Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Encyclopedia
, originally known in the United States
as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction
kaiju
film
. This was the 14th of the Toho
studio's Godzilla
series (set after Godzilla vs Megalon), it was directed by Jun Fukuda
with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano
and the original score composed by Masaru Sato
. It is the fifth film to feature Anguirus
and the first film to feature Mechagodzilla
and King Caesar
.
, protector of Okinawa, is vital to its revival should the prophecy come true.
Before long, the signs appear: a giant black cloud in the shape of a mountain is seen, and a mirage creates the illusion of a Western sunrise. Godzilla
emerges from Mount Fuji
on a destructive, unprovoked rampage. Former ally Anguirus
confronts Godzilla, only to be cruelly and violently defeated when Godzilla breaks Anguirus' jaw.
Another Godzilla battles the rampant Godzilla and reveals it to be an impostor. It is Mecha-Godzilla
, a titanic robot created by ape
aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole to destroy the genuine Godzilla and conquer Earth. Mecha-Godzilla unleashes its full arsenal on Godzilla and the wounded monster collapses into the sea. Too damaged from the encounter to effectively continue the attack, Mecha-Godzilla retreats for repairs. Returning to Monster Island, Godzilla is repeatedly struck and energized by mysterious bolts of lightning.
Its repairs completed, Mecha-Godzilla is unleashed to destroy King Caesar, but Godzilla comes to the rescue. After a bloody battle between the three titans, Godzilla generates a magnetic field against Mecha-Godzilla, dragging the metallic monstrosity within reach. Godzilla twists Mecha-Godzilla's head off and the robot's body explodes. The aliens' base explodes, and both King Caesar and Godzilla return from whence they came.
.
the previous year, Cinema Shares simply utilized the Toho-produced English dub. In July 1977, Universal Studios
filed a lawsuit against Cinema Shares, claiming that the title was too similar to their TV productions, The Six Million Dollar Man
and its spin-off
The Bionic Woman
. Cinema Shares retitled the film Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster.
As with most of the other 70s Godzilla films, the Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla featured several scenes with violent content and strong language. Strangely, Cinema Shares retained several scenes of violent monster action, including a shot of Godzilla spraying blood. The edits include:
In 1988, New World Video released the film along with Godzilla 1985
, and Godzilla vs. Gigan
. This print was Toho's original, uncut international version, which restored all the cuts made by Cinema Shares. The film was shown on The Sci-Fi Channel
throughout the 90s under the title Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, although this version was in fact Toho's international version with a new title card.
Outside of the circle, however, public reception is luke-warm at best and the movie garners only 5.8 stars (out of a possible ten) at IMDB. However, it does retain an above-average score (60%) at Rotten Tomatoes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. This was the 14th of the Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
studio's Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
series (set after Godzilla vs Megalon), it was directed by Jun Fukuda
Jun Fukuda
, was a Japanese director. He was born in Manchuria. He has directed dozens of films, perhaps best known for his contributions to the Godzilla film series in the 1970s...
with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano
Teruyoshi Nakano
, is a Japanese special effects director, most notable for his contributions to the Godzilla film series and other tokusatsu movies. Nakano was a special guest at G-Fest XI, where he was the recipient of the Mangled Skyscraper Award....
and the original score composed by Masaru Sato
Masaru Sato
was a Japanese composer of film scores. He was born in Rumoi, Hokkaidō and raised in Sapporo. While studying at the National Music Academy, Sato came under the influence of Fumio Hayasaka, Akira Kurosawa's regular composer for his earlier films. He became a pupil of Hayasaka's, studying film...
. It is the fifth film to feature Anguirus
Anguirus
is the second Kaiju to appear in the Toho franchise. Anguirus appeared only a year after Godzilla in the 1955 Toho film Godzilla Raids Again...
and the first film to feature Mechagodzilla
Mechagodzilla
is a fictional character from various films in the Godzilla series, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla . He is Godzilla's mechanical doppelgänger and one of the most popular Toho kaiju...
and King Caesar
King Caesar
is a fictional Kaiju from the Toho produced Godzilla series. King Caesar's appearance was inspired by the Shisa, a beast that looks like a combination between a dog and a lion. It first appeared in the 1974 Showa film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla...
.
Plot
In Okinawa a small ancient statue is unearthed, and a prophecy revealed: When a black mountain appears in the sky and the sun rises in the West, a monster will arise to destroy the world. The statue of the mythical monster King CaesarKing Caesar
is a fictional Kaiju from the Toho produced Godzilla series. King Caesar's appearance was inspired by the Shisa, a beast that looks like a combination between a dog and a lion. It first appeared in the 1974 Showa film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla...
, protector of Okinawa, is vital to its revival should the prophecy come true.
Before long, the signs appear: a giant black cloud in the shape of a mountain is seen, and a mirage creates the illusion of a Western sunrise. Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
emerges from Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
on a destructive, unprovoked rampage. Former ally Anguirus
Anguirus
is the second Kaiju to appear in the Toho franchise. Anguirus appeared only a year after Godzilla in the 1955 Toho film Godzilla Raids Again...
confronts Godzilla, only to be cruelly and violently defeated when Godzilla breaks Anguirus' jaw.
Another Godzilla battles the rampant Godzilla and reveals it to be an impostor. It is Mecha-Godzilla
Mechagodzilla
is a fictional character from various films in the Godzilla series, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla . He is Godzilla's mechanical doppelgänger and one of the most popular Toho kaiju...
, a titanic robot created by ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole to destroy the genuine Godzilla and conquer Earth. Mecha-Godzilla unleashes its full arsenal on Godzilla and the wounded monster collapses into the sea. Too damaged from the encounter to effectively continue the attack, Mecha-Godzilla retreats for repairs. Returning to Monster Island, Godzilla is repeatedly struck and energized by mysterious bolts of lightning.
Its repairs completed, Mecha-Godzilla is unleashed to destroy King Caesar, but Godzilla comes to the rescue. After a bloody battle between the three titans, Godzilla generates a magnetic field against Mecha-Godzilla, dragging the metallic monstrosity within reach. Godzilla twists Mecha-Godzilla's head off and the robot's body explodes. The aliens' base explodes, and both King Caesar and Godzilla return from whence they came.
Box office
The film sold approximately 1,330,000 tickets in Japan - modest business, but an improvement of about 350,000 over the previous Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. MegalonGodzilla vs. Megalon
is a 1973 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed and co-written by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the thirteenth film in the Godzilla franchise...
.
English versions
In 1977, Cinema Shares International purchased the rights to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and released the movie through Downtown Distribution under the title Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster. As they had done with Godzilla vs. MegalonGodzilla vs. Megalon
is a 1973 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed and co-written by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the thirteenth film in the Godzilla franchise...
the previous year, Cinema Shares simply utilized the Toho-produced English dub. In July 1977, Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
filed a lawsuit against Cinema Shares, claiming that the title was too similar to their TV productions, The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
and its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
. Cinema Shares retitled the film Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster.
As with most of the other 70s Godzilla films, the Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla featured several scenes with violent content and strong language. Strangely, Cinema Shares retained several scenes of violent monster action, including a shot of Godzilla spraying blood. The edits include:
- A new title card that reflects the new title. In the Japanese and international versions, Godzilla's name flashes on screen several times while a mountain explodes in the background. As Masaru SatoMasaru Satowas a Japanese composer of film scores. He was born in Rumoi, Hokkaidō and raised in Sapporo. While studying at the National Music Academy, Sato came under the influence of Fumio Hayasaka, Akira Kurosawa's regular composer for his earlier films. He became a pupil of Hayasaka's, studying film...
's main title theme plays, the full title is revealed. In the Cosmic Monster version, the screen turns bright red (covering up the original title sequence) and the title of the film and the copyright information appear. Widescreen versions of the title sequence reportedly feature the poster art to the right of the title, but this is not visible in the 16mm prints that have circulated since the early 1980s.
- The opening credits have been deleted.
- Deleted is a scene in which Nanbara, the INTERPOL agent, strangles one of the aliens. The final shoot-out between Nanbara and three of the simian invaders is similarly edited.
- At the end of the Japanese version, King Caesar returns to his resting place and Godzilla returns to the sea. In a short epilogue, the Azumi princess runs through her homeland as many of the characters celebrate with her. The camera pans up to one of the King Caesar statues in the palace yard as the Japanese symbol for "end" appears. Cinema Shares cut this short epilogue, with the exception of the final shot of the statue. A solid red, vertical bar appears from the right side of the screen, over which the words "THE END" are overlaid.
In 1988, New World Video released the film along with Godzilla 1985
The Return of Godzilla
The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla (released as in Japan and as Godzilla 1985 in North America, is a 1984 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The sixteenth film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and directed by Koji Hashimoto with special...
, and Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
. This print was Toho's original, uncut international version, which restored all the cuts made by Cinema Shares. The film was shown on The Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
throughout the 90s under the title Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, although this version was in fact Toho's international version with a new title card.
Titles
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - Japanese title, Toho's official English title and the current home video title in the U.S.
- Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster - Original American title.
- Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster - Second American release title.
Reception
The movie has become popular among fans in recent years for its exotic music, colorful special effects and entertaining monster fights. The film's robust themes and fairly complex plot stand out against a time when the Godzilla franchise was being fueled by increasingly lower production values.Outside of the circle, however, public reception is luke-warm at best and the movie garners only 5.8 stars (out of a possible ten) at IMDB. However, it does retain an above-average score (60%) at Rotten Tomatoes.