TALKBACK #20: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

[MekaGojira3k]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

Even though I'm not particularly in love with this incarnation of Rodan (I still think it's pretty cool in its own way), I think that the filmmakers did a pretty good job of substantiating his part in the story to such an extent, that he doesn't feel imposed on the action. His motivations are explained away simple enough, and he gets a pretty generous amount of screen-time, granted of course that his one, big city rampage is handled primarily through generic matte-work and a limited amount of miniatures and pyrotechnics. He also gets a chance to show his true nobility and courage by not only going blow-for-blow with Godzilla ala the "old days", and displaying great maternal instincts for protecting Baby, the "Samurai Warrior of the Skies" proves his "metal" (no pun intended) by taking on Mechagodzilla, and he doesn't go down without doing some damage. Even though Kawakita may not have hit upon every aspect of his potential in bringing his Rodan to life, in general this movie was really respectful to the essense of Rodan. He may not be a "star" here, like in the sixties movies (I always felt he was on an even-keel with Goji, Mothra and Ghidorah in the golden era), but he plays really strong support.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is genreally a mediocre movie. I'll give that one to its detractors. The screenplayis so breezy and disjointed, you can sense that some things were taken out in order to move things along. But what I find appeals to me most about this movie is that, what is there is in total service of telling a bare-bones, fast-pace, simply-put "daikaiju-drama". The monsters are the real attractions here, and all of the human characters, though thinly-drawn and "weightless", are made passable by the on-screen persona's of the cast, headed by the likeable Masahiro Takashima as Aoki. Kawakita's effects are pretty good, and though this incarnation of Mechagodzilla doesn't do a whole lot more than fire a barrage of weaponry, I never had a problem with either the design, or the execution. Akira Ifukube delivers a typically classic Godzilla score, that doesn't miss a beat. This is "vintage" work by the maestro. And Takao Okawara may indeed be a "jobber" or a "hack", but he's a "Godzilla jobber, if that makes any sense in a positive way. He's in the "business" of making an entertaining Godzilla movie, and here I think he succeeded more than in any of his other four films in the series.

I admit, I have some strong sentimental feelings for this movie, but I still believe Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla to be a pretty solid entry in the Godzilla series. If we judge the Heisei era of Godzilla movies on the basis of Koichi Kawakita being the key creative definition of what they are all about, then I think it's safe to say this was the man's last real "hurrah", before he fell into a funk of self-plagarization, and lack of inspired momentum. It's still one of my favorities.

[jellydonut25]

[Jorzilla]

[Gman2887]

[Gojilove]

[jellydonut25]

[Legion]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Legion]

[Gojilove]

[eabaker]

[DannyBeane]

[jellydonut25]

[DannyBeane]

[jellydonut25]

[Gojilove]

[DannyBeane]

[Legion]

[jellydonut25]