In which the Yakuza enter into a Godzilla flick. Yes, those badass dudes. Sure, their involvement in the plot of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla proves to be little more than shoot-out to add some conspiracy to the failed implementation of Project T - a psychic way to control Godzilla without killing him - but the moment is there right smack dab in the middle of this otherwise smartly envisioned kaiju flick from 1994.
Perhaps we can blame Biollante for the absolute terror of SpaceGodzilla. We might even be able to lay blame upon the cosmic power of Mothra. Or, more logically, we can blame ourselves and our insatiable appetite for more and more kaiju films because the evil that is SpaceGodzilla is a consequence for our own needs for more and more content. Depending on which it is that you point to, someone or something is responsible for the creation of Space Godzilla, a mutated monster first born when some of Godzilla’s G-Cells made their way into space . . . the final frontier.
That’s right, Beloved Kaiju Freaks and Geeks. This time out for Kaiju Korner I am going to take on the crystal encapsulated terror that is known for beating up Little Godzilla and bringing all sorts of destruction to Birth Island and the city of Fukuoka, transforming into some sort of crystal-made fortress of solitude.
Except Godzilla might have something to say about that. Well, that and an upgraded M.O.G.U.E.R.A. (Mobile Operations G-Force Universal Expert Robot: Aero-type) mecha, which gets to take on the sadism of SpaceGodzilla twice.
Starring Jun Hashizume as Lt. Koji Shinjo, Zenkichi Yoneyama as Lt. Kiyoshi Sato, Akira Emoto as Major Akira Yuki, Towako Yoshikawa as Prof. Chinatsu Gondo, Yôsuke Saitô as Dr. Susumu Okubo, Kenji Sahara as Minister Takayuki Segawa, Akira Nakao as Commander Takaki Aso, and, of course, Megumi Odaka who finally comes to the forefront here, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is often very, very good.
Unfortunately, it also wastes a lot of that goodness on some ultra-silly plot deviations and pacing issues as some of the franchise's Heisei series of Godzilla films often do. Yet, none of that can be put on the cast, which includes the costumed performances from Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla, Little Frankie as Little Godzilla, Ryō Haritani as SpaceGodzilla, and Wataru Fukuda as M.O.G.U.E.R.A, who all deliver rousing performances in those suits.
The epic battles here - one happening on Birth Island and the other on a very populated city - are fierce and, with special effects by Kōichi Kawakita, absolutely numb the mind with their rendering. From optical effects to the use of models and the designs of the suits, the work here does not disappoint, providing a texture that does not go unnoticed. It is truly remarkable stuff here as Kawakita’s team animates no-less than five giant-sized monsters and one mecha while a city is reduced to rubble and a tropical island becomes a crystal prison for the littlest creature.
But the special effects team seems to be having the most fun with the space battles and with the addition of Cosmos (Sayako Osawa and Keiko Imamura), the magical twin girls who whisper warnings to those who will listen about the impending doom that is SpaceGodzilla. And, quite frankly, SpaceGodzilla is a beast of a design (pun intended), proving to be a mammoth of menacing destruction as it stomps its way toward Fukuoka Tower in order to transform the earth’s core into a source of power that it can easily absorb.
Director Kensho Yamashita and screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara had a good idea when they decided to follow Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II with a storyline which would focus more on Megumi Odaka's recurring character Miki Saegusa, who was already the most frequently used human in Godzilla lore. It was a bold move as she could control the beast with her mind if she wanted to, but the execution here is what matters the most. In that department, this entry in the Heisei series is a bit more cheesy and lighthearted than probably originally envisioned by Toho when they greenlit the project.
There are moments throughout this kaiju flick which are peak moments of creativity. The opening, to begin with, is absolutely entrancing as SpaceGodzilla hurtles toward Earth. The monster is surrounded by crystals of varying sizes and seems to be speeding across the vastness of space on an all important mission. It is an engaging opening which sees some pretty gnarly special effects as Mothra, Fairy Mothra, and some previous footage of Biollante and Battra are utilized in the quest to understand how SpaceGodzilla came to be.
The humans in this outing are pretty useless, wasting their time in the beginning of the movie trying to, once again, bring down the glory that is Godzilla by any means necessary. The mistake here is thinking that they can control this mutated mother, but - after NASA and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. fail to intercept SpaceGodzilla, they come to realize that they need Godzilla’s stomping specialties in order to survive this alien invasion as that corona beam of SpaceGodzilla is pretty powerful, laying all sorts of damages upon Little Godzilla, who wisely stays behind for much of this adventure.
While Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla has some awkward moments, the film is not the lost cause it could have been and, when you consider the time period, that’s really saying something. The 1990s were not kind to a lot of films. Thankfully, this one remains strong.
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is now streaming on digital platforms.
MPAA Rating: Not rated.
Runtime: 106 mins
Director: Kenshô Yamashita; Takao Okawara; Kazuki Ômori
Writer: Kanji Kashiwa; Hiroshi Kashiwabara; Shinichiro Kobayashi
Cast: Jun Hashizume; Megumi Odaka; Zenkichi Yoneyama
Genre: Adventure | Sci-fi | Fantasy
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Godzilla! I still have something to settle with you!"
Distributor: Tristar Pictures (dubbed)
Official Site:
Release Date: December 10, 1994
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Godzilla is threatened by two new forces: Mogera - another UN built machine; and Space Godzilla - a beast spawned from Godzilla's particles in space.
