Godzilla Chronicles: Terror of Mechagodzilla

 

Well here we are! This Godzilla Chronicles journey began all the way back in May, 2014, in part as a way to honor a "new Godzilla" coming out, the first Legendary Pictures film. I was always going to write about my love of classic Godzilla films, but that seemed like as good as time as any to finally get started. I wound up deciding to cover the entire Showa series of Godzilla films (as in Toho films of that era that actually featured the "Big G" himself), and wound up most years, doing two entries, or if you prefer two movies a year. And as I said, here we are! It's now October 2022, essentially the 10 Year Anniversary of Retro Revelations itself, and what better way to celebrate, than by wrapping up what I consider the greatest period in monster movie, and certainly Godzilla history? 

The final battle?

When I left you last time, I was discussing 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, or as I had first known it as a kid, "Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster". While all of the Showa Godzilla films (and most other assorted non-Godzilla Toho monster/sci fi flicks of the era) are technically connected, some of them are actually direct sequels to one another. For instance, Godzilla Raids Again was a direct sequel to the original Gojira. Invasion of the Astro Monster was a direct follow-up to Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster. And in a looser sense, Godzilla vs. Megalon was KINDA a sequel-ish to Godzilla vs. Gigan. And with a couple of odd exceptions, Terror of Mechagodzilla is a direct continuation of the first Mechagodzilla film. 

His helmet lets you know he's special.

Those couple of exceptions, are really cosmetic for the most part, but still odd changes, or in one case exclusion. Firstly, you'll notice in the picture above, that those dastardly aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole, have upgraded their attire to include some very stylish helmets! I have no idea why they didn't bust these bad boys out in the first movie, because they certainly scream "Hey, we're ALIENS over here!" I guess cool headgear was only part of their "If our FIRST attempt fails" plan. 

The exclusion I mentioned, is that in the first film, it was pretty clearly established that these kooky xenos, were actually some kind of strange green ape-men. Their "human" looking facade would disappear when they were either damaged, or would die. Yet in Terror, the only time you see any of them change form like that, a dude just straight up rips human-looking makeup off, to reveal underneath a decidedly NON-ape looking, either mutated or burnt face. Again, totally cosmetic, but a very odd, non-continuity conscious choice on Toho's part.

In THIS corner, the Big G himself!

And in THIS corner, Mecha-G...Mark 2?

As I mentioned in the other article, "Cosmic Monster" was a movie I first discovered thanks to the wondrous spinning VHS rack out in the aisle at our local Walmart, when I was probably around age 10 or 11. For Terror, however, the only reason I got to see it, was because it was included in one of the Godzilla Marathons they ran a couple of times in my pre-teens on the original format of my beloved TNT's MonsterVision. In those early pre-Job Bob Briggs days, when MonserVision focused pretty much entirely on classic sci fi, horror and monster flicks from mostly the 50s and 60s, with a dash of 70s, I clearly remember there were at least two major Godzilla marathons they ran. The one that stands out the clearest in my memory was "Godzilla Bash '94", which was a New Years Eve all night celebration. I don't remember which one I first saw Terror in, but I do know that it was one, along with Godzilla vs. Gigan (or as it was called "Godzilla on Monster Island"), and probably Mothra vs. Godzilla, that my grandmother stayed up and helped me record on blank tapes (which of course I was thrilled about). 

Whip it, whip it good!

 

Now while I was, of course, absolutely thrilled to be able to see "new" Godzilla movies I hadn't yet seen, as I wanted to see them ALL, it would only be fair to relate that even upon first watch as a kid, I remember being a little disappointed in this movie. Not that it doesn't have its finer points. I knew from a cool Godzilla book I found at the library, that this was the last of the original Godzilla series. And I also knew it was a sequel to the tape I already owned. But somehow, this film being a much darker affair, along with the new monster Titanosaurus (we'll get to him in a bit) being somewhat goofy and underwhelming, it just didn't feel as cool to me, as the first Mecha-G film. And for the most part I still feel that way today. 

 

 

The master at work.

 

One of the reasons this movie is notable, is because after taking several years away from directing films, to rest and do a bit of television work, the great Ishiro Honda returned to direct this. I'm not entirely sure, in the planning stages, if they knew for certain that this would wind up being the last Godzilla film for a decade, but that is of course what it wound up being. So in that sense, it was only fitting that the director to help originate this phenomenon, return to the helm one last time. And one last time is exactly what it was, for Terror would wind up being the last film that Honda directed himself. He would, in later years, spend time assisting his close friend Akira Kurosawa with some of his 80s and early 90s works. 

Akihiko Hirata, back one last time as Dr. Shinzo Mafune.

His haunted daughter Katsura.

Plot-wise, the film focuses on both the efforts of Japanese military and scientist trying to find the remains of Mechagodzilla in the ocean, as well as the case of a mysterious girl and her allegedly dead father. The father in question is Dr. Shinzo Mafune, a disgraced and bitter scientist, played by none other than Akihiko Hirata, who played Dr. Serizawa in the original Gojira film. That was a nice touch, having him basically book-end the series. But where Serizawa was a reclusive but more or less benevolent scientist, Dr. Mafune is more your angry-at-the-world mad scientist variety. He has teamed up with those bastard aliens, both because they saved his daughter once upon a time, and because they offered him the means to prove his theory of being able to control animals through technology. The specific animal in question, being the giant (and doofy looking) Titanosaurus, the last brand new Kaiju of the Showa era. 

Hello, my name's Fred.

I do clearly recall, even as a kid obsessed with monsters and monster movies, feeling that poor ol' Titano, or as his friends call him, Fred, was kind of a let down. Not a TERRIBLE monster design, but basically, he's a giant amphibious dinosaur, with fins even on the end of his tail. And aside from apparently a REALLY strong bite, that's his whole attack, outside of brawling, is turning around and fanning his tail-fin back and forth, creating hurricane force winds. A monster attack, I might add, already done by flying monsters like Rodan and Mothra, but far more imposing. I don't mean to dump on poor Fred, it's not his fault, after all. But in all blunt honesty, of ALL the 70s Toho kaiju they came up with (the creatures in Space Amoeba, Hedorah, Gigan, Megalon, King Caesar, Mechagodzilla, hell even the SUPER obscure Daigoro and Goliath), Titanosaurus is unfortunately kinda the lamest one. 

The roles are reversed!

Since their "invincible" Mechagodzilla was defeated by the combined might of two monsters (though mostly Godzilla) in their previous caper, those mad-cap clowns from the Black Hole decided to take a page out of the enemy's playbook. THIS time, they were gonna use an "improved" (not really) Mecha-G, in tandem with Mafune's controlled Titanosaurus, both to crush Godzilla once and for all, as well as to conquer Japan. The thing is, they included this wacky idea to have Katsura, Mafune's daughter, who as it turns out they had to turn into a CYBORG to save her life in the past, be connected mentally to Mechagodzilla. In addition to her already being the one who handles controlling Titano. So they literally put all of their eggs in the Katsura basket, even though she's conflicted, and has a thing for studly scientist Ichinose, who has been trying to study Titanosaurus too, and "believes in her". Hoo boy!

That's just not right.

Christ, I'm on fire!

Well, their nefarious plot seemed to pay dividends at first, as their Titanic Team, their Colossal Connection, did in fact wreck some major havoc on poor Tokyo, AND they managed to do a real number on poor Godzilla when he first shows up. As seen above, Titano apparently has a SUPER strong bite, and neck, because at one point, he just bites Godzilla's lip, and uses THAT to slam him around like a rag doll. Quite possibly the goofiest looking thing the Showa series ever produced, outside of Godzilla flying backwards. As you can ALSO see above, and not for the first time in the series, at one point when explosions were going off on set, the Godzilla suit caught a bit of FIRE, so thinking it looked wicked-cool, they decided to leave it in. 

Take THAT!

Wait...WHAT?

There really isn't too much to say about the final showdown between Big G, Mecha G, and Fred. I personally would have preferred if they had dusted off Godzilla's buddy Anguirus (my 2nd favorite kaiju) one last time, and made it a tag team affair again. For one, because it would have been a bit more interesting, and for another, it would have been a nice opportunity to follow up on the previous film, and have Angy seeking revenge for Mecha breaking his damn jaw! But alas, they decided to have Godzilla go it solo against two opponents, I suppose to make him look stronger in the end.

Ichinose, the good guy science man, discovers almost by accident while aboard a submarine, that Titano's mental control device (basically a pair of metal antennae), can be disrupted by sonic waves. So he and the Science Squad concoct a setup that allows them to shoot his ass with sonic waves from a helicopter, aiding Godzilla by more or less taking Fred out of the fight. This leaves Big G and his metal doppelganger, to finish the fight as they should. Though honestly, Mecha was more imposing in his first outing. He's supposed to be "upgraded" here, but he actually lacks the force field ability. Instead, his only new gimmick, essentially, is a "GOTCHA" moment to the audience, as in their previous fight, Godzilla ripped his fuckin' head clean off! And this time, when he does it again, SURPRISE, he doesn't need no head! As seen above, he instead has this doofy little dome that shoots a laser. 

I wouldn't have spoiled even THAT much of the final battle for you fine folks, but I felt it was too funny/novel not to share.

Hey, it was the 70s man.

So in a nutshell, as I intimated earlier in this piece, the way I felt about this movie after my first viewing back in the mid-90s as a youngster, is pretty much how I still feel about it today. That isn't the case with certain movies, even just in the Godzilla series. For instance, as I mentioned in its own article, the first time I finally got to rent and watch Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, for whatever reasons I wasn't very impressed. But upon coming to own it in my 20s, and repeated viewings over the years, its really grown on me, to the point that I'd probably put it in my Top 5 Godzilla films. I also turned quite a bit on All Monsters Attack (or as I first saw it on TV, "Godzilla's Revenge"), which even as a kid I felt the overuse of stock footage, and the fact that Godzilla and Monster Island in the film were just a kid's daydreams, was kinda lame. But my sour take on that film improved, and while the glut of stock footage IS still lame, I appreciate it for what it is now. 

But Terror of Mechagodzilla? I still feel, in a way, that it was the Showa era going out with a bit of a whimper, instead of a bang. It's not a BAD movie at all, in fact in certain ways I think Honda did as good a job as he could, given even tighter budgets than he had to deal with in the 60s. But when I really think about it, out of all 15 actual Showa Godzilla films, I might honestly like Terror the least. Yes, even below All Monsters Attack, surprisingly. That film has a charming and endearing story of a kid who has to spend a lot of time alone because of working parents, coming to grips with bullies, and life, at its core. Terror is still interesting, and I DO like it, it IS definitely a good movie, but I dunno. It just somehow kinda lacks that spark that even the first Mechagodzilla had. 

Still a great monster, though.

All that said, there isn't a single Showa Godzilla film, or even any of the greater Toho Showa sci fi catalogue, that I truly dislike. They all have a spirit and a charm that is just unmatched by more modern takes, even with bigger budgets and improved effects and filming technology. The "suitmation" techniques they used, especially for these old films, was an art form unto itself. It took a lot of hard work, to build the miniature sets, to make things look reasonably believable at a small scale, to build these elaborate (and often great looking) monster suits, for tough-as-nails actors to actually ACT in those heavy, sweat-house things. You name it! It's an art form that's largely lost now, at least in feature film form. I do believe shows that continue to get made in Japan, like the Super Sentai (Power Rangers), still use suitmation and miniature sets. Which is good, because much like 2D animation, or Stop-Motion animation, or Jim Henson type puppetry, I don't EVER want to see this wizardry that Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered, truly fade away. That would be a tragedy and a crime.

With the last of the Showa Era Godzilla films covered, I am also now going to put the Godzilla Chronicles sub-series to bed, I think. My goal was always mainly to just cover the old, original series Godzilla films that I love so much. I do think I will, eventually, do pieces on non-Godzilla entries I love, such as Rodan, Mothra, Frankenstein Conquers the World, or King Kong Escapes. Hell, I may even someday get a bug up my ass to go ahead and cover the Heisei, or even Millennium film series. But for now, I think that the end of the Showa Era, is a fitting end to my Godzilla series as well. 

So as always, I want to wish you all a very happy Halloween season, and I sincerely hope you take my works as inspiration, and watch a lot of these wonderful old films that exist. SO much goodness, and it breaks my heart to know there are TONS of people who are perfectly content to mostly just watch whatever new shit comes out. Ignoring the vast array of amazing older shows, cartoons and movies (and games, books, music, comics, etc.) that exist, I truly believe is doing yourself a major disservice. But I digress! Just please do old "Retro" a favor, and watch some classics as we count down to another All Hallows Eve, ok?

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As an added bonus, I thought I'd share my personal order of the Showa series, ranked from most liked to least!

1. Invasion of the Astro Monster (Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) - 1965

2. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster) - 1966

3. King Kong vs. Godzilla - 1962

4. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster) - 1971

5. Destroy All Monsters - 1968

6. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster - 1964

7. Gojira (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) - 1954

8. Godzilla Raids Again - 1955

9. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - 1974

10. Godzilla vs. Gigan - 1972

11. Mothra vs Godzilla - 1964

12. Son of Godzilla - 1967

12. Godzilla vs. Megalon - 1973

14. All Monsters Attack - 1969

15. Terror of Mechagodzilla - 1975

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Here is the full list of Godzilla Chronicles articles, if you've missed any:

1. The Beginning

2. Gojira (aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

3. Godzilla Raids Again

4. King Kong vs. Godzilla

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla

6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster

7. Invasion of the Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

8. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster

9. Son of Godzilla

10. Destroy All Monsters

11. All Monsters Attack

12. Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster

13. Godzilla vs. Gigan

14. Godzilla vs. Megalon

15. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

 

 

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Godzilla Chronicles: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

 

Back again for the last two installments of the Showa Era. For the last two Showa Godzilla films Toho would produce, before giving the franchise a decade-long rest, they introduced a new and fearsome threat for "The Big G" to face, one who was every bit his equal, in some ways. And one that would go on to be not only one of his most iconic and popular foes, but also one that would see new versions/interpretations in the subsequent eras. You could argue, the ONLY monster, due to its mechanical nature, to receive literal "upgrades". 

 

 

My first exposure.

 

 

As I'm sure I've related in the past, I didn't get a VCR in my home growing up, until around 1989/90. So while I'm sure it's very possible I may have seen SOME kind of Godzilla film on TV before that, my Godzilla experiences, as far as I can properly recall, began with my grandmother buying a VCR. And the VHS tapes we would buy almost 100% came from the local Walmart, which at the time had relatively recently opened in the town where I lived. There was a specific tape rack, one of those spinning column ones, located out in the aisle, right outside of the electronics section (which also played host to my beloved Nintendo games). It was that rack, which served as a home for almost exclusively ALL of the Godzilla, Super Mario Bros., Bugs Bunny, etc. tapes that would be "my" VHS treasures.

The first such tapes we got from that rack, of course, were Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and the American release of the original, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Others would follow, but eventually, one day when going shopping, as I often would, I gravitated towards that magical tape rack once more. It was magical to me, because I never quite knew what kind of gem I would find, as there were often new ones. The problem, of course, as I painfully experienced with Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, was that I then always had to try to talk my grandmother into actually BUYING said treasure/tape. But luckily for me, the day I saw the box art pictured above, was a day she said "Yes". Just seeing the art mesmerized me, Godzilla fighting some giant ROBOT! And "The Cosmic Monster" sounded incredibly mysterious, whatever could it BE? 

The REAL title.

Still just learning my way through Godzilladom, at the tender age of probably 9 or 10 years old, I had no way of knowing beforehand, that such a film existed. But upon reading the back of the box, imagine my shock and awe, at learning that there was a "MECHA-Godzilla"! Sufficed to say, I couldn't wait to get home and pop this bad boy in. I HAD to have this movie when I saw it, and once it was mine, I HAD to see/know what it was all about! 

Poor Angy.

Released in 1974, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (alternately titled Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster and Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster) was directed by Jun Fukuda. He was the director of previous series entries Sea Monster, Son of, Gigan, and Megalon. Mr. Fukuda was the second most prolific director of Showa Era Godzilla films, behind Ishiro Honda himself. In fact, the only Godzilla film (out of the 14 original entries, not counting other Toho sci-fi/monster efforts) to NOT be directed by one of those two men, was 1955's Godzilla Raids Again, the direct sequel to the original film, which was directed by Motoyoshi Oda. While Fukuda's initial 60s turns at the G-wheel were somewhat lighter, island-bound affairs, more typical of the decade in general, his 70s Godzilla films (with the possible exception of Megalon), tended to trend a bit darker. 

This is especially evident in this film, as it opens with a great volcanic eruption, and my 2nd favorite kaiju monster, Anguirus, witnessing what appears to be Godzilla rising up and storming off towards Japan. But you see, Angy (as his friends call him) is a smart cookie, and he can tell that something is amiss. So early in the story, as this "Godzilla" is very robotically stomping along, Anguirus ambushes him, and jumps his ass, managing to claw off a chunk of his flesh! Underneath, wouldn't you know it, this strange "Godzilla", whose mechanical roar sounds NOTHING like the real deal, reveals shining silvery metal. Trying his best to put an end to this charlatan, Anguirus takes him on, but the Fake G is too much for him, and in perhaps the most brutal monster scene of the original films, and VERY reminiscent of King Kong (in fact already mimicked in 1967's King Kong Escapes), Fake G straight up forcibly breaks poor Angy's jaw! Seeing that as a kid kinda mortified me a bit. But Anguirus is a resilient bastard, and manages to run away, tunneling underground (an ability he only displays in this movie). 

Godzilla vs......Godzilla?

The imposter REVEALED!

Thankfully, Anguirus probably ran back to tell the REAL Godzilla what was up, because before long, Real G shows up to confront Fake G, in a quite literally explosive battle. Godzilla does some real damage, clearly pissed that someone is trying to ruin his good name (wouldn't you be?), and in surprisingly short time, the imposter reveals himself in a blaze of electric flames. Where once the Fake G stood, now you saw the mechanoid terror above, in all of his metallic glory! And let me tell you something, this Mechajerk was no joke! He was outfitted, as you learn throughout the film, with jets for flight, heavy plated armor, re-loadable missile fingers, and bad ass rainbow laser eye beams! And if THAT weren't enough, he ALSO has a chest panel that shoots electric bolts, AND he can create a force field around himself! Those aliens thought of everything! But wait...I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Those alien BASTARDS!

I don't know what it is about Earth, but seriously. in Godzilla, many other old sci-fi films, classic comic books, Doctor Who, you name it, our home planet seems to be THE hot spot of the galaxy, that all of these other Cosmic Crumb-Bums want in on. In the Showa series alone, prior to Mechagodzilla, there had been no less than FIVE Toho films (including non-Godzilla fare), which saw dastardly aliens trying to take what's ours. They just won't stop! And the new kids on the block in this movie, inventors of the seemingly all-powerful Mechagodzilla, might just be the biggest jerks yet. Hailing from the "Third Planet of the Black Hole" (wherever the hell that is), where the last few batches of Xenos tried to use multiple monsters to attack us, these pricks are so arrogant, they think they're going to get it done with just ONE monster: Mechagodzilla. 

Some of our heroes.

Meanwhile, as is always the case in these monster movies, there do also happen to be human characters milling about, do their thing. In this particular case, a couple of brothers, the Shimizu brothers Keisuke and Masahiko, are busy studying different stuff in Okinawa. While one brother stumbles across an ancient statue (with a prophecy about ancient monsters to boot!), the other goes exploring a local cave, and discovers a chunk of strange, non-terrestrial metal, that comes to be called "Space Titanium". While Keisuke runs off with a hot archaeologist he meets named Saeko, to study more about the statue, Masahiko takes the metal chunk to Professor Hideto Miyajima and his daughter Ikuko, to identify it. It is during these escapades that these guys, these gals, and these professors, get into more adventures, with Dr. Miyajima and crew witnessing the first battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla and finding some more "Space Titanium", which sends them on a chase looking for its source.

While the brothers' uncle Dr. Wagura and Co., find themselves assaulted by people who are after the statue. Keisuke and Saeko also keep finding themselves running into a mystery man (pictured above), who claims to be a reporter, but he acts more like a spy. The two professors are of special note, as both are played by frequent Godzilla actors. Dr. Wagura is played by Hiroshi Koizumi, previously starring in Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mothra, and Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, among others). And Dr. Miyajima is played by none-other than Akihiko Hirata, who starred in the original Gojira as Dr. Serizawa, as well as Rodan, Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, and Latitude Zero, among others. 

The OTHER other monster.

I won't spoil TOO much more of the plot, but I will say that around midway through the film, due to some hot coffee to the face of a returning statue thief, it is revealed (no joke), that the alien menace behind Mechagodzilla, are actually weird, green-faced APE men! Far out, right? Though not as far out as, say, the aliens really being giant COCKROACHES, ala Godzilla vs. Gigan. Anyone who's familiar with the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 show, might well be aware that Japan also produced OTHER ape-men science fiction properties in the 70s, and my guess is, someone over there took a real shine to the popular Planet of the Apes movies that were prevalent in the decade. 

Godzilla, having faced some difficulty in his first encounter with his robotic doppelganger, certainly wasn't left all by his lonesome in this story. While his good buddy Anguirus was KO'ed by that mecha-bastard, Toho had another brand new monster up their sleeve for just such an occasion. That monster would be of the "Ancient Protector of the Okinawan Royal Family" variety, referred to in the western release as "King Caesar". You know, as in Emperor Caesar, from ancient Rome? Well, on that note, it just so happens not to be the monster's actual name. In truth, the giant fluffy guy you can see above, was really called "King Shisa", which to anyone up on their Chinese mythology, was a kind of guardian spirit, a sort of "Lion-Dog". And that's basically what good ol' "Caesar" is. Except that he can walk upright, he can box like a sonuvabich, and when evil monsters shoot inevitable beam attacks at him, he can reflect them right back AT them, with his own fancy eye beams! All in all, not a bad new monster, one of the cooler ones of the 70s, I think. 

It's like looking in a mirror!

Fun Fact: Punching Space Titanium HURTS!

The only problem, is that to activate your Ancient Okinawan Protector home defense system, you've got to do some serious prayer-singing. In fact, it might take you an entire extended performance on a beach, before you finally get that sleepy giant to wake the hell up! But awake he does, and at first, Caesar actually tries to take on the Marauding Menace all by his lonesome. Without spoiling the WHOLE thing, let's just say he doesn't do so hot. BUT, our hero Godzilla finally shows up just in the nick of time, and these two strangers quickly perform the Mega-Powers handshake, and unite as the greatest tag team this world has ever known...besides Godzilla and Anguirus, that is.  

A force field is basically cheating, right?

Movie specific power activate!

Leaving the final battle for you to enjoy yourselves, I will reiterate that those Black Hole jerks weren't messing about when they made Mecha-G. When your killer robot can spin his head around REAL fast, and generate a nearly impenetrable force field that hurts to even try and PUNCH? That's what I call advanced planning. Thankfully, as I've mentioned in more recent previous entries, the 70s Showa films had a bit of thing for introducing new one-film-only abilities that Godzilla employs in his fight against evil. In Hedorah, it was the goofy-as-hell use of his thermonuclear breath to be able to fly through the air...BACKWARDS! In Megalon, it was the somewhat infamous (thanks to MST3K), but in my opinion awesome "Sliding Tail Kick" attack. 

And in "The Cosmic Monster"? Well when Godzilla went back to Monster Island to lick his wounds from Round 1 with Mecha-G, he was assailed by a random lighting storm. The lightning struck him several times, and somehow, it infused him with some manner of electromagnetic field. WHICH he conveniently was able to basically store up in his body, until right when he would need it, late in the story. It seems to have been a one-use sort of deal, so you can understand him saving it up, much like in a video game! Godzilla is nothing, if not a master of strategy. 

 

 

In another life, they coulda been pals.

 

 

 All things considered, kid me was quite happy with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla upon seeing/owning it. In fact, for a long time, even though I previously owned Godzilla vs. Megalon on tape, and would come to see Godzilla vs. Gigan and Terror of Mechagodzilla thanks to TNT's Monstervision, this gem would be my favorite 70s Godzilla flick for a long time. It wouldn't be until well into my 20s, that I would come to like Hedorah, aka "The Smog Monster" even better. At first I didn't even love Hedorah that much, as it was so WEIRD. But it really grew on me, and well into my adult years I came to be quite fond of it. But Mechagodzilla is still my 2nd favorite 70s G-flick, with good reason. Even IF Gigan extensively features my boy Anguirus.

I tend to always end these things by suggesting that, if you've never seen this particular film, I really think you should (I mean why would I talk about them if I didn't want you to WATCH them, right?). And Mecha-G is no different. It's one of the best 70s Godzilla films, and while I think it misses out on my personal Top 5, I'd say it's one of the better Showa films overall. It didn't originate the concept of a monster (or hero for that matter) having to face his own bionic double. Toho themselves had done that back in 1967 with King Kong Escapes (another movie I'll have to write about someday)! But if you ask me, while Mecha-Kong was cool, Mechagodzilla is the bee's knees. A perfect, armed-to-the-gills foil for the mighty Godzilla. And between you, me, and the internet, probably Godzilla's deadliest foe, this side of King Ghidorah. 

So with this year's Halloween season WELL underway, if you do like I do (and you should), watching horror and monster movies in celebration, make sure to add Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla to your list! You'll thank me later. And with THAT said, there's now officially only ONE last Godzilla film of the Showa series to go! So make sure to keep a look out in October, for not only the last entry in this Godzilla Chronicles adventure (at least for a solid while), but ALSO, the 10 (yes TEN) Year Anniversary of Retro Revelations itself! Make sure to watch plenty of old films, and I'll see you next month! 

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Here is the full list of Godzilla Chronicles articles:

1. The Beginning

2. Gojira (aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

3. Godzilla Raids Again

4. King Kong vs. Godzilla

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla

6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster

7. Invasion of the Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

8. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster

9. Son of Godzilla

10. Destroy All Monsters

11. All Monsters Attack

12. Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster

13. Godzilla vs. Gigan

14. Godzilla vs. Megalon

15. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

16. Terror of Mechagodzilla

Godzilla Chronicles: Godzilla vs. Megalon

 

 

On the heels of the previous Godzilla Tag-Team match, 1972's Godzilla vs. Gigan, Toho gifted the world yet another crazy Tag-Team affair! But this time, instead of teaming with my boy Anguirus, the Big G would be seen joining forces with...Ultraman? Not quite, but close enough! And while as you can see in the poster above, the oddball Gigan is back for more action, instead of teaming up with the awesome King Ghidorah, he instead mixes his might with another monster, equally as bizarre as he! In what is quite probably the second weirdest entry of the Showa series outside of Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, I'm about to tell you of one of the most bizarre films of my childhood. Buckle up...

 

 

Jet Jaguar

 

The True OG, Ultraman

Perhaps the weirdest thing about Godzilla vs. Megalon, is that aforementioned robot side-kick! The singular personality of Jet Jaguar was born out of a contest held by Toho in 1972. The contest winner would have their design featured in an upcoming Toho production! The winner was a school-boy, who came up with the very Ultraman-inspired "Red Arone", which was later reworked by Toho into what we would come to know as Jet Jaguar. Supposedly, when shown the reworked design, the kid who created "Red Arone" was quite unhappy, as it didn't resemble his creation as closely as he would have liked. But just the same, it must have been cool to be a kid, having SOME version of a character you made up yourself, featured in a movie!

Speaking of Ultraman, it was Godzilla's own special effects wizard creator, Eiji Tsuburaya, who kicked off the Tokusatsu (or "Special Filming", meaning special effects based) "Giant Robo-Man" craze, in the mid-60s. Beginning with the very X-Files-like show Ultra Q, which featured something of a paranormal investigation team, dealing with various weird creatures, aliens and monsters, in 1966, the concept later evolved into a second show which debuted later in the year, Ultraman. Ultraman featured a dedicated team of anti-monster fighters who protect the Earth (or rather, Japan) from supernatural threats. Shin Hayata, prominent member of this "Science Patrol", unbeknownst to his teammates, had fused with an alien being, and when things were too tough for the Patrol to handle, he would transform into the gigantic, robot-looking warrior known as Ultraman, to defeat the monsters. Ultraman proved to be so popular with kids, that several other VERY similar shows were created in the late 60s and early 70s, including Giant Robo, Mirrorman, and Toho's own Zone Fighter, which featured several appearances by Godzilla himself! 

Mirrorman

Zone Fighter, teaming with Godzilla.

Ironically, Toho's Zone Fighter show was produced within the same time frame as Godzilla vs. Megalon, and would debut not long after the movie itself, also in 1973. The show is considered "canon" to the Showa Era movies, and not only featured appearances by Godzilla, but villain monsters like Gigan and King Ghidorah as well! If Toho had any long-term plans for Jet Jaguar, they certainly never came to pass, unfortunately. 

Jet Jaguar's creator, Goro, and his friend Hiroshi.

Little brother Rokuro, and his weird-ass fish thing.

In the film's story, scientist and inventor Goro Ibuki, has created a sophisticated android, apparently just for fun, called Jet Jaguar. WHY Jet Jaguar? Well, that is a mystery the movie leaves unexplained. One day, when Goro, his hip friend Hiroshi Jinkawa, and little brother (whom he seems to be raising on his own) Rokuro Ibuki, are enjoying a seemingly peaceful day at a local lake. As you can see above, Rokuro was playing out on the water, with what looks like a very odd "mother fish and children" floating water-bike of some kind. No doubt another invention of Goro. And while it looks goofy as hell on the surface, I'll fully admit that seeing it as a kid, I actually thought it was pretty cool, and wanted one. Though to be perfectly fair, seeing it in action, it does seem RATHER slow moving, so maybe that wouldn't be so much fun after all? 

The boys' idyllic day at the lake is abruptly interrupted, and ruined, by a giant fissure that opens, draining the entire lake into the deep underground. After saving his kid brother with a towing line, Goro and Company, left stunned by the demise of their favorite lake, make for home. But upon coming home, they are attacked by mysterious assailants, who have broken into their very odd, cube-shaped science hut. The bad guys make a get-away, but return soon enough, as they're after the amazing Jet Jaguar! It seems they are agents of a lost, now underground civilization, the remnant of essentially ancient Atlantis, called "Seatopia". Seatopia has been suffering lately, due to earthquakes caused by the surface-dwellers' idiotic nuclear experiments. And now, they want revenge! 

An average day, down in Seatopia.

Seatopia's fashionably 70s leader, Emperor Antonio.

Surprisingly, it would seem that Seatopia's retaliation for the destruction of their own home, is going to come in the form of, believe it or not...a giant monster! In this particular case, a gigantic beetle-thing whom they worship as a god, called Megalon. Their plan seems to be, to get control of Goro Ibuki's miraculous Jet Jaguar, who they will in turn use to guide Megalon, as he hops and glides and bombs his way to the utter destruction of the surface world! Or at least Tokyo.

The problem is, those damn surface dwellers seem more clever than anticipated. After a thwarted attempt to dump poor Goro and Rokuro down the fissure in a big metal cargo box, they double back, and that blasted inventor manages to cook up a supersonic device which allows him to retake control of Jet Jaguar! He sends Jet on a mission to Monster Island, to enlist the aid of Godzilla, which forces Seatopia's Emperor Antonio to call on his own aid, this time from those deep space bastards of Space Hunter Nebula M, the very same giant cockroach aliens from the previous film, Godzilla vs. Gigan. The roaches promise to send Gigan to help, setting up the Tag-Team rematch between Godzilla and Gigan that I mentioned early in this very same article! 

New partner, same bad attitude!

As an aside, it seems that this movie was made rather hastily, after a previously planned Godzilla project had been canned at the last minute. It seems that director Jun Fukuda was left to basically write the script, based on a rough story outline, by himself, and the production took place over three weeks. Not that Gigan before it was some elaborate masterpiece, but it's a shame, as usual, that Toho, especially in the 70s, was being so cheap when it came to their Godzilla films. Because it would have been interesting, and preferable, to see what Megalon could have been, with more time, and more budget. Then again, what I just said applies to the vast majority of "genre" (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.) films from yesteryear, most of which were (and this applied to TV shows as well) constrained by smaller budgets and less time than they should have been given. Such fare was considered "low brow" back then, and thus it was very rare for shows, or films of such nature, to be given the kind of treatment they deserved. 

 

 

 

Fearsome Godzilla

 

Cute Godzilla

 

 

As a SIDE-side note, it must be said that the suit featured in this movie, dubbed "MegaroGoji", is a major contrast to the suit used in multiple prior Godzilla films. Where as the suit which had been used from Destroy All Monsters, all the way up through Godzilla vs. Gigan (in another cheap move, Toho was REALLY getting their mileage out of these suits in the 70s), was featured arguably the most fearsome, and certainly most angry looking face of the bunch, this new suit was quite the opposite. The "MegaroGoji" suit, which would be featured in the Zone Fighter show, as well as ultimately the final three Godzilla films of the Showa Era (including this one of course), features a decidedly softer, friendlier look. In fact, many fans consider it to look somewhat "dog-like", and is arguably the cutest looking Godzilla. Toho really wanted to drive home the fact that Godzilla was now firmly a good guy, and humanity's friend and guardian, no longer the city-trampling terror. This suit was said to be slapped together faster than any other suit in the series, but in all fairness, it looks pretty damn good if that's the case. 

My VHS cover.

Alternate VHS cover

My own experience with Godzilla vs. Megalon, comes from that period of my childhood, around 1989/90, when we finally first got a VCR in our household. As I've related in the past, I'm pretty certain that the first Godzilla movie I ever came to own on tape as a kid, was Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. But other early inclusions in my collection, were Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and the bizarre classic we're here talking about today. On an interesting side-note, if you look above to the top picture of the cover of my own VHS copy of this film, you'll see that it features rather bland, and rather odd artwork. In point of fact, that image of Godzilla, is taken from the first film in the Hesei Era series (the only one I that knew existed until I got later into my teens), The Return of Godzilla. I'm going to guess that art was used, as perhaps they figured that was the version of Godzilla that U.S. audiences might be most recently familiar with, as the American version of the film, Godzilla 1985, was I'm sure a popular rental of the time. I know I rented it pretty early into our VCR ownership. As for the bottom image? I've actually never seen that art before I did research on this piece, but while it's kinda goofy looking, I think kid me would have preferred that cover. 

 As for what kid me actually thought of this film? Put bluntly, I'd have to imagine, of the growing number of Godzilla (and related Toho) films that I came to own, or see thanks to TNT's MonsterVision, that Megalon was not one of my favorites. But that isn't to say that I disliked it, by any means. In fact, I loved pretty much any Godzilla or monster movie in general, as a kid. ANYTHING Godzilla-related was my bag back then, meaning even if it wasn't a favorite, I still loved it. A slight exception would be poor All Monsters Attack, which I saw on TV as "Godzilla's Revenge", a movie that I hardly HATED, but didn't love either. Mainly due to the fact that most of the monster footage was taken from other movies. But as for Megalon himself? I suppose I probably felt he was a pretty cool monster. The idea of Jet Jaguar, and a little boy who gets to live with his cool inventor brother, and have cool gadgets to play with, and NOT be bossed around, I'm sure held a lot of appeal. And of course this movie was actually my own personal first experience of the monster Gigan, along with the Godzilla: Monster of Monsters NES game, as I would not come to see Gigan's debut movie until a few years later, on TV. 

 

Those damn bullies!

As an adult, all these long years later, my opinion of the film is that it was obviously rushed. Like Gigan before it, Megalon suffers from too-short a production cycle, and a similarly cheap over-use of stock footage of city destruction and other such scenes, used from various previous Godzilla movies. Neither movie is BAD, by any means, at least not in my view, or likely the view of most fellow die-hard Godzilla fans. But it is, again, a damn shame that these productions were treated as they were, because these films deserved to be much more than they got to be. In the end, I think stacked up next to each other, even ignoring the fact that Gigan has my beloved Anguirus in it, as well as King Ghidorah, I think Gigan still comes out on top over Megalon. Megalon is, I'm sorry to say, one of the weakest of the Showa Era, and certainly of that tail-end 70s period. 

However, as a movie, it's also still a lot of fun. It is quite possibly the overall goofiest of the bunch, though it has very stiff competition from Son of Godzilla in that regard. But with the colorful Jet Jaguar, the goofy kid-brother, the cheese-ball Seatopian villains, and incredibly weird nature of Megalon himself, there's a strong argument to be made. Megalon, as a monster, while surely gigantic and fearsome in his destructive capacity, also has moments of acting, even just left on his own, spectacularly goofball. On the one hand, the dude's got metal "hands" that come together to form a drill, which he can use to bore under the ground. He also can shoot deadly electric beams from his rhino-beetle-like horn, and he can spit what seem to be highly destructive organic bombs from his mouth to boot. On the other hand, Megalon seems to like hopping across the land in a hilarious fashion, and at one point, left without the guidance of Jet Jaguar, he even busts out some "fancy gliding" dance moves for no apparent reason whatsoever! 

The Slide

Of course, THE single goofiest moment of the film, and the thing that is most infamous about this movie, is "The Slide". Known, thanks in large part to Mystery Science Theater 3000 (one of my favorite shows of all time), even to people who don't know Godzilla movies at all, let alone the exact movie it's from, this incident has become something of a Godzilla-meme unto itself. Which is both hilarious, but also a bit unfortunate. Hilarious because it IS such a genuinely ridiculous moment, and is entertaining in its own right. But unfortunate, at least in this man's view, because it is one of the single cheesiest moments in what is already (somewhat unfairly) a Godzilla series that is known by the mainstream public as being "cheesy" to begin with. It's unfortunate, I suppose I would say, that when many people who don't know or love Godzilla films as I do, think of Godzilla, they might likely associate that name most closely with a cornball image like this one. 

The move in question, comes late in the film, at the climax of the great Tag-Team battle between Godzilla & Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon and Gigan. By this point, Gigan has already had enough, and has flown off back out into space, leaving poor old Megalon all on his own. Jet Jaguar holds Megalon up, pinning his arms back, and Godzilla, backing up enough to build up some steam, proceeds to tail slide a RATHER long way, to give ol' Mega a "kangaroo kick" from hell. And he does this not once, but twice! Megalon is left so utterly defeated and humiliated, that he burrows back into the earth, and those dastardly Seatopians give the hell up for good. For what it's worth, while this is inarguably an incredibly cheesy moment, I WOULD argue that Godzilla using his own death breath to fly (backwards) in Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, is still more ridiculous than this. 

 

The US poster.

The German poster...

As another aside, if you look above, you'll see a couple of the international promotional posters for this film. In the American one, taking a book right out of the promo art for the 1976 remake of King Kong, Godzilla and Megalon are depicted as fighting, in the United States, on TOP of the World Trade Center buildings. As if the sheer bulk and weight of monsters that large, wouldn't absolutely crush those buildings in the first place! And speaking of King Kong...below it is the poster for the movie in Germany. It's a bit too long and convoluted a story to fully get into, but let's just say that Germany had a long history with false advertising, when it came to promoting Godzilla (and related) movies. The general idea here, being, that somehow Jet Jaguar is actually just King Kong...turned into a robot? 

 

 

 

Pals.

 

Just hangin' with the boys.

 

 

 

 As with pretty much any of the original Showa series of Godzilla and related monster movies, I would honestly recommend watching this one. Not as a first or even second choice. But it's still worth seeing, and it's a fun, and perhaps unintentionally funny, ride. I'd say it's the most "70s" of the bunch", in its own way, right down to the incredibly catch Jet Jaguar theme song at the end.

I don't generally like to think of Godzilla films as something to laugh at, and it genuinely bothers me, I'll admit, that so many people do view them that way. That isn't to say that I don't recognize and even treasure the goofier, and admittedly funny moments that the series can provide. I just dislike the notion that the films' "cheesy" effects, and just the movies as a whole in general, are "bad", and something to be sneered at, or only viewed/enjoyed ironically, as in "so bad it's good, let's watch them and laugh at them" kind of fare. 

It isn't that I take Godzilla SO seriously, but I do think, viewed through the right lens and taken in the proper frame of mind, that most of these movies, have a lot more substance, and a lot more to offer, than merely laughs. These films, and especially the "Big G" himself, are very dear to my heart, and they are 100% a connection with that inner kid in me who, in spite of everything I've been through in life so far, has refused to become totally cynical and dead inside. I suppose you could say, that Godzilla is a connection to that inner child, and thus, what still remains, in the face of a VERY cynical world, of my innocence, and sense of wonder. 

 

 

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So go watch yourself some Godzilla flicks, including this one! And I'll be back next month, with a brand new Halloween piece for all you boys and ghouls! In the meantime, stay dialed to the various Retro Revelations social media, for "Halloween Countdown" goodness.

 

 

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Here is the full list of Godzilla Chronicles articles:

1. The Beginning

2. Gojira (aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

3. Godzilla Raids Again

4. King Kong vs. Godzilla

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla

6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster

7. Invasion of the Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

8. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster

9. Son of Godzilla

10. Destroy All Monsters

11. All Monsters Attack

12. Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster

13. Godzilla vs. Gigan

14. Godzilla vs. Megalon

15. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

16. Terror of Mechagodzilla