Shin Godzilla (2016)

Director: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

Written By: Hideaki Anno

The first film in what would become known as the ‘Reiwa’ Era is easily one of the best films in the entire franchise. A gripping and horrific tale of man’s disregard for the environment and the general incompetence of government.

When a giant creature unleashes havoc in Tokyo Bay, politicians are quick to disregard the claims as simple volcanic activity. They are quickly proven wrong as a massive, hideous creature forces its way ashore and leaves a trail of destruction in its wake.

At every turn, the politicians fail to contain and deal with this threat as the fear of public disapproval and potential repercussions holds them back. When they eventually decide to attack the creature it retaliates by further evolving and unleashes a devastating counter-attack which leaves the city in ruins.

Ultimately it falls to a group of free-thinking renegades to come up with a solution before the US launches a nuclear warhead to destroy the creature.

This film features easily the most terrifying and disturbing incarnation of Godzilla, evolving from a fish-like biped into the creature we recognize as the King of the Monsters. Boasting wicked fanged teeth and a grotesque scar-laden body that drips with bloody mucus it is a unique and frightening thing to behold.

Also, the film gives us the best depiction of Godzilla’s atomic breath, which is horrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measure.

For Toho's first Godzilla film since 2004, the studio decided to return to the dark tone of the original 1954 Godzilla film. Godzilla was given a more grotesque and frightening appearance to align with this direction. Unlike previous designs, the ShinGoji design includes four distinct forms. The first form is mostly unseen, except for its tail.

Godzilla's second form stands horizontally, with its body parallel to the ground. This form features small stubs for arms, large eyes with small black pupils, beige skin, and large pulsating gills on the sides of its neck that leak a red, blood-like fluid. It also has small tan dorsal plates and a tail with a fluke at the end.

The third form resembles the second but stands upright, with reddish skin and a tail ending in a fleshy ball. This form retains small stubby arms, and its gills are closed and less prominent.

Godzilla's fourth and primary form is much taller and draws heavily on the ShodaiGoji design, with a rounded head, small beady eyes, and dark, bumpy skin. It has larger black maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates running up to the top of its neck, with the middle row being the largest. These jagged plates feature a porous, bony surface reminiscent of cancellous bone. This form introduces several unique features. Inspired by the concept of Godzilla as a 'victim' of the hydrogen bomb, this design includes red scales resembling keloid scars and jagged, shark-like teeth inside a mouth that extends into the cheeks.

Godzilla's skull unhinges upwards when firing its atomic breath, and the lower jaw splits apart. His eyes are sunken and shaded by brow ridges, sometimes covered by a translucent yellow nictitating membrane. This form also has a long neck, very short arms, and feet with five digits, including a vestigial claw. The feet are similar to theropod dinosaurs, meaning Godzilla stands on his toes. The fourth form displays reddish exposed muscles, scars, and open wounds, some emitting a reddish glow that intensifies to purple when Godzilla charges or fires his atomic breath.

Godzilla's rib cage protrudes dramatically, and his body appears emaciated, with a visible bone structure. The tail is much longer, often suspended in the air, ending in a red, bloody tip covered in twisted bones, with a small skeletal face at the end.

The humanoid protrusions on Godzilla’s tail at the climax of the film hint at a potential, fifth form of evolution that if unleashed would mean the end of humanity as the dominant species on Earth.

The various forms of ShinGoji were created using computer-generated imagery, with the fourth form also portrayed through motion capture by actor Mansai Nomura. A giant puppet of Godzilla's upper body was made for close-up shots of the fourth form but was not used in the final film. This version of Godzilla stood at 118.5 meters tall, making it the tallest to appear in a film at the time, surpassing the MonsterVerse Godzilla's debut height by 10.3 meters.

*****

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura

Written By: Ryuhei Kitamura, Isao Kiriyama

50 Years of Godzilla.

Once more ignoring all but the original film, Godzilla spends the first half of the movie trapped in an icy prison known as Site-G where he has remained for the last 50 years. During that time a new species of mutated human has evolved, with superior strength, speed, and agility, these individuals have been recruited to form M-Force, the world's elite monster-fighting army.

When shapeshifting aliens come to Earth under the guise of friendship, they are soon revealed to be predatory in nature, intent on feeding off our midochlorians and keeping humanity as cattle. The mutants are descended from an ancient mummified alien known as Gigan and quickly fall under the alien's control. The aliens then unleash dozens of monsters to destroy the earth and bring humanity to heel.

In a last-ditch effort to fight back, the few remaining members of M-Force seek to free Godzilla in the hope he will defeat the alien army but they are not alone, the Shobujin and Mothra have also entered the fight.

Wow.

This movie is like a fever dream of loud noises and fast cuts. The action rarely lets up and never lets anything like a decent plot or deep character work get in the way. Do you want superpowered humans fighting Kaiju? You got it. A kung-fu motorcycle fight? Check. Some of the most over-the-top, scenery-chewing acting ever? It’s all here.

Nothing makes sense. Things just happen, with no explanation or build-up. Minilla turns up and hitches a ride in the back of a pickup truck. One of the mutants gains super-super powers and almost every monster from Godzilla’s history pops up in one form or another.

Even Zilla, from the dire 1998 movie pops up to be hilariously one-shotted by the real Godzilla. It’s good to see Anguirus again, Mothra is always welcome and I’ve always had a soft spot for Gigan. In his new ‘Kaiser’ form, even Ghidorah looks better than ever.

This is a really tough one to rank, as a movie it’s pretty awful. The script is threadbare, and the acting is awful but like a car wreck I couldn’t look away. When Godzilla turns up we do get arguably the greatest Kaiju fights in the history of the franchise and make no mistake Godzilla is the King here, he casually solos his way through most of his back catalogue of enemies with little effort, only Gigan and Ghidorah offer him any resistance.

FinalGoji's name is derived from the title of Godzilla Final Wars, with "Final" referencing the movie and "Goji" coming from Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira. For Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, director Ryuhei Kitamura aimed to emphasize monster battles, wishing to portray "a more powerful Godzilla." Camera tests using a SOSGoji suit from the previous Godzilla film, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, revealed that its movements were unsuitable. Kitamura and monster modeler Shinichi Wakasa agreed that the suit did not meet their needs. Wakasa then recalled a Godzilla fighting game his child had played and showed it to Kitamura, who agreed it was closer to what he envisioned.

Although Yasushi Nirasawa and Yoji Shinkawa submitted concept art for the new Godzilla, neither design was selected. Instead, Wakasa designed the new Godzilla himself, with input from Kitamura and special effects director Eiichi Asada. Wakasa aimed to combine characteristics of several prior suits for the character's 50th anniversary, drawing from the ShodaiGoji, MosuGoji, and Heisei Godzilla designs. The design emphasized Godzilla's muscles and facial expression to align with Kitamura's vision. His dorsal fins were made smaller to avoid interfering with the choreography, and the whites of his eyes were removed to avoid making him appear willful.

The FinalGoji suits were created by Wakasa and his company MONSTERS, Inc. Three suits were produced: one for close-ups, one for "action," and one for "super action." Wakasa sculpted the head, the upper body was patterned by Naoto Nishikawa and sculpted by Akira Yamada, and the dorsal fins were made from polyethylene foam. Molds were created from these parts, with the head and torso cast in latex and the fins in urethane. The suits' body parts from the waist down were fabricated by gluing together pieces of urethane, and the eyeballs were created by Shigeaki Yoshida.

The modeling team ensured the suits were lightweight and easy to act in; unlike previous suits, the space inside was not filled with latex, allowing actor Tsutomu Kitagawa to move freely. The suits' arms were the only snug parts and featured a dual joint at the armpit to increase their range of motion. Unlike earlier suits, the dorsal fins lacked internal lighting to reduce weight and accommodate their smaller size. The only lighting was in the mouth for Godzilla's atomic breath. Each suit's head was attached to a helmet-like "skullcap" worn by Kitagawa, translating his neck movements to Godzilla's, and at least one suit's mouth could be controlled remotely. These mechanisms were created by Nobuhiro Ekubo.

***

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Director: Masaaki Tezuka

Written By: Masaaki Tezuka, Masahiro Yokotani

For the first and only time in the Millennium Era, we are given a direct sequel to the previous installment.

With Godzilla badly injured from Kiryu’s Absolute Zero weapon, the King of the Monsters retreats to the ocean depths to recover from its wounds. Meanwhile, a heavily damaged MechaGodzilla is recovered for immediate repair.

A year later Kiryu’s repairs are almost complete, though it lacks its most formidable weapon as the resources required to replace Absolute Zero were no longer available. In this time of need, a retired scientist (a returning character from the original Mothra film) is visited by the Shobujin who warn him that Godzilla’s bones must be returned to the ocean, even though it will require the dismantling of Kiryu.

They pledge that Mothra will defend Japan in its stead but the Japanese Prime Minister is unconvinced, after all from his point of view Mothra has already attacked Japan once before and cannot be trusted.

When Godzilla does return to Japan it is Mothra who comes to the country’s defense before ultimately sacrificing herself (a recurring theme) in order to save her latest offspring. The stage is now set for a rematch from the last film, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla in a fight to the finish.

This has probably been my least favorite entry in the Millennium Era, there’s nothing particularly wrong with it but it just feels unnecessary, and spends most of the film just retreading old ground. The issue of MechaGodzilla’s ‘life and sentience’ is delved into with more depth and it’s always great to see Mothra, who looks fantastic here.

Mothra's first appearance, cutting through the clouds whilst pursued by fighter planes is a very cool moment, showing both the size and speed of the Kaiju Queen.

Most of the cast from the previous film are either absent or quickly swept aside in favor of the new characters, who have a history with Mothra but are largely uninteresting.

Godzilla's appearance stayed largely unchanged for this sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. A new suit, named SOSGoji, was created with a design nearly identical to its predecessor, but it featured a prominent scar on the chest area, a result of damage from Kiryu's Absolute Zero Cannon in the previous film.

***

Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)

Director: Masaaki Tezuka

Written By: Wataru Mimura

Following in the Millennium Era’s tradition of stand-alone films, this entry once again disregards all but the original movie.

It is the year 1999 and Godzilla has returned after more than 50 years to wreak havoc upon Japan. However, in this period, Japan was attacked by several other Kaiju, Mothra among them, and developed an elite monster fighting force that is quickly dispatched to combat the rampaging Kaiju.

After Maser Weapon operator Akane makes a critical error, most of her unit is wiped out and as a result, she is demoted to a desk job. With Godzilla’s inevitable return looming over Japan, a decision is made to build the ultimate, Godzilla killing weapon.

Four years later, the new MechaGodzilla, codenamed ‘Kiryu’ stands ready. Built from a combination of cutting-edge technology and DNA harvested from the skeleton of the original Godzilla. It is not long before the cybernetic titan is called into battle as Godzilla rises from the ocean but upon hearing his enemy's iconic roar, something awakens in MechaGodzilla’s DNA and it rampages through the city until its energy reserves dwindle.

Scientists rush against the clock to replace Kiryu’s programming and set the stage for a final showdown between Kiryu, Akane, and Godzilla.

Another excellent entry in the series, this time firmly planting us in the chair of the unfortunate Japanese Military who are more often than not, lambs to the slaughter in the battle to defend their country.

MechaGodzilla has never looked better and advances in suit construction and CGI mean that he can move around the battlefield with surprising speed and agility. His vast armaments make him an equal match for Godzilla and the final fight between the two maintains the high bar set by Godzilla vs Megaguirus..

The new Godzilla suits nickname, KiryuGoji is derived from combining Kiryu, the name of another kaiju, and Goji, which comes from Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira.

For this film, Toho decided to move away from the GMKGoji design featured in the previous film and revert to the MireGoji look. This new design, known as KiryuGoji, underwent significant modifications. The head was completely redesigned and made smaller, resembling the head of the Heisei series Godzilla. 

The suit was given large, yellow, almost bird-like eyes. The dorsal fins were slightly reduced in size and lost their purplish hue, reverting to the classic bone-white color, while still retaining the jagged appearance of the MireGoji's fins. Additionally, Godzilla's skin color changed back from the green hue of MireGoji to the traditional charcoal black.

The KiryuGoji suit is one of the most expressive Godzilla suits, featuring animatronics in the head that allows for various facial expressions. Notably, it can widen or narrow its eyes, enabling Godzilla to display genuine expressions of surprise, shock, or anger.

****

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

Written by: Shusuke Kaneko, Keiichi Hasegawa, Masahiro Yokotani

With humanity acting up again (seriously, there are some real a-holes in this movie) it falls to Godzilla to teach us a lesson in humility.

Godzilla is in full-on villain mode here, with glistening white eyes and a genuine sense of malice that we’ve never seen in the big guy before. This incarnation of Godzilla, resurrected by the spirits of dead Japanese soldiers, goes out of his way to stomp, incinerate, and crush anyone, or anything that gets in his way.

Our only hope lies with three Guardian Monsters, Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. Yes, you read that correctly, the terror from outer space, Monster Zero himself, now fights on the side of good (just this once).

Baragon is the first to emerge and promptly embarrasses himself in an awful attempt to take out Godzilla which results in a literal curb-stomping. Meanwhile, a larval Mothra drowns a bunch of deserving teenagers before cocooning herself to ready for battle and a depressed man's suicide attempt leads to a hibernating Ghidorah being uncovered.

Ultimately a three-way battle concludes with Godzilla annihilating his foes but the battle leaves a chink in the Big G’s armour which a canny Japanese General is finally able to exploit.

This grim take on Godzilla is arguably the darkest in the franchise and the closest yet to a full-on horror movie. The GMKGoji suit looks fantastic and despite a few ‘power-rangeresque’ camera angles proves a terrifying entity to behold. Mothra has never looked better, improved CGI makes her both nimble and aggressive, easily the best we’ve seen her to date. Baragon shows up. Ghidorah still looks stupid, I just can’t get behind the design, I’m sorry and the C.G.I. used for him just makes him look even worse.

All in all, this is easily the best film of the Millennium Era so far.

The nickname "GMKGoji" originates from the abbreviation of "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" (GMK) and "Goji," derived from Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira.

Director Shusuke Kaneko enlisted Fuyuki Shinada to design a more traditional Godzilla, distinct from the MireGoji design of the previous two films. Shinada incorporated elements from the ShodaiGoji and MosuGoji designs. The suit's skin returned to its original texture and charcoal-black color, while the dorsal plates were smooth and bone-white again.

The suit featured significant muscle definition and extended pointer and thumb claws. Most notably, the eyes were white with grey veins, giving Godzilla a more malevolent and mystical appearance, similar to the unused Ghost Godzilla design. When Godzilla charged and expelled his atomic breath, the dorsal plates on the suit shifted slightly due to a mechanism on its back.

The GMKGoji suit is the tallest Godzilla suit ever used in a film and the second tallest in the franchise's history, only surpassed by the suit from a 2014 Snickers commercial. Shinada and Takuya Yamabe created four Godzilla suits for the film: a regular suit with movable mouth and neck, a more expressive performance suit, an animatronic for close-ups, and a modified MireGoji attraction suit for the scene where King Ghidorah blasts Godzilla into Yokohama Bay.

Actor Mizuho Yoshida drew inspiration from Haruo Nakajima's fight scenes in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" and Kenpachiro Satsuma's walking technique, while also leveraging the improved motion of the suit's claws for his portrayal of Godzilla.

****

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

Director: Masaaki Tezuka

Written by: Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Wataru Mimura

Ignoring all but Honda’s original classic this standalone tale warns us of the dangers of scientific advancement and the cost of revenge.

Opening with a savage attack by Godzilla on the Japanese mainland in search of energy to devour, this movie gives us an alternate take on Japan. Having banned nuclear energy after Godzilla’s earlier attacks, the country finds hope in a new form of Plasma energy.

However, this too attracts Godzilla’s hunger and is also subsequently banned. Forced to rely on fossil fuels and green energy it seems the country’s only hope is to develop a weapon capable of destroying Godzilla once and for all.

Thus the ‘Dimension Tide’ is created, a satellite weapon capable of firing miniature black holes that can trap and contain Godzilla forever.

During the weapons test phase, a small wormhole through space is accidentally created, through which a giant insect emerges unseen and deposits a large egg. This egg is found by a young boy with a passion for studying insects and it is taken with him as his family moves to Osaka.

When the egg begins to hatch the boy dumps it into the local sewer network, where it grows into a giant larval Megaguirus, which in turn hatches thousands of smaller, dragonfly-like ‘Meganura’, these insects begin feeding off of the local populace and when Godzilla emerges they swarm him, absorbing a portion of his nuclear energy.

Godzilla fends them off, destroying most of the insects but the surviving few infuse the larval Megaguirus with Godzilla’s energy, resulting in it hatching into a giant, sinister dragonfly.

Having barely survived the first strike from Dimension Tide, Godzilla and the fully grown Megaguirus engage in battle. Godzilla finally vanquishes his foe only to be seemingly destroyed by a miniature black hole.

Some outstanding action scenes help to elevate this, the highlight of which is the battle between the two fully evolved Kaiju. This is undoubtedly the best Kaiju fight in the entire franchise until now.

Megaguirus is a nasty piece of work, full of malicious intent it comes across as particularly sadistic in its attacks. Godzilla, initially overwhelmed by his opponent's speed and potent stinger, learns his enemies' attack patterns over time and eventually comes up with ways to counter them. It’s fantastic to see Godzilla’s intelligence on display here, the way he adapts and overcomes his enemy is thrilling to watch.

For Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, at least two new suits were cast from the same molds used to create the MireGoji suits. One suit was designed for land scenes, and the other for water scenes. Due to the MireGoji suits being "heavy and difficult to move," the new suits were constructed from lighter materials, reducing their weight from 70 kilograms to 50 kilograms.

The MireGoji design underwent several changes: its colors were brightened, including skin and mouth, and streaks were added to its teeth. Additionally, the new suits featured a smaller mouth, a flatter face, and a longer neck, likely due to mold degradation. These redesigned suits are also referred to as the GiraGoji suits.

***

Godzilla 2000: Millennium

Director: Takao Okawara

Written by: Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Wataru Mimura

After the near-universal disapproval of Godzilla (1998), Toho was quick to wash the taste from audiences' mouths and a new Godzilla was born for a new Millennium.

The movie opens with Godzilla making landfall in a small fishing village and is eager to demonstrate the new design being far removed from Zilla. Smaller in stature but with a fierce, predatory appearance and a much thicker neck and shoulders than previous Showa and Heisei incarnations.

As Japan struggles to track and predict Godzilla’s movements to lessen the damage wrought by his attacks a mysterious meteor is raised from the bottom of the ocean, proving to be a long-dormant spacecraft.

This solar-powered behemoth begins hacking Japan's computer network to learn more about its new adversaries, especially Godzilla and his ability to regenerate from almost any wound. After besting the mighty Kaiju in their initial battle, Godzilla returns to Japan for a final showdown but the alien craft has a new trick up its sleeve. A regenerating monster of its own, crafted from Godzilla’s very own DNA.

Despite some poorly aged, 2000’s CGI this new take on Godzilla hits most of the right notes, making him smaller allows for far more intimate encounters, most noticeably in the final scene where Godzilla and the man responsible for his destruction face off eye to eye.

The new design feels different, yet familiar enough that Godzilla is instantly recognizable and this is probably the most fierce and brutal we’ve seen him. The new suit and scale offer a sense of malice to Godzilla’s actions that was hinted at during the Heisei era but never fully explored.

This is most obvious in the final scene when after defeating the Millennium Aliens and their engineered Kaiju ‘Orga’ Godzilla reduces Japan to ashes in a fit of rage. Godzilla’s atomic breath is far more reddish here and seems to produce far more heat in and around Godzilla’s mouth when he unleashes it.

The new Godzilla suit, known as the "MireGoji" derives from the Japanese title of the film, "Mireniamu," translating to "millennium," and "Goji," derived from the Japanese name for Godzilla, "Gojira.", crafted by Shinichi Wakasa specifically for the movie and donned by the new suit actor Tsutomu Kitagawa.

It presented a strikingly innovative appearance for Godzilla. Drawing subtle inspiration from the KingGoji suit, this rendition amalgamated both novel and familiar elements. Its intricate scales boasted heightened detail and prominence, while its dorsal plates took on a larger, jagged form with a distinct purple hue.

The slimmer contour of its head lent it a more reptilian visage. Retaining the signature "frown" characteristic of prior suits, Godzilla's mouth and eyes featured the familiar grimace, complemented by an elongated tongue and traditional fangs. The eyes, reminiscent of those adorning the 84Goji suit, were white with black pupils.

Notably, the diminutive ears reminiscent of the original Godzilla suit and those from the Heisei series made a return. Painted in a natural, dark green shade, these suits marked a departure, being the first officially green-painted Godzilla suits, diverging from the predominantly charcoal-grey hues of preceding iterations.

***

Godzilla (1998)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Written by: Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin

Here we go.

I’ve not been looking forward to this one, time has done little to ease the distaste this film left me with back on its original release. However, on rewatching this I think perhaps I was originally (very slightly) too harsh.

Let me be clear from the get-go, this is not a great film and it’s a terrible Godzilla movie but there are enough good points to validate a rewatch.

For starters, the movie moves along at a swift pace and Zilla himself probably has more screen time here than in five Toho movies combined. The ToraGoji design is much different to anything we’ve seen before, giving an agility and speed that even the later ‘Monsterverse’ movies have yet to equal.

Another positive thing here is scale, with no opposing Kaiju to battle Zilla’s main focus is on its human adversaries and the frequent interactions between man and monster deliver a sense of the pure size of the Kaiju in question, even though it is ultimately one of Godzilla’s smaller incarnations.

The acting is bad, the writing is bad, and worst of all the movie has no heart. You never feel like any of the main characters are in danger and everything is played off for laughs or cheap emotional beats that do not resonate.

As for the plot, well it seems the French are to blame for this Godzilla, their nuclear tests mutating an Iguana or something that heads for Manhattan to lay eggs for some reason. The eggs hatch and lots of terrible C.G.I monsters make for a poor man’s Jurrassic Park, Zilla is killed by some fighter planes. The end.

I’m sorry if I’m coming off as dismissive but after watching four decades of lovingly crafting, mythology-cultivating Toho films this feeble entry is all style no substance. The best way to view it is as a decent monster movie and nothing more.

Incidentally, the name "Zilla" is a modification of Godzilla, omitting the "God" component. As explained by Godzilla Final Wars producer Shogo Tomiyama, this choice was made to reflect the perception that the TriStar Godzilla stripped away the divine connotations associated with Godzilla, portraying it simply as a regular creature. Tomiyama elaborated that Hollywood's rendition of Godzilla was presented as just another ordinary monster.

The ToraGoji design (taken from the Japanese term for TriStar, combined with "Goji," derived from Godzilla's original Japanese name, Gojira.) presents a radical departure from previous iterations of Godzilla, with a design that strays far from convention. Its CGI model adopts a posture reminiscent of modern depictions of theropod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex, deviating from Godzilla's traditional upright humanoid stance.

Its skin tone is a deep, almost blackish blue along the dorsal surface, transitioning to a silvery light-blue hue on the sides, and tan underneath, seemingly crafted to camouflage amidst urban landscapes. Boasting powerful, elongated limbs, the ToraGoji is built for remarkable agility, a deliberate trait in its design.

One of its most striking features is its pronounced underbite, sporting a massive chin and teeth protruding reminiscent of crocodiles. Departing from the usual maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates, the ToraGoji boasts curved, spike-like structures that curve forward, resembling inverted shark fins.

In the cinematic depiction, Godzilla sports only four fingers in its primary CG model, giant animatronic, and final design maquette. Interestingly, a vestigial fifth digit is discernible in the suit, adding a subtle detail to its overall appearance.

Interestingly Stan Winston's unused initial concept art would have given us a very different, much more recognizable take.

*1/2 

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Director: Takao Okawara

Written by: Kazuki Ohmori

The final film of the acclaimed Heisei Era would bring Godzilla’s legacy to a tragic and brutal end in order to make way for a new trilogy of American Movies. The film would mark the 40th anniversary of the original film and would be marketed heavily as ‘the death of Godzilla’

Heisei series regular Miki Saegusa would make her final film appearance here as her routine investigation of Godzilla’s island revealed a massive nuclear crater. Having absorbed a cataclysmic amount of natural radiation and in immeasurable agony, Godzilla sets out on a rampage whilst trying to locate his missing son, believed to have died during the destruction of his home.

We’ve never seen Godzilla like this before, literally glowing with power and getting hotter by the hour. The Grandson of the original films Dr Yamane believes that Godzilla’s heart will explode once it reaches 1200 degrees and will explode with a force great enough to ignite the atmosphere and destroy all life on Earth.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, scientists excavating the site of the original Godzilla’s death, back in 1954 disturb a microscopic organism in the soil that has evolved from the original oxygen destroyer and is both growing and multiplying at an alarming rate.

This new life form, known as ‘Destoroyah’ is contained in an old industrial estate where elite special forces are sent in to neutralise the threat. These troops are brutally slaughtered and Destroroyah emerges larger and more powerful than ever as the seperate entities combine into one gigantic form.

To Miki’s relief Godzilla Junior, now a miniature version of its father is spotted off the coast of Japan as it tries to find its way home but she is forced to use her psychic abilities to lure it into conflict with Destoroyah in the hopes that Godzilla will follow. The plan works but the infant Godzilla is brutally slain by Destoroyah.

This all leads to a brutal battle between an enraged Godzilla, Destroyah, and a new Super-X 3. Godzilla and the latest Super-X defeat Destoroyah and the Super-X’s freeze-based weaponry helps to cool Godzilla but it is not enough and the mighty Kaiju melts away to nothing, irradiating everything around it.

Just when all seems lost, reports come in of the radiation being rapidly absorbed from the nearby atmosphere. A familiar roar shakes the landscape and from the ashes rises the son of Godzilla, resurrected and now of an equal stature to his late father.

Themes of legacy and sacrifice abound in this loving tribute to both the franchise and Godzilla himself. From Godzilla mourning his dead offspring to the flesh melting from his bones in the final scene, it is packed with powerful moments and tributes to the original classic.

Miki’s painful realization that she must sacrifice ‘Baby’ to potentially save the world is just one of the stirring moments of human drama on display in what is rightfully regarded as one of the best films in the franchise. 

The Heisei era excels in adult drama and themes and tells a single, continuous story culminating in this truly fitting conclusion.

The 1994 MogeGoji suit returned for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, but underwent significant alterations to achieve Godzilla's critical mass appearance and would be known as the DesuGoji. Portions of the costume were removed, and around 200 miniature red, orange, and yellow light bulbs were installed, concealed beneath semi-transparent vinyl plates. Additionally, the suit was equipped with a mechanism to emit steam from different areas of Godzilla's body, while the eyes were electronically modified to glow. 

These modifications, combined with computer graphics, effectively conveyed Godzilla's critical mass transformation. Interestingly, actor Kenpachiro Satsuma, who portrayed Godzilla, revealed that the steam emitted from the suit was pure carbon monoxide, leading to him fainting multiple times during filming. Although the suit later depicted the revived adult Godzilla Junior at the film's conclusion, the light bulbs were deactivated for this portrayal.

*****

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Director: Kensho Yamashita

Written by: Kanji Kashiwa, Hiroshi Kashiwabara

Deep in outer space a massive crystalline object hurtles toward the Earth, destroying a deep space NASA station in the process. Eventually, this massive object strikes the Earth with great force, creating a structure of jagged crystalline outcrops.

In its latest attempt to destroy Godzilla, the G-Force has concocted two schemes, an attempt to peacefully manipulate the King of the Monsters using series regular Miki Saegusa and a psychic amplifier and a new battle robot called Moguera (Basically if you ordered MechaGodzilla from Wish).

This experiment is interrupted when Motha and The Cosmos appear to Miki, warning her of a terrible monster approaching the planet. Shortly after, the monstrous Space Godzilla arrives, easily defeating Godzilla and imprisoning his son in a crystal Prison.

It seems that at some point, most likely when Mothra left Earth, some of Godzilla's cells were transported into deep space, where they were consumed by a black hole and mutated into the creature known as Space Godzilla.

With Tokyo in its sight, the alien menace creates a new crystalline fortress to amplify its already fearsome telekinetic powers. It falls to Godzilla and Moguera to unite and crush this formidable foe, once and for all.

Featuring the most ambitious and explosive Kaiju battles yet seen and one of Godzilla's most intimidating foes, the penultimate film of the Heisei Era does not disappoint. Despite his wrathful nature, Godzilla's humanizing motivations, to protect his son, plant him firmly in the audience's favor this time around and would set the tone for the tragic finale that would soon follow.

The improved MogeGoji suit boasts a sturdy, triangular physique with broad shoulders and robust legs. Unlike its predecessors, the MogeGoji sports a neck that widens at the shoulders and exhibits less pronounced ribbing. Its facial features resemble those of the BatoGoji and RadoGoji suits, yet with slightly larger eyes and more pronounced white areas, resulting in a less intimidating expression.

Notably, the MogeGoji suit pioneered the inclusion of a mechanical mechanism allowing for multi-directional head movement, a departure from the conventional up-and-down motion. Additionally, it introduced a ventilation system aimed at cooling the actor wearing the suit during filming.

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Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 (1993)

Director: Takao Okawara

Written by: Wataru Mimura

After the events of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Japan’s elite and Godzilla unit, known as G-Force, recovered the head of Mecha-Ghidorah and reverse-engineered the advanced future technology to create two new weapons. The aerial tank, Garuda, and of course, the titular Mecha Godzilla.

Meanwhile, a research team on the highly radioactive Adona Island uncovered a giant egg, guarded by the monstrous titan Rodan. Their attempts to remove the egg unleash a furious attack from the flying Kaiju, the sound of which draws Godzilla from the ocean.

During the chaos, the team are able to escape with the egg to Kyoto, where it hatches into a Baby Godzilla. However, the big guy seems to sense the baby’s presence and travels to Japan to recover the child. Scientists manage to transport the baby to a safe house and the new, human-controlled MechaGodzilla clashes with its namesake.

The robotic titan is almost destroyed in the encounter but Godzilla is finally driven back into the ocean, for now. Reoccurring psychic, Miki is able to recognize the bond between Godzilla, Rodan, and the infant, and the stage is set for a final showdown between Godzilla, Rodan, and a newly combined MechaGodzilla/Garuda.

Featuring some of the best monster battles of the Heisei era this epic tale brings three of Godzilla’s most popular supporting cast members into the new era with Rodan, MechaGodzilla, and Minilla (Baby Godzilla) each receiving a new redesigned look.

Mechagodzilla, having transformed from villain to hero, receives the biggest glow-up, though it is Baby Godzilla who has undergone the most radical change, now resembling its parent much more than during the Showa Era.

Rodan’s noble sacrifice to power up Godzilla and protect Baby Godzilla would no doubt go on to influence Mothra’s similar sacrifice in the American Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Although resembling the previous BatoGoji incarnation, the RadoGoji suit boasted a bulkier build, notably evident from its profile, with a wider head compared to the BioGoji and BatoGoji versions. In contrast, the shoulders of the latter seemed smaller. The RadoGoji's legs were sleeker, facilitating greater mobility, while its tail exhibited enhanced flexibility. 

Like its predecessor, the BatoGoji suit, the RadoGoji retained the ability for independent head tilting. Noteworthy is the suit's transformation during the movie's climax, where following Godzilla's revival by Rodan's life force, it was adorned with golden glitter, and the dorsal plates' white tips took on a translucent yellow hue.

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Godzilla vs. Mothra aka Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)

Director: Takao Okawara

Written by: Kazuki Ohmori

When a falling meteor reawakens a sleeping Godzilla and uncovers a giant egg on Infant Island, it falls to a shady archaeologist and his ex-wife to uncover an ancient prophecy and save the world.

Our reluctant heroes travel to Infant Island to discover prehistoric cave paintings depicting a great battle between two behemoth insects. It is here that they discover the tiny Shobijin twins, known here as ‘The Cosmos’ and learn that eons ago a great battle was fought between Mothra, the guardian of the Earth, and Battra, a sinister reflection of Mothra, created to destroy humanity before our destructive ways destroy the Earth.

Mothra won this battle but now, humanity has once again proved to be an opposing force to Mother Nature and Mothra must once again re-awaken to do battle for humanity’s survival.

Battra’s imminent arrival causes Mothra’s egg to hatch and the two larval titans clash in the ocean, only for Godzilla to join the battle. The force of their battle cracks open the sea floor, pulling Battra and Godzilla into the depths and leaving Mothra to head for Japan in search of the Cosmos (who have once again been abducted by an evil corporation).

An unusually destructive Mothra wreaks havoc until the tiny twins are rescued, and then she cocoons herself in preparation for a coming battle with an evolved Battra. However, Godzilla emerges from the ocean, still enraged and powered up from his resurrection in the previous film it seems as though nothing can stop him, until Mothra hatches and she and Battra team up to defeat Godzilla.

With Japan safe once again, Mothra departs the Earth in order to try and deflect an asteroid that is prophesized to destroy Earth.

It’s great to have Mothra return, the pure-hearted Titan once again earns her place as the Kaiju Queen, with her bright colors and thick fur she suits this more, family-friendly adventure well. Newcomer Battra resembles something out of an episode of The Guyver, with its lightning-spewing horn and bat-like wings.

The newest Godzilla suit, known as the BatoGoji, differed from its predecessor, the BioGoji suit, in several key aspects. It boasted a sleeker build, imparting a robust yet less imposing appearance compared to the bulkier Godzilla suits of the 1990s. Notable changes included rearranging the dorsal plates, with the largest plate positioned at the center of the back. Additionally, the legs were slimmer, and the arms featured increased flexibility at the biceps.

While the facial structure remained largely unchanged from the BioGoji suit, the BatoGoji suit introduced new elements, such as a smaller, flatter forehead, golden eyes, and a thick neck adorned with pronounced ribbing. The inclusion of golden eyes added a heightened expressiveness to the BatoGoji's visage, albeit at the expense of the more realistic, animalistic look characteristic of previous iterations.

Furthermore, the size of the teeth was noticeably reduced compared to the BioGoji suit. A novel feature of the BatoGoji suit was the incorporation of an electronic mechanism, allowing the head to tilt independently of the body, enhancing its range of motion.

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