Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
(ゴジラ対メカゴジラ Gojira tai Mekagojira)
is a 1974 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho Eizo, and the fourteenth installment in the Godzilla series as well as the Showa series.
The film was released to Japanese theaters by Toho on March 21, 1974 / United States March, 1977.
*Flying through space and firing missiles! A dreadful Godzilla, whose whole body is a weapon, appears!*
(宇宙をとびミサイルを撃ち込む！全身が武器の凄いゴジラが現われた！)
~Japanese Tagline
*Godzilla battles his robot double to prevent destruction of the Earth!*
~International Tagline
*See the mighty Godzilla in a fight to the death with his cosmic double!*
*Put the Monster to the Metal! *
*Mechanical Titan of Terror! *
~American Taglines
The film which introduced Mechagodzilla, one of Godzilla's most popular foes, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was also the final Godzilla film to be directed by Jun Fukuda and scored by Masaru Sato. When archaeologist Saeko Kanagusuku deciphers an ancient Okinawan prophecy foretelling of a monster which will appear to destroy the world, Godzilla suddenly appears from the crater of Mount Fuji and goes on a rampage. However, Godzilla's friend Anguirus attacks him, aware that this Godzilla is actually an impostor. The real Godzilla soon arrives to challenge his double, exposing it as a robotic duplicate called Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla is under the control of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, who aim to use it to conquer the Earth. Saeko and her ally Keisuke Shimizu now race to awaken the Okinawan guardian deity King Caesar to defeat Mechagodzilla, pursued by the sinister alien agent Yanagawa and shadowed by the mysterious INTERPOL agent Nanbara.
Directed by Jun Fukuda
Story by Shinichi Sekizawa, Masami Fukushima
Screenplay by Hiroyasu Yamamura, Jun Fukuda
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka
Music by Masaru Sato
Cinematography by Yuzuru Aizawa
Edited by Michiko Ikeda
Production design by Kazuo Satsuya
Assistant directing by Tsunesaburo Nishikawa
Director of special effects Teruyoshi Nakano
Assistant director of special effects Koichi Kawakita
"Miyarabi's Prayer"
Performed by Beru-Bera Lin
Lyrics by Jun Fukuda
Cast
Masaaki Daimon as Keisuke Shimizu, construction engineer at Expo '75
Kazuya Aoyama as Masahiko Shimizu, Shimizu's brother
Reiko Tajima as Saeko Kanagusuku, archaeologist at Shuri University
Beru-Bera Lin as Nami Kunigami, Azumi princess
Hiromi Matsushita as Ikuko Miyajima, Miyajima's daughter
Akihiko Hirata as Professor Hideto Miyajima, physicist
Hiroshi Koizumi as Professor Wakura, archaeologist at Johoku University
Goro Mutsumi as Kuronuma, Supreme Commander for the Black Hole Planet 3 Alien Conquest of Earth
Shin Kishida as Nanbara, INTERPOL detective
Kenji Sahara as Captain of the Queen Coral
Daigo Kusano as Yanagawa, Black Hole Planet 3 Alien Agent R1
Takayasu Torii as Tamura, INTERPOL detective
Yasuzo Ogawa as Construction foreman
Masao Imafuku as Tengan Kunigami, Nami's grandfather
Takamitsu Watanabe, Takanobu Toya as Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens
Shinya Kashima as Hotel front desk worker
Yuichi Yanagisawa as Black Hole Planet 3 Alien
Yoichiro Kitagawa as Reporter
Isao Zushi as Godzilla
Kazunari Mori as Mechagodzilla
Kinichi Kusumi as King Caesar / Anguirus
Akio Kusama, Takuzo Kumagai as Construction site workers (uncredited)
International English Dub
Matthew Oram as Keisuke Shimizu / Yanagawa
Michael Kaye as Professor Hideto Miyajima / Tamura / captain of the Queen Coral / construction foreman
Linda Masson as Saeko Kanagusuku
Michael Ross as Kuronuma
Monsters
Godzilla (MegaroGoji)
Mechagodzilla
Fake Godzilla
King Caesar
Anguirus
King Ghidorah
(stock footage)
Weapons, vehicles, and races
Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens
Alternate Titles
Showdown in Zanpamisaki: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (残波岬の大決斗 ゴジラ対メカゴジラ Zanpamisaki no Daikettō Gojira tai Mekagojira, early Japanese title)
Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster (original United States title)
Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster (United States poster title)
Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster (revised United States title; United Kingdom)
Godzilla vs. The Mechagodzilla (Godzilla 1998 Database title)
Cybergodzilla, Machine of Destruction (Cibergodzilla, máquina de destrucción; Spain)
Godzilla Against Cybergodzilla, Machine of Destruction (Godzilla contra Cibergodzilla, máquina de destrucción; Spanish video title)
Godzilla Against Cybergodzilla (Godzilla contra Cibergodzilla; Spain (Catalonia))
MechaKing Against Godzilla (MecaKing contra Godzilla; Mexico)
King Kong Against Godzilla (King Kong gegen Godzilla; West Germany; Austria)
King Kong - Monsters from the Depths (King Kong - Monster aus der Tiefe; German 8mm title)
Godzilla Against the Robot (Godzilla contro i Robot; Italy)
Terror of Mechagodzilla (Terror MechaGodzilli; Poland)
Godzilla Against the Mechagodzilla (Godzilla a Mechagodzilla ellen; Hungary)
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (Godzilla vastaan Mechagodzilla; Finnish video title; Godzilla Mechagodzilla ellen; Hungarian video title; Godzilla kontra Mechagodzilla; Polish video title; Godzilla gegen Mechagodzilla; German DVD title)
Duel of Giant Monsters (Jättihirviöiden kaksintaistelu; Finland)
Robot Against Godzilla (Ρομπότ εναντίον Γκοτζίλα Robót enantíon Gotzíla; Greece)
The Odyssey of the Monsters (A Odisséia dos Monstros; Brazil)
The War of the Monsters (A Guerra dos Monstros; Portugal)
Godzilla Against Mechanic Monster (Godzilla contre Mecanik Monster; France)
Invasion from the Ape Planet (Invasion från Applaneten; Sweden)
A Showdown Between Two Monsters (Obračun dva čudovišta; Yugoslavia; Obračun dveh pošasti; Yugoslavia (Slovenia))
US Release
In 1977, Cinema Shares purchased the North American distribution rights to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla from Toho and released the movie through Downtown Distribution under the title Godzilla vs. The Bionic Monster. As they had done with Godzilla vs. Megalon the previous year, Cinema Shares simply utilized the Toho-commissioned international English dub. In July 1977, Universal Pictures threatened a lawsuit against Cinema Shares, claiming that the title was too similar to their TV productions The Six Million Dollar Man and its spin-off The Bionic Woman. Cinema Shares then re-titled the film Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, simply written as Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster on the posters.
As with most of the other 1970s Godzilla films, the Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla featured several scenes with violent content and strong language. However, unlike in the past, Cinema Shares retained the violent monster action, including a shot of Godzilla spraying blood.
The edits include:
*A new title card. In the Japanese and international versions, Godzilla's name flashes several times while a mountain explodes in the background. As Masaru Sato's music plays, the full title is revealed. In the Cosmic Monster version, the screen turns bright red (covering up the original title) and the film title and copyright information appear, along with the American poster artwork. In TV versions of the film, the artwork was cropped out of this title screen.
*The opening credits were deleted.
*Also deleted is a scene in which Nanbara, the INTERPOL agent, strangles one of the aliens. The final shoot-out between Nanbara and three of the aliens is similarly edited.
*At the end of the Japanese version, King Caesar returns to his resting place and Godzilla to the sea. In a short epilogue, the Azumi princess Nami runs through her homeland celebrating with many of the characters. One of the King Caesar statues appears as the Japanese symbol for "end" appears. Cinema Shares cut this short epilogue, with the exception of the final shot of the statue. A red bar appears on the right side of the screen, with "THE END" overlaid on it.
In 1988, New World Entertainment acquired from Toho the English-dubbed international versions of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs. Gigan for home video release through its New World Video division. Both films were subsequently released as a double feature on LaserDisc from Image Entertainment, and along with New World's previously-issued Godzilla 1985, later reissued on VHS from budget distributor Starmaker Entertainment. Beginning in 1994, the film could be seen on the Sci-Fi Channel as Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster. Except for a new title card to reflect the different title, this version was derived from the transfer released by New World Video.
In 2004, TriStar Pictures released the film on DVD under its original international title, with Japanese and English audio options. The DVD has since gone out of print, but the film has since been released on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection as part of its Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 box set.
Reception
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla has remained popular among fans in recent years due to its jazzy music, colorful special effects and entertaining monster fights. The film's robust themes and fairly complex plot stand out against a time when the Godzilla franchise was being fueled by increasingly lower production values. It is widely considered the best of the 1970s Godzilla films and is one of the most popular films in the series.
Trivia
This was the first Godzilla film, in its original Japanese version, to finally give onscreen credit to the suitmation actors with the names of the respective monsters they played. (Up to that point, suitmation actors did receive onscreen credit but just as regular cast members). All Toho-produced Godzilla films have since maintained this practice.
This film was the last appearance of the monster Anguirus and only appearance of King Shisa until their long-awaited return 30 years later in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).
The guardian monster King Shisa is based on the actual "shîsâ" lion-dog guardian statues in Okinawa. Originally from China, they are statues that ward off evil spirits. Another Japanese name for them is "komainu" (lion-dog).
The cavern in which the Third Planet Aliens have their secret base is the Gyokusen Cave, a real cave in Okinawa and also a tourist attraction.
This was produced as Godzilla's 20th Anniversary film (which was also stated in the original Japanese theatrical trailers).
The film was widely criticized for its supposed lack of substance. However, some critics pointed out the actual historical context behind the plot. There had long been tension between Japan and the island Okinawa and Okinawa was the home of American military bases at the time that brought the threat of the Cold War to the island. With the aliens controlling Mechagodzilla representing the outside invading force, Godzilla representing Japan and the mythical King Caesar standing in for Okinawa, the film proposes cooperation between the two nations, standing together against a common adversary.
When Universal Studios, responsible for both the The Six Million Dollar Man (1974) and the The Bionic Woman (1976), threatened to sue Cinema Shares Releasing over the title (Godzilla Vs. the Bionic Monster), the movie was quickly re-titled Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster.
In the German release of the movie, MechaGodzilla is called King Kong. The reason for this name-change is unknown, although it is likely that the German distributors simply wanted to ride on King Kong's popularity. It is also possible that they have been inspired by the ape-like aliens who control the robot in the movie, or that "King Kong" was simply something of a catch-all term for giant monsters in general. Film historian David Kalat also suggests that the distributors have been confused by the film King Kong Escapes (1967), in which Kong fights a mechanical version of himself and incorrectly thought that the name "King Kong" referred to the giant robot. It is also of note that another giant robot character, Jet Jaguar from the movie Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), was also called King Kong in the German dubbing.
In France, the film was released in 1977, after its followup Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) and was even falsely advertised as a sequel to that movie.
The "Fake Godzilla" suit (used for the disguised Mechagodzilla) was originally a simple head water prop used in the previous Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), from when Godzilla swam in the water (following Jet Jaguar). The simple head prop was attached to a whole new suit, as well as having an exposed metallic spot in his arm (from when both Anguirus and Godzilla struck him, exposing Mechagodzilla underneath). This suit would also be used in the closing shot of Godzilla swimming out to sea at the end of Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Additionally, a completely new third Godzilla suit was made for this film, exclusively for the water scenes (when Godzilla popped out of the sea for his showdown against Mechagodzilla and again near the end of the film, when he swims out to sea, preceded by a repeated shot of his popping out of the ocean).
The main objective of Teruyoshi Nakano, director of special effects, was to show that Godzilla movies could be as exciting and boisterous as the popular and more expensive American effects-films of the time, hence, all the focus on big and colorful explosions in the movie.
The only Japanese Godzilla movie that saw a release in Hungary. It had a short run in cinemas in 1989 but was met with unfavorable reception, with critics calling it an "utterly worthless film" and "one of the worst science fiction movies in history". It was so badly received that no other Japanese Godzilla film was released thereafter, neither theatrically, nor on home video or television. As a result, most people believed Roland Emmerich's American Godzilla (1998) to be the first and only "true" Godzilla film.
The metal in the bowl of Professor Miyajima (Akihiko Hirata)'s magnetic pipe is made of a fictional element called Astanopkaron ("Asutanopukaron" in Japanese), which was made up just for this film.
Mechagodzilla was inspired by Mechani-Kong, King Kong's evil robot duplicate, from King Kong Escapes (1967). Toho producer Tomoyuki Tanaka had trouble coming up with a new monster and recalled the popularity of Kong's mechanical doppelgänger and insisted upon the creation of a mechanical Godzilla. This is convenient, since Godzilla owed his own creation in part to King Kong (1933), which jump started the giant monster genre and inspired Eiji Tsuburaya, one of Godzilla's creators to become a special effects director.
This was Hiroshi Koizumi's final appearance in the classic Godzilla film series (the Showa Series). He would return in Godzilla 1985 (1985), the first film in the VS Series (AKA: Heisei Series).
The ferry Shimizu (Masaaki Daimon) and Saeko (Reiko Tajima) travel in to get to Okinawa is called the Sunflower Sapporo, which is a real-life (and still active, as of 2013) ferry. The original owners, Nippon High-Speed Ferries (Nippon Kôsoku Fêrî), was one of this film's sponsors. It was also featured in other tokusatsu (Japanese special effects) films such as Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants (1973) and Himitsu Sentai Gorenger: The Bomb Hurricane (1976).
This is the last Godzilla film directed by Jun Fukuda.
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla was released in the UK on VHS in 1998 dubbed in English by Carlton Home Entertainment.
While the design of Mechagodzilla in Ready Player One (2018) is based on the Legendary films, Steven Spielberg gave the character the classic finger missile attack seen in this film. This was not present in the original novel.
This is the final Godzilla film to feature a score from Masaru Sato. It was an all new score, which fitted exceptionally well with the film, and only has one stock music track that Sato re-uses from Son of Godzilla (1967) for the King Seesar vs Mechagodzilla fight.
As a fan and collector of the Godzilla series, Dave Filoni cited this film as his favorite Godzilla movie.
The Mechagodzilla suit is the only Showa era suit to survive intact. The reason is that the suit is not made out of rubber, as its typically assumed. This meant that it would not rot away despite being kept in storage for nearly half a century. Construction of the Godzilla suit was tasked to Nobuyuki Yasumaru & Tomoki Kobayashi. It was designed to be split into an upper and lower half. The head and hands were made with a polymer of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) while the rest of the body was constructed out of polyethylene plastic materials.
The concepts of Mechagodzilla and King Seesar were not in the original, first draft of this movie. The film was originally titled "Giant Monsters Converge on Okinawa! Showdown in Zanpamisaki" and would feature Mothra, Anguirus, and a new alien monster called Garugan. Toho had been pining to use Okinawa in a film since Tsuburaya Productions obtained permission from Toho to borrow Godzilla for a film to be called "Godzilla vs. Redmoon" which was never made. As for the Showdown in Zanpamisaki script, Mothra was eventually dropped in favor of a new character named King Barugan which would eventually evolve into King Seesar. Garugan was then dropped in favor of the robotic Godzilla. King Seesar's origins as a guardian monster may also have roots in Okinawan mythology and the aborted "Godzilla Vs. The Space Monsters: The Earth Defense Command" script from the movie that eventually became Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). The original story-line for that film featured a giant statue, Maijin Tuol, which comes to life to aid Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was Godzilla's 20th Anniversary film.
Special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano adopted Mechagodzilla's walk from the formal movements of Kabuki.
Strangely, when Nami the Azumi princess has her vision at the beginning of the film foretelling of a monster coming to destroy mankind, it is portrayed through film stills from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and Submersion of Japan with flames overlaid on them. King Ghidorah can clearly be seen in the shots and his roar is used as background sound. However, King Ghidorah does not appear again at any point in the remainder of the film nor is he ever mentioned.
Ryuhei Kitamura, the director of Godzilla: Final Wars, stated that Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was his favorite Godzilla film, with King Caesar being his favorite kaiju.
This would be Anguirus' last film appearance for 30 years. Anguirus was planned to appear in multiple scrapped films during this time, including Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla and Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack but he did not make his next appearance until 2004 in Godzilla: Final Wars.
This film is one of the bloodiest Godzilla films, if not the bloodiest. With the death of Eiji Tsuburaya in 1970 the series began to become more graphic in order to compete with rival monster films, like the Gamera series. Such scenes of gore includes the fight between Mechagodzilla (as Fake Godzilla) and Anguirus where Mechagodzilla breaks Anguirus' jaw in a brutal display during the first fight between Mechagodzilla and Godzilla, when Godzilla falls into the water and blood rises to the surface and during the second fight between them, when Mechagodzilla repeatedly fires its eye beams at Godzilla's neck, prompting blood to spray out of the wounds.
This film marks the second time Godzilla draws strength from lightning; the first time was in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, and the third time was in The Return of Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was released at the Spring Toho Champion Film Festival alongside a theatrical version of Episode 11 of Ultraman Taro titled The Blood-Sucking Flower is a Young Girl's Spirit! as well as other live-action shows and animated films.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is the first Godzilla film to feature a beam lock not counting the clashes between Godzilla and Minilla's atomic breaths and Kumonga's webbing in Son of Godzilla. The beam lock does not last long but it happens when Godzilla breathes his atomic breath and Mechagodzilla shoots its eye beams during their first battle. The beams lock for a few seconds before the combined rays explode, sending Godzilla hurtling into Tokyo Bay and causing Mechagodzilla to short-circuit.
Godzilla VS The Bionic Monster
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