Capsule Reviews – Heisei Godzilla (2)

Here, for your consideration, are capsule reviews for the Godzilla movies in the Heisei series, made between the years 1993 to 1995 . Only minor spoilers are given, with only the barest of plots to preserve some of the joys of the films. Longer reviews will appear when warranted.

• The reviews for the Showa series can be found here
• The first part of this series is located here

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Gojira VS Mekagojira
(1993)
aka Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Director: Takao Okawara

 

A new weapon is built to fight Godzilla: a giant robot replica known as Mechagodzilla. Meanwhile, an Godzilla egg is discovered and brought to Japan, drawing not only Godzilla but also a second monster…

The return of Mechagodzilla and Rodan should have meant a little bit more, somehow. This is little more than a light show and typical of what was wrong with the Heisei series. Not as aggressively irritating as the previous two film, but not equal to Gojira tai Biorante, either.

Two points of interest do exist with this film. This is the first film in the Heisei series to treat Godzilla as anything other than a pure villain. Also introduced during the course of the movie is the series final reoccurring major character: Baby Godzilla (aka Little Godzilla, aka Godzilla jr.)

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Gojira VS Supesugojira
(1994)
aka Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
Director: Kensho Yamashita

 

An attempt to control Godzilla leads to problems as gangsters try to steal the control device. However, there are worse problems afoot as a Space Monster comes to Earth to battle Godzilla.

 

All sound and fury signifying nothing. Yet another Godzilla movie where very little makes sense. For instance, take Space Godzilla’s entire existence. According to a scientist in the film, Space Godzilla was created by a fragment of Biollante passing through a Black Hole. Aside from the specious origin, there are two questions that remain unanswered in the movie:

1. How does the scientist know all this?
2. How is any of this possible when Biollante can’t even exist in this timeline due to the events of Gojira tai Kingu Gidorâ?

One might think that such questions are a result of thinking too much. Which is probably true.

 

In any case, Space Godzilla is, without a doubt, the dumbest ideas to come out of Toho. Godzilla with crystals out of his shoulders; real imaginative. More lights flashing, more thunder, and more boredom. Not even the presence of a second Kaiju foe (the robot Moguera from the movie Chikyu Boeigun/The Mysterians) can help this one.

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Gojira VS Desutoroia (1995)
aka Godzilla vs. Destroyah
Director: Takao Okawara

Creatures created by the Oxygen Destroyer device that killed the first Godzilla appear and wreck havoc on Japan. However, there are bigger problems afoot; something is wrong with the current Godzilla and if it isn’t stopped, the world will be destroyed.

 

The final film in the Heisei series is a vast improvement over what has come before, despite being as silly as the rest. (Freezing laser?) Destroyah is a wonderful looking creature (ignoring its debt to Alien) and his battle with the dying Godzilla is great. All in all a good movie and a sad reminder of what the Heisei series could have (and should have) been.

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This ends the Heisei Capsule Reviews.

• The first part of this review can be found here
• The reviews for the Showa series can be found here