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.

Another great entry into the rebooted franchise. It picks up where the last Godzilla films left of. However, it soon turns into an espionage thriller, Americans and, most dangerously of all, middle eastern folk, try and steal a Godzilla fragment to experiment with. It leads to the creation of a giant plant. Nothing too dangerous you might think, but as it mutates, the design is really quite breathtaking. This film once again takes it up a notch. It feels so genuine in its portrayal of the events, and even manages to convince the audience that this is all very real. As always, the score is truly dominant. It flows throughout the film bringing both dread and excitement. I loved how they gradually introduce the more "out there" ideas. This time, it's telekinesis with flowers. Like the classics, it is a story of man and nature, and how fooling around could lead to absolute destruction by giant monsters. There were also a number of humane touches and some maturity lacking from earlier attempts. When asked if he will go to America a young man says that he wont, as every country has bad things about it. For once, the foreign devils aren't to blame. Just humanity as a whole.

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.

This is a Godzilla movie that tells a very different story than the previous films. The root of the story all lies on one aspect-the Godzilla cell. The plot is solid and intriguing - a story about some of the world's power-hungry people who want to get their hands on some Godzilla DNA for their own devious purposes. When the Japanese refuse to hand over the DNA, terrorists release Godzilla from his lair and he begins a new spree of terror. In an act of desperation, a scientist merges some of the Godzilla cells with a rosebud, mutating it into the one of the most unique monsters in the Toho universe - Biollante. The two do battle as our protagonists in the film try to track down the terrorists. As a result, what we have is not the usual Godzilla vs. movie with an alien-invasion plot. This one is unique and substantive in its monster origins, plot flow and character development.

While an exciting movie, there are some people that this film could have done without, like the horrible Saradian agent SSS9 and the campy Biomajor people. I have to give credit to this movie, anyhow, because it introduced the Godzilla-centered psychic Miki Saegusa (played by Megumi Odaka). She would take a very significant role in this and the following Godzilla films. Her using her psychic powers to locate Godzilla and stopping him from coming ashore in Osaka was intriguing.

Overall, not a bad Godzilla film. Very distinctive, albeit a little too focused on the human subplot and the military, and the Biollante angle wasn't emphasized enough.

Grade B-

Being Toho's most mature kaiju film, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" placed Godzilla in the age of bio-terrorism. Your cliché 80's folks are seen here...the shy teen girl, the military hero, the villain with sunglasses and leather gloves, etc. What many fans don't like about this movie is the adult-oriented nature of it, considering that Godzilla films were seen as kiddie fun at this point. Personally, I would say this is the best of the series since "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962). The Godzilla design remains the best and most realistic to date, and the final form of Biollante is such an awesome sight, one of the most impressive screen monsters in film. Overall, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" stands out from the rest of the series, and has a poetic touch to it...something I've never seen in a monster movie. This film is much appreciated by me.