GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA (1974)
Picking favorite Godzilla movies is hard, considering not only are there 30+ films across different eras but also the wildly varying tones the king of the monsters has gone through. In this writer’s opinion if there is a film that could essentially be considered the very concept of a Godzilla in its purest form beyond the original, it’s got to be 1974’s GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA. A movie that pretty much gets it all right and it’s easy to understand why it’s usually in the upper rankings of most lists of best Godzilla movies. Genuinely likable human characters and plot? Check. Insidious alien invaders? Check. One of the best fights in the entire franchise that sees Godzilla team up with a new monster to battle a new villain? Double check.
The plot is straightforward but does everything it needs to do and has some fun twists and turns to it. Centering around the discovery of a mysterious statue and an ominous prophecy that speaks of a monster who will bring about the destruction and the world and two monsters who will defeat them you follow our intrepid human cast as they race against time to discover what and if possibly how to prevent this looming threat while being pursued by individuals who will go to any lengths to attain the statue. Lots of fun, harrowing set pieces and reveals keep things moving at a brisk pace that prevents one of the more common complaints with a lot of Godzilla movies which is that the human plot is really just there to kill time until the kaiju get involved. That being said, when the kaiju do get involved the movie kicks it to another level, thanks to not just one but two monsters, one of which has gone on to become easily one of the most iconic members of Godzilla’s rogues gallery.
MechaGodzilla is a favorite of many fans, even people who’ve never seen a Godzilla movie tend to know about the robot doppelganger and it’s incredibly easy to see why. MechaGodzilla is awesome. Despite knowing he’s in the movie his reveal is still a moment that inspires a sense of awe and dread thanks to a cool jazzy theme complete with glamour shots of his design. Everything about it says “Godzilla might be in trouble” and that point is made very clear as we see the new foe go blow for blow with the king of the monsters, who as defeated many rivals by this point in the franchise, to where both monsters need to retreat. It creates a very cool dynamic as we see the classic “machine vs. nature” conflict but this time between two giant monsters.
As mentioned before though MechaGodzilla isn’t the only monster making his debut as we get to see the arrival of King Caesar who is not a foe but a new ally. King Caesar is another fan favorite but has sadly not reached the heights of his newcomer, which is a shame because Caesar is such a fun and unique addition to the monster line up who deserves to be in the spotlight more. A canine kaiju who adds an interesting mystical element to the Godzilla franchise as well as being a kaiju whose role is a protector of humanity. While Caesar has gotten some love in the comics he sadly hasn’t been seen since his most recent appearance in 2004’s FINAL WARS, even during the 50th anniversary of GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA he was mostly put to the side to celebrate MechaGodzilla’s debut, which yes is fair since MechaG has played a constant role in the franchise ever since but still give the dog his day, this writer says!
Everything culminates in a battle that sees our two heroic monsters join forces to battle the mechanical menace while our human heroes deal with its creators. Godzilla teaming up with other monsters is always a treat and this one goes all out with making the 2 vs. 1 a spectacle as MechaGodzilla unleashes a never-ending supply of weaponry. Explosions and lasers abound leading to a climactic finish that wraps everything up in a satisfying conclusion that features a sporadic Showa era tradition, Godzilla suddenly unleashing a new power he has never had before to save the day. It’s big, bombastic and an incredibly fitting and fun conclusion that ends the film on a high note.
GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA doesn’t reinvent the wheel, one of the more common criticisms of the movie is that it is formulaic, but it operates like a well-oiled machine similar to its antagonist monster thanks to tight pacing, enjoyable cast and great kaiju action. All these elements put the movie in the upper echelon of Godzilla films and make it a great starting point for newcomers to the franchise who really aren’t familiar with the genre by supplying pretty much all the best aspects of it. Since his debut, MechaGodzilla himself continues to be a mainstay in the franchise appearing across the era and even getting a fantastic duology with the Millenium era’s GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA and its sequel TOKYO S.O.S and I don’t think we’ll be seeing the last of him anytime soon.
Now let’s get King Caesar back into the mix!
