Godzilla vs. Biollante

It has its faults. The first act throws a veritable buffet of ideas at us to start stitching the plot together: 80s action blockbusters, extrasensory perception, genetics, high stakes competition between biotech companies, grief, of course Godzilla himself, and more. Some of these ideas will rise and recede in their importance as the length draws on, but all of them are initially cobbled together somewhat gawkily, leading to a sense of the first act, especially, being overfull. This sense will return much later in the denouement as filmmaker Omori Kazuki tries to resolve all the disparate parts of Kobayashi Shinichiro's story. One could also point easily enough to the clunky abruptness with which some beats or scenes transpire (even including the sudden return of Biollante in the third act), some curious audio cues, an ill-fitting theme in the score, and other minutiae. Additionally, though not to the same extent as other franchise installments including this one's predecessor, the feature does struggle somewhat with pacing, chiefly in the second act when the focus is strictly on Godzilla; there is a fairly long stretch of "He's coming! Oh yes, he's coming! Watch out, he's coming!" It wouldn't be a classic Godzilla flick if there weren't stumbling blocks of some sort.

Yet for whatever criticism we might level, there is much to appreciate in these 100-odd minutes, and in fact 'Godzilla vs. Biollante' surely counts among the upper-middle tier of the series. It weaves together a glut of notions, and at that perhaps a tad inelegantly, but I recognize an effort to make a smarter and more thoughtful variety of kaiju piece. I admire that the movie takes risks, even if they don't all pay off with equal reward; there are plentiful notions here ripe for genre storytelling, including all those tidbits that result in the creation of Godzilla's opponent. Speaking of which, as is almost always the case with these films, the creature designs and effects are unquestionably one of the great draws here. I'll grant that use of rear projection or composite shots are uneven, but in general the post-production visuals are fairly decent for 1989. And of course the dominant practical effects are outstanding, one of the reasons we flock to Toho's signature creation in the first place: stunts, creature effects, models and miniatures, fire and explosions, blood, and general destruction all look outstanding. Why, the production design and art direction alone are gorgeous, nevermind the imagination that went into Biollante, and the new suit for Godzilla looks notably improved from the one we saw just five years before in 'The return of Godzilla.'

While full to the point of spilling over, the plot is pretty solid even as it leans a bit more into airy fantasy in a couple regards, with Biollante less present than one might assume. Despite instances of pacing problems, Omori's direction is reliable in bringing the tale to bear. No one among the cast specifically stands out per se, and some actors are forced into smaller corners than others, but by and large everyone gives swell, committed performances suitable to the material. While that one theme just doesn't entirely belong (seeming recycled from 'Beetlejuice,' or 'The Addams Family,' with its playful edge), mostly Sugiyama Koichi's score is quite good as it complements the proceedings, if not always memorable; one example borrows and brightly rearranges a key phrase from Ifukube Akira's iconic music, which is also revisited in a broader sense, to my pleasure. In most regards the picture is ably well made by contemporary standards as Godzilla rises again and faces off against a new foe, with adjoining human drama that itself is capably navigated. And when all is said and done 'Godzilla vs. Biollante really is interesting, engaging, and enjoyable. It might not be the very top of the line in a now seventy-year old franchise, but overall it's very good as it strikes out on a slightly different path. And that, to me, speaks to lasting value.

It doesn't altogether demand viewership, but whether you're a big kaiju fan or just looking for something fun to watch, 'Godzilla vs. Biollante' holds up fairly well if you have the chance to check it out.

Out of the twenty-eight entries in the long-running Japanese Godzilla series, one of the more artistic and welcomingly imaginative ones is the unfortunately overlooked "Godzilla vs. Biollante", a film that is so-so in its story and characters (although that is a standard for most Godzilla movies), but tremendously entertaining in its premise and its visual style. The movie follows the majestic monster movie masterpiece "The Return of Godzilla", in which Godzilla is released from his volcanic prison on Oshima Island and begins to wreck the countryside of Japan again around the same time that a scientist's (Koji Takahashi) experiment to preserve his dead daughter's spirit in an immortal plant species goes awry.

"The Return of Godzilla" was not only a great Godzilla movie, but one of the finest monster movies, Japanese or otherwise, that I have ever seen and I do like to sometimes pretend that "Godzilla vs. Biollante" and the not-so-special sequels that followed never existed, that it ended with Godzilla falling into Mount Mihara and being imprisoned there forever. But although this movie does kind of ruin that feeling, it's quickly forgiven once its slow beginning departs and its truly majestic middle begins.

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the more artistic Godzilla movies there is. Most entries in the series are formulaic and repetitive. And although this is okay for the fans, it is refreshing to see one that tries something new and original. And "Godzilla vs. Biollante" most certainly is original. Basically everything except the human characters tries something new. The movie boasts a battle between Godzilla and his new monstrosity of an opponent, but it's not all about their clash, it's really more following the spirit of the preceding movie with military trying to eliminate Godzilla. What's more, the movie boasts some incredibly visionary and impressive special effects. Godzilla's appearance is one of his finest yet. There are a few shots where he didn't look very good, such as this one where the way he was positioned reminded me more of a bear than a reptile, but other times the mobility that he had in his jaws and his neck provided some surprisingly convincing movements. The miniatures for the destruction scenes are thoroughly impressive, and the effects used to create Biollante are a pure triumph without a single weak shot.

Even the music score is something new. The movie reuses three classic Godzilla themes by Akira Ifukube, but most of the score, as with the first film, is done by a new composer and he does it with a completely new style. Now Koichi Sugiyama's score is not incredible as Reijiro Koroku's was for the preceding movie. There are some weak moments and some parts are recycled too much throughout the movie. In addition, after having reviewed the whole soundtrack on CD form, I discovered that the best of Sugiyama's score was left out. Why Toho opted to do this, I have no idea. But as for what we do here, it's mincemeat of visionary triumph and minor letdowns.

I do have some complaints about the movie, however. It does take a while to get started. Whereas "The Return of Godzilla" had great characters and a strong story so that I could stay interested even when Godzilla was not on screen, this movie struggles a little more. And again, some parts of Koichi Sugiyama's dare-deviling soundtrack simply don't work as well as they should have. And the ending of the final battle between Godzilla and Biollante was a flat letdown.

However, despite its flaws, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" is a more unique and interesting and certainly enjoyable entry in this deservedly famous long-running motion picture series. Now I don't think Godzilla will ever be considered art by any major organization. But there are three films starring the big lizard that do stand out pretty strongly due to either their strong allegorical content or their tremendous style. This is one of them.

Godzilla vs. Biollante is a decent entry in the Godzilla franchise, particularly within the Heisei era. Surprisingly, for a sequel, it delves into the aftermath of a giant monster attack, exploring how the world grapples with Godzilla's existence. International corporations scramble for Godzilla cells, hoping to harness their power for their own gain. A fictional Middle Eastern nation, Saradia, seeks to weaponize these cells to create vegetation in their desert, while the American company Bio-Major resorts to terrorism to acquire them for a project to neutralize nuclear threats. Somehow, a giant rose monster emerges from all of this, only to be incinerated by Godzilla's atomic breath.

The plot is refreshingly complex, but the characters are forgettable. Their scenes feel disjointed, offering little backstory or development. Even the scientist who creates Biollante faces no consequences for his actions. The storytelling feels like watching an episode of a monster-of-the-week television show, where character arcs are secondary to the action. This episodic quality creates a strange listlessness, where characters change their minds on a whim and arguments have no weight. It's as if the narrative forgets about itself at times, with characters seemingly unaware of the giant monster battle happening nearby.

Despite its flaws, Godzilla vs. Biollante boasts some impressive visuals. The miniature effects, showcasing Godzilla amidst real-world locations, are well-done considering the film's reduced budget compared to its predecessor. The setting for the first Godzilla-Biollante fight is particularly striking, resembling an arena shrouded in fog with spotlights reaching towards the sky. There's a strange beauty to Godzilla movies, evident in the scene where Biollante explodes into glowing spores drifting towards the heavens.

It's almost a miracle these films work at all, considering their rapid production schedules and studio interference. Biollante even features a somewhat self-aware portrayal of humanity's anti-Godzilla strategies. The JSDF attempts to predict Godzilla's movements with the help of psychics and even hatches a plan to lure him into a zone rigged with lightning attacks. The military's monitoring of Godzilla's advance on transparent maps feels almost reminiscent of Evangelion. There's also a team of soldiers tasked with deploying bacteria engineered from Godzilla cells to consume radioactive material. One scene has a soldier firing a bio-warfare RPG from a destroyed office window - a bizarre but oddly captivating moment that injects the fantastic into the mundane. However, this soldier then inexplicably fails to escape the collapsing building, leaving his demise confusing and unearned.

Godzilla vs. Biollante is a film brimming with ideas - psychics, genetic engineering, corporate espionage - that never quite coalesce into a cohesive whole. The titular battle feels disconnected from the narrative, ultimately failing to deliver on the film's intended metaphor. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, as the original Godzilla metaphor itself is somewhat generic. Biollante offers a unique addition to the Godzilla bestiary - a monstrous rose, a mockery of its enemy with its otherworldly crocodile jaws. The film excels in depicting the chaos of a city preparing for a Godzilla attack, with construction vehicles working alongside tanks and soldiers. There's a sense of purpose in their actions, unlike the static defenses of previous films. Biollante is an improvement over its predecessor, but stumbles in its lack of a focused narrative. That being said, it's a film with Godzilla fighting a giant bio-engineered rose, and that's reason enough for most monster movie fans to enjoy it.

6.175/10.

I was lucky enough to find a VHS copy and I have to say that this is my favorite Godzilla film. The reason I liked it is because it was so different than any other Godzilla movies. Godzilla vs. Boillante is violent, very dark, looks really good, and actually has a solid plot. I almost didn't want to watch it cuz the darkness of this flick made me feel so uncomfortable by about 45 mins in. Both monsters are great, and Biollante's horrendousness gives this movie power that no other G movie can stand up against. The monster makes this movie so ugly and creates such a dark atmosphere that it is kind of beautiful. I'm not big fan of Japanese movies (I hate anime), but this is a true accomplishment.

Gojira vs. Biorante (or Godzilla vs. Biollante as it's know here in the USA) opens up right where Godzilla 1985 left off. A group of scientists searching through the rubble that was once Tokyo make an interesting discovery: Godzilla Cells. These "Godzilla Cells" are actually palm-sized flakes of Godzilla's skin that were either scratched or blown off. Now many different groups of people are fighting to get these cells and one group in particular called Bio Major, which is an American terrorist organization, will stop at nothing to get these cells, even if they have to release Godzilla from his volcanic prison. On a lighter note, a prominent Japanese scientist who lost his only daughter in a terrorist bombing, combines the Godzilla Cells with the cells of a rose plant. Once these cells are joined together, they form a monstrous rose that the scientist names Biollante. Now Godzilla gets loose and pretty soon you can guess that Godzilla and Biollante are going to go at it.

This is in fact my favorite Godzilla movie in the second generation of Godzilla films. It has a real dark tone and a really haunting score. It should also be pointed out that the film is probably the most violent in the second generation of Godzilla films. I say this because there are several bloody shoot-outs, Godzilla gets stabbed in his side by one Biollante's tendrils, a man is strangled to death, and a man is disintegrated by electricity.

Finally, has anyone noticed that the Godzilla costume in this movie is different than the one in Godzilla 1985? I think that is because the costume in G-1985 was stolen and was rumored to be worth over $100,000.

Anyway, Godzilla vs. Biollante gets a 10/10.