This is probably my all time favorite Godzilla Movie.
Not the best, mind you, but the most insane and totally whacked out Godzilla movie ever made.
First of all, it has everything. And I do mean “everything:” flying saucers, cute pets, time travel, the secret origins of both monsters, a terminator robot, a super submarine (it doesn’t last long, but, hey, it’s the thought that counts) the Peter Arnett of Japan, and the most absurdly awesome cyborg ever committed to film.
And then there is the plot, where they seem to have decided to do the most totally unexpected thing they could do at any given minute — without, I should note, descending into mere chaos or fantasy, or violating the “reality” of Godzilla movie Japan.
It also has what are perhaps the two greatest moments in the entire series, within a few moments of each other at the end. The second greatest moment is also the most deeply emotional scene of Godzilla’s entire acting career, one which pushes his range as a rubber-suited special effect and gives him a dramatic and tragic moment…
Which is, of course, totally unexpected. But then I think I mentioned that already.
While the first Godzilla movie tried to bring serious themes and a darker tone to the story, giant monsters are inherently fun rather than serious: this unfortunately meant that the Showa series of Godzilla films ultimately descended to silly kids’ stuff (including such absurdities as animation, that horrible “Save the Earth” song, and even Godzilla talking). However, the Heisei era, by insisting on rebooting Godzilla as a far more violent and destructive beast, transformed the absurdities into something far more watchable. They also seem to be more technically polished, although the technology remained essentially the same as that used during the Showa era. Perhaps the greatest difference is that there are scenes that have been filmed in far more dramatic and artistic ways. While this one lacks the dramatic night scenes of Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, it has some of the most detailed city sets in the entire series (and, of course, destroys most of them).
Although one does have to wonder how many times the Tokyo tower has been destroyed since Mothra spun her cocoon around it.
Oh well. Those of you who love the Big G, if you haven’t seen this one, I’m sure you’ll have to rush out to see it. You won’t be disappointed, though.
As for the rest of you? This is an enormously fun and entertaining film, one of the most absurdly enjoyable films in the entire series, an extravagant guilty pleasure which does some utterly unexpected things. You couldn’t ask for a better escape from the dull humdrum everyday of life.
And, what’s even better is that it has Godzilla — reborn and even more frightening than before — duking it out with his greatest enemy.
Ahhhh. Bliss. What more could anyone ask for?
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rivets on the poster 
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