| Godzilla vs. Destoroyah | |
|---|---|
 Japanese theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Takao Okawara |
| Produced by | Tomoyuki Tanaka Shogo Tomiyama |
| Written by | Kazuki Omori |
| Starring | Takuro Tatsumi Yōko Ishino Yasufumi Hayashi Megumi Odaka Momoko Kochi Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla |
| Music by | Akira Ifukube |
| Editing by | Chizuko Osada |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | US $10,000,000 |
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (ゴジラVSデストロイア Gojira tai Desutoroia), is a 1995 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Co., Ltd.. Directed by Takao Okawara, with special effects by Koichi Kawakita, the film starred Takuro Tatsumi, Yasufumi Hayashi and Megumi Odaka. The film also featured a cameo by Momoko Kōchi, reprising her role from the original Godzilla (1954). This twenty-second installment in the Godzilla franchise was the final film in the Heisei, or second, series of films. The film received publicity around the world for Toho's announcement that they would kill Godzilla. Toho ended the series to make way for an American Godzilla film, which was ultimately produced in 1998. Toho would begin a new series of Godzilla films in 1999 with the film Godzilla 2000, which began the Millennium series.
The film was released straight to video in the United States in 1999 by Columbia TriStar Home Video.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
In 1996, Miki Saegusa travels to Birth Island to check on Godzilla and his adopted son. However, she finds the entire island destroyed. In Hong Kong, Godzilla appears covered in glowing lava-like rashes. He goes on a rampage, causing major collateral damage and killing thousands of civilians. A group of representatives from the Japan Self Defense Forces hire college student Kenichi Yamane, the grandson of Dr. Kyohei Yamane, to come work at the center in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Godzilla's condition. Yamane suspects that Godzilla's heart, which acts as a nuclear reactor, is going through a nuclear meltdown. When Godzilla reaches 1,200 degrees Celsius, he will explode with the force of a thousand nuclear explosions, taking most of the world with him.
The JSDF deploys a flying combat vehicle outfitted with anti-nuclear cold weapons to forestall this; the Super-X III. Meanwhile, scientists create a new formula for the Oxygen Destroyer that was created by Dr. Serizawa in 1954. This does not sit well with the JSDF, who fear that the Oxygen Destroyer, which was used to kill the original Godzilla, may have disastrous side effects. This belief is proven when a colony of Precambrian organisms are discovered to have been mutated by the formula. The creatures infest a sewer network and eventually make their way into an aquarium, killing all the sea life inside. They rapidly evolve into monstrous crab-like creatures and begin wreaking havoc. After several deadly skirmishes with the JSDF, the creatures, dubbed "Destoroyah", evolve beyond the military's containment abilities.
Little Godzilla reappears as Godzilla Junior, having mutated further and now closely resembling his father, heads for the island where he was born. Godzilla, who is searching for his son, follows him, but complications arise. Due to his encounter with the Super-X III, Godzilla will not explode but will instead suffer a bodily meltdown. After dying from the meltdown, Godzilla's superheated remains will bore into the planet's core, destroying the earth. Desperate, the JSDF decide to lure Godzilla into a confrontation with the evolving Destoroyah by hiring Miki and another psychic named Meru Ozawa into telepathically instructing Junior to travel to Tokyo, which Destoroyah is currently invading. Godzilla will no doubt follow, and since Destoroyah was born from the same weapon that destroyed the first Godzilla, he will surely lose the battle, preventing the meltdown.
The psychics successfully lure Godzilla Junior to Tokyo, where he is attacked by Destoroyah, who has now increased in size and sprouted a pair of bat-like wings. In the ensuing brawl, Destoroyah is seemingly killed after being blown into an electrical plant. By nightfall, Godzilla and Junior meet near an airport called Haneda. Their reunion is cut short when Destoroyah, having once again evolved and now outmatching Godzilla in height, flies in for another attack. Destoroyah knocks down Godzilla and grabs Junior, dropping him from an extreme altitude that brings the young dinosaur close to death. Godzilla, enraged, attacks Destoroyah and a brutal battle erupts. The two creatures inflict serious wounds upon each other, each calling upon their own unique abilities to destroy the other. Eventually, Godzilla sends Destoroyah spewing up vital fluids, forcing the creature to retreat.
Alone at last, Godzilla tries to revive his son but fails. Overcome by grief, Godzilla's heart continues to fail, accelerating the meltdown. Destoroyah, having recovered from its previous injuries, once again appears. In a fury of rage, Godzilla bombards Destoroyah with a number of supercharged atomic blasts, blowing the creature to pieces. Overcome by the attack and the extreme heat from Godzilla's meltdown, Destoroyah tries to fly away, but the JSDF shoots it down with a number of freeze weapons designed to work against Godzilla. Upon hitting the ground, Destoroyah disintegrates from thermal shock.
Moments later, Godzilla starts to die from the meltdown, but the JSDF are able to sustain him momentarily with the freeze weapons. Ultimately, they were unable to rescue Godzilla and he gives out one last weak roar before he tragically suffers his meltdown. While they succeeded in preventing earth's destruction, the JSDF have been unable to stop the massive nuclear fallout from rendering Tokyo uninhabitable. All of a sudden, the radiation levels plummet and something can be seen stirring in the mist: Godzilla Junior has absorbed the excess radiation and matured into a fully-grown adult Godzilla, flexing his claws and roaring.
Cast [edit]
- Yasufumi Hayashi as Kenichi Yamane
- Yoko Ishino as Yukari Yamane
- Megumi Odaka as Miki Saegusa
- Takuro Tatsumi as Kensaku Ijui
- Akira Nakao as General Aso
- Momoko Kōchi as Emiko Yamane
- Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla
- Ryo Hariya and Eiichi Yanagida as Destoroyah
- Hurricane Ryu as Godzilla Junior
Production [edit]
This film's original idea was to feature Godzilla fighting the ghost of the original 1954 Godzilla. Godzilla would be killed by it then be revived and manage to destroy it. Another idea which had been tossed around featured Bagan, who was the final boss in the Super Nintendo video game Super Godzilla.
An alternate ending was filmed. Destoroyah attempted to escape once Godzilla gained the upper hand, but the JSDF shot him down. Godzilla, despite suffering from his meltdown, continued to battle the vicious monster. Godzilla quickly overpowered Destoroyah, grabbing him by his horn and pummeling him repeatedly. As Godzilla melts away, the JSDF rain their beams upon him, as well as Destoroyah. Unable to stand against the immense heat of Godzilla's meltdown and the freezing coldness of the beams, Destoroyah falls and evaporates. However, the scene was removed because it was thought to be inappropriate, since Godzilla's foreseen death was to be the climax of the film. So the scene was re-edited to have Destoroyah die after the JSDF intervenes and helps Godzilla finish off Destoroyah, allowing Godzilla to have center stage as he dies.
English version [edit]
After the film was released in Japan, Toho commissioned a Hong Kong company to dub the film into English. In this international version of the movie, an English title card was superimposed over the Japanese title, as had been done with the previous 1990s Godzilla films.
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah on home video on January 19, 1999. This was the first time either film had been officially released in the United States. TriStar used the Toho dubs, but cut the end credits and created new titles and opening credits for both films. The complete Toho international version of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah has been broadcast on several premium movie channels since the early 2000s.
Box office [edit]
The film sold approximately 4 million tickets in Japan, and earned ¥2 billion in distribution income (around $18,000,000 (U.S)).[1] It was the number one Japanese film at the box office for the calendar year 1996.[2]
Reception [edit]
Critical reaction to the film has been mostly positive. Toho Kingdom said, "With an elegant style, a powerful plot, brilliant effects, and believable acting, this entry is definitely a notch above favorites from all three timelines, and its impact on the series is challenged by only a handful of competitors. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is without a doubt a paradigm all its own."[3] Michael Hubert of Monster Zero praised the "spectacular monster battles," calling Godzilla vs. Destoroyah "a great movie" and "one to add to your collection," adding: "Even for non-Godzilla fans, this movie might help dispel some of the preconceptions you have about Godzilla's 'cheese factor'."[4]
Japan Hero called the film "a work of art" and "a must see for anyone who loves Godzilla" that features "something for everyone" [5] Mike Bogue of American Kaiju felt the film suffered from "several visual weaknesses" and "disappointing editing," but that "the positive aspects of the visuals outweigh the negatives" and praised the film for "treating Godzilla with the same awe, majesty, and terror as [the original 1954 Godzilla]. "[6]
DVD release [edit]
Columbia TriStar (Sony)
- Released: February 1, 2000
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic
- Sound: English (2.0)
- Region 1
- Note: A double feature with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla']
Awards [edit]
In Japan, the film won the 1996 Best Grossing Films Award-Golden Award and the Academy Prize for special effects.
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.tohokingdom.com/box_office/godzilla_vs_destoroyah.htm
- ^ "Kako haikyū shūnyū jōi sakuhin 1996-nen" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
- ^ Review Toho Kingdom
- ^ Review Michael Hubert, Monster Zero
- ^ Review Japan Hero
- ^ Review Mike Bogue, American Kaiju
External links [edit]
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at the Internet Movie Database
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at AllRovi
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at Rotten Tomatoes
- "ゴジラvsデストロイア (Gojira tai Desutoroia)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved July 19, 2007.
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