Terror of Mechagodzilla
Encyclopedia
Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction
kaiju
film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho
's Godzilla
series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda
with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano
. It is the second film to feature Mechagodzilla
and the only film to feature Titanosaurus
. Akira Ifukube
provides the music score. The movie was written by Yukiko Takayama, who was the second female writer for a Godzilla film (the first was Kazue Shiba, who wrote for 1967's Son of Godzilla
).
Terror of Mechagodzilla was the last movie in the Showa
series of Godzilla
movies before The Return of Godzilla
began the Heisei
series of Godzilla films in 1984. Because of the crash of Japanese cinema and the oil crisis
of the mid-to-late 1970s (which had also affected some television shows), the Godzilla film series was forced to go on hiatus. As a result, Terror of Mechagodzilla had the lowest attendance figures of all the movies in the series.
This was the last Godzilla film directed by Ishirō Honda. He was reportedly slated to direct Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
(1993), but he died early that year.
, Interpol
agents, led by Inspector Kusaka, search for the wreck of Mechagodzilla
at the bottom of the Okinawan Sea in the submarine, Akatsuki, to gather information on its builders, the simian alien. But, the Akatsuki is suddenly attacked by a giant aquatic dinosaur
called Titanosaurus
, and the crew is apparently lost.
In response to the incident, Interpol begins to investigate. With the help of marine biologist Akira Ichinose, they trace the incident and Titanosaurus to a reclusive, mad scientist named Shinzô Mafune, who was forced to leave the institute, and now wants to destroy them as well as all of mankind. When visiting his old house in the seaside forest of Manazuru
, they meet Mafune's lone daughter Katsura, who tells them that not only is her father dead, but she also burned all of his notes on the giant dinosaur (at her father's request). But unbeknownst to them, Mafune himself is alive and well, visited by his scientist friend Tsuda, who turns out to be an aide to the new simian alien leader Mugal, who is leading the project to quickly rebuild Mechagodzilla. Mugal offers their services to Mafune, so that his Titanosaurus and their Mechagodzilla 2 will be the ultimate weapons. The ultimate goal of this new wave of black hole aliens is to wipe out mankind and rebuild cities around the world as a high-tech dystopia
.
But things are complicated for both factions when Ichinose falls in love with Katsura, and unwittingly gives her Interpol's secret information against Titanosaurus, the new Mechagodzilla, and the aliens. We also find that Katsura is actually a cyborg, and Mugal may have use for her. Meanwhile, Mafune is desperate to unleash Titanosaurus without the aliens' permission, so he releases it on Yokosuka one night. By then, Interpol discovers Titanosaurus' weakness: supersonic waves. But when they construct a supersonic wave oscillator, Katsura sabotages the machine, prompting Interpol to hastily repair it; Godzilla
arrives to fight off Titanosaurus.
Later, Ichinose goes to visit Katsura, but is captured by the aliens. Tied to a chair, Ichinose can only watch as Mafune and the aliens unleash Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus on Yokosuka, while Interpol struggles to repair their machine and the Japanese armed forces struggle to keep the two monsters at bay. Katsura, whose machine core is being fully manipulated by Mugal, ignores Ichinose and controls both the dinosaur and the robot as they destroy the city.
Godzilla comes to the rescue, though he is outmatched by the two titans. While Interpol distracts Titanosaurus with the supersonic wave oscillator, Godzilla is able to focus on attacking Mechagodzilla. Interpol agents infiltrate the aliens' hideout, rescue Ichinose, and then kill Mafune and much of the aliens. The remaining aliens attempt to escape, but Godzilla shoots them down. Katsura, while being embraced by Ichinose, shoots herself
to destroy Mechagodzilla. Godzilla, with the help of the oscillator, kills Titanosaurus and heads off back to sea.
The Terror of Godzilla was edited down to 78 minutes from the 83-minute Japanese version. The movie was heavily edited to obtain a "G" rating from the MPAA. Several scenes with violent content were entirely removed, disrupting the flow of the narrative. Rumor has it that an unedited print, still titled "The Terror of Godzilla," was shown in theaters as well.
Henry Saperstein, who sold the theatrical rights to Bob Conn Enterprises, also released the film to television in late 1978, this time under the title Terror of Mechagodzilla. This version runs 89 minutes, which is actually six minutes longer than the Japanese version. It included a prologue about the history of Godzilla, with footage from Monster Zero and Godzilla's Revenge (itself using stock footage from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
and Son of Godzilla
). The rest of this version was uncut with the exception of the shot of Katsura's breasts.
In the mid-1980s, the US TV version, Terror of Mechagodzilla, was replaced by the theatrical edit, The Terror of Godzilla in all television and home video versions. For some reason, the title was also changed to Terror of Mechagodzilla. In 1994, Paramount released Terror of Mechagodzilla on VHS. The running time on the slipcase promised the 89-minute version first shown on American TV. The actual video cassette featured the edited theatrical version instead. In an interview with G-Fan magazine that same year, Henry Saperstein was surprised to hear about this mistake. It wasn't until 2007 when the longer US version would return, this time as the US version on the Classic Media
DVD. Although the added prologue was framed for fullscreen television, it was cropped and shown in widescreen on the disc.
film in Japan and also one of only two Godzilla films to sell less than one million tickets. As a result, the series was put on hold. Toho had no intention of permanently ending the Godzilla series. Throughout the remainder of the decade, several new stories were submitted by writers and producers. None of these films, however, were made. It wasn't until 1984 and Godzilla's
30th anniversary that Toho would start production on a new Godzilla movie. Despite the movie's poor box office and critical reception at the time of its original release, it is gradually becoming a favorite among fans due to its dark nature, brief but entertaining kaiju battles, and the return of series veterans Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube.
Simitar Entertainment
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. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in 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...
'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, it was directed by Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
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....
. It is the second 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 the only film to feature Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus (Godzilla)
is a fictional kaiju featured in the 1975 Showa film Terror of Mechagodzilla, the fifteenth Godzilla film to be produced by Toho.-Abilities:...
. Akira Ifukube
Akira Ifukube
was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
provides the music score. The movie was written by Yukiko Takayama, who was the second female writer for a Godzilla film (the first was Kazue Shiba, who wrote for 1967's Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
).
Terror of Mechagodzilla was the last movie in the Showa
Showa era (daikaiju eiga)
In the terminology of daikaiju eiga the Shōwa Era refers not to the actual reign of the Shōwa emperor but to all daikaiju eiga made between 1954 and 1980...
series of 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,...
movies before The Return of Godzilla
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...
began the Heisei
Heisei era (daikaiju eiga)
In the context of Japanese monster cinema the Heisei Era refers not to the current era in Japan but to all kaiju eiga made between 1984 and 1999...
series of Godzilla films in 1984. Because of the crash of Japanese cinema and the oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
of the mid-to-late 1970s (which had also affected some television shows), the Godzilla film series was forced to go on hiatus. As a result, Terror of Mechagodzilla had the lowest attendance figures of all the movies in the series.
This was the last Godzilla film directed by Ishirō Honda. He was reportedly slated to direct Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
(1993), but he died early that year.
Plot
Continuing after the end of Godzilla vs. MechagodzillaGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
, 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 , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
agents, led by Inspector Kusaka, search for the wreck of 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...
at the bottom of the Okinawan Sea in the submarine, Akatsuki, to gather information on its builders, the simian alien. But, the Akatsuki is suddenly attacked by a giant aquatic dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
called Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus (Godzilla)
is a fictional kaiju featured in the 1975 Showa film Terror of Mechagodzilla, the fifteenth Godzilla film to be produced by Toho.-Abilities:...
, and the crew is apparently lost.
In response to the incident, Interpol begins to investigate. With the help of marine biologist Akira Ichinose, they trace the incident and Titanosaurus to a reclusive, mad scientist named Shinzô Mafune, who was forced to leave the institute, and now wants to destroy them as well as all of mankind. When visiting his old house in the seaside forest of Manazuru
Manazuru, Kanagawa
is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 8,235 and a density of 1,180 persons per km²...
, they meet Mafune's lone daughter Katsura, who tells them that not only is her father dead, but she also burned all of his notes on the giant dinosaur (at her father's request). But unbeknownst to them, Mafune himself is alive and well, visited by his scientist friend Tsuda, who turns out to be an aide to the new simian alien leader Mugal, who is leading the project to quickly rebuild Mechagodzilla. Mugal offers their services to Mafune, so that his Titanosaurus and their Mechagodzilla 2 will be the ultimate weapons. The ultimate goal of this new wave of black hole aliens is to wipe out mankind and rebuild cities around the world as a high-tech dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
.
But things are complicated for both factions when Ichinose falls in love with Katsura, and unwittingly gives her Interpol's secret information against Titanosaurus, the new Mechagodzilla, and the aliens. We also find that Katsura is actually a cyborg, and Mugal may have use for her. Meanwhile, Mafune is desperate to unleash Titanosaurus without the aliens' permission, so he releases it on Yokosuka one night. By then, Interpol discovers Titanosaurus' weakness: supersonic waves. But when they construct a supersonic wave oscillator, Katsura sabotages the machine, prompting Interpol to hastily repair it; 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,...
arrives to fight off Titanosaurus.
Later, Ichinose goes to visit Katsura, but is captured by the aliens. Tied to a chair, Ichinose can only watch as Mafune and the aliens unleash Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus on Yokosuka, while Interpol struggles to repair their machine and the Japanese armed forces struggle to keep the two monsters at bay. Katsura, whose machine core is being fully manipulated by Mugal, ignores Ichinose and controls both the dinosaur and the robot as they destroy the city.
Godzilla comes to the rescue, though he is outmatched by the two titans. While Interpol distracts Titanosaurus with the supersonic wave oscillator, Godzilla is able to focus on attacking Mechagodzilla. Interpol agents infiltrate the aliens' hideout, rescue Ichinose, and then kill Mafune and much of the aliens. The remaining aliens attempt to escape, but Godzilla shoots them down. Katsura, while being embraced by Ichinose, shoots herself
Altruistic suicide
Altruistic suicide is suicide committed for the benefit of others. Falling on a grenade is one such example. Émile Durkheim notes that tribal people sometimes see it as their duty to commit suicide, as when a wife kills herself after her husband dies, or a man kills himself in old age; but Durkheim...
to destroy Mechagodzilla. Godzilla, with the help of the oscillator, kills Titanosaurus and heads off back to sea.
English versions
The film was released theatrically during in March 1978 in North America by Bob Conn Enterprises under the title The Terror of Godzilla. This version runs 78 minutes, five minutes shorter than the Japanese print. Just as Cinema Shares had done with the previous three Godzilla movies, Bob Conn Enterprises chose to utilize the Toho-produced English dub instead of hiring American voice actors to re-dub the film.The Terror of Godzilla was edited down to 78 minutes from the 83-minute Japanese version. The movie was heavily edited to obtain a "G" rating from the MPAA. Several scenes with violent content were entirely removed, disrupting the flow of the narrative. Rumor has it that an unedited print, still titled "The Terror of Godzilla," was shown in theaters as well.
Henry Saperstein, who sold the theatrical rights to Bob Conn Enterprises, also released the film to television in late 1978, this time under the title Terror of Mechagodzilla. This version runs 89 minutes, which is actually six minutes longer than the Japanese version. It included a prologue about the history of Godzilla, with footage from Monster Zero and Godzilla's Revenge (itself using stock footage from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
and Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
). The rest of this version was uncut with the exception of the shot of Katsura's breasts.
In the mid-1980s, the US TV version, Terror of Mechagodzilla, was replaced by the theatrical edit, The Terror of Godzilla in all television and home video versions. For some reason, the title was also changed to Terror of Mechagodzilla. In 1994, Paramount released Terror of Mechagodzilla on VHS. The running time on the slipcase promised the 89-minute version first shown on American TV. The actual video cassette featured the edited theatrical version instead. In an interview with G-Fan magazine that same year, Henry Saperstein was surprised to hear about this mistake. It wasn't until 2007 when the longer US version would return, this time as the US version on the Classic Media
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
DVD. Although the added prologue was framed for fullscreen television, it was cropped and shown in widescreen on the disc.
Titles
- Counterattack of Mechagodzilla - Japanese title.
- Terror of Mechagodzilla - Toho's official English title. Henry Saperstein's TV version was also titled this. All subsequent versions of the film released in the U.S. have been given this title as well, including The Terror of Godzilla version.
- The Terror of Godzilla - U.S. theatrical release title.
- Monsters from an Unknown Planet - Original U.K. title.
Box office
In Japan, the film sold 970,000 tickets. It would be the least-attended GodzillaGodzilla
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,...
film in Japan and also one of only two Godzilla films to sell less than one million tickets. As a result, the series was put on hold. Toho had no intention of permanently ending the Godzilla series. Throughout the remainder of the decade, several new stories were submitted by writers and producers. None of these films, however, were made. It wasn't until 1984 and Godzilla's
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
30th anniversary that Toho would start production on a new Godzilla movie. Despite the movie's poor box office and critical reception at the time of its original release, it is gradually becoming a favorite among fans due to its dark nature, brief but entertaining kaiju battles, and the return of series veterans Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube.
DVD release
Classic Media- Released: November 20, 2007 in the Godzilla Collection box set. Singular release April 29, 2008.
- Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1
- Sound: English, Japanese
- Supplements: Women of Godzilla Featurette, Audio commentary, Theatrical trailer (later pressings only)
- Region 1
Simitar Entertainment
- Released: May 6, 1998
- Video: Fullscreen
- Sound: English mono, English 5.1 (Edited The Terror of Godzilla version)
- Supplements: Godzilla trailers; Godzilla video art gallery; Film facts; Trivia game; DVD-ROM (Screensavers, printable art gallery, web access)
- Region 1