Godzilla - Tokyo SOS

Direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. Surprise, surprise, Godzilla returns for revenge against his robotic counterpart. This time the end of the world may also follow suit, as humans have managed to annoy Mothra as well. I loved the way in which Godzilla's bones helped create Mechagodzilla, and save humanity, are now the cause of all the controversy may destroy humanity. There is less human conflict in this film, but the action more than makes up for it. Another wonderful Godzilla movie then. I'm sad I only have one left to watch. But I must stress, don't just tune into this and expect the effects to win you over. You have to make an effort.

This is a continuation of the previous Godzilla movie, but where the previous movie was one of the best Godzilla movie, this one falls way short. The biggest culprit is the poor choice of actors which Toho seems to be an expert at. They had a pretty good combo in the previous version with Koh Takasugi, and Yumiko Shaku, but this one had bunch of kids which really had no acting abilities which really drew all life out of the plot. This is shown in the fact that this movie had such a poor turnout at the box office in Japan (13 million dollars) , that it was officially decided that the next Godzilla movie Godzilla Final Wars will be the final Godzilla movie.

The story plot was boring, and also annoying with all the young actors trying to steal the lead which added to the unfocused plot. I think it was a bad idea to make a mechanic the main character of the movie. He was having a hard time being a hero. The guy who should have been the hero - the pilot of Kiryu was a horrible actor and he wouldn't have engaged the audience to a degree Yumiko Shaku did. Music was way down from the previous movie.

Special effects was pretty good, and might be the best part of this film. Mothra's depiction was the most realistic of all Toho movies. But somehow I can't get used to the millennium Godzilla's face. It has no expression, and I don't get the sense that it's such a big menace. Godzilla looks small throughout the series after Godzilla 2000.

So nothing as its center piece, this movie falls apart as plot moves forward.

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS is the only film of the Millennium series that is preceded by another film. Picking where Godzilla X Mechagodzilla left off, the Japanese Defense Force is in the process of repairing Mechagodzilla after his last outing with Godzilla. Yoshito Chûjô, played by Noboru Kaneko, is an mechanic working on Mechagodzilla and was visited by the tiny twin fairies of Mothra, the Shobijin. They warned him that the people must return Mechagodzilla to the sea, for the dead must not be disturbed (Mechagodzilla was created from the bones of the original Godzilla). If the people do not heed to their warnings, Mothra will declare war on mankind, which I think is a departure from Mothra because she has always been depicted as a benevolent creature. But, without Mechagodzilla, Japan has no defense against Godzilla.

This film provides many references to previous Toho films, including bringing back the two character leads from Godzilla X Mechgodzilla, containing footage from the previous movies and even bringing back Kameba, the gigantic turtle from "Yog, Monster from Space" (1970). Perhaps the most notable mention is the return of Professor Shinichi Chujo, played by Hiroshi Koizumi, from the original 1961 Mothra movie. Koizumi reprises the role he did 42 years earlier, and delivers drama about Mothra's previous attack on Tokyo and referenced photographs from his trip to Infant Island in the original Mothra film.

The movie is filled with drama and heroism. The part where Chujo's grandson made the Mothra sign to call her for help was one of my favorite scenes. Michiru Ôshima gave another brilliant music score and Eiichi Asada did an awesome job on the special effects. Mechagodzilla's rockets and Mothra's wing attacks were among my favorite special effects in the film - all contributed to exciting action-packed monster mayhem. Some downsides to this movie is that as this movie also serves as a sequel to the original Mothra movie, Mothra and her larvae were not emphasized enough. Godzilla was also portrayed as very weak - in some of the battle sequences with the robot, Godzilla just stands there as if he is letting Mechagodzilla attack him. And, Godzilla rarely gets any chance to do some city stomping. As with most films in the Millennium series, this movie focuses on the military - an element that gets repetitive. But, on another note, the cast of characters are likable for the most part and Mothra's design is this film is my favorite of the monster, though she is really overused by this time.

Grade B-

I agree with reviewers who write that the film is competently made and reasonably entertaining, but I also agree that with this movie, the series seemed to have gotten stuck in a rut.

In fact, towards the end of what is known as the "Hesei" period of Godzilla films, the film-makers of the series developed a formula which became standardized for the "Millenium" phase: as the movie opens, we find the humans worried about a possible attack from Godzilla. Then they either build another monster, or have one flown in. The two (or three) monsters have a big fight in down-town Tokyo, Godzilla is tossed back into the sea, the end.

Of course, all genre films use formulas and conventions. But the stronger entries in any genre are precisely those in which the film-makers try out new approaches and variations to these formulas. In the so-called "Showa" phase of the Godzilla films (1954- 1985), there were plenty of multi-monster wrestling matches and attacks on Tokyo, etc.; but there were also some weird experiments, some that worked (Son of Godzilla is highly entertaining, if one doesn't ask for much) and some that didn't (Godzilla's Revenge). But the real point is that they were different, and challenged their viewers to decide whether the differences ought to be kept or scratched for the next episode in the series.

But with Tokyo S.O.S, it became clear that the 'Millenium" series writers and directors could only rarely innovate or improvise. The fight scenes in Tokyo became pretty much same-old same-old, film-to-film, and this is a dangerous thing to do when your protagonist is a guy in a rubber monster suit. When we see the same thing, film after film, we start getting bored, and when we start getting bored, we get distracted, and notice things like, hey, isn't that really just a guy in a rubber monster suit? Tokyo S.O.S. isn't quite down to this level; it is very professionally made. But there's no doubt that by the time it was made, it was time for something new.

Get ready to crumble because there goes Tokyo! Finally, some continuation in the Millennium series. Previously, Godzilla once again faced off against his mechanical double in "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla." Both monsters return alongside Mothra in one hell of a battle between man, monster, and goddess. The result is Godzilla Tokyo SOS.

Plot: One year after the epic battle between monster and machine, Mechagodzilla is still undergoing repairs as is Tokyo. Meanwhile, Mothra, Earth's insect guardian, demands that the bones of the original Godzilla creature, currently inside Mechagodzilla, because apparently humans should never touch the souls of the dead. Soon enough, Godzilla returns, forcing the government to make rushed adjustments and send in their mech after the beast with Mothra's help. Can their combined might defeat the King of the Monsters?

Basically, it's Godzilla vs the world and I just love it. This is practically a fan's dream battle as Godzilla faces both Mothra and Mechagodzilla at the same time, the latter two being challenging opponents. The action scenes are totally crazy as these monsters beat the living (and metal) crap out of each other and buildings everywhere get smashed and blown up. The designs of the creatures are just excellent from Godzilla's awesome Hensei/Millenuim hybrid look to Mothra's insectoid features.

The story is pretty interesting, though most of the new human characters are not as charismatic as the ones from the previous film who also show up here. What's really cool, though, is veteran Godzilla actor Hiroshi Koizumi returning as his character Dr. Shinichi Chujo from the original Mothra movie! He has a prominent role here and it's so nice to see an old face from the original series. The music is also a real treat, especially the classic Mothra song sung by none other than the twin fairies, the Shobijin.

Nothing much to say other than this Godzilla film is a blast. With epic action scenes, an intriguing story, good cast, and a surprise creature cameo, this is sure to please any fan and beyond, so check it out. All hail the King of the Monsters!