Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

Godzilla VS Kingghidorah
Directed by	Kazuki Omori
Written by	Kazuki Omori
Produced by	Tomoyuki Tanaka Shogo Tomiyama
Starring	Kosuke Toyohara Anna Nakagawa Megumi Odaka Katsuhiko Sasaki Akiji Kobayashi Kent Gilbert Charles Kent Wilson
Cinematography	Yoshinori Sekiguchi
Edited by	Michiko Ikeda
Music by	Akira Ifukube
Distributed by	Toho
Release dates	December 14, 1991
Running time	103 min.
Language	Japanese

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (ゴジラVSキングギドラ, Gojira tai Kingugidora) is the 18th installment in the Godzilla series of films. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991. It was directed by Kazuki Omori and produced by Shogo Tomiyama with special effects provided by Koichi Kawakita. This film was considered the most controversial in the series, due to a World War II sequence that depicted U.S. soldiers being killed by Godzillasaurus on Ragos (Lagos) Island, allowing Japanese soldiers to escape.

Plot

In 1992, overnight in Japan, a UFO appears, and flies over the nation of Japan. The next morning, Terasawa, a young Japanese science fiction writer, announces that he wishes to write non-fiction stories, and proceeds to investigate a dinosaur that was sighted during the Pacific War. That same day, the UFO sighting coincides with Godzilla's awakening in the ocean. Later, two army helicopters on a routine patrol come across the UFO, but are destroyed when they try to investigate further. The military then moves into the area where the helicopters crashed and discover the UFO. Soon later, the UFO emits a strange green light, and holographic projections of three humans (Two western men: Wilson and Grenchiko, and one Japanese young woman, Emmy) appear from the ship, who reveal themselves as delegates of nations of year 2204. After introductions, they request a meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan. At this meeting, they announced that they have traveled back in time to warn Japan of a grave future. Due to industrialization and nuclear power, Godzilla will reappear and destroy Japan for good. Emmy also presents a book that Terasawa would later write, which describes his theories on how the dinosaur he is covering, a Godzillasaurus, is the dinosaur that would eventually become Godzilla after radiation exposure of an American atomic bomb test after World War II.

After the meeting, Terasawa and Professor Mazaki, a professor with whom Terasawa was researching the Godzillasaurus, are called to the Prime Minister's office. There, they are informed of what has happened in the past few days, and Terasawa is presented with the book Emmy recently gave them. They then tell Terasawa and Mazaki that the Futurians wish them to travel back in time, along with Miki Saegusa, to move the Godzillasaurus away from Lagos Island, where the atomic bomb was tested. The small group of travelers (made up of Android Model M-11, Emmy, Miki, Terasawa, and Mazaki) then board a small time ship inside the mothership which will take them back in time. They are startled when three tiny animals fly in front of their faces. Emmy explains that they are an artificial life forms called Dorats, and will be coming with them on the trip.

The Futurians and the small group of Japanese civilians of the 1990s arrived at Lagos Island in 1944. Amid the final stage of the Pacific War, a Japanese unit was opposing a US amphibious landing of the island. The time travel group secretly observe the battle. The Japanese unit was almost eliminated by the US landing force. The Godzillasaurus soon arrived in time to annihilate the American troops (who were in his territory), but not before being badly wounded by naval gunfire. The remaining Japanese unit saluted to the injured Godzillasaurus and left, too. The Futurians then teleport the Godzillasaurus to the Bering Sea. Emmy then releases the Dorats on the island, and then orders M-11 to leave for the future.

Unknown to the Japanese, however, the reason the Futurians replaced the Godzillasaurus with the three Dorats, was to expose them to the radiation of the atomic bomb test, so that they would fuse together and mutate into the giant, three-headed monster King Ghidorah. The Japanese only hear a small bit about King Ghidorah before leaving the mothership. Afterwards, Emmy questions what is happening, and Wilson explains that King Ghidorah is a monster they want to totally destroy Japan. King Ghidorah is then unleashed on Fukuoka, and destroys it. Emmy later leaves the mothership, and goes to see Terasawa. She then tells him of the Futurians' true malevolent intentions. The story they tell Japanese of 1990s was a lie. The true history of the future is that, despite damages by Godzilla, Japan, with its giant corporations, would grow into a super power that affect the future world greatly, and that King Ghidorah is a controlled weapon to damage Japan further, in order to keep it from becoming a superpower. However Wilson and Grenchiko have become more ambitious, and they want to use King Ghidorah to remove Japan from their history completely.

Terasawa and others then seek out the Godzillasaurus to re-create Godzilla, who is the only force powerful enough to defeat King Ghidorah and the Futurians. They borrow a nuclear submarine from Shindo Heavy Industry, a successful giant corporation established in postwar Japan by Shindo, a former officer who was saved by the Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island.

However, the Godzillasaurus transported to the Bering Sea has been transformed into Godzilla after all, due to the crash of a Soviet nuclear sub in the vicinity. This radiation in fact created the new Godzilla, who was different from the one that had attacked Tokyo in 1954. While the Japanese have no idea that Godzilla was actually incidentally created by the Futurians, they are desperate to find a way to stop King Ghidorah. A submarine equipped with nuclear missiles is sent to mutate the Godzillasaurus, who is hopefully clinging to life in the Bering Sea. The crew is in for a shock, however, when they find Godzilla, exactly where they left him. Godzilla then proceeds to destroy the sub, and absorb the energy from the weapons it carried. The new radiation destroyed the ANEB in his system and it made him taller raising his height to 328 ft.

Wilson and Grenchiko then send King Ghidorah to combat Godzilla, who has just come ashore. Despite Godzilla's best efforts, King Ghidorah manages to knock Godzilla down, and jumps on him repetitively, coming close to knocking him out. However, Emmy, Terasawa, and M-11 sabotage the mothership. The Futurians lose control over King Ghidorah, whose motion is briefly affected. King Ghidorah topples over, and Godzilla proceeds to slam him on the ground by his tails. After more fighting, King Ghidorah uses his middle head to strangle Godzilla and his right and left heads to hold Godzilla in place. It looks as if Godzilla, who is foaming at the mouth, was dying. However, he uses his nuclear pulse at the last second, which pushes King Ghidorah of him and sends him to the ground. Godzilla then uses his atomic breath to sever King Ghidorah's middle head. M-11 then teleports the mothership in front of Godzilla. Godzilla destroys the ship along with Wilson and Grenchiko aboard. King Ghidorah attempted to fly away, but Godzilla uses his atomic breath one last time to blow a hole in his foe's left wing, sending King Ghidorah plummeting to the bottom of the ocean.

Godzilla then sets out to ravage Japan, starting in Sapporo. After its destruction, Emmy, Terasawa, Miki, and Mazaki discuss the possibility of reviving King Ghidorah to defend Japan. Emmy and M-11 agree that the idea is good, and go back to future with the time ship.

Emmy, in 2204, along with M-11, and an unnamed, older man, finally find King Ghidorah, who appears dead. This scene is reminiscent of the beginning of the movie, where a girl and a man were talking to each other about King Ghidorah. The man comments on King Ghidorah's health, and Emmy explains that she hopes to revive him. M-11 then detects a heartbeat. The man then asks Emmy why she wishes to revive King Ghidorah, and she explains that she wants to defend Japan from Godzilla. The man tells her that Japan doesn't deserve help, due to its economic greed, and lack of concern about nuclear waste. Emmy then asks the man to give her ancestors another chance, and the man agrees.

Back in 1992, Godzilla ravages Tokyo. Eventually, he finds himself standing before the headquarters of Shindo Heavy Industry, where Shindo himself stays to wait for Godzilla. Shindo and Godzilla look into each other's eyes, and, for several seconds they flashback to their past memories at each other. Godzilla even closed his eyelids, remembering the kind act the human had done for him. There is sadness in each others eyes. Finally, Shindo nods yes. Godzilla reels his head up, beckoning into the air, not wanting to kill the only creature he knew so far that loved and respected him, with sadness and guilt, but he decides to grant Shindo's wish and with sadness and guilt in his heart kills Shindo and destroys the building with his atomic breath.

Soon after, Emmy arrives back from future with Mecha-King Ghidorah, the resurrected, cyborg version of King Ghidorah. Emmy proceeds to fight Godzilla from within Mecha-King Ghidorah, where she can control the cyborg. The battle is fierce, and at one point, it seems as if Godzilla is defeated. However, from under the rubble, Godzilla attacks back with his atomic breath. Emmy tries to fly away, but another blast knocks Mecha-King Ghidorah out of the skies, also rendering Emmy unconscious. Godzilla starts off toward Mecha-King Ghidorah, intending to destroy him once and for all. At the last second, M-11 manages to revive Emmy by speaking to her through the computer systems. She then brings Mecha-King Ghidorah back upright, and launches four cables from Mecha-King Ghidorah's body onto Godzilla's arms and legs, which she uses to send electrical shocks to Godzilla. Godzilla soon gets into a position where Emmy can launch a large machine arm, which latches massive electrical charges at Godzilla. She then flies out to sea, intending to drop Godzilla in the ocean. However, Godzilla fires his atomic breath at Mecha-King Ghidorah's wings and body, which causes both him and Mecha-King Ghidorah to fall into the ocean killing Mecha-King Ghidorah. After a moment, when Emmy appears dead due to being inside Mecha-King Ghidorah, she flies out of the ocean with the time ship. A brief moment of joy comes from the onlookers of the battle. She then tells Terasawa that they're related, and that he's one of her ancestors. She makes her final goodbye, and heads back to the future.

However, at the bottom of the sea, Godzilla is still alive. He awakens roaring in victory and unleashing his atomic breath in show of his power and proving that no matter how dangerous his opponent may be, in the end, Godzilla may always come back.

Cast

Actor	Role
Kosuke Toyohara	Kenichiro Terasawa
Anna Nakagawa	Emmy Kano
Megumi Odaka	Miki Saegusa
Katsuhiko Sasaki	Professor Mazaki
Robert Scott Field	M-11
Chuck Wilson	Wilson
Richard Berger	Grenchiko
Yoshio Tsuchiya	Shindo
Kenpachiro Satsuma	Godzilla
Hurricane Ryu	King Ghidorah
Wataru Fukuda	Godzillasaurus

Box office

The film sold approximately 2,700,000 tickets in Japan, and grossed around $11,000,000.

Critical reaction

Ed Godziszewski of Monster Zero said the film suffers from a "complete disregard for common sense regarding time travel," but remarked that [special effects artist Koichi] Kawakita has far surpassed [original Godzilla special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya] in the ability to stage exciting and realistic monster battles." Popcorn Pictures said, "With a good story, some excellent special effects and plenty of monster fighting, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is one of the best of the series." Japan Hero said, "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is an enjoyable movie, even compared to the newest Godzilla movies. It is one of my favorites for the Heisei series, even with its inconsistencies."

Stomp Tokyo said, "Though the story often has all the logic of a fever dream, the special effects are so inspired that this film is enormously enjoyable." Mike Bogue of American Kaiju said the film "captures the spirit of Toho s best 50s and 60s monster mashes while at the same time delivering a wealth of intriguing ideas and spectacular visuals. Filled with action, mecha, and of course monsters, [it] shines with the best of them." Scott Ashlin of 1000 Misspent Hours said, "I'd like to say [the film] succeeds on the strength of its monster battles, but the fact of the matter is that they aren t quite good enough to elevate it above upper-echelon mediocrity. ... [T]his film has an elaborate, multi-layered story, but unfortunately, [it] isn't nearly as smart a movie as it thinks it is."

Facts

• Originally, this film was going to be a remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla with the title Godzilla vs. King Kong, then went with the idea of making Godzilla vs. Mechani-Kong, but settled for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.
• In the sequence on Lagos Island, two U.S. Naval officers observe the Futurian Mothership's landing on the island, prompting the older officer to remark that the other, Major Spielberg, should tell his not-yet-born son that "we're being invaded by little green men from outer space." This is a clear allusion to Steven Spielberg who would go on to direct Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
• When the U.S. naval officers fired at the Godzillasaurus during the scene on Lagos Island, it's cry was very similar to his shelled rival.

DVD Releases

Columbia TriStar

• Released: November 10, 1998
• Aspect Ratio: Full frame (1.33:1)
• Sound: English (2.0)
• Supplements: Liner notes
• Region 1

Controversy

This movie became one of the most controversial films in the Godzilla franchise. Shortly after the film's release in Japan, a cable news channel in the United States ran a lengthy story about the film's alleged anti-American sentiments. Scenes of US soldiers being killed by the Godzillasaurus were shown on the network, and the plot featuring evil Westerners from the future was debated. Director Kazuki Omori, however, defended his artistic decision on camera, arguing that the film was not in fact meant to be anti-American. Economic tensions between East and West were high at that time, and the negative publicity was very much a sign of the times.

External links

• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah at IMDb
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah at AllMovie
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah at Rotten Tomatoes