On 15th May 2014, Toho’s greatest monster will return to the big screen in an American reboot. With just 2 weeks to go, we here at THN are counting down the GODZILLA back catalogue.
Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Starring: Noboru Kaneko, Miho Yoshioka, Mitsuki Koga, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akira Nakao, Koichi Ueda, Ko Takasugi, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Ohtsuka, Yumiko Shaku, Yusuke Tomoi, Kenta Suga
Plot: Japan fixes MechaGodzilla in case Godzilla ever returns, but Mothra threatens to destroy Earth if MechGodzilla’s bones are not laid to rest. Can Mothra and humanity find a way to make everybody happy?
Finally the Millenium series decided they would produce a direct sequel to one of their films. For a first in this sequence of films, the events directly follow those of the previous film. Although it’s another strong offering from Tezuka, it’s almost too similar to the previous instalment, with only Mothra being added for some variety. Fortunately, GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS plays as not only a sequel to GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA but also as a sequel to the original 1961 version of MOTHRA. GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS is a film that truly wanted to have it all. It was a sequel to the last film, had a young boy and elderly man working together to cover a range of ages, and also used Mothra, the most popular monster with females. That’s some pretty good coverage of a fairly diverse target audience right there. It also pushed aside a lot of characterisation and plot in order to give us a film that was mostly battling…a very long battle.
This grab for a larger audience seemed essential for Godzilla at the time, and was further displayed in its pairing with HAMTARO: HAM HAM GRAND PRIX, an animated film focused on a cute hamster. From a western audience point of view this may not seem like the usual bedfellow for a destructive monster, but children where were the box-office money came from and so children were once again the target. Hamtaro was also the double feature of choice for a number of the Millenium films. This probably goes quite a long way for the focus on the actual fighting, rather than the human issues. In fact, the characters from the last film are swept away in a cameo that sees them about to go on further training missions abroad, allowing for another group of characters who we don’t really have to get to know nor have to be upset about if they’re made a secondary focus. We also have Hiroshi Koizumi reprising his role from MOTHRA, 42 years on. This was most likely an attempt to bring in some of the classic era fans, so at least wasn’t all about the kids.
The film starts strongly with an airborne scene set after Godzilla awakens. Talk of a UFO causes worry, as it seems as though we may be thrown back into the territory of apelike or cockroach aliens disguised as humans, but thankfully this UFO reveals itself to be Mothra. The flying scene is beautifully shot and elegant, with the wings gradually breaking through the dark night time clouds. We gradually hear the classic Mothra theme, announcing that this is the more traditional Mothra and not the generic guardian as depicted in her last cinematic appearance. Next we’re in a scene of snow as we enter a cute looking house. News exposition tells us that Godzilla hasn’t been seen since the events of the last feature, while engineer Yoshito Chujo (Kaneko) builds a model plane. This is possibly a reminder of Godzilla’s roots, having quickly followed on from the stunning aerial scenes just shown, as well as introducing the character as a fixer and hands-on type of guy. No surprise then that he’s working on repairing Kiryu (MechaGodzilla).
Yoshito’s uncle, Shi’ichi Chujo (Koizumi), was the same man who visited Infant Island, the home of Mothra decades ago, and after a mistakn Earthquake (they get a lot of those in this franchise), two miniature fairies reveal themselves and tell the Chujos that Mothra will declare war on humanity unless the original Godzilla’s bones are put to rest. It’s quite the ultimatum, but they do promise that Mothra will protect humanity from Godzilla should they comply. The theme of respecting all life is a very interesting one – or should that be respect for all dead? The idea that even a monster such as the original Godzilla deserves peace in the afterlife, rather than being reincarnated as a slave robot, is both moving and thoughtful. Mothra is revealed to be loitering outside and by golly does she look majestic. This is the best the gigantic creature has ever looked and it is further enhanced with great dexterity and animation which means the wings look flexible for once, rather than a monotonous up and down motion. Her colours are still bright, but also fit with the more serious world of the Millenium era. The Chujos are left with the responsibility of informing the government, as we return to Kiryu’s repairs. This is where we say goodbye to the characters from the last film, and although Yashiro (Shaku) gets to say goodbye to Kiryu in a rather touching scene, as soon as the new pilots are marched past Chujo we’re treated to a generic slow-motion shot of a new female pilot.
At a party to congratulate the new pilots, we’re given an old musical-esque rivalry between the ground crew and the pilots. It’s the usual jocks vs. geeks plotline ripped straight from American high school films. A musical version of the film would actually be great, and an entertaining number where members from each group posture and pose for praise from females would slip right in. On another level the rivalry does bring about questions between those who are celebrated as heroes compared to those working behind the scenes. It’s similar in many industries, from film itself to sports and the military. It’s certainly a conflict many people will be able to connect with, with one of the pilots having a father in high places and being much better well off. The prime minister quickly ignores the story that elder Chujo tells him, but is warned that man has crossed the line between mortals and gods. It’s another popular theme that is bound to return in Gareth Edwards’ latest instalment, but it’s one that never gets old with man’s constant “improvement” of science and technology. A carcass of a giant turtle, the underused Toho monster Kamoebas previously seen in original GOJIRA director Ishiro Honda’s SPACE AMOEBA, is found dead on a beach with its neck hacked up, suggesting that Godzilla is being a bit moody out at sea. This could also be a dig at the rival Gamera franchise, or maybe it’s just to show Godzilla’s ferocity.
Godzilla is soon on his way to Tokyo. Missiles are fired at him and we see a pretty decent underwater swimming shot of the Big G in CG mode. A mass evacuation takes place but during the chaos Shun Chujo (Suga), the younger cousin of Yoshito, goes missing. A huge wave announces Godzilla’s arrival, which is something that seems to be replicated in the upcoming GODZILLA. Godzilla looks absolutely massive and makes his way towards MechaGodzilla, with the irony of the humanities best weapon being that which also attracts its target. Some magnificent aerial shots reveal that Shun has created an ancient pattern out of a school’s desks, which is known to summon Mothra. Summon Mothra it does, who uses her epic wind powers (from flapping wings, not due to dietary reasons). This is the beginning of the fight which runs to the end of the film. It truly is a lengthy one, but some variety is added in the form of attacks and participants. Still, we’re only 40 minutes into this 90 minute feature, which means over half this film is a battle. It’s great, certainly, but it does mean you must be invested with these beasties by this point.
To show the length of the battle day turns to night and to show the epic scale of such a battle, Tokyo Tower is taken down, much like the original Mothra did many years ago. During the battle, debris falls on Shun and Shi’ichi, causing Yoshito to run through the city looking for them, which provides human punctuation between monster paragraphs. Tokyo looks spectacularly destroyed, with fire where you can almost feel the heat, and crumbling buildings that never betray the fact they’re really models. The battle is a brutal one, but far away on Infant Island a new Mothra egg hatches and twins emerge. The larvae swim to assist their mother, who eventually sacrifices herself by being burnt alive. The Chujos are all okay, and Kiryu is fixed and transported to the battle. It is now equipped with a drill hand which provides a pretty grim moment where Godzilla is stabbed and in pain. Kiryu is soon able to take control of itself, but Yoshito apologises to the spirit of the original Godzilla in a very emotional scene. Kiryu decides to take the now cocooned Godzilla, thanks to the efforts of the larvae, and fly it out to sea. Like the original GOJIRA, the ending is actually kind of hollow in how it leaves the human characters. We’re left with a final thought; “Life has to be lived within the time nature allows.”
GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS is most certainly a fun ride. The battle is incredibly long, but it never becomes boring. Tezuka creates a real sense of time passing whereas most Godzilla films just have the halfway fight and then the final battle with some human interaction between. GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS decides to just integrate the human elements into the final battle. The effects are spectacular, especially where Mothra is concerned. She stands out and reminds us of what an awesome badass she can be. Even the most evolved minds on Earth wouldn’t have suggested making a giant lizard’s most worthy nemesis a pretty little butterfly, but this shows exactly why the two work so well on screen. It was also nice to have a sequel in the Millennium Era of films, and it leaves us with a mouth-watering stinger where we see a number of DNA canisters being collected in a hug lab. Unfortunately the sequel it hinted towards never happened, but we did get the final film (for a decade at least) in GODZILLA: FINAL WARS, but more on that next week.
Dub-Misstep: Another decent dub. Kiryu is referred to as MechaGodzilla, which isn’t really a problem.
Monsters: Godzilla and Kiryu remain unaltered for the most part, although Godzilla does seem to be very thick in terms of muscle, especially around the neck. I guess he worked out after being beaten. Mothra returns with more traditional backstory as opposed to the one used in GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK. She looks better than ever and reminds us that she is certainly a decent match against Godzilla. There are also two Mothra larvae to seek vengeance in the final section.
Notes For GODZILLA (2014): I would love to see Mothra in a sequel, but don’t know if she will work in the more “realistic” universe. I’m sure they could do it, but we need there to still be that incredible summoning song, otherwise what’s the point? This also shows the dangers of making fights too extensive and the pitfalls of trying to please everybody. The new franchise (fingers crossed it will become a franchise) needs its own voice.
G-RATING:
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GODZILLA will be released 16th May 2014. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Akira Takarada, and David Strathairn.
