A Odisséia dos Monstros

When I was young, I was very poor, and this was pretty much the only Godzilla film I owned at the time. That being said, I've seen this one more than most others just out of the fact I had not much else to watch. However, It's definitely not bad. There is a scene in the film that was a bit more gruesome than many other Godzilla films, the splitting open of Anguirus's mouth kinda caught me off guard, even though it looked like they used pepto bismol for blood. MechaGodzilla is one of the most popular and well known monsters in the series, and for good reason, he has an awesome design and concept. The first MechaGodzilla, which is in this film was created by aliens, but the other ones were made by humans, which takes some of the novelty out of it. It's a great film, not the best but not the worst.

Aliens create a giant mechanical version of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, in an effort to destroy Japan. The mechanical creature nearly defeats Godzilla until our rubber- suited hero enlists the help of a fellow Kaiju, the dog-like King Seesar, to defeat the new bionic beast. With the exception of the original films, none of the Godzilla movies are all that serious, but this one seems downright gonzo when the aliens are revealed to be gorilla-like creatures, particularly during one shootout when one of the aliens has half of his human mask removed. What makes or breaks most Godzilla films are the subplots involving the human characters, which if they are boring (as is in most Godzilla films), the movies drag between monster battles, but when the human stories are interesting it makes the film work as a whole. "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" also features a fun jazzy score by Masaru Sato, who scores many films for Akira Kurosawa, and the movie contains plenty of bright colorful Kaiju battles. Overall, this is probably the best of the Godzilla films of the 1970s and is well worth watching for fans of our favorite Japanese monster.

This time, the overgrown-lizard hero is confronted by a mechanical doppelganger, courtesy of an army of extraterrestrial apes. Unable to best his metallic twin in combat, Godzilla seeks out the aid of Okinawan monster god King Seeser. Godzilla's 14th film, his 20th Anniversary. The story wasn't a rehash of the others and they actually brought back some of the best Toho actors, Akihiko Hirata and Hiroshi Koizumi! The music was all right for the most part, with its jazzy feel to it. For SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano to actually display something presentable and all of Mecha-G's rampage scenes are carried out nicely. Angiurus returns, now able to leap at his foes. His fight with Mecha-G is very physical, ripping Anguirus' jaws apart and all. Mecha-G was incredibly cool looking and all his weapons are brought to life fantastically.King Seeser is actually a decent monster. The human characters all give good performances and a few espionage scenes.Toho hired veteran composer Masaru Sato for the music. Here's an interesting fact for those who don't already know: During Godzilla's fight with Fake Godzilla, you may notice that Fake Godzilla seems rather goofy, with a chubbier jaw, and his hands resemble Mechagodzilla's missile finger. This is because Toho used a promotional Godzilla suit, instead of making a second Megarogoji suit, which they couldn't afford. The Fake Godzilla suit was also used for water scenes, because water causes a lot of wear and tear on Godzilla suits. Seeing Godzilla fight Mechagodzilla is truly an entertaining watch. All the battles in this movie are totally epic, and the addition of the King Seesar monster makes it truly a unique and satisfying experience.The 1970s aren't particularly known for having the best Godzilla movies, but when Godzilla was good, he was very good, and this is one of those cases. In fact, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is highly regarded by fans if the franchise for this reason.

To start, I have to say Mechagodzilla is amazing in this. From his design to his abilities he's just cool all around. He even poses a real threat to all of its opponents. The action was great though, specifically the first battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla caught my eyes and looked visually stunning especially for its time. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzillas story was okay, it felt fresh enough for me not to want to compare it too heavily to Invasion of Astro-Monster or Destroy All Monsters with its alien villains because it does bring in some interesting new concepts and depth that the others didn't have. The archeology / statue prophecy side of the story intrigued me at first, but kinda of lost me in the middle of the film and never really gripped me again. It even had some great memorable characters like Agent Nanbara, who if there was ever an Americanized verizon of this film, would definitely be played by Keanu Reeves. All in all I feel like this was yet another solid entry in the Showa era Godzilla universe with the introduction of Mechagodzilla along with a pretty decent story and some great action.

Released in 1974, Gojira tai Mekagojira is a very nice break from the garbage that was 1973's Gojira tai Megaro (Godzilla Against Megalon). Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was made to commemorate Godzilla's 20th anniversary. Toho hired veteran composer Masaru Sato for the music, Teruyoshi Nakano was brought back for special effects, and Jun Fukuda returned to direct. After Godzilla vs. Megalon, Fukuda does a 180 and gives us an exciting, original, well-paced film.

The special effects are among the best of the Showa series. While some of the Black Hole Aliens scenes leave some to be desired, the monster scenes are well done,and greatly improved over Godzilla vs. Megalon. The battles between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla are fast-paced and brutal. Mechagodzilla is a very original foe for Godzilla, and probably his deadliest. Godzilla himself is the Megarogoji from 1973, but Toho gave him a "mean" look. King Seesar is an interesting monster, and has a small cult following, but many look down upon him due to him getting pummeled by Mechagodzilla.

There are flaws though. Character development leaves some to be desired, but this can be forgiven by the film's fast pace. Also, some special effects shots, like Mechagodzilla's chest lightning, look ridiculous.

Here's an interesting fact for those who don't already know: During Godzilla's fight with Fake Godzilla, you may notice that Fake Godzilla seems rather goofy, with a chubbier jaw, and his hands resemble Mechagodzilla's missile finger. This is because Toho used a promotional Godzilla suit, instead of making a second Megarogoji suit, which they couldn't afford. The Fake Godzilla suit was also used for water scenes, because water causes a lot of wear and tear on Godzilla suits.

Overall, Gojira tai Mekagojira is a fast-paced, fun, exciting film to watch. Possibly the best of the seventy's, and it's leaps and bounds above Godzilla vs. Megalon. However, if you're expecting anything like the original Gojira, or the Golden Age, look elsewhere. But, if you're the kind who enjoys fast-paced action, this is your kind of film.

Score:7/10