TALKBACK #15: Terror of Mechagodzilla

[eabaker]

[MekaGojira3k]

Okay...so Katsura/Ichinose is kind of a rehash of Glenn/Namikawa from Monster Zero...and I love Monster Zero...and I think Adams and Mizuno do a better job than Sasaki and Ai do here but...

I kind of prefer Katsura/Ichinose if only because we get to see the romance blossom (sort of), and because Katsura is at the forefront of the monster action. I also love that she directly saves everything by injuring herself, whereas Namikawa only sets Glenn on the path.

I dunno, I start to like this movie more and more as time goes on. I still wish the aliens didn't have the crazy helmets. I mean, they're neat, but they feel so out of place in this film.

[eabaker]

[Gman2887]

There was enough going on in Monster Zero that the Glenn and Namikawa relationship worked best as a subplot. The Katsura and Ichinose storyline is more center stage here and developed more thoroughly-- which makes sense as Ichinose is the main character while Glenn shares that title with Fuji. One could even argue Adams plays the supporting role to Takarada.

The reason why Glenn and Namikawa work so well is because Adams and Mizuno are so convincing and so much fun to watch. The last seen with those two in Monster Zero is an absolute highlight of the movie for me.

[ILL GREEN]

Nick Adams english was overdubbed in the japanese version. He doesn't speak japanese. It was kinda cool how he worked his way to act like he understands. Another reason I liked Monster Zero.

[Benjamin Haines]

What really elevates Katsura's tragedy in this film is the fact that her plight is the same as that of Titanosaurus. She's peaceful by nature, not one to initiate a conflict, but thanks to the dual influences of the Black Hole Aliens and her father, Dr. Mafune, she ends up being a violent player in the story and central to the core conflict of the movie, all through no will of her own, and thus she ends up being just as much of an unwilling victim by story's end as everyone caught in her path. The way that Akira Ifukube gave Katsura and Titanosaurus the same musical theme really drives that home.

[Jorzilla]

This might be a little silly, but is anyone else MORE emotionally moved by the ending of this movie than Godzilla vs. Destroyah?

I know that Godzilla eventually comes back in 1984, but we never see what actually happens to Showa Godzilla (aside from Destroy all Monsters, but a part of me still feels that the 70s films are more standalone). It was the last film Ishiro Honda directed, Akira Ifukube scored, and Tanaka produced.

The suit is goofy, but whenever I watch it, I just feel...sad. There's really a sense of "that's all folks!" Godzilla was never the same after this movie, even if good films were produced afterwards.

When I watch the the last scene, I feel like I want it to hold on, for just one more second.

[Hybrid Gojira]

Love this suit. It's along my favorites.

So is this movie.

[MekaGojira3k]

I don't know if it's more emotionally affecting, but it manages to give the sense of a send-off pretty well.
I'd argue that Katsura/Ichinose's final scene definitely is, as melodramatic as it is.

[Jorzilla]

[MekaGojira3k]

[lhb412]

They typically used an old Godzilla suit from a previous film for scenes like that. By the time they did the Mechagodzilla films they must not have had one in shape for filming!

[Jorzilla]

[Jorzilla]

I think 2 of these suits are the same:

[Hybrid Gojira]

Yeah, that last one looks wayyy off. It almost looks like a prop rather than a suit. The ending scene is the suit used for the "fake Godzilla" as you said above...at least from what I can tell. I've always liked the MegaroGoji suit and the suit used for 75 Goji. Aren't they the same with different heads? I dunno. Someone enlighten me.

[lhb412]

'Fake Godzilla' is just a suit for public appearances, right?

[H-Man]

[Mac]

[Legion]

I'm pretty sure the photo from Terror of Mechagodzilla is actually the 1974 version of the head before they modified it.

[Gojilove]

[H-Man]

[Hybrid Gojira]

[XvGojira]

I always like this suit design, but it also seems like it was the most abused in its films. Catching on fire in Megalon and just looking dogged throughout both MechaGodzillas, his scales seemed to fly off him like a shedding Saint Bernard in fight scenes. Still love it though.

[jellydonut25]

It was interesting for me to watch this film sorta outside the context of the first Mechagodzilla film. Every other time I've watched it in recent memory, it's been directly on the heels of the 1974 film and the comparison made me like this a little bit less.

It's less energetic, less fun, less colorful, and less bombastic.


But on its own, not as a DIRECT SEQUEL (though I'm well aware that it is a direct sequel and sets itself up as such), it's a really good film. The soundtrack is a bit oppressively depressing, and Akihiko Hirata's fake mustache is awful (as is the wig, to a bit of a lesser extent), but the kaiju are really well-actualized, and the characters are pretty darn interesting all-around.

One thing that bothers me, though this is something that bothers me about MANY Godzilla films once the mid-Showa era kicks in, is when people hear about a dinosaur or kaiju and they're like, "I just don't believe it!" Dude, Godzilla exists, and you can roll with that, but you hear someone else say the word "dinosaur" and you're like "This guy's a crackpot" ???

[MekaGojira3k]

Yeah, it's weird. I thought his theory that he could control life was something for someone to get mad about....although the way they react also indicates that most of those scientists were pretty violent.