I agree with MekaGojira3k. These discussions really shouldn't devolve into "Which is better, Showa or Heisei?" discussions. I mean, we all love Godzilla movies. And I love all the Godzilla movies. And while I may like King Kong vs Godzilla more than Toyko S.O.S. , there are some days that are totally Tokyo SOS days!
Well, last night was a Godzilla vs. Destroyer night

The movie really causes mixed emotions for me. Like all post-Biollante Heisei movies, the dubbing is unbelieveably bad--thankfully, I was able to get a hold of the Madman Aussie DVD, so I could view it with subtitles. And while there are at least Two Scoops worth to like in the movie, HORRIBLE editing (which is the Plague upon all Heisei films) and the desire to cram in too many disparate elements hurt the delivery of even the film's most dramatic moments.
But, there is enough of that in this thread already though, so here are some "Cool Shiz" Thoughts (TM):
*Tactical teams engaging monsters is COOL SHIZ! Yes, it was done way better in Gamera 2; but seeing Destroyer get a pistol blast to the face at point blank range
never gets old.
*Junior is COOL SHIZ! Aside from Godzilla, Junior is my favorite monster design of the Heisei era. Junior is the excellent conclusion to what started out as, imho, the shakey introduction of a goofy li'l Godzilla. He's lean, powerful--AND he's green!
*The psycics gettin' evil and sh*t is COOL SHIZ! I think they could have played up the nascent rivalry between Saegusa and the psycic from the American G-Unit more. Saegusa uses her powers for the good of those around her, including Godzilla, and she works to understand him. The new psycic states that she was first drawn to developing her powers so that she could read other people's minds and figure out their intentions, for her own purposes. She is also the one to suggest the they use Junior as bate--luring him to what is surely his death at the hands of Destroyer--in order to get Godzilla where they want him.
That is cold.
This relationship could have created a lot of interesting dramatic tension. Nevertheless, we do get a small taste of it.
*Destroyer getting--literally--blown to bits by Godzilla's nuclear ray is COOL SHIZ! Though the poor editing and structure of the final battle between the two titans obliterates much of the dramatic impact of the struggle, Godzilla still brings the ruckus. To this day, my eyes become the size of saucers when I see the raw power that Godzilla unleashes on Destroyer as his nuclear ray blows chunks, yes bloodly effing chunks, out of his foe.
*Godzilla melting down is COOL SHIZ! No matter my opinion of the execution of the film as a whole, this is the most amazing concept to be realized in a Godzilla film since [insert your favorite Showa era happening]. The Toho crew does a great job relating the pain Godzilla is experiencing, not only with a incredible Meltdown Godzilla suit, but throughout the film by modulating his roar, and having Godzilla randomly discharge his ray. Maybe I'm just a big cornball, but I find the meltdown itself very moving. To see the unstoppable beast, our terrifying monster, our indomitable hero, finally consumed by his own power, finally facing a enemy he cannot tear down or defeat... it really is incredible. Dumbfounding and spectacular. As the radition levels spike and the scientist proclaims, "Tokyo is now a graveyard", my skin crawled with the eerie realization that such a fate nearly occured a year ago at Fukushima Daichi.
Anyway, there you have it. This movie could have been 10 times more amazing, but thankfully there's enough good stuff in there to keep this G-fan engaged. I may revisit a couple other Heisei flicks this week, if so, I'll post some thoughts in the other Talkbacks as well. Until then!
"...WILL. IT. WORK?"