G Watch: Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)

Now this would be a prom photo

Watched:  06/19/2025

Format:  Disc

Viewing:  Unknown

Director:  Masaaki Tezuka

I've been fighting a cold for a few days, which has also meant my brain does not work good.  Jamie wanted to put on Wicked, which I haven't seen yet, and I looked at the near 3-hour run time and begged for mercy.  She gave up and I put on the Cherry Coke of Godzilla movies, Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002).  Plus, it's short and I wanted to watch the Indiana Fever at Golden State Valkyries game at  9:00.

Toho is good about reminding folks of the anniversaries of the debuts of various kaiju, and this is the 50th Anniversary of the MechaGodzilla (so we're of the same high school class, which makes me happy).  So when I knew I needed Godzilla comfort food while I nursed my cold, I had to include MechaG in my viewing.

If comics seem like they hit the reboot button way too often, Toho is like "hold my beer", with 3 different versions of MechaGodzilla in the character's first 25 years across about four movies (we won't count Moguera as a real MechaG - which would make it 4 versions).  I refuse to choose favorites between the designs, as they all fill me with joy, even the Truck-a-Saurus version in the Legendary movies.

This movie ignores all the Godzilla movies after 1954, counts Mothra and others, and picks up in 1999 with the first sighting of a Godzilla since the first Godzilla attack - ie:  this is a new Godzilla.  He shows up, rampages a bit, and we get the mopiest character in all of Godzilla-dom (even more than Shikishima in Godzilla Minus One, as his moping was actually motivated).    Our hero is Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku), whose only friend as a child was a plant, was surprised to find her maser weapon didn't work against Godzilla in 1999 and watched as he stomped on her regiment - that somehow is her fault?

With the reappearance of a Godzilla, Japan pulls its resources together, and using the bones of 1954 Godzilla(!) builds a MechaGodzilla to fight the new monster.  Yashiro becomes part of the squad to fight Godzilla, joining the JXSDF (Japanese Xenomorph Self-Defense Force).  Though foxy, we are to believe she has no friends and no one likes her.

Speaking of foxy, Kumi Mizuno does the Toho thing of showing up now in middle-age and plays the Prime Minister.   Coming up in the world!

But, holy shit, they used Godzilla 1954's bones AND its DNA to make a computer, and now, essentially, they've brought his spirit back to life inside a rocket-wielding metal monstrosity armed with a beam with the power to drop things to 0 Kelvin.  

Shenanigans ensue.

Meanwhile, there's a young girl who walks around with a shrub she talks to, and her horn-dog dad who programmed the new computer who is absolutely not going to make it with Yuhara.

The movie ends with MechaG set up for a sequel, and the realization the girl's mom's spirit is trapped in her shrub.

Universe, please put my spirit in at least a cactus or something.

I love the FX in this film.  A great mix of practical bits, early-00's CG FX and optical FX.  The bay where they keep MechaG between incidents is cool as hell.    

I think the only thing I don't like about this movie is that it's really half a movie.  The rest occurs in Godzilla - Tokyo: SOS.  And doesn't seem to want to use the same characters as leads?  It's confusing.