Thiel-a-Vision Review: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Mechagodzilla is one of those ideas that's so blindingly obvious in hindsight that it's a wonder why it took so long to come to pass: if a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur is cool, a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur robot pins the needle of the Cool-O-Meter. Yet, it wasn't until 1974 and the 14th Godzilla film that Toho Studios finally thought of pitting the Big G against an evil, android counterpart. Mechagodzilla was popular enough to return for the final installment of the original series before the movies went on hiatus for nine years. 

He didn't return until 1993's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, one of the more satisfying entries in the so-called Heisei-era series that ran from 1984-1995. This time, he was no longer a pawn of invading aliens, but rather the latest weapon in the Japanese Self Defense Force's anti-Godzilla arsenal. Naturally, if a giant monster keeps stomping your country, what better defense than building another giant monster? (Property values be damned!)

Several years after the death of the Heisei-era Godzilla, it was time for another run of films, known by fans as the Millennium series. These had the odd habit of continually rebooting the storyline so that the only film that remained canonical was Godzilla's original 1954 rampage. So, with Mechagodzilla having no longer been invented (twisted grammar intentional), it was time to invent him again for the first time.

In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, the latter is once more a Japanese superweapon. In this continuity, Japan has fended off a variety of giant monster attacks (represented by footage from the original Mothra, as well as War of the Gargantuas) over the years. When Godzilla reappears, it's clear that Maser Tanks (those tube-like death rays that are standard issue in these films) aren't going to be enough. The Japanese military--with the consent of taxpayers (!)--commissions a Godzilla-fighting robot that, for inadequately-explained reasons, incorporates DNA recovered from the skeleton of the first Godzilla. No one seems to think that this is a bad idea.

Piloted by a female Maser Tank commander who fell out of favor due to her role in the accidental deaths of several of her fellow soldiers, the new Mechagodzilla appears to be winning against his counterpart until Godzilla's roars awaken some sort of DNA-induced memories in the bio-mechanical beast, causing it to indulge in its own Tokyo-stomping. (One wonders what the taxpayers thought about that.) Ultimately, it's up to the hastily-repaired Mecha-G to save the day, at least until the next sequel.

The problem with this film is a simple case of "been there, done that." Aside from the DNA subplot--which makes little sense and is conveniently ignored in time for the final battle--this is all old stuff at both the monster and human levels.

However, one area in which it excels is special effects. The new Mechagodzilla is a sleek killing machine pumping out scores of twisting missiles and engaging in agile, jet-propelled monster-to-monster brawls. The mix of traditional rubber suits and CGI is effective, and I especially enjoyed a brief shot of Godzilla tossing a tank to the ground. While the battle scenes tend to flaunt gravity, there's a visceral thrill in watching the titans throwing each other through buildings.

If this really was a direct sequel to the original Godzilla, it would be a real stunner. Taken on its own, it's good ol' monster-bashing action. But as the 26th film in the series, it runs short on imagination.

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