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.

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