Godzilla vs. Biollante

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.

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.

What? a Godzilla movie on Blu-ray, well about time. Well of course destroy all monsters came out on Blu-ray, but was discontinued. I would love it if they re-released all the films on Blu-ray, that would be a dream come true.

Blu-ray disc: The picture quality is much better, but I can only compare it to my VHS tape. Whats one thing that Godzilla movies have a lot of, explosions. What does Blu-ray enhance, explosions. Well unfortunately the sound wasn't on par with most films, what I mean by that is, the explosions lacked base, and there for didn't rattle the walls. That was my only complaint. And for the first time I actually get to watch how one of these films is made, it includes a behind the scenes bonus feature. The MPAA rating in the opening states that there is the usual Godzilla violence, I thought that was funny.

The film: This film is a big leap forward for the series. The action scenes look great, and the special effects are outstanding. The final form of Biollante looks incredible. Some of the musical scores are great too. Take note this film is actually pretty violent, lots of blood spraying, and there is more swearing than usual, man there's even a sexual reference at the end. Not really PG material, but oh well.

Overall it's pretty entertaining, with the fight scenes being the highlights. Although Biollante served a small part, it's still worth watching.

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.