TALKBACK #27: Godzilla Tokyo SOS

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

[Dr Kain]

[goji4ever]

Tokyo SOS does benefit from being watched directly after its prequel... specially given how it feels like a significant step up..
All that being said its a solid well put together movie but its best bits are mostly the regurgitated ideas from previous goji x mothra films..

[Jared]

The two Kiryu films make for a fun double feature, and I would say they're about on-par with each other in quality. GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA has slightly better characters and story, and GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. has slightly better effects and action. I would have preferred a single film with strong elements all-around (as well as better writing in general, of course), but they're still a lot of fun; and the music, while fairly generic, is very well-suited.

[lhb412]

It's certainly the most consistently polished Millennium film visually, and Tezuka's most consistent film overall.

While I put down his three films quite a bit, seeing his wonderful Sci-Fi Japan interview made me appreciate just how few resources he was given. Yes, he was a company 'yes man' given the task of producing some very cheap Godzilla films on schedule, but he's also an enormous fan and listening to it from his perspective you can tell he knows his films aren't the greatest, but he still relished the small victories he accomplished in his struggle to make them and is pleased as punch to be a part of Godzilla history.

What I mean to say is; I feel that by Tokyo SOS he'd developed more of the muscles necessary to make something from nothing, and that's why it's better.

[lhb412]

^ and in contrast to my last post: I just rewatched Tokyo SOS, and by my math that must be the fifth or sixth time I've watched it and I just can't put my finger on this thing! It's maybe the most forgettable Godzilla movie ever. Sure; it has the most consistent visuals of all of Tezuka's films, maybe of the entire Millennium series (GMK has much better work, but interspersed with some pretty bad work), but aside from the nicest Mothra since the '60s (the highlight of the film) and a decent score the entire thing is just so bland. Bland, and slight - the hour and a half breeze by without leaving much impression.

There's an attempt to create a more interesting cast of characters, but it's like they only did the beginnings of the work to make that happen; often just telling the audience directly what the character motivations are and moving on. When the characters resolve whatever conflict or arc they had I just shrugged. Life should be lived in the time allowed/I'm afraid my kid might die in battle/I love machines, but fairies have told my it's wrong to make a Mechagodzilla - all of these things could have potentially been interesting had they been better developed.

The monster scenes may be more technically proficient, but it's also noticeable how flat and sparsely detailed the miniature environments are, and often they feel cramped in a way that belies just how little studio space they had to work within.

[Mac]

Watching this one recently, I was struck by how this might actually be the last great practical effects showcase in film, let alone tokusatsu. Really wonderful work. Shame it's basically the creative nadir of the series. The story-telling is so inert and sterile, I can't blame TOHO for taking a hard left with GFW.

[lhb412]

^ I dunno: there may be some wonky bits, but I find the effects in Gamera The Brave much more satisyfying and interesting.

... and then there's the work Taguchi's doing as the lead director of Ultraman.

[Gman2887]

[MekaGojira3k]

I'm just too in love with the Mothra prop. It is hands down the best non-suit Kaiju produced since....what?...Kamakiras/Kumonga in 67?

[klen7]

[lhb412]

^The legs are the things they always get wrong with Mothra!

It was great to see Tokyo SOS nail that aspect of the design. I hope when Legendary creates their version it has similar legs.

[lhb412]

Ran into another big Godzilla fan the other day and he turned out to be one of those folks for whom the '60s films are too silly and the Kiryu films are like the platonic ideal of Godzilla movies.

Man, I just don't get it.

(Liked Gamera the Brave, though, so we were on the same page there)

[jellydonut25]

[lhb412]

^He also talked highly of the '90s Mothra movies! Yeah, I suppose it's the newer stuff he likes. I tried to be respectful (nothing worse then just yelling "You're wrong!!!" at someone), but I also stood up for the '60s films by hitting a few highlights I think are pretty undeniable, like them being witty and creative (with so much of the '90s and '00s films consisting of redoing concepts they originated, after all) and having great casts.

[lhb412]

[GFan]

I have a hard time revisiting this one. It has a few highlights (Hiroshi Koizumi, the monster fights), but overall has that "been there, done that" feel but with completely unmemorable characters. I remember being so disappointed when this film was first announced ("Yah! ANOTHER Mechagodzilla movie... this time WITH MOTHRA... AGAIN). GFW might be full of cringe-worthy moments, but at least it's unique and so bat-sh*t crazy it stands out. TOKYO S.O.S. is just... kind of there.

Also.. I learned from this movie that Mothra larva can swim almost at the speed of light.

[Giganfan]

[Giganfan]

Correction, maybe not so much Megaguirus, as the Kiryu Saga, but yeah, I am at least, gentle in my criticisms of even the worst of the Tezuka-helmed Godzilla movies.

[lhb412]

The Shobijin's costumes, which have exposed midriffs, legs, and arms, just really draws my attention to the fact that these two actress's bodies look nothing alike. I'm playing a visual game the entire time they're on screen where I'm like, "her face is rounder" "oh, she has a longer torso" etc.

They are as visually distinct as too skinny, attractive Japanese actresses in their early 20s with the same haircut can possibly be. The 1992 costumes were at least so extravagant that the matching outfits drew the eye.

[goji4ever]

its interesting to see generational reaction to the film..
if youre a kid and your exposure to the series starts with the millenium series then it becomes easy to see why its many young peoples favorite film.. specially when viewed free of all the baggage someone like me carries from previous mothra/goji films.

[UltramanGoji]

[lhb412]

It's kind of a redo of a Heisei series style continuity done in two movies.

There's the anti-Godzilla force and it's associated weapons and mechs, there's an interesting timeline using the original 1954 film and elements of other Toho monster movies, characters carry over from film to film and from Mothra 1961 to Tokyo SOS, and the addition of Mothra in the second movie means they cross the divide from harder science fiction in the first installment to fantasy in the second.

It's easier for me to see why these films are so popular with a certain group of fans. It has the world-building nerds seem to love without the repetitive and sometimes convoluted aspects of the Heisei series.