfights, and Shakespearean drama. Unfortunately, the love subplot is just for the sake of being there, so the audience could have some emotional anchor to root for the hero.
Under many of these commercial layers, it is hard to uncover the Wong Kar Wai we all know and love, but it is not impossible. By means of cinematography and editing, the auteur filmmaker weaves his passion and sensibility into the fabric of As Tears Go By. In the foreground, it is a story about brotherhood and innocent love, but in the background, the core of everything is Wah who becomes an adult and has to come to terms with decisions he makes.
Perhaps the best example of Wong Kar Wai’s visual subtlety is the 6-minute-long sequence in the course of which Wah is reminiscing among Ngor while listening to Sandy Lam’s sensual cover of “Take My Breath Away”. This sequence is a tell-tale foreshadowing of similar scenes involving music and lyrical loneliness as featured in Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love, and beyond. Interestingly, this song was removed in the Mandarin dub of the film and replaced with “You Are The Eternal Pain In My Heart” by Dave Wang and Augustine Yeh.
With regard to performances, Andy Lau is absolutely outstanding as the upright lead with a moral backbone. Maggie Cheung is just as memorable as Ngor, even though her role is very one-dimensional because she plays a kind-hearted love interest. I always found Jacky Cheung to be a very expressive actor, and he cranks up this aspect to the max in his supporting role as Fly.
Recommendations If you think of WKW’s movies as refined dishes, then this one is junk food. It is delicious, but you know it is junk food nonetheless. Yet, this should not prevent you from enjoying it! In fact, I like this film a bit more than Days of Being Wild mainly because the plot itself was more understandable and accessible. The movie was released in 2021 on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection as part of a special boxset devoted to Wong Kar Wai. I watched my own copy of the film from Mayfly’s double-disc DVD edition, which also contains Days of Being Wild.
Overall score: 8/10
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Days of Being Wild; or, As Minutes Go By I've heard that there's a kind of bird without legs that can only fly and fly, and sleep in the wind when it is tired. The bird only lands once in its life... that's when it dies. In the world of today, Wong Kar Wai seems to be one of the most undisciplined artists out there. In the 2010s, a lot of projects helmed by the director were announced but devoted fans still await their completion. Wong Kar Wai certainly does not care about production deals or shooting schedules. Indeed, his main concern is pursuit of inspiration, thanks to which he became a renowned auteur filmmaker. As a way of coping with my personal bout of melancholy, I decided to revisit his earlier movies, and today I would like to discuss Days of Being Wild.
Release Info
Directed by: Wong Kar WaiStarring: Leslie Cheung, Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung
Language: CantoneseOriginal Title: 阿飛正傳 Runtime: 94 min
Synopsis Hong Kong, 1960. Yuddy (Leslie Cheung) seduces Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) who works at a ticket stall, but he quickly breaks up with her. While standing in defence of his adoptive mother (Rebecca Pan), he meets a cabaret dancer Mimi (Carina Lau) who falls for him. Yuddy desperately wants to know the whereabouts of his biological mother and meet her. In the meantime, police officer Tide (Andy Lau) befriends Li-zhen, and Yuddy’s friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung) develops feelings for Mimi.
2 Lonely 2 Calm I have been meaning to review Days of Being Wild for a long time; basically, ever since I saw it in 2015, but I was never sure my words would be sufficient enough to describe the film. It was the very first Wong Kar Wai movie I have ever seen, and in my opinion, it was a challenging introduction. It is clearly visible that the director was still playing with the language of cinema, looking for his personal style.
There is little dialogue in the film, and when it is present, it feels deeply poetic yet irrelevant. Wong Kar Wai, rather than telling, is showing to the audience what happens with the story of Yuddy, a young self-destructive nonconformist, a sigma male before being sigma was mainstream, who suffers from attachment issues.
It is really hard to sympathise with the main protagonist because of the way he treats people around him. He does not want to be loved, because he had not experienced motherly love, but it is almost as if he derives pleasure in degrading people and burning bridges behind him. All of the characters who interact with him: Li-zhen, Mimi, Tide, and Zeb are victims of his fatalistic attitude. This longing for love pushes them to question their own sense of identity.
I have to say that I enjoyed this movie more after rewatching it today than eight years ago. Evidently, my sensibilities and attention span have changed, but it does not change the fact that if you want to begin your own journey through Wong Kar Wai’s filmography, Days of Being Wild is not a good place to start. The film has sublime cinematography and top-notch ambience of Hong Kong of the 1960s, but you really have to focus on the story in order to get it.
With regard to performances, Leslie Cheung is (as always) amazing as the leading man. His presence is both charismatic and mesmerising throughout the entire film. The same can be said about Carina Lau who really gave a stand-out performance as an extroverted and emotionally-charged love interest. Maggie Cheung, Andy Lau, and Jacky Cheung are memorable in their supporting roles, even though their screen time is limited.
Last but not least, I have to address the handsome elephant in the room. That is to say, this movie ends with one of the most soothing scenes in the history of cinema. We see Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as an unnamed character who prepares for a gambling night. It is incredibly comforting just watching this man filling his pockets and having a smoke in a dilapidated apartment. Undoubtedly, the scene must have served as a lead-in for In the Mood for Love and we can only wonder how that film would have looked like had it been made immediately after Days of Being Wild.
Recommendations All things considered, if you are new to Wong Kar Wai, then be wary of this film. However, if you are an old-timer who has already been through such classics as Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, and 2046, then Days of Being Wild is a perfect choice for you. Sometimes watching Wong Kar Wai’s films out of order is more rewarding than doing it chronologically.
Overall score: 7/10
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Godzilla: Tokyo SOS; or, Ménage à trois Sayonara, Kiryu! A couple of months ago I posted my review of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) on the blog, so I relentlessly come back to my revisitation of Godzilla movies, and this time I am taking a look at the film’s direct sequel which came out a year later; that is, Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS.
Release Info
Directed by: Masaaki TezukaStarring: Noboru Kaneko, Miho Yoshioka, Mitsuki Koga
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ゴジラ×モスラ×メカゴジラ 東京SOS Runtime: 91 min
Synopsis A year after defending Japan from Godzilla’s attack, Kiryu undergoes necessary repairs. However, Mothra appears and warns the authorities that they should dismantle Kiryu and return the remains of the original 1954 Gojira to the sea. Mothra offers to take Kiryu’s place as the Kaiju defender if these terms are fulfilled. Nevertheless, the Big G reawakens and proceeds to initiate a monster rumble in Tokyo. Kiryu is dispatched to the scene and Mothra together with her offspring rush to join the fight.
Kiryu Returns After the successful release of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, director Masaaki Tezuka was immediately given a green light to make a new entry in the Millennium series by producer Shogo Tomiyama. The director was allegedly given four potential story treatments, but he rejected all of them, opting to write his own screenplay. The final result became Tokyo SOS, a movie that is a continuation of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, but most of the time, it throws out the window the style of the previous film and tries to be its own thing.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Tokyo SOS is the fact that it does not continue the storylines of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla. Yumiko Shaku reprises her role as Lt. Akane, but her role is unfortunately marginal, and she is only there to pass the baton to the real heroes of the movie, who are Yoshito Chujo (Noboru Kaneko), Lt. Azusa Kisaragi (Miho Yoshioka), and Kiryu Operator Kyosuke Akiba (Mitsuki Koga). What is more, the characters of Professor Yuhara and his daughter are completely missing in the film, even though Yuhara was the co-constructor of Kiryu and he was in love with Akane.
Therefore, this movie can be regarded as a very loose sequel that strives to be more action-packed and bombastic than its predecessor. In addition, the presence of young cast members and Tokusatsu veterans cannot go unnoticed. Apart from the appearances by Akira Nakao and Koichi Ueda, there is also Hiroshi Koizumi, who reprises his role as Doctor Shinichi Chujo from the original Mothra (1961) movie. He does an excellent job in the film even though his storyline is a bit limited. What is more, Chihiro Otsuka and Masami Nagasawa herself play the new incarnations of the twin fairies who look after Mothra.
Although Tokyo SOS does not attempt to recreate the grandeur of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla. I can’t help but appreciate the film for what it is. Undoubtedly, it is a solid Tokusatsu spectacle with an awesome blend of miniature and CG special effects as well as the magnificent music score by Michiru Oshima. Additionally, the third act is one massive battle between the titular monsters that really leaves you out of breath.
My favourite monster of the Millennium era, Kiryu, gets a bit overshadowed in this film by Mothra, but it is understandable since the picture focuses on three monsters this time. It is a shame though that there is not just more of him in the story. Still, there is a wonderful, touching moment involving Kiryu towards the end that really made me teared up when I watched the film for the first time.
Oddly enough, it seems that I am not the only viewer who underwent such an experience with Tokyo SOS. In an interview, director Tezuka stated that during the screening of the film in the US, some lady came up to him, shook his hand, and said that this was the first Godzilla flick that made her cry (source).
Interestingly, as in the case of other Millennium movies, Tokyo SOS has an intriguing post-credits sequence, which may have possibly served as lead in for a new movie had Tezuka directed it. Unfortunately, this was not the case because Toho decided to go in a new direction for the Big G’s 50th anniversary, but more about this some other time.
Recommendations All in all, I greatly like Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS, but I think the story would benefit more from Kiryu action. I believe that this movie often gets omitted in the fan discussions because it came out in between highly-enjoyable Godzilla X Mechagodzilla and highly-controversial Godzilla: FInal Wars. The movie was originally released on DVD by TriStar in 2004 and it was re-released on Blu-Ray in 2014.
Overall score: 7/10
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