On 16th May 2014, Toho’s greatest monster will return to the big screen in an American reboot. With just 8 weeks to go, we here at THN are counting down the GODZILLA back catalogue.
Director: Takao Okawara,
Starring: Takuro Tatsumi, Yoko Ishino, Yasufumi Hayashi, Megumi Odaka, Sayaka Osawa, Saburo Shinoda, Akira Nakao, Masahiro Takashima, Momoko Kochi
Plot: A new theory suggests that Godzilla could explode in a terrifying nuclear breakdown. As humanity thinks of a way to save itself, a new villain also arrives as creatures mutated by the original Oxygen Destroyer begin to take over the land.
This is the end, at least until the next series of films came about a few years later. However, at the time this was expected to be Godzilla’s final bow for Toho until his 50th anniversary in 2004. Why? Because a little place known as Hollywood had acquired the rights for a trilogy of their own Godzilla movies. As we now know, that trilogy became a single effort and so Godzilla returned home sooner than expected. So let’s look at this in terms of context. Toho had announced that Godzilla was going to die. This would be the first time that the beast had been killed since his original incarnation in GOJIRA. We’ve come to learn over the years that no iconic character stays dead for long, but to see such a ginormous legend come to an end is still an emotional gut punch.
Although what we got is one of the best Godzilla films for all the right reasons, the original idea could have been one of the worst. In celebration of his legacy, Godzilla was set to fight the ghost of the original Godzilla. Just reading that idea makes my head spin, and although it could have worked in some way, I just imagine 90 minutes of Godzilla swinging his fists of futility at an apparition that can’t be hurt. Thankfully Toho decided that having three films in a row in which Godzilla fights a doppelganger of some kind, with Mechagodzilla and SpaceGodzilla preceding this entry, would be a bit too much. After such discussions were scrapped, Toho then toyed with the idea of giving always the bridesmaid but never the bride, Bagan, a go on the big screen. Bagan was the final boss in the computer game Super Godzilla, and despite many rumours, he is yet to feature on film. Instead we got a brand new monster (or should that be monsters?), in a film which ignored nothing from the Heisei era, but returned it to its darker beginnings in GODZILLA 1985 and GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE.
Things start as they mean to go on, with that iconic roar of Godzilla’s being heard. We’re then transported over the sea as Miki (Odaka), travelling via helicopter, visits Birth Island to see how Godzilla and Little Godzilla are getting along. This was to be Odaka’s last time playing the role of Miki, a character who has been the glue between each franchise entry since GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE. Although often used as a simple plot device to speed things up while using her psychic powers, she also made way for the more personal connection towards the monsters, something that is demonstrably important for this film. Miki discovers the island is gone, and Godzilla is soon spotted destroying Hong Kong, but this time a strange orange glow emanates from him. Godzilla looks huge, as does the set. Director Takao Okawara returns after his success with previous entries in the Heisei series, GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA and GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA, and he brings out great long shots that fill the screen with buildings and vast landscapes, as well as utilising close-ups to bring the action closer to home.
All this results in a Godzilla summit meeting where Godzilla’s aesthetic changes are noted. It then comes to light that an Internet theory written by a college boy suggests that Godzilla’s heart is like a power reactor and could possibly be going into meltdown. I love the inclusion of the Internet as a place for theories here. We’re seeing the exact same thing with current news involving the missing Malaysian airliner. Ahead of its time? I’d say so. The idea that Godzilla could go into meltdown is also a powerful and poignant way of bringing Godzilla’s origins full circle. He was a product of nuclear testing when nuclear power was predominantly used as weaponry, but now nuclear power can be used for our own energy needs with a real danger being meltdowns, something Japan tragically experienced three years ago with the Fukushima disaster, an event where the repercussions are still felt today. The Japan Self Defense Force brings in the college student responsible for the paper, who turns out to be Kenichi Yamane (Hayashi), the grandson of Takeshi Shimura’s character from the original 1954 film. This connection, and many others that follow, again bring this story of Godzilla’s death in a full circle and completes a fascinating series.
Miki decides to join the team researching Godzilla’s future, as she wishes to find the still missing Little Godzilla. At this point it is revealed on the news that Micro-Oxygen, a new discovery, has been developed via Serizawa’s research which resulted in the Oxygen Destroyer of the first film. Once again the morals of weaponry are brought up, and the idea of science becoming the villain makes this a more grounded film than the previous time-travel, space adventure, and mythological entries. Momoko Kochi returns to her role as Emiko Yamane from the original film, once again drawing brilliant parallels. She speaks of Serizawa’s wishes to die with his creation, and we’re treated to flashbacks and brilliant use of ‘Under The Sea’, the musical piece which accompanied the climax of the 1954 classic. It still creates chills, and for the first time in a long time we feel as though we are in the same universe. A number of strange readings indicate that there is simply too much fission inside Godzilla and he will explode, which will result in an explosion worse than all the nuclear weapons in the world. There’s a terrifying vision of a What If scenario that rivals Sarah Connor’s vision in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY.
At the exact site where the original Godzilla was killed, life is discovered in the soil. It is realised that there once was a time with no oxygen and life managed to exist in some form. The use of the Oxygen Destroyer has brought such creatures back to life. It’s also decided that only the Oxygen Destroyer could finish off Godzilla without resulting in an explosion as it would eat away at the monster. In an aquarium, the fish start to disintegrate. The vision is horribly reminiscent of the first film, and looks terrifying. A number of monsters, about the size of a man, scuttle past and attack a building. A heavy police presence is requested, and the SWAT team takes us into ALIENS territory. The scene certainly owes a lot to a number of blockbusters from the US, but its inclusion in the Godzilla franchise is actually very fresh. The violence that follows is also kind of grim, as the SWAT team are picked off in scenes that replicate both JURASSIC PARK and ALIENS, with the slow stalking scenes and sudden attacks. Even the design of the monsters is slightly influenced by the Alien, as it has a mouth within a mouth, and JURASSIC PARK is clearly ‘homage-d’ in a flipped car sequence. The rest of the monster’s design is wonderful though, being given a very demonic look that makes this creature seem like it’s from hell. Perhaps the once rumoured Godzilla Vs. Satan spilled over into this installment.
A number of monster destruction sequences take place, but after Godzilla is frozen by the new Super X III (a throwback to GODZILLA 1985), Little Godzilla is spotted, and is renamed Godzilla Jr, as it looks exactly like a smaller variation on Godzilla rather than a weird frog creature. As Godzilla thaws out, it is realised that he is in meltdown and upon hitting 1200 degrees, he will melt into the Earth and cause worse destruction than the previously predicted explosion. At the same time, scientists discover that the smaller monsters, now known as Destroyah, are actually Oxygen Destroyer’s themselves, and could be used to defeat Godzilla. Godzilla Jr. is used to lure Godzilla to where Destroyah is, courtesy of Miki’s psychic abilities. The Destroyah monsters join together to make one larger flying beast, and Godzilla Jr. is viciously beaten to death before Godzilla can arrive. Once the big G does show up he’s incredibly pissed. The death scene of Godzilla Jr. is tragic and very moving, especially when Godzilla stops fighting Destroyah in order to attend to the body of his fallen comrade. The final battle is immense, utilising massive sets of destruction, as well as awesome POV shots, and flesh tearing. As the Super X III takes down Destroyah, Godzilla begins meltdown, but the freeze missiles prevent extreme damage to Earth. In slow motion, with an orchestral choir adding a deep and emotional punch, it is a sad end for such an iconic legend. It’s almost as powerful as the 1954 ending, as we once again see Godzilla as a misunderstood creature who is actually quite vulnerable.
A powerful reflection of all things Godzilla, GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH is arguably the second best film in the entire franchise. It has clear links to everything from the Heisei era, as well as taking things back to the 1954 original. It brings back the darker tone, but also remembers how important the emotions towards the beasts were. Excellent fight scenes, where the idea of it being men in suits is nearly unfathomable, give us some of the greatest action, as well as a few nods to Hollywood blockbusters. This is an epic reminder of what Godzilla can be and hopefully will be with the latest film.
Dub-Misstep: Toho dub once again but,like GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA, wasn’t utilised for an American release until 1999. Interestingly enough, the original Japanese name for the monster was Destoyer, but since Toho couldn’t copyright this name, they made it Destroyah for the American release.
Monsters: Little Godzilla becomes Godzilla Jr. and plays a huge part this time around. Godzilla looks magnificent in his final hours as he glows hot orange and the many different forms of Destroyah are simply mesmerizing. They look so demonic and are a threat whether scuttling around on the ground at 10 feet high, or flying through the air when towering over Godzilla.
Notes For GODZILLA (2014): This really holds up today and dispenses with the cheese of many previous efforts. It shows how Godzilla and seriousness can go hand in hand, which is hopefully what we’ll be getting with the latest incarnation. The emotion is what really sells the film though and should be considered when handling big monsters. They can still make us cry.
G-RATING:
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GODZILLA will be released 16th May 2014. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Akira Takarada, and David Strathairn.
