Godzilla vs. Mothra

"Godzilla vs. Mothra" is a somewhat preachy kaiju movie in which Mothra, a friend to mankind (despite, as we are constantly reminded, our selfish and stupid behavior) faces off against Battra, a guardian of Earth who was created millennia ago in response to an attempt by our distant ancestors to control the weather. Godzilla, having been awakened by a meteorite crashing into the ocean shows up and the two giant bugs have to decide whether to join forces against a common enemy of both man and the Earth. Other than some superfluous "Indiana Jones"-style archeological adventures, the movie is essentially a bug-fight with Godzilla thrown in as an after-thought. I liked the original adult Mothra (1961, 1964) but I'm not a fan of her colourful new appearance (she looks like she's made of fuzzy pipe-cleaners and covered with dyed poodle fur) or her new 'laser beam' (?) abilities. Both larval forms and the adult Battra look pretty good, and the scenes where Mothra passes through her cocoon stage (wrapped in silk, leaning against the Japanese parliament buildings) was great (I was disappointed when Battra's corresponding morphological change was instantaneous). The Heisei-era Godzilla suit is still looks great and the 'fight' scenes are pretty well staged (for a monster that can take tank shells in the chest at close range, Godzilla sure hates having the tip of his tail bitten). As always, Akira Ifukube's score is great and brings back both Godzilla's iconic march and Mothra's beautiful theme (IMO, the best music in the franchise). The acting is pretty typical for a 90's Kaiju outing: fine in non-demanding roles, but the 'Cosmos', Mothra's little fairy-familiars are neither as sweet nor as melodic as the Peanuts (who originated the roles in "Mothra" (1961)). The dubbing in the version I watched (a Tristar DVD) was OK (although the greedy CEO of Murutomo has a silly, cartoonish voice). The environmental self-flagellation in the film is about as subtle as one would expect from a Godzilla film (even when compared to G. vs Hedorah) and comes across a bit self-righteous for a country that uses over 20 billion disposable wooden chopsticks a year, mostly made from imported wood. All-in-all, number 19 in the series is an OK outing but a step down from its antecedent, the gloriously silly "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah". The Japanese seem to suffer from collective kaiju-amnesia (there is no reference to Mothra having visited the islands before) and show tremendous aplomb (no one seems particularly surprised when two gigantic moths show up).

A very solid entry into the giant monster genre. What makes this stand out compared to most other kaiju flicks is the way that the human characters are actually likeable and entertaining to watch. Unlike many other kaiju films, the "plot-explaining" scenes here are not a nuisance that clutter the film and delay the giant monster fight scenes we're all waiting for. Instead they blend into the film well and feature characters that one can grow to like (Masako and Takuya's affectionate bickering was very amusing, for instance). It says a lot about the strength of the human characters when you consider that even the little girl featured in the cast is not a nuisance (though she does utter the hilarious line "I'll make my daddy get a -real- job!").

The actual city-stomping and monster-on-monster battle scenes are a delight as well, and there are plenty of them. While they're beginning to show their age, they still look polished and convincing enough to be entertaining, and are done with lots of style. Special mention must go to the beautiful music, which adds to the film greatly.

Of course, the main storyline is pretty daft, though stomachable. As usual with Mothra around, there's a rather thick environmentalist message to blurb out, but the subject's treated in a not too clunky fashion this time. There are the odd moments of cheesy special effects or clumsy dubbing, but nothing too serious. All in all this is a very entertaining film. It makes a good introduction to the genre for kaiju newbies and kaiju fanatics will lap it up. In fact, anyone with an interest whatsoever in modern Japanese culture shouldn't hesitate about checking this out.

That, and the chanting of "Mossura ya, Mossura..." tends to stick with one ^^.

The 90's series makes way for Mothra. This time she's from the cosmos, as are her mini-twin lady friends. We're also introduced to Battra. One of the best things about this film is way each monster teeters between hero and villain. Each has a mission of their own, but they aren't exactly evil. It makes for much more interesting fights, and even a little depth to monster smash ups. The film begins as a strange Indiana Jones adventure film. Crumbling temples, rickety bridges etc. It adds for a little bit of unexpected fun before entering the world we are familiar with. Almost like if a Bond film started with a monster attack. Sure it's cheap and unoriginal, but for a film that has some boxes to tick, it's nice to have some variety. There is a heavy feminine touch to this movie. Toho trying to bring in the ladies to push up the box office receipts. The monsters have a lot more love and care, and we see a broken family at the heart of all this. This film really made me sit up during the destruction scenes. In broad daylight, it still looked real. The filmmakers now confident to compose images of monsters in the background and people in the foreground. It allows for some tremendous shots of absolute chaos, and stops the streets from seeming too empty.

The fourth movie in the Heisei series, this Godzilla movie is a fairly solid entry in the long-running Godzilla series. This was the most successful Godzilla movie of the Heisei series although critically, it's seen as one of the lesser films in the second Godzilla series.

The plot deals with a meteor crashing on earth, awakening Godzilla, Battra, and uncovering Mothra's egg. Battra attacks mankind for poisoning the environment, Godzilla attacks EVERYTHING, and Mothra tries to protect mankind from both menaces. There's a sub-plot thrown in dealing with a treasure-hunter and his ex-wife, as well as some not-so-subtle themes about the environment and Megumi Odaka as the psychic Mike Saegusa (sadly, her role is thin in this one).

The special FX are great for the most part. The kaiju battles are fierce, although a bit too flashy (due to the nature of the monsters). There are some memorable scenes: Godzilla rising out of the volcano, Godzilla destroying Yokohama, Mothra coming out of its cocoon, and some others. The main liabilities in the special FX is Godzilla's return to his old roar (as opposed to the one he used in the previous 3) and Mothra's attack on Tokyo doesn't look too convincing.

Overall, a good monster movie. The pace moves reasonably well. The monsters are fun and exciting as always. The preachy manner of our need to protect the environment isn't handled well, but it's not like it matters too much. After all, I watch these movies to see monsters fighting.

Number four in the Heisei Godzilla movies, and it's the return of Mothra!

However, there's a new monster thrown into the mix, the creature known as Battra!

Big G isn't too bad in this one. I'm not too sure about the sound of his atomic heat beam. I think it needs checking.

Mothra is back, but her larva form doesn't move in the way it did before. It's like she'd just propelled on rollers.

Battra is a very good newcomer. I don't know which form I like best, the larva or flying forms.

This is a good movie, but it's not the best.