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| The frightening Destoroyah monster chomps out of a Tokyo with a burning Godzilla and Godzilla Junior already under attack on this fiery, action-promising poster for Takao Okawara's Godzilla vs. Destoroyah |
Once again reckless science produces a catastrophe, as micro-oxygen research fails, causing a veritable army of crab-like monsters to develop. These beasts melt together into one giant Destoroyah monster, who fights a red-glowing, meltdown-nearing Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is written by Kazuki Ohmori (Totto Channel (1987)) and directed by Takao Okawara (Chô shôjo Reiko (1991)), with clips used from previous franchise entries directed by Ishirô Honda (Godzilla/Gojira (1954)), Koji Hashimoto (The Return of Godzilla/Gojira (1984)), Kazuki Ohmori (Godzilla vs. Biollante/Gojira vs. Biorante (1989)) and Kenshô Yamashita (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Gojira vs. Supesugojira (1994)).
SPOILER Advertised in Japan as the film in which 'Godzilla dies!', Godzilla vs. Destoroyah also has a 'heart-rending' prolonged scene in which Godzilla loses his adopted son Godzilla Junior.
The films' major popularity in Japan is really felt in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, where a whole lot of money is obviously spent on the film's great wealth of special effects. It is furthermore interesting to see the economic transformation in the country since the 1954 original, which is very evident.
The Destoroyah monsters are highly reminiscent of alien creatures, but the general storytelling recipe used here is pretty familiar, and the result with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is great entertainment, for example for a lovely Sunday afternoon time on the couch.
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Godzilla franchise: Shin Godzilla/シン・ゴジラ (Shin Gojira) (2016) - A sensational Japanese comeback
Godzilla (2014) - The best US Godzilla
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/ゴジラvsキングギドラ (Gojira tai Kingu Gidora) (1991) - A future-sent monster needs defeating in bombastic entry
Godzilla vs. Biollante/ゴジラvsビオランテ (Gojira tai Biorante) (1989) - The king battles rose monster in franchise low
Godzilla/ゴジラ (Gojira) (1954) - A Japanese king is born ...
Watch an explosive trailer for the film here
Cost: 1 bil. ¥, approximately 10 mil. $
Box office: Reportedly 3.4 bil. ¥; accounts differ and rank from 18 mil. $ to 42 mil. $ (the first probably a domestic figure and the latter a worldwide total)
= Box office success; some uncertainty - could be a big hit
[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was released 9 December (Japan) and runs 102 minutes. The 22nd film in the franchise, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is also the 7th and last in its Heisei period. Toho wanted to beat the preceding two theatrically disappointing entries and marketed the film as Godzilla's last, in which he would die. This successfully boosted publicity, and Toho soothed upset fans by saying that they were planning to reboot Godzilla again in 2005. Ohmori's initial idea to have Godzilla go up against a ghost Godzilla was scrapped. Godzilla actor Kenpachiro Satsuma reportedly nearly suffocated six times due to the carbonic acid gasses emitted by the heavy suit. Original Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube returned and scored the film as his last in the franchise, saying he approached writing the theme to Godzilla's death as if he was writing a theme for his own death. 4 mil. paid admission in Japan; the film was also released in Portugal in 1995, and in Finland, France and Hong Kong in 1996. In North America the film was released straight-to-DVD in 1999. It was nominated for 2 awards from the Japanese Academy. Godzilla returned in the first Hollywood film Godzilla (1998) and then in Toho's much sooner than announced reboot Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999), beginning the franchise's 1999-2004 Millennium period. Okawara returned with Yukai (1997). 5,118 IMDb users have given Godzilla vs. Destoroyah a 7.0/10 average rating.]
What do you think of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah?
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