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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Godzilla and Heroine (2020) [Documentary Review]

Godzilla and Heroine; or, Tokusatsu Mon Amour
     My work with Godzilla has reached an end.
As soon as I heard that NHK television released a new Godzilla documentary in late December, 2020, I knew I had to check it out. This new look at behind the scenes focuses on the theme of female thespians who had the honour of gracing the screen alongside the legendary King of the Monsters.

Release Info

Directed by: Takeshi Yagi Starring: Kumi MIzuno, Yumiko Shaku, Keiko Mari, Megumi Odaka

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゴジラとヒロイン Runtime: 90 min

In spite of my less-than-rudimentary knowledge of Japanese, I was able to grasp the gist of the documentary. The whole thing plays like a variety show, hosted by three people: Shiro Sano (who appeared as a scientist in Godzilla 2000), comedian Tsukaji Muha pretending to be a lab doctor, and actress Megumi Han playing an android. The three hosts begin the show by explaining the concepts of “Tokusatsu” and “Kaiju” and establishing different kinds of heroines.

At this point, the documentary slightly diverges from its title because it covers a wide range of actresses who appeared not only in Godzilla movies but also in other Tokusatsu productions of the Showa era (for example, the hosts show snippets from such films as The Mysterians (1957), The Three Treasures (1959), Matango (1963), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), and many more). As a result, the documentary transforms into a love letter to all the actresses who played in Japanese monster movies before these pictures became too-cool-for-school across the globe.

Apart from extensive retrospectives, the documentary also provides a look at previously unknown footage from the making of Tokusatsu films. In addition, the figure of Godzilla producer Tomoyuki Tanaka is outlined in detail.

With regard to special guests, the NHK studio is visited by Kumi Mizuno who reminiscences about her time on Godzilla films, and Yumiko Shaku who shows up in her full Kiryu Squadron uniform from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) movie. Interestingly, she is very lively and energetic while interacting with the hosts (but her character in the movies was very serious and pessimistic). In addition, former Godzilla producer/Toho president Shogo Tomiyama also appears and has a conversation with the hosts and other guests.

The documentary also features pre-recorded interviews with two other actresses, Keiko Mari and Megumi Odaka. The first actress discusses her role in Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), whereas Megumi Odaka goes over the story arc of her character, as presented in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

Apart from these treats, Shino Sano provides a lecture-like talk about the development of Tokusatsu heroines over the years. To be honest, I would have appreciated these interjections more had it not been for the fact that Godzilla and Heroine does not treat itself seriously, constantly falling into the convention of a variety shows, because the viewers need to be entertained. As a result, we see Shiro Sano is some kind of a bar with loud music (as if he is about to promote Suntory whisky like Bill Murray) and Tsukaji Muha trying to re-enact the famous heroine screams.

I think that the documentary would have worked better if it had been a straightforward retrospective on all of the Godzilla heroines, something similar to Maryam d’Abo’s Bond Girls Are Forever (2002). In this documentary, a former Bond girl tracks down and interviews fellow beauties who appeared alongside Agent 007.

Recommendations
If you are an incurable Godzilla fan, then the documentary is definitely for you. However, you may not get any new information out of this viewing experience. All in all, it’s great that Godzilla’s heroines are still being remembered in the world of today. My respect goes to all the actresses, especially Momoko Kochi (picture above) who had the privilege of playing the first female character in a Godzilla movie.

Overall score: 7/10

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