Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Gojira vs Mekagojira) (1993) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Drama |
Trailer-Teaser Trailers x 3, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot Gallery-Photo Gallery-Poster Trailer-Madman Trailers |
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Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 1993 | ||
Running Time | 103:18 (Case: 108) | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Takao Okawara |
Studio
Distributor |
Toho Company Madman Entertainment |
Starring |
Masahiro Takashima Ryoko Sano Megumi Odaka Yűsuke Kawazu Kenji Sahara Akira Nakao Kôichi Ueda Leo Meneghetti Daijiro Harada Tadao Takashima Keiko Imamura Sayaka Osawa |
Case | Amaray-Transparent-Dual | ||
RPI | ? | Music | Akira Ifukube |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224Kb/s) |
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Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | English | Smoking | No |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
In 1992 the UN establishes the National G Countermeasure Centre, drawing scientists for around the globe, including inventor and dinosaur geek Kazuma Aoki (Masahiro Takashima), in an attempt to create a metal fighting machine capable of defeating Godzilla. Their first attempt was Garuda, a flying machine that was manoeuvrable but whose weapons were adjudged inadequate to fight Godzilla. The next machine was more formidable: raising the metallic third head of King Ghidorah from the seabed and using its 23rd century technology, they created Mechagodzilla, a huge machine with a four person crew, armour that could turn Godzilla’s atomic breath back against him and advanced weaponry.
In 1994 an expedition to Adona Island in the Bering Sea with scientist Azusa Gojo (Ryoko Sano) discovers a Pteranodon skeleton encased in rock and two giant eggs. One egg has hatched, the other is still whole. While loading the egg onto their helicopter the group are attacked by the flying monster Rodan but escape when Godzilla arises from the sea to battle Rodan. Back in Kyoto, the egg hatches but it is not a Pteranodon which emerges but a baby Godzilla – a Godzillasaurus, which takes an immediate shine to Azusa. Shortly afterwards, Godzilla comes to Japan, searching for his baby and Mechagodzilla is activated. Initially successful and on the brink of defeating Godzilla, Mechagodzilla suffers a power surge that leaves it helpless, but Azusa successfully hides Baby and Godzilla leaves. Baby is taken to a research institute, where study reveals that he, and presumably Godzilla, has a second nerve centre at the base of his spine; neutralising this would most likely paralyse Godzilla. While Mechagodzilla is not fully repaired, Kazuma realises that connecting Garuda with Mechagodzilla would create a very strong fighting machine.
It is agreed that Baby will be taken to an uninhabited island as bait to lure Godzilla into a trap and he is loaded into a crate with Azusa and flown by helicopter towards the island. However, the helicopter is attacked and destroyed by Rodan, who catches and lands the crate with Baby inside. This paves the way for the final 30 minutes of intense action. Kazuma pilots Garuda to the attack, but is downed by Rodan, who in turn is defeated by Mechagodzilla; and then Godzilla arrives. In flame and fire Garuda links with Mechagodzilla and Godzilla is badly hurt and crashes to the ground. Yet, here our sympathies change; the injured Godzilla is tortured by continued blasts from the humans inside Mechagodzilla despite him being almost immobilised and obviously badly hurt. But Rodan is still alive, and merges with Godzilla to form Super-Godzilla, stronger and more deadly with red atomic breath in place of the previous blue. The stage is set for the final, explosive confrontation between beast and machine.
The plot of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) (Gojira tai Mekagojira) really involves a succession of expansive battle scenes. Director Takao Okawara in his second Godzilla film after Godzilla vs. Mothra the year before hits his stride here, while the director of special effects Koichi Kawakita and special effects production designer Tetsuzo Osawa were both back. Also back was original Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube, who surpassed himself with a wonderful score, his last but one for the Godzilla series. It is suitably bombastic in places, a variation on the Godzilla March is used aptly when Godzilla acquires his enhanced powers and there is a James Bondish sounding cue during the action, but the score also includes poignant reminders of loss as Godzilla searches for his baby and the music over the final titles is beautifully haunting. The special effects are exceptional. They include a combination of models, men in suits plus early CGI and are exciting, explosive, colourful and effective as the usual model cities go up in smoke and flame. The monster fights are extensive and well done. This time there is less close quarter grappling and more pyrotechnics as lasers and cannons fire, and atomic breath flies amid sparks and explosions.
The human actors fare better than usual, and indeed humans here do have a pivotal role in the action and the resolution. Ryoko Sano as Azusa is fine (keeping a straight face while acting with a man in a baby Godzilla suit), Masahiro Takashima as Kazuma is a suitable hero and Megumi Odaka as the psychic Miki Seagusa, who has appeared in a number of the Heisei series, actually has something to do. However, they are still bit players to the action sequences, but at least they do more than stand around.
If Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) has a message, it is that the life force is stronger than machines; the various robots in the film do fail, while Godzilla survives to walk again. But this is not the main point: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) from 1993 is a terrific film and one of the most intense of the Godzilla series. It has the metal monsters Garuda and Mechagodzilla, the giant Pteranodon Rodan and finally Godzilla turning into Super-Godzilla going head to head and toe to toe in monster mayhem. Add the wonderful score by Godzilla original Akira Ifukube and this is an entertaining and essential purchase for anyone even remotely interested in the “king of the monsters”.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, close to the original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1, and is 16x9 enhanced.
This is a very good looking print. While some back projection scenes and CGI shots are not as sharp as they might be, the rest of the film looks sharp enough. Blacks and shadow detail are fine, brightness, contrast and skin tones are good and the colours warm and natural. The pyrotechnics look suitably spectacular. There is mild grain but I did not notice any film or film to video artefacts.
The English subtitles are in a yellow font in American English; otherwise they have no obvious spelling or grammatical errors. This print is the Japanese version: on the occasions when English is spoken (quite a few times) white burnt in Japanese subtitles appear.
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Audio is a choice between Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps and English Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps. The 5.1 is probably the most explosive I have heard in the Godzilla series of films. Dialogue was mostly clear, although on occasion in the battle sequences it was drowned out by music and effects. Otherwise, the track has separation and reasonable clarity, the surrounds are used for music, effects and some panning (such as a helicopter flyover) and the sub woofer had a field day! It was seldom silent, supporting the music, explosions, the crash of buildings, monsters hitting the ground and the thump and rumble of Godzilla feet. Overall an excellent enveloping audio track..
Both the Japanese 2.0 and English 2.0 are surround encoded and are quite impressive. They do not have the separation or clarity of the 5.1 but they do provide a better than usual alternative. The English dialogue is there if you dislike subtitles that much.
The score by Akira Ifukuba is simply magical and is nicely rendered in the audio track. It is in turns bombastic, exciting and poignant with a beautifully haunting final cue. Ifukuba has never sounded better.
Lip synchronisation was good.
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Included are 3 Teaser Trailers (total 2:20), the original Theatrical Trailer (1:36) and a TV Spot (0:16).
10 movie stills.
3 Japanese film posters.
Trailers for other films from Madman: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1:45), Godzilla – Tokyo SOS (0:57) and The Samurai Trilogy 1 – Musashi Miyamoto (1:43).
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 2 Japanese version has an audio commentary, a “making of” (approximately 50 minutes), trailers, photo gallery and multi-angle video; however the feature, featurettes and commentary do not have English subtitles.
The US Region 1 disc has 2.0 sound, and no extras. There are a number of Region 2 European versions, the best in terms of extras is the German release which has a slideshow gallery, biography of composer Akira Ifukube (in German) and a number of text notes also in German; however, none of the extras have English subtitles. The feature has English 2.0 surround, as well as German 5.1 and 2.0 but not the original Japanese.
Region 4 is the pick for English speakers.
The film is presented on a DVD with excellent video and audio but minimal extras. Highly recommended for all fans of the genre.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) is included in the Madman 5 disc box set Godzilla Heisei Series along with Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth (1992), Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla (1994) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). For a RPI of $49.95 the box set is still a fabulous way to stay in touch with “the original monster of mass destruction” during his later reincarnations.
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Review Equipment | |
DVD | Sony BDP-S350, using HDMI output |
Display | LG 42inch Hi-Def LCD. This display device has not been calibrated. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p. |
Audio Decoder | NAD T737. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated. |
Amplification | NAD T737 |
Speakers | Studio Acoustics 5.1 |