Horrors in the Aftermath: Godzilla Minus One (2023) Review

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Notable Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Mio Tanaka, Yuya Endo, Kisuke Iida, Saki Nagatani

 

At this point, we might be in one of the best ages for Godzilla. As a long-time fan myself who used to watch Godzilla Vs Megalon on repeat on a shitty VHS tape, it’s truly a golden age. Just in one year, we have a new Godzilla TV show on Apple+, a new Godzilla/Kong film, and the topic of this piece - the latest Toho Godzilla stand-alone story, Godzilla Minus One. It’s so much content it’s hard for my heart to hold it all in. 

 

Godzilla is the word. And the word is spreading, even in the US. 

 

Despite Godzilla’s dominance in newer US films, TV, and video game appearances, it’s hard to deny that a new Toho Godzilla film isn’t the most exciting thing from the kaiju franchise. Even though Godzilla Minus One is essentially remaking the original Godzilla film at its base, the participation of director/writer/visual FX guru Takashi Yamazaki and strong initial marketing hyped this film to a new level. Could it hold a candle to the strength of the last Toho Godzilla “reboot,” Shin Godzilla? Could it tell a new story with Big G in a way that could still be exciting?

 

The standing ovation that Godzilla Minus One received at my theatrical screening says in its own deafening Godzilla-like skreeonk, abso-fuckin-lutely. 

 

Fishy Is As Fishy Does: The Lake (2023) Review

Director: Lee Thongkham

Notable Cast: Theerapat Sajakul, Sushar Manaying, Vithaya Pansringarm, Supansa Wedkama, Wanmai Chatborrirak, Thanachat Tullayachat, Ren Youxan, Su Qiucheng

 

"What is more cruel than the monster is the lie...the lie that a group of people made to cover up their own failure so that everything remains peaceful. But there was never true peace."

 

The quote above is delivered via a voiceover narrative that bookends the Thai blockbuster The Lake. While I am normally one to roll my eyes at these kinds of storytelling choices, it’s one that lingered with me well into the credits and the Thai pop song that adored them. Was this by-the-numbers monster flick one that had far more depth under its surface than I gave it credit for while watching it?

 

Yeah, there is more depth than expected. The brilliance (and perhaps the biggest obstacle) of The Lake is that this monster flick, which steals fully from other monster movies in both concept and execution, is way better than it ever should be. It is monster madness that somehow manages to pop in some incredibly heartfelt moments and some odd moments of existential crisis that elevate the experience. All while it delivers some fun bigger-than-life fish monster mayhem. 

 

The Daimajin Trilogy (2021) [Daimajin, The Return of Daimajin, The Wrath of Daimajin]

The recent number of Daiei films that Arrow Video has unleashed onto Blu Ray and digitally in the last couple of years, it should not be a shock that the Daimajin Trilogy was one of the next collectors sets. Although the three films were widely available on Blu Ray through a cheap release via Mill Creek already, after the previously released Gamera series was released, an upgrade was most welcome. Featuring the only three films of this fascinating tokusatsu series, The Daimajin Trilogy not only contains the HD versions of the films, but tons of new commentaries, discussions, and writings about the films in a deluxe collectors set. This review will cover all three films of the series, but if you are interested enough in Daimajin to be reading this article - you might as well order the set right now. It’s a worthy endeavor to see the unusual and all too enticing films included. 

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Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)

Director: Adam Wingard

Notable Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, Demian Bichir, Shun Oguri, Eiza Gonzalez, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler

 

Well, it’s here. Finally. After three previous films, each one receiving rather mixed reviews and a continually declining box office, the Legendary and Warner Bros. ‘Monsterverse’ culminates in Godzilla Vs. Kong. Yes, that’s correct, the titanic duo come together once again in the monster showdown that was well on its way into production when Godzilla: King of the Monsters struggled at the box office. To its benefit, the long delays to release postponed originally to “allegedly” distance itself from the relative disappointment of the previous film and then a few more times due to the pandemic, have allowed the film to breathe a bit and find its footing. Its surprise success at the theaters, despite premiering day and date on HBOMax, is an indicator of two things: a) that audiences were ready to see a film truly made for the theatrical experience and b) enjoy a film more fine-tuned to deliver on its promises.

 

Gamera: The Complete Collection (2020) [Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, Gamera the Brave]

Growing up in a Godzilla household, there was always the mindset that Gamera was just a Big G knock off. The flying, fire eating turtle certainly came out in the wake of Godzilla stomping through the Japanese box office, but for much of the Western cult film fans Gamera was seen as a joke. Godzilla’s first film received a Criterion release, but Gamera’s first film was mostly known because of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Yet, just in my lifetime, there has been a resurgence in viewing Gamera as its own merits and as a series with its own themes and tropes. There was certainly help from the strength of the 90s reboot trilogy, but even the original run has had a revitalization worthy of revisiting.

To give even more power to this reclamation of everyone’s favorite jetpack kaiju, Arrow Video has amassed a massive new collection of all 12 of Gamera’s films. With the original run of 8 films, the 90s trilogy, and the final film – Gamera the Brave from 2006, this collection features them all. This series of reviews for the set will go briefly through each entry and then recap at the end thoughts and opinions on the set itself. Considering the number of films included, this series of articles will definitely be as massive as Gamera but will serve as a guide to all the films.

Gamera: The Complete Collection (2020) [Gamera Vs Jiger, Gamera Vs Zigra, Gamera: Super Monster]

Growing up in a Godzilla household, there was always the mindset that Gamera was just a Big G knock off. The flying, fire eating turtle certainly came out in the wake of Godzilla stomping through the Japanese box office, but for much of the Western cult film fans Gamera was seen as a joke. Godzilla’s first film received a Criterion release, but Gamera’s first film was mostly known because of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Yet, just in my life time, there has been a resurgence in viewing Gamera as its own merits and as a series with its own themes and tropes. There was certainly help from the strength of the 90s reboot trilogy, but even the original run has had a revitalization worthy of revisiting.

 

To give even more power to this reclamation of everyone’s favorite jetpack kaiju, Arrow Video has amassed a massive new collection of all 12 of Gamera’s films. With the original run of 8 films, the 90s trilogy, and the final film – Gamera the Brave from 2006, this collection features them all. This series of reviews for the set will go briefly through each entry and then recap at the end thoughts and opinions on the set itself. Considering the amount of films included, this series of articles will definitely be as massive as Gamera, but will serve as a guide to all the films.

 

Gamera: The Complete Collection (2020) [Gamera, Gammera the Invincible]

Growing up in a Godzilla household, there was always the mindset that Gamera was just a Big G knock off. The flying, fire eating turtle certainly came out in the wake of Godzilla stomping through the Japanese box office, but for much of the Western cult film fans Gamera was seen as a joke. Godzilla’s first film received a Criterion release, but Gamera’s first film was mostly known because of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Yet, just in my lifetime, there has been a resurgence in viewing Gamera as its own merits and as a series with its own themes and tropes. There was certainly help from the strength of the 90s reboot trilogy, but even the original run has had a revitalization worthy of revisiting.

To give even more power to this reclamation of everyone’s favorite jetpack kaiju, Arrow Video has amassed a massive new collection of all 12 of Gamera’s films. With the original run of 8 films, the 90s trilogy, and the final film – Gamera the Brave from 2006, this collection features them all. This series of reviews for the set will go briefly through each entry and then recap at the end thoughts and opinions on the set itself. Considering the number of films included, this series of articles will definitely be as massive as Gamera but will serve as a guide to all the films.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Director: Michael Dougherty

Notable Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Vera Varmiga, Bradley Whitford, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi, Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson, David Strathairn, Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah.

Despite my own extreme excitement for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the film was a wild card. Considering the fall out of audiences after Godzilla 2014 with complaints about “too many people, not enough Godzilla” and the surprise success of Kong: Skull Island, who knew how Warner and Legendary would react to the mixed messages for their follow up in their shared kaiju universe – now deemed the ‘Global Reboot’ series on Toho’s Godzilla website. Intriguingly enough, the studios tripled down on catering to the already established Godzilla fans out there. Not just by adding three more iconic kaiju to the film – Rodan, Mothra, and Monster Zero itself, King Ghidorah, but Michael Dougherty and company deliver probably the biggest and boldest love letter to the 65 years of Godzilla…for better or worse. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is massive. Incredibly massive. It’s also messy. Incredibly messy. However, for all of its flaws, King of the Monsters owns that it’s Godzilla’s Greatest Hits and punches through it with an insane amount of fan service and key moments that will have fans celebrating their own love.

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

Directors: Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita

Notable Cast: Mamoru Miyano, Takahiro Sakurai, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Yuki Kaji, Junichi Suwabe, Reina Ueda, Ari Ozawa, Kenta Miyake, Kenyu Horiuchi, Kazuya Nakai, Kazuhiro Yamaji

As a huge Godzilla fan, it was a shock that I felt so disconnected and disappointed with the first anime film Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters. If you’re curious about those feelings, as they do set up the context for this next review, I would suggest just going and reading my review for the film HERE. In summary, the film went very far away from the usual core Godzilla material and was essentially crippled by its structure. While its sequel, or more fittingly it should be called next episode, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle does help the first film by actually adding some character depth to the story, but it’s also a film that inherently suffers from the same problems and only adds a few redeeming qualities to make for a better film experience. Fans of the first film will definitely love what City on the Edge of Battle is offering, but for those hoping for a lot more (i.e. me) it’s only slightly better than the first.

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Notable Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Tomas Mann, Eugene Gordero, John C. Reilly

There are essentially two kind of King Kong movies. You have the more serious adventure ones that mean to paint Kong as a kind of tragic figure who is betrayed by humanity which is represented by the original 30s version and Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake. Then you have the silly Kong films, best represented by the Toho versions (King Kong vs Godzilla and King Kong Escapes) and to a lesser extent King Kong Lives. While the initial trailers made out the latest Kong film, the second in Legendary’s new expanded Monsterverse that includes 2014’s Godzilla, to be something more serious and drawing on plenty of Vietnam war imagery, this film is far more akin to the latter films than the previous. This is not a remake. This is not some kind of morality tale outside of the subtext. This is a giant monster film. This is pure kaiju cinema worship and it never takes a breather from its intent as being an entertaining popcorn flick. Don’t expect to be blown away by thoughtful characters, dynamic plotting, or even logical progression because that is not what Kong: Skull Island is about. This film is about big monster fights and giving the audience their money’s worth in outrageous entertainment.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Directors: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

Notable Cast: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara

AKA: Shin Gojira, Godzilla: Resurgence 

After Godzilla got the American reboot a couple of years ago, it stirred notions in the water that Toho was interested in trying to bring the Big G back for their own franchise. This, of course, causes both excitement and panic in the fan base and there seemed to be as much hesitation as their was blind faith in the project from fans. While the newest American film has garnered its own share of mixed feelings (you can read my positive position on the film HERE) there were enough rumors and speculation about what the film would be that it was easy to lose sight that we were getting a new goddamn Toho Godzilla film. Even better? After its release in Japan to some solid critical acclaim and box office numbers, it was purchased by Funimation for distribution in the US and it would even get a limited theatrical run. Not only were we getting a new Godzilla film, but it was getting a release in the United States. After seeing the aptly titled Shin Godzilla (bless Funimation for going with this title instead of Godzilla: Resurgence which wouldn’t make sense at all in the film), it’s easy to see why it’s making such a huge mark in Japan. This is not only a fantastically executed rebirth for the character and franchise, it’s one that knows its roots and homages the original in so many effective ways while maintaining its own style and approach. Shin Godzilla is the best of both worlds and it comes as a spectacular surprise.

TOP TEN: Godzilla Films

Godzilla: King of the Monsters...and franchises!

With the home release of Legendary’s Godzilla reboot on the horizon, we felt it was high time to build another Blood Brothers top ten list for one of our favorite franchise of all time. Prior to the release of the latest installment (and second American attempt at kick starting a US franchise for Big G), I blasted through all of the Godzilla films in an attempt to relive my youth and refresh my memory. As I went through the films, I ranked each one to create this top ten list. Included with each entry is a brief explanation of why it deserves to make the list and the best Godzilla WTF Moment of the film. I hope that our readers enjoy this list as it was a hard one to finalize for me due to my life long relationship with the King of the Monsters. If you agree or disagree, feel free to spit some blood in the comments section below with your bloody two-cents. Until then, enjoy Blood Brothers’ Top Ten Godzilla Films!

10. GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002)

             

Perhaps my favorite era of Godzilla is the 2000s series, where continuity finally seemed to matter, the special effects were top notch, and the series decided to push a few boundaries by moving Godzilla away from being a full on good guy or villain as a character. After the disappointing previous entry, the series returns to one of its other iconic characters with Mechagodzilla for another epic showdown. While the concept of this one is fairly ridiculous, the focus on stronger character depth adds a more humane aspect to the kaiju proceedings…of which the final act is pretty awesome anyway.

09. GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. (2003)

             

This direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (and various other Toho films like Mothra) actually improves on many elements of the previous entry as it pulls further from some of the comic book lead characters and adds a bit more drama to the mix. Not to mention it’s always awesome to have Mothra involved again as a hero of sorts. The final act is ridiculously epic and worth the price of purchase alone.

08. KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962)

            

Say what you will about the cheesy elements of King Kong Vs. Godzilla, but this film is a fucking riot from minute one. While I have only seen some shitty versions of the original Japanese cut of the film, even the American version (complete with the most watered down newscaster cut scenes known to man) is a blast to watch. Rarely does this film make sense thanks to some issues with the script and obvious attempts at just being outrageous, but this one has some of the most iconic moments of the series…even if that includes Kong being airlifted by weather balloons while drunk on berry juice. Not to mention you get to see Godzilla punch his way out of an iceberg.

07. GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004)

             

This is easily the most controversial choice from the series to make my top ten list for the Godzilla franchise, but I’ll be damned if I don’t have a blast watching Godzilla: Final Wars time and time again. It throws in everything into the mix. Relentless kaiju battles for the last half, all of the iconic Toho monsters and freak plot progressions, martial arts fight sequences, motorcycle chases, aliens, enemies that morph into different forms, and super cheesy CGI mixed with the rubber suit vs model madness. It’s crazy eclectic, but it succeeds in a B-grade film sort of way to be so entertaining that it rarely pulls off of the gas pedal. For that, it ends up being one of my favorites and one of the most interesting entries into this franchise.

06. GHIDRAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964)

AKA INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER

             

I love the look and arch-nemesis status of Ghidorah from the original series, but too often he was thrown in with not enough back story or as a filler enemy in later entries. For his debut though, Ghidorah is treated as a truly vicious and world ending threat for humanity and thusly, kaiju all over. This film also succeeds in its structure as we see other iconic monsters (Rodan and Mothra) having to team together to defeat this latest threat in the final act. It’s almost like the film plays out as a morality tale about putting aside differences for the betterment of our world and despite its somewhat silly ‘alien’ plot thread, works impressively as a science fiction tale. 

05. GODZILLA (2014)

           

While the reviews originally came out mixed for this newest slab of kaiju destruction at the hands of Big G, I loved it. It teases with the audience and really brings Godzilla bravely into a modern era, throwing in just enough references to previous entries for the fans and adding in some new material for the young folks unfamiliar with the franchise. While it’s the only full CGI Godzilla flick to make this list, director Edwards knows how to shoot an action sequence with kaiju for this day and age and the film has one of the best fights in the last act. Critics can bitch about all the writing issues they want, but I'm guessing that they haven't seen many of the other films to see how it fits into the franchise. I'm guess none of them really remember the horrid Godzilla Vs. Megalon.

04. GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH (1995)

             

For this entry, the series takes a darker and almost Lovecraftian turn. Destroyah might be one of Godzilla’s most vicious foes as he shifts and splits into various forms as unrelenting ass kicking. Not only that, but Godzilla is threatening to go all nuclear meltdown on us (giving him a smoky orange glow) and his now grown son – a story thread from the last few – is going to have to help him take out the new monster. The stakes are super high, the human element is one marked with panic, and the top notch costuming make this one a must see. This is one of the few Godzilla entries that even has a bit of a horror streak to it.

03. MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964)

            

I’m not entirely sold on the original Godzilla series that lasted through the 70s, as one can see from this list, as that series focused more on making Godzilla a protector of Earth and heavily focused on science fiction aspects, but pitting Big G versus the ‘real’ protector of nature Mothra was an awesome idea. Mothra might have some hard to swallow fantasy aspects to it, but the resulting multi-tiered battles in the film make this one instantly memorable and well balanced with a human stance that would quickly get lost in the shuffle in later entries. It can be a bit cheesy, but the resulting mix of thematic moral lessons and kaiju throwdowns is worth it.

02. GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (2001)

           

Coming off strong from his 90s trilogy of Gamera films, director Shusuke Kaneko takes his entry into the Godzilla franchise in wholly new directions. For Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (often shortened to GMK,) he establishes Godzilla as the ultimate bad guy – powered by the ghosts of those killed in WWII nonetheless – and humanity must awaken the three protectors of Earth to stop him from annihilating all of Japan. This entry is substantially darker, more violent, and heavier than almost any of the previous entries as Godzilla is fucking ruthless (pure white eyes and all) to the point that you’re not sure who will win at the end. [Spoiler] Particularly when Godzilla fucking executes Baragon at the mid waypoint. Nothing is safe in this film and the resulting flick is awesome kaiju ecstasy through and through.

01. GODZILLA (1954)

             

The obvious choice for the best Godzilla film to be made thus far, the original Godzilla still reigns supreme as king of the monsters. With remarkably little screen time to actually destroy things, Godzilla remains a heavy presence through the strong character actions and interactions as the symbolism of Japan’s fear about the aftermath of the nuclear destruction in WWII. Godzilla is less of a monster and more of a symbol in this film and it works in spades to deliver a thoughtful film that parallels reality with a giant monster film onscreen. It also has a very memorable city destruction sequence for those looking for some kaiju action.

Agree or disagree with this list? Spit some blood below and let us know which films you think should have made the Top Ten Godzilla Films list!

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Godzilla (2014)

Director: Gareth Edwards

Notable Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston

Godzilla is one of film’s most iconic characters. Spawning from a social commentary on Japan’s fear of the nuclear age, Godzilla has morphed and reflected social commentary through the times. He’s been an epic villain made of man’s arrogance, the wrath of mother nature, Earth’s grand protector, the lesser of two evils, a living nuclear reactor, a dinosaur on steroids, and in Hollywood’s first attempt at the franchise a giant pregnant iguana. Yet it’s Hollywood’s second attempt at kick starting a franchise that seems to have blended a slew of the previous descriptions into a rather impressive cocktail. Godzilla is both a unique reboot for the king of the monsters and one that injects enough of those ‘fan moments’ to make sure that new and old fans will be pleased. I know I sure as hell was impressed as I walked out of my showing.

Joe Brody (Cranston) cannot let go of the past. An accident at the nuclear power planet in Japan fifteen years prior has left him a widower and hollow inside emotionally, leaving his son Ford(Taylor-Johnson) on edge with him through the years. When Joe stumbles upon a massive clue to something that the government is hiding in the ruins of the power plant though, the two will become caught in a war between ancient beasts with a score to settle.

Woof.

Intriguingly enough, it’s obvious that Gareth Edwards and company understand the formula of a Godzilla flick. Perhaps it’s because I did the massive Big G marathon of all 29 films prior to seeing this, but it was all there for the fans. The human portion of the story where humanity finds itself outgunned by nature’s monsters, the kaiju battles, and plenty of G Science (my brother and I came up with the term G Science for the mumbo jumbo that these films use to explain their ridiculousness plot devices) all make appearances in Godzilla. While Edwards does a few things to really modernize the film as a whole using much bigger scale including having a lot of the final act shot from wide shots from the street or far up in the sky, he understands what the fans want to see and generally delivers it even if it comes off as cheesy.

So let’s start with the human portion of the film. The Brodys (a nice nod to Jaws, by the way, which does play a fairly big role in how the film is structured too) are not your usual Godzilla flick fair. In fact, this portion owes a lot to early Ishiro Honda films or the spectacular Gamera films from the 90s in how the film layers in a more personal feel to the epic kaiju issues that occur in the background. While our two leads in Taylor-Johnson and Olsen tend to be given more reaction geared roles with simple motivations (get home and worry, respectively) the underlying familial issues play through in various elements of the film. The villainous insect like MUTOs are attempting to find one another and nest, Cranston’s father allows his family to fall apart in search for the truth, and the Taylor-Johnson/Olsen combo tries to show case the future hope. While it is not as effective as it might have been since the film does tend to cater to epic kaiju film structures, I was really digging into the thought and work that went into this aspect of Godzilla and it adds a nice human element to the flick.

Let’s be honest though, a majority of the people that are going to see this film are going to see the titular beast. Like many of the Godzilla films in the past, Big G is not necessarily the driving force for the film and thusly really doesn’t show up until half way through. The focus is on humanity’s reaction to a different threat, the villainous MUTOs. I am a huge fan that this reboot establishes a new villain for Big G to go fist-to-cuffs with instead of relying solely on established brands and the MUTOs live up to effort. I don’t want to give too much away about that portion of the plot, but it works in spades. Big G plays out more like the Earth’s protector element of the franchise here (although like Watanabe’s disheveled scientist seems to believe – he’s just doing as nature intended since the MUTOs are natural enemies) and by the time Godzilla does show up you’re already invested in his success and by the time the stunning finale shows up in it’s full destruction riddled glory you’re cheering likes it’s a damn sports event.

Peek-a-boo.

…and the finale is awesome. Many of the kaiju fights earlier in the film are glossed over in an attempt to create more suspense for this final throwdown, but it doesn’t affect what Godzilla has in store for the last act. Again I don’t want to give away too much of how the plot plays out, but just know that the finale plays out more like a massive epic action sequence then it does destruction porn complete with some classic Godzilla moments that will have fans excited.

Gareth Edwards just gets it. He makes Godzilla a multi-faceted film layered with human morals, a touch of atmospheric suspense, and enough of those Godzilla moments that fans will eat it up. The structure and Godzilla’s cat and mouse chase with the MUTOs really builds to a finale that might be one of the greatest Godzilla third acts in the franchise if not one of the best action set pieces for Hollywood in the last decade. As a fan of Godzilla and a film critic, I was inherently pleased with this film on all levels. It’s just enough seriousness and thoughtful writing to make the cheesy kaiju and G Science elements worth the suspension of disbelief. Yeah it’s not perfect, but I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off this new era for the King of the Monsters. 

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

GODZILLA: FINAL WARS

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Big G Toho decided to bring the series to an end... at least for now. And for this monumental final outing of an impressive 28 film long series Toho promised to go all out to make a huge brawl including tons of monsters ranging from all different eras of the “Godzilla” franchise. Fans had been clamoring for a reworking of “Destroy All Monsters” for years and it seemed fitting to end the franchise with a big battle royale… but the overall product left fans divided with the final results, including myself.

The plot here is a reboot…. AGAIN! The film opens with a mighty battle with Godzilla in the South Pole were an Atragon supersub is able to trap Big G in some ice. A few years later an alien race visits Earth warning a planet called Gorath is on a collision course with Earth and that they have the technology to stop it. Knowing this is a Godzilla film we know these aliens are up to no good and soon they unleash monsters upon the world. To save the human race from extinction, the Japanese government with the help of ‘sergeant slaughter’ and a mutant human release Godzilla from his icy tomb to rip the monsters to shreds.

Fans are going to love all the plethora of references to previous “Godzilla” and “Toho Universe” films. Hell the opening credits just gives one goosebumps as it shows clips from even more obscure films as “Varan the Unbelievable” and “Space Ameoba”. Bringing in the supersub “Atragon” from the film with the same name was just brilliant and even the reference to the 1962 Toho oddity “Gorath” brought a smile to my face. The reference that got me to smile the most though wasn’t even a Toho monster, but “Gamera”, the rival franchise of “Godzilla”, in which a kid playing with Godzilla toys throws a monster turtle action figure into the fireplace. Take that Gamera!

Well enough about references, most are probably wondering what monsters they brought back. Main staples of the franchise like Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah and Anguirus all make their necessary appearances. Along with them we also get more obscure ones such as Ebirah (the lobster from “Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster”), the spider and mantis from “Son of Godzilla”, Manda from “Atragon”, the worthless King Ceasar from the original “Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla” and even Godizlla from the 1998 Ameican remake makes a small cameo (refered to as Zilla as he’s not worth of the word “God”). However, my favorite monster, Gigan, is an absolute showstopper the updates the filmmakers made to him are astounding (love the new saw blade arms!). Some were disappointed by the lack of MechaG but we got our fill of him and the last 2 entries and there’s enough shit going on in the plot that the film doesn’t need him.

The serious problem I have with the picture is the convoluted plot and continuity with the rest of the franchise. I know what you’re thinking – “plot was never important in Godzilla films” but God damnit when it’s the final film of a 28 film long franchise it better be fucking epic! The problem is that all the entries (for the most part) in the millennium era of the franchise rebooted the storyline and ignored all previous films before excluding the 1954 original. That means there was no build-up to a climatic final film through-out the series. It’s like if each “Lord of the Rings” film was a separate entity that ignored the previous entry, this would make a climatic final film moot from any built-up excitement for a resolution. Mix that with a plot full of mutant humans, flying subs, aliens, giant monsters and a lifeless subplot about Godzilla’s son makes one’s head want to explode!

Another issue some fans was the style and overall look of the film. Director Ryûhei Kitamura goes out of his way to make this look like an almost over stylized, Hollywood action picture with his camera work and lighting. I had no problem with this as it differentiates it from the look of previous “Godzilla” pictures. He also loads up the film with mutant human martial arts fighting. Usually “Godzilla” films are full of monsters fighting and humans talking so I see no problem with the addition of martial arts. I do have to agree with some fans as there is so much shit going on in the script that Godzilla almost seems like an afterthought and doesn’t show back up in the film until over an hour into the picture… but it is grand when he does.

Overall I enjoyed “Godzilla: Final Wars” but like many fans I had issues with the final results. The style and martial arts addition didn’t bother me but the convoluted plot and lack of continuity to the rest of the films made it lack the climatic resolution one would hope for. The overall result of the plot is sadly ‘just another “Godzilla” movie’ instead of being an epic finale. With that said I still had a ball with all the monsters from “Toho Universe” and seeing Big G stomp the shit out of Tokyo one last time. With this review it brings the end of my four month long “Godzilla Tokyo Stompathon” of reviewing every “Godzilla” film and many entries into the “Toho Universe” of monsters. I wish there was another giant Japanese monster series I could review… like a rival franchise that gave Big G a run for his money at the box office… like one featuring a giant saber-toothed space turtle. That’s right… “Gamera Tokyo Stompathon” is just around the corner beeches!

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S.

Aka "Godzilla, Mothra and Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Finally after four films in the millennium era of the “Godzilla” franchise that ‘reboot’ the story line, we finally have a direct sequel! And what better film to have a direct sequel than “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla”. Why? Because Mechagodzilla is uber bad ass and the more films Godzilla’s robotic counterpart appears in, the better. Thankfully unlike the 1975 film “Terror of Mechagodzilla” which was a direct sequel the 1974 film “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla”, this direct sequel is just as good as its predecessor.

After getting his ass kicked (while dishing out a fair share of his own ass kicking), Godzilla is hibernating in the pacific ocean to heal while the Japanese Government is franticly try to repair MechaG before Godzilla rises again. A problem arrises when Mothra and her fairies appear, warning a mechanic to close down the MechaG project and to return the original Godzilla’s bones to the sea (it’s a long story… read my review of the last film for that ridiculous plot concept).

Thanks for Toho making this a direct sequel, time doesn’t have to be wasted on ‘re-establishing’ Godzilla like all the other damn reboots and we can get right into the meat-and-potatoes of the film. Fans of Toho’s universe will enjoy seeing Mothra in the mix but why exactly does Mothra give a shit about the original Godzilla’s bones? And why does Mothra and the faires warn a measly mechanic as opposed to someone with actual authority? These are just minor quibbles that I have with what seems like every “Godzilla” film. I did appreaciate the fact the filmmakers brought back actor Hiroshi Koizumi reprising his role from the 1961 film “Mothra” make a nice connection to the older films in the Toho Universe.

“Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.” is a fun 27th entry into the franchise with nifty special effects and a lot of destruction, but let’s face it as it has become “the same ‘ol same ‘ol”. Watching as many of these films in a row as I have might wear on the nerves a bit as really nothing new is introduced into the Godzilla formula. Still it’s great to see a sequel with actual continuity without ‘rebooting’ the damn series again and the ties to the older Toho Universe films is pleasing to fans. Sadly the continuity would end here as the next film, the ‘final’ entry into the franchise, again cuts all ties.

Godzilla will return in “Godzilla: Final Wars”

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA

Audiences loved the last entry “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” so Toho decided to keep with the formula by mimicking the 90s era of the franchise and re-inventing classic Godzilla monsters. Here it’s Mechagodzilla for the third time in the franchise as a whole. Much like the 1993 entry “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” titling became a problem so instead of calling it “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla III” for stateside release, they changed the wording a bit to “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla” but even this title can cause some confusion. Titling issues aside this is a bad ass modernizing of one Godzilla’s greatest foes.

The plot is a reboot AGAIN! Seriously why the fuck did Toho decide the Millennium era of the franchise shouldn’t have continuity between the films is beyond me. This is the fourth time in a row they’ve done this and it’s getting fucking annoying. Well AGAIN this entry ignores all the sequels that came before and AGAIN is a direct follow-up to the original 1954 version of “Godzilla” (sigh). So the plot spends some time setting up Godzilla AGAIN before introducing Japan’s mechanical defense against him with Mechagodzilla, a giant cybernetic creation built around the bones of the original Godzilla that died in the original film (seriously… why would they do that?). This is where the plot goes bat shit crazy as the bones have a genetic memory and soon Mechagodzilla goes on a rampage!

The plot elements of Godzilla’s bones having a genetic memory is absolutely hilarious and kept me laughing for some time. The look of the new Mechagodzilla is awe inspiring mixing the viciousness of the original 70s version with the sleekness of the 90s version to make a nice happy medium. The filmmakers however decide to make the film more ‘realistic’ by having Mechagodzilla constantly run out of power and by having it being flown around with aircraft as opposed by blasting off itself. The film is about a giant cybernetic organism with genetic memory bones fighting a giant mutant dinosaur… why the fuck do we need shit like this to be more ‘realistic’.

Overall this is a pleasing entry into the franchise with eye-catching special effects and a nice update for one of Godzilla’s nastiest villains. What keeps the film being as good as it’s predecessor “Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” is that it has to spends so much time re-setting up the return of Godzilla when they could have blew past that if these films actually had FUCKING CONTINUITY! Thankfully Toho decided to actually have continuity after this entry as the follow-up film with be a direct sequel. THANK GOD!

Godzilla will return in "Godzilla: Tokyo SOS"

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH:

GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK

After fan disappointment and poor box office returns with “Godzilla vs. Megaguirus” Toho knew they had to get their act together or else their third era of the “Godzilla” franchise would come to an end much sooner than expected. The end result with the exhaustive title “Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” (why didn’t they just call it “Giant Monsters All-Out Attack”?) not only proved to be arguably the best of the Millennium era of the franchise, but one of the best “Godzilla” movies overall.

The plot is again a ‘reboot’, ignoring all previous films except the original 1954 “Godzilla” (hmmm… this is becoming a trend here and I’m not liking this aspect). It seems Godzilla has returned after decades of slumber to wreak havoc on Japan. A reporter and some friends uncover some legends of ‘good’ monsters (Mothra, King Ghidorah and Baragon) and head out to release them from their prisons in order to self defend their homeland against Big G.

What I truly love about this entry is how fucking evil Godzilla is. Not only is he far removed from that ‘hero of the earth’ bullshit that infected that latter half of the original run of the franchise, but he is just pure animalistic evil bent on killing and destruction… what Godzilla should be damnit! His new look only heightens his evil nature with his more traditional suit design with blank, white, soulless eyes. Bring back familiar monsters for fans was also a smart move as Mothra gets an amazing update and having King Ghidorah as a ‘good monster’ was a nice twist. The underground burrowing beast Baragon, the least known of the monsters, was a nice addition (even though he didn’t get his name in the title) as he is an underrated monster that first appeared in “Frankenstein Conquers the World” and “Destroy All Monsters”.

 The plot has plenty of hogwash moments, especially how Godzilla is fueled by the souls of dead Japanese soldiers during World War II. Uhhh.. what?! And there’s an old dude that has a connection to King Ghidorah that just gives me chuckles but what’s a Godzilla movie without some ridiculous plot elements. Toho also went all out with fight sequences as Godzilla and the other monsters are absolutely destructive to the max, with filmmakers even going to great lengths to show all the damage they cause and people they kill. So much in fact that it might bother some young kids that try to watch it.

"Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: yadda yadda yadda” is one of my personal favorites of the franchise and it is hands down one of the best entries… period. The addition of fan favorite monsters, heightened special effects, Godzilla’s mega evil presence and overall destructive and violent nature of the film kept me glued to the screen. Hell even some of the ridiculous plot elements got me to chuckle with glee. Definitely one of the must see entries of the series that easily makes up for the misstep with “Godzilla vs. Megaguirus”.

Godzilla will return in "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla"

Written By Eric Reifschneider