Kaiju! Gesundheit!

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack  (Toho Company, 2001)

Before the Camera:


Chiharu Niiyama (Ju-on: The Grudge 2)
Ryûdô Uzaki (Yokohama BJ Blues)
Masahiro Kobayashi (TV's Dirty Mama!)
Shirô Sano (Four Days of Snow and Blood)
Takashi Nishina (Horny House of Horror)
Kaho Minami (Four Days of Snow and Blood)
Shin'ya Ohwada (Four Days of Snow and Blood)
Kunio Murai (Godzilla vs Gigan)
Hiroyuki Watanabe (The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia)
and
Hideyo Amamoto (Godzilla vs the Sea Monster)
as
Isayama the Prophet



Behind the Camera:


Directed by Shûsuke Kaneko

Produced by Hideyuki Honma and Shogo Tomiyama

Written by Kei'ichi Hasegawa, Shûsuke Kaneko, and Masahiro Yokotani


In Tokyo, AdmiralTachibana (Uzaki) briefs some new cadets about Godzilla's attack on Tokyo fifty years previously. At the same time, a nuclear submarine is reported missing, which is later suspected to have been destroyed by Godzilla. The Admiral's daughter Yuri (Niiyama) films a docudrama with her crew at Mt. Myoko, where a mysterious earthquake releases Baragon.

Meanwhile, a few teenagers at Lake Ikeda in Kagoshima are witnesses to the return of Mothra in caterpillar form. Yuri interviews a mysterious old man named Isayama (Amamoto) who has foreseen the return of Godzilla to Japan. He also tells Yuri the legend of the guardian monsters, Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah and advises that they are Japan’s only hope against Godzilla. After Godzilla comes ashore and attacks the Bonin Islands, Yuri returns to interview Isayama and he tells her the lost Japanese souls from World War II are within Godzilla and they wish him to destroy Japan because the nation has forgotten the sacrifices they made.

A few days later, Godzilla and Baragon finally face off in a ferocious battle. Yuri and Takeda are trapped in the middle of the battle zone after Godzilla mercilessly destroys Baragon with his atomic breath. Mothra's cocoon is soon discovered in Lake Ikeda. The SDF dispatch several fighter jets to stop Godzilla but they are quickly defeated by the monster. A defense line is set up in Yokohama under the command of Admiral Tachibana. Mothra and Ghidorah awaken and fly towards Yokohama where Godzilla has been spotted. Mothra arrives first and battles the monster. Ghidorah arrives moments later and joins the fray. After the Big G brutally pins down both monsters, the military forces also engage Godzilla with D-03 missiles but the monster seems indestructible. Can even the combined might of two Guardian creatures and the Japanese military defeat the King of the Monsters?

I've always enjoyed the Godzilla movies - and other kaiju flicks too - from the serious drama of the mid 50's original through the utter WTH-ness of the mid 70's entries. This run ended up being called the Showa series. I was thrilled to see my first Godzilla movie on the Big Screen when New World Pictures released Godzilla 1985 here (guess when?) and that return to the less goofy was actually the first seed planted for a new series of movies featuring the Big G that sprang up at the tail end of the 80's and proceeded into the 90's. This was the Heisei series. Then, with the release of another entry, Godzilla 2000 - Toho kicked off the Millenium series, running through 2004.

I grew up watching the Showa films on TV, and later on home video - and I've always loved them. But I really think Toho did a nice job with the Heisei series, which takes the continuity through a much more serious science fiction presentation. The same is true of the Millenium series, of which this movie is a part. There's a real story going on - not just people distressed over whichever city Godzilla and his pals are headed towards next. Everybody plays it straight, and it works really well..The effects now combine suitmation - the rather cutesy name given to guys wearing monster suits - with CGI effects. I think the CGI enhances some scenes, and detracts from others - but then Godzilla movie effects have always been off in their own playground.

In the end, if you like Godzilla movies - you should like this one. If the charm of kaiju movies has always escaped you - then this one's not likely to change your mind.







Let's Get Out of Here ?

Not only do I know that at roughly 1:00:18 that a Japanese actor thinks they might be a little close to Mothra's cocoon - I even have crappy cellphone photographic evidence!

Eye Candy ?

Why, yes! Welcome to the list, Chiharu Niiyama!

Buddha Man's Capsule Review

 

Buddha Man says: "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant
Monsters All Out Attack may not be the greatest Godzilla movie
ever made - but it definitely has the longest title!"

A little noncomittal, BM, but you pegged that title length factoid! Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!