Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Year: 2003
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Gojira tai Mosura tai Mekagojira: Tôkyô S.O.S.
Genre: Kaiju
Plot:
Following Mechagodzilla's previous defeat, a G-Force worker learns from his uncle that the robot shouldn't be repaired but the project is pushed through by the government anyway. Fearful of another attack after numerous confrontations prove Godzilla's returning to Tokyo, once it finally appears the robot is sent in to battle the monster. Before they can launch, his nephew takes advantage of a promise by asking Mothra to fight against Godzilla, which prompts the launch of the fully repaired and rebuilt Mechagodzilla to join in the final battle to protect mankind against Godzilla.
Review:
There's a lot to like about this particular story. The most impressive here is the connection attempts to move this into the canon of the previous entries in the series. The idea of bringing back the hero from the original '60s movie as an old man is a stroke of brilliance to allow this one to make that kind of connection for older fans while also still playing within the realm of being easily identifiable for those who aren't by simply informing us of the experience that happened. It's stuff we already know, and adding in the small touches about his experience fills in some gaps that were needed to make sense. Likewise, there's also the direct-sequel aspect of tying in the events of the previous film, from the technical problems of the robot to the political ramifications of operating it as well as the direct mentions of the past. Replaying that feature which is something that occurred in the other entry once again has plenty of great points offering up the kind of fun reclamation process for the facility workers and the rest of the team trying to repair the robot. The other strong aspect of the story here is a vaguely Japanese one that directly ties into their spiritual connections. A strong emphasis is placed throughout here on the need to let human beings and other objects live within the required allotment from nature, a violation directly affecting the rebuilt Mechagodzilla due to being constructed from the bones of the original Godzilla. The emotional pleas the Fairies offer continuously hammer home this idea about not letting Godzilla's spirit rest in peace and letting it be in harmony with nature carries a strong weight against the regimented nature of the military who are looking more at the protective qualities it offers without exception. There's a great counterbalance to the other story in a fantastic secondary side-story as there are not too many other plots at play within the film.
Once again, the special effects shine incredibly bright in the film. Graced with a gorgeous Godzilla costume from the previous film, he continues to look impressive, handling the continuous on-screen action well with his first appearance at the battle site of the previous film where he's combatted by various lasers and rockets. These scenes allow the costume plenty of impressive angles and scenes highlighted by the explosions and wreckage going off all around it, leading to the suit looking quite impressive. Sporting the same wound on the chest as the one inflicted in the final battle, the sense of continuity created is a nice inclusion and overall helps to offset the fact that, other than a head model used to indicate its movement in close-up shots or writhing around in confusion or pain, is the only other special effects method used to create him in the film. Despite once again appearing in one of the Millennium films, Mothra doesn't come off too badly here. As usual, the model here is impressive and truly beautiful, tackling many scenes with the same grace and ease of movement that exemplified the best versions of the creature. It's when the monster is utilized with CGI that it looks cheesy and highly suspect, especially in scenes where it's battling Godzilla. The daytime fight with the creature is truly impressive as the model is given plenty of room to maneuver in the skirmish with the fly-by and windstorm effects looking absolutely stellar and realistic for what Mothra could do in a natural fight. There's even more to like with the larvae, who are just absolutely stellar here and almost override the work on the original set from the 1960s. Moving around with their undulating motions, we visibly see their mandibles moving as they chitter and cry out and the different mannerisms as they interact within the cityscape during the final fight are impressive and highly realistic. As stated earlier, it's just the CGI of Mothra flying around that looks off which is thankfully kept to a minimum to allow the rest of the special effects to look great.
Indeed, for the most part, the rest of the effects work here is top-notch. The series of impressive miniatures is again top-notch, from Godzilla's brief rampage through the destroyed remains of the city from the previous fight to the fantastic race to maneuver through the city to get to the wreckage of the robot so that he can repair it. As the city destruction also allows the fleeing group of friends who get stranded in the middle of the rubble to be rescued, it keeps them involved in the story while also incorporating the cross-section of the city. There are also the sequences inside the control panel trying to repair Mechagodzilla that offer up the kind of emotional pathos that gives his character a fine redemptive arc that also includes some great action we get the battle between Mechagodzilla and Godzilla with the Mothra larvae hanging around the outskirts offering the kind of assistance they required. It leads into the fun finale where everything comes together in a great way as the forces all come together to put Godzilla out in a great manner using some ingenious methods that are effectively utilized to leave a strong impression with how it all plays out. There’s not much to bring it down as the main element featured here is the overreliance on CGI for some of the monster action with some of the battle scenes carried out in a highly obvious fashion with how unnatural some of the actions performed so it’s even more of a sore spot. Some might find the whole thing a bit more of a retread of the original with its storyline, but otherwise, there’s not much here holding this one down.
Overview: *****/5
This is easily one of the most purely enjoyable and technically accomplished entries in the series even with a few minor areas that do crop up to keep it from being one of the series' finest efforts. Give this a chance if you're at all interested in the genre or other genre entries in the slightest.
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