Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

1995 "Godzilla dies"
6.9| 1h43m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 09 December 1995 Released
Producted By: Toho Pictures
Country: Japan
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A burning Godzilla, on the verge of meltdown, emerges to lay siege to Hong Kong. At the same time horrifying new organisms are discovered in Japan. These crustacean-like beings are seemingly born of the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed the original Godzilla.

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Eric Stevenson This is one of the most important Godzilla films because well, it actually features the death of Godzilla. This isn't quite as much of a shock as you would expect because it's only the Godzilla that appeared in the second series of films as the originals (save the 1954 film) are not considered canon here. What's fascinating is that I always thought it was Destoroyah that offed Godzilla. I mean, his name is in the title! Instead, it was actually the Japanese military that put a stop to him. Only at the very end do we see Godzilla Jr. who will become the next Godzilla.We get to see all three Godzillas in this movie, including the original in flashbacks. The 1954 one was the first and stayed dead. A pity the rest of the series didn't have him around to appear as he was ranked as the best of all in his only appearance. We get great allusions to the original film and even black and white footage. My only complaint is that the smaller Destroyahs do look kind of fake. As far as people in rubber suits go, this was very intense and very well done. ***
jephtha To emulate the great Roger Ebert, I'm going to start this off by making note of an exceptional moment in the middle of "Godzilla vs Destoroyah". After Miki objects to the idea of using Godzilla Junior as a decoy to lure Godzilla, she receives a stern remark from her colleague. Subsequently, both of them leave the room, and from everyone else we hear…silence. That this is a difficult decision is not lost on the group. It's moments of empathy like this one that make this a very unique type of monster movie: one that can actually appeal on an emotional level. This great quality is the primary reason the final installment of the Heisei series is one of the strongest of the Godzilla films.The story primarily concerns the efforts to prevent an impending catastrophe threatened by Godzilla's unstable increase in power. It is interesting, not only because of the gravity of the situation but also because it forces the human characters into a tough situation: they have to stop Godzilla without using conventional military weapons. Not only does a sense of urgency pervade the film, but the crisis is rarely relegated to the background. People are often shown actively dealing with it, as opposed to merely talking about it. The script does occasionally trip over itself because of the exposition. How exactly dd Ijuin reference Serizawa's papers if they were all destroyed? What makes up for this is that the scientific elements are actually quite neat and fun to hear about. Who wouldn't want to know about further applications for micro-oxygen? There are also welcome references and connections to the 1954 film that enable the audience to see the long term consequences thereof, and help bring a sense of "bringing things full circle".Most notably, every "larger" subplot has a pay-off. Ijuin's work with micro-oxygen sheds light on the new menace, Kenichi Yamane joining G-Force reveals some key information on Godzilla's condition, and the search for Godzilla Junior sets the stage for the end fight, all converging into an emotional wallop of an ending. Such a structure makes this one of the most focused stories from the kaiju genre in the 90's, even more so than the Gamers films. Only in the smaller matters do things feel incomplete, such as with Kenichi's crush on Miki and the relationship between Ijuin and Yukari. Perhaps increasing the running length would have allowed these matters to develop. But, the individual conversations manage to engage by contributing to the larger aspects of the story, even conveying exactly how several people feel about the situation. Emiko's comments, for example, help to remind us that using the original oxygen destroyer was not an easy choice, adding weight to some of the decisions at hand. Comments on the visuals and special effects have been given in abundancy. The suits and miniatures are all well above par (save for the unfortunate inclusion of Bandai action figures for one scene), and there is an overall sullen atmosphere that increases as the film approaches its climax. The monsters' place in the story is also worth mentioning. Rather than appearing out of necessity or convenience, the whole story seems to be framed around Godzilla's threat. He acts with real purpose and his own tale to tell by the end, with the glowing suit, steam effects and red ray fantastically giving the impression of a creature reaching critical mass. Beyond this, Godzilla is humanized more than ever before, mostly due to the situation that he finds himself in. He searches for the lost Godzilla Jr., oblivious to what is about to happen, and ends up only finding the pain of loss. Destoroyah, in my opinion, is one of the best villainous monsters ever to appear in a Toho film. He too has a story to tell, one that works because his origins and nature are specifically suited to this movie's crisis. No random monster could play his part. The suit is incredible and just emanates evil, while at the same time inspiring a sense of awe partially because of the unforgettable first appearance and partially because of the sheer size (he is quite a bit taller than Godzilla). Its multiple forms and gradual mutation over the course of the movie enable some creepy scenes, making this one of the few Godzilla films to successfully incorporate elements of horror. Consider how disturbing the sight of the fish in the aquarium is, or the ominous music that accompanies the image of a burning juvenile Destoroyah. All of this effectively builds the sense of threat and puts the audience in the right state of mind for the monster fights.The actual climax of the movie, Godzilla's meltdown, is one of the better accomplishments thereof. Not only is it surprisingly sad, bolstered by a unique theme that resembles nothing else from the series, but it also makes effective use of CGI work; how else would one be able to pull off such a scene? Additionally, in one of the finest examples of the human side of the story complementing the monster side, the human characters actually respond respectfully to Godzilla's suffering and death! We understand that his experience is a tragedy, but it's more than welcome for some people in the film to know that as well, with others showing reverence for the passing of such a creature. This was the perfect way to end the second series of the Godzilla franchise.In spite of a few shortcomings (a somewhat choppy script, underdeveloped human relationships and a running time that is arguably too short), "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" amounts to an admirable conclusion that, in my opinion, has had little competition in the years since. This is how a Godzilla film should be made.
destoroyah98886 Godzilla vs Destoroyah is a great movie, although, they could have intensified Godzilla's hatred for Destoroyah times a hundred, Godzilla should have been more brutal and more determined to inflict some serious pain on him, I think that they should have made Destoroyah a difficult monster to face at first, but then as his temperature rises, make him torture Destoroyah, and kick him all across the city! as for the final battle, I felt like me and Godzilla both were cheated, meaning I watched Godzilla basically get flipped off in the face, when the JSDF finished Destoroyah, and he didn't get to kill Destoroyah! here's the version I came up with: Destoroyah tries to fly away, but Godzilla pulls him down, he gets up, tries to slice Godzilla with the laser horn, as he does this, Godzilla's heat ray sears across his face, Destoroyah screeches in pain, and falls. Godzilla starts kicking him in the head, then he nears the meltdown point, moments before the meltdown, he picks Destoroyah up, uses one more energy pulse, Destoroyah disintegrates. Godzilla roars in triumph, his meltdown commences with the JSDF firing away at him. That is the way that Godzilla's anger should have been portrayed, maybe not, like I said, that's just what I thought of. on the off-chance that toho remakes Godzilla vs Destoroyah, I hope they come across my comment before they do.
max williams This film is one of the most action-packed yet touching Godzilla movies, a combination that makes for one of the best of the series to date. I'll admit I'm slightly biased, since this was the film that began my obsession with Godzilla, but I love this movie. The Big G himself is spectacular; not only does he look awesome, but he's arguably more powerful here than in any other film. What's more, his displays of emotion allow the audience to relate to him more strongly than ever. His death at the end of the film is not only truly haunting, but also brilliant film-making. The monster action is top-notch: brutal, exciting, and striking an almost perfect balance between Showa (Old series) physical fighting and Heisei (80s-90s)beam fighting. There's even spraying blood! What more could you want? The film cycles through these battles at a nice rate as well, never letting the pace slacken, but still giving the audience a breather now and then. To top it all off, Akira Ifukube's music is, as always, superb. Even I have to admit, some of the special effects and plotting are a bit corny, but since when has any real Godzilla fan let that put them off? This film is a treat for any G fan, and an awesome conclusion to the Heisei (1984-1995) series. Even non-G fans should check it out, if they want to know what Godzilla's really about.