Gojira vs. Mekagojira

This is the best of the new Heisei Godzilla series made. For one it features the return of many favorites including MechaGodzilla (bigger and badder than ever), Rodan (although he is called "Radon" which is his Japanese name) Baby Godzilla (who could kick Minya's @$$ in 5 seconds) and Godzilla (who who could kick the Tristar Godzilla's @$$ in about 1 second!). The story has characters that you care about, the effects are wonderful, the fight scenes are great, Rodan looks really cool as Fire Rodan, Garuda and MechaGodzilla are really awesome, and the dubbing matches 75% of the time! The story says that an egg, which hatches into a Baby Godzillasaur, is Godzilla's son. However, it was found in Rodan's nest so he thinks that it's his baby too. The UNGCC (United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center) takes Baby away for studying. Godzilla and Rodan go to Kyoto to find baby but instead find a huge battle with MechaGodzilla. Rodan is seriously injured and near death. Discovering Godzilla's 2nd brain, MechaGodzilla destroys it, paralyzing Godzilla. Then...you'll have to see it to find out what happens at the end. This a must for any true Godzilla nut like myself. Buy it, and you won't regret it at all!

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II is a fantastic Godzilla film, easily the best Mechagodzilla film, and the best film of the Heisei era.

This film has a very compelling, well-written, intriguing, and elegantly simplicit story. It very much revolves around the monster action, which was a fantastic choice, as it allows for a very action-packed film with a very tightly knitted story.

At the same time, the characters are not left on the back burner, and are likable and interesting. Kazuma Aoki makes for a very charming lead who is initially a goofball but learns to take responsibility for his actions throughout the film and becomes a more competent man. Azusa Gojo is a very sympathetic protagonist with her touching mother-son relationship with BabyGodzilla pulling at your heart strings. Miki Saegusa is just as sympathetic and more developed then ever before as she begins to see Godzilla in a different light due to BabyGodzilla. All of the soldiers, commanders, generals, and scientists at G-Force each have their own motivations and character traits as well, such as the big, gruff Commander Aso who has a very deep vendetta against Godzilla. Even the side characters with not much screen time and very little lines have notable character traits, which is partially due to the really well-done acting.

The new Mechagodzilla design is sleek and awesome, looking smoother and more modern than the Showa incarnation, and it looks even better when it combines with the flying machine Garuda, making it look like an even more powerful killing machine. Godzilla looks just as great as ever, still retaining the iconic look introduced in Godzilla vs. Biollante with another excellent suit that happens to be my personal favorite. Rodan's redesign is more majestic and pterosaur-like, an improvement over his very derpy post-1956 Showa era design. He not only looks cooler, but more natural and believable. And finally, BabyGodzilla is a vast improvement over Minilla, looking absolutely adorable and yet still looking very lifelike, like a real theropod dinosaur infant. The three organic monsters are brought to life in such a way that they have their own personalities and could be considered actual dynamic, well-rounded characters on their own. Godzilla has his character ark here, as he starts out being the same rage-filled nuclear leviathan from the previous films only to become a father that can actually show compassion by the end of the film, as he spends the majority of it searching for BabyGodzilla, only to cross paths with Rodan and Mechagodzilla whenever he tries to do so. His goal is clearly to unite with and protect the infant Godzillasaurus to raise him as his own son, and he risks life and limb over it. He's still a badass throughout the film, but we also get to see a bit of his softer side. Rodan also has an emotional attachment to BabyGodzilla, but in a different way; since they were born in the same nest, he sees BabyGodzilla as his little brother and therefore does everything to protect him. BabyGodzilla is the heart of the film, as an innocent and intelligent being that cares deeply about those he sees as his parental figures. On the other side of things, Mechagodzilla moves and acts realistically for a robot, never making it seem like a living thing and therefore solidifying the theme of life vs. artificial life. The decision to make Mechagodzilla lifeless also supports this theme and, along with BabyGodzilla and our main characters, helps drive the audience to an emotional connection to the monsters as the film progresses.

One of the most powerful and unique aspects of the film is indeed the conflict it brings about within the characters and even the audience. It begins with Mechagodzilla being the good guy and Godzilla being the bad guy, but by the middle, it becomes greyer rather than black and white, with both G-Force and Godzilla having reasons to be doing what they're doing and both are reasonable from their point of view. This also creates high stakes and tension with the battles between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla, making for some of the most gripping fight scenes in the franchise.

The special effects are incredibly solid and well-done, with some astounding attention to detail. Despite the film's abundance of action scenes, there aren't any extremely noticeable lapses in the quality of the visual effects: all of it looks top notch (with the exception of some brief funky matte shots that don't look the best, and the prop used when Mechagodzilla is flying does look kind of wonky, though definitely better then the Showa one). In particular, the animatronic heads for all three monsters look notably impressive and extremely organic. The film is also packed with tons of exhilarating and memorable action sequences that are spread out so well that it's very well-paced and highly entertaining. Godzilla and Rodan's battle on Adonoa Island is one of the most exciting fights in the franchise, and the battles where Godzilla and Rodan fight Mechagodzilla are very excitingly choreographed and directed and have no shortage of physical brawling.

And finally, Akira Ifukube's musical score is brilliant; while he usually always delivers fantastic scores, this one is particularity good, with very many memorable, riveting, and haunting yet beautiful pieces.

Overall, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II is an absolutely fantastic Godzilla film all around. It succeeds in practically every category and therefore is definitely one of the finest and most consistently entertaining entries in the entire franchise.

By 1993 the Heisei era of the Godzilla series was well in swing. Here production company Toho bring back Mechagodzilla, Rodan and sadly - they birth Baby Godzilla. Plot is nutty of course, top level government organisation want rid of Godzilla, so using various mechanics and creature science from previous Godzilla foes, construct a new Mechagodzilla, who is soon to be souped up to be Super Mechagodzilla. Carnage, telepathy, hidden brains and maternal instincts do follow.

It's actually one of the better films from the Heisei wave. Standard city destruction via model work is always good fun, but it's nice to find the effects work is of a much better standard than from previous instalments. The action sequences are smartly constructed by Takao Okawara, with the crowning smack-down between Zilla and Metalzilla absolutely joyous, a fun packed blend of cartoonish chaos and death ray destruction. Akira Ifukube once again provides an outstanding musical score, and while you will search long and hard for acting performances of note, it all just falls into place in the grand scheme of things.

Now if only we didn't have that goddamn Baby Godzilla! So cute! So annoying... 7/10

Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla is regarded by many as the best Godzilla film in the 'Heisei' series,and it's easy to see why,with it's non-stop action,revivals of three of the 'Showa' series monsters and huge amount of monster footage. No leisurely build up here-we are plunged almost immediately into the action,and it than never lets up apart from a brief slowing down in the middle.

This was Godzilla's 40th anniversary film,and so it is rife with scenes from Showa Godzilla films copied,including even certain shots-for instance,Godzilla attacking an oil refinary from the original Godzilla Vs Mothra,or Rodan knocking down Godzilla from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster,there's a terrific knowingness to this film. The plot here is very simple but effective in it's simplicity,and Akira Ifikube's score is simply wonderful,his best ever for a Godzilla film,full of memorable themes and often amazingly poignant.

The film is let down a little by it's monsters-the new baby Godzilla is great and far better than 'Minya' from the 'Showa' series,but Rodan and Mechagodzilla look inferior to their predecessors. The fights are OK but the climactic one is somewhat static,and the film has a lot less visual imagination than the last three films. It's difficult to say if this is better than the previous two films,it lacks the wild and crazy story of Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah or the sense of wonder and eye candy of Godzilla vs Mothra,but if you just want monsters on the rampage and battling it out,this one delivers wonderfully,and most Godzilla fans want little more than that.

One of the top 10 grossing Godzilla films. Though no new monsters were introduced, this movie brought back Godzilla and updated versions of Rodan, Mechagodzilla and the Son of Godzilla. Rodan looks excellent and his action sequences were executed well. He's quicker and even gets to spit radioactive beams.

Instead of a space alien (referring back to 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla), Mechagodzilla is the ultimate weapon created by G-Force to defeat Godzilla. The Son of Godzilla returns as BabyGodzilla, looking more dinosaur-like and closely resembling Godzilla more.

It is notable that many past Godzilla movie actors appear in this movie. Actor Tadao Takashima (from 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla) made a cameo appearance as Chief Hosono, director of the psychic institute. Actor Kenji Sahara (from 1956's Rodan) starred as Minister Segawa, director of the defense force. Actress Megumi Odaka returned as psychic Miki Saegusa, as well as Keiko Imanura and Sayaka Osawa (both appeared as the Cosmos in this film's prequel).

Miki befriended Godzilla and BabyGodzilla and told the commanders of G-Force to let the monsters be. However, she was forced to be among the crew in Mechagodzilla so she can use her psychic powers to locate Godzilla's secondary brain and destroy it. BabyGodzilla was used as bait to lure Godzilla to Tokyo. What follows are action-packed monster sequences - some of the best in the series.

This film has a plain plot, but the excessive scenes of the monsters and the colorful characters made this an enjoyable movie. You could see the interiors of the G-Force building and the psychic institute. Composer Akira Ifukube gave another spectacular music score, providing us one of his most memorable marches - the G-Force March. He used a lot of his music from 1964's Godzilla vs. Mothra and 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. When you watch his film closely, you could catch a brief scan of Tokyo Disneyland when Rodan flies over it (it is notable that Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 and this movie was released in 1993, marking 10 years of the theme park's anniversary).

With five monsters appearing (one of the most in a "Heisei" Godzilla movie), this movie is not to be missed by any Sci-Fi fans.

Grade A-