G: minus 7 days
Gojirathon is me just writing up some thoughts about the movies I see while I conduct my little marathon of Godzilla-movies in anticipation of the new Hollywood retooling. Why Gojirathon and not Godzillathon? Well, because Rolfe already did his Godzillathon as part of his Monster Madness, and I don’t want to steal his work. I’ll be using the terms, G, Big G, Godzilla and Gojira somewhat interchangeably… since I can be a bit lazy at times, when it comes to these things.
Godzilla VS Mechagodzilla 2 (1993)
Ok, this one has always confused me to no end. It clearly says Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2 on the american cover. But if that is film two, what then is film one?!
The film starts out with a pre-story about the humans building a failed attempt at fighting Godzilla called Garuda. They then decide to use the robotic science uncovered by the recovering of MechaGhidora from a couple of movies back (the one with more time-travel than… I don’t know what). So they create Mechagodzilla.
Maybe they were counting Mechagodzilla from the 1974 film as the first one? But then this should have been MechaGodzilla III. But then again, if that were the case, it would mean that they wanted to count the heisei films as cannon again. Though that would also mean that in this new era, the strange aliens still exists all around our solar system. And while Godzilla is said to have been from 2 million years ago, now they say that Minya is from 65 million years ago. Oh, yeah… Minya has returned. Though now only called simply “Baby”
But then yet again. We need to remember that chronologicality was never one of Toho’s focus-points. They wanted to bring us giant monsters fighting. And that they did. For much of the 1hr 50 min runtime.
It’s been a strangely interesting aspect of this marathon to see the runtime evolve as time has gone by. First the films were pretty consistently around the 90 minute mark. Meaning 60 minutes of buildup and around 30 minutes of action. Then we had that strange creature called Godzillas Revenge which was barely “feature”-length with it’s 67min of total runtime. Before settling in again with the 90 min runtime. Until the Heisei-films that has steadily crept its way farther and farther. Starting with 100 min and is now inching it’s way towards 115 min.
But that of course, isn’t my main gripe with this one. No, that honor once again goes to Minya. Whom we haven’t seen since Godzillas Revenge. The problem isn’t him as a person, though. No, as with many problematic children the problem is the handling of them. It’s just that the Minya plot is the thing that drives this all onwards. And it’s results after countless lives have been spilled was pointless.
Think of it, when you are watching the film. When first discovering the egg that will eventually hatch the thing the monsters seem strangely possessive. Giving the egg back right then and there would have saved those lives and insurance-money. But no. They bring it with them back into the city. Monsters follow. They hide Minya until Godzilla gives up searching. And what is the sollution when all is said and done? Why just handing Minya back to his rightful parents of course.
Nnnope. that was just pointless. Great effects though. And the whole Garuda concept was cool and all, if they actually let us see that film….
Be seeing you!