Naomasa Rokudaira | Through the Shattered Lens

A direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, 2002’s Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. begins with the Shobijin, those two little annoying girls who hang out with Mothra, appearing to a Japanese scientist and his family and explaining to them that Godzilla won’t stop attacking Japan until the government does away with their Mechagodzilla, Kiryu. Kiryu was constructed using the bones of the original Godzilla and, as a result, the current Godzilla is drawn to him.

Instead, the Shobijin suggest that the Kiryu should be tossed in the ocean. In return, the latest incarnation of Mothra will serve as Japan’s champion whenever Godzilla attacks.

So, to make clear, Japan can either be protected by a badass cyborg that was created out of the skeletal remains of the original Godzilla or it can be protected by a giant moth that has to spend time in a cocoon before it can even become an effective monster. And, along with the whole cocoon thing, Mothra also comes with two annoying little sidekicks who are constantly popping up and going on and on about how stupid humanity is.

Now, I don’t know about you but, if I was in charge, I would probably just stick with the cyborg. If nothing else, the cyborg looks like a badass and it can destroy just as much property as Godzilla. The cyborg exists to say, “Hey, Godzilla — you’re not the only pointlessly destructive monster on this planet!” Add to that, the cyborg can be piloted and controlled by humans. The cyborg doesn’t talk back. The cyborg doesn’t tell humanity that everything is their fault. The cyborg can be shut down whenever there’s not a monster attack going on. In other words, get lost, Mothra!

In Tokyo S.O.S., The government of Japan agrees with me, which of course leads to a huge fight between Godzilla, Kiryu, and eventually Mothra. Mothra does that thing where she wraps Godzilla up in string and also where she appears to sacrifice her life. The problem is that, after you see enough of these films, you know that Mothra is always going to sacrifice her life and she’s always going to be reborn.

So, the story isn’t that spectacular. It’s pretty much just Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla all over again. But here’s the important thing: the fights are really cool. Yes, the fights are a bit familiar and there’s nothing about them that will really take you by surprise but, if you just want to watch Godzilla destroy stuff, this film delivers plenty of that.

Tokyo S.O.S. is unique amongst the Godzilla films of its era in that it was a direct sequel as opposed to be a reboot. In fact, it was only the direct sequel of the so-called Millennium Era. The next Godzilla film, Godzilla: Final Wars, would be a reboot and a spectacular one at that. We’ll take a look at it next week.

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Godzilla gets a brand new backstory in 2002’s Godzilla against Mechagodzilla!

That’s not a surprise. At the start of the 21st century, when Toho was still trying to figure out how their biggest star would function in a new world, nearly every Godzilla film was a reboot that pretty much ignored all of the films that came before it, with the exception of the original Gojira. Godzilla against Mechagodzilla opens with Japan being attacked by Godzilla but it’s not the same Godzilla from the original film. That Godzilla actually did die as a result of the Oxygen destroyer. However, its relatives are still out there and occasionally, one will pop up and attack Japan. Japan has gotten a reputation for being cursed.

However, a discovery has been made that could change everything. The skeleton of the original Godzilla has been discovered and it has been used to create a cyborg Godzilla. The cyborg Godzilla is called Kiryu but, in appearance, it’s pretty much just Mechagodzilla all over again. Kiryu is able to defeat the new Godzilla but the battle triggers memories of its former life and soon, it’s going on a rampage of its own. Eventually, being a cyborg, it runs out of power but it’s obvious that Kiryu will need the guiding hand of a human. How about Lt. Akane Yushiro (Yukimo Shaku), who is undeniably talented but whose previous battle against the latest version of Godzilla has left her haunted by guilt and also caused others to doubt her abilities? Can she pilot Kiryu and save Japan from future Godzilla attacks?

Fortunately, Godzilla against Mechagodzilla know what its mission is. It understands that the majority of its audience is watching because they want to see Godzilla use his radioactive breath to destroy things and they want to see Mechagodzilla shoot lasers beams out of his eyes. The movie delivers both of those things, often in spectacular fashion. The special effects are certainly better than the special effects from Godzilla’s earlier Toho films but they still look primitive enough to retain the franchise’s B-movie charm. The film’s battle scenes are truly impressive and live up to the Godzilla name. As for the “human” story, Yumiko Shaku gives a strong performance and is likable as Akane and you actually do want her to get her chance to prove herself. While this film isn’t quite as enjoyably weird as some of the other entries, it’s still an above-average Godzilla film and a worthy chapter in the series. In fact, Godzilla against Mechagodzilla worked so well that the next entry in the series was not a reboot but a direct sequel! We’ll check that out next week.

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