This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Better Late Then Never

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

A lot of people or at least a fair number of people seem to enjoy this movie. I, for one, found it to be not good at all. The best thing is probably how they set up Mechagodzilla. Originally, we first see Godzilla show up and destroy buildings for no reason and even attack a fellow monster. It turns out this was actually Mechagodzilla in disguise! It was created by aliens who at first appear human. When the aliens die, they suddenly turn into gorillas. Yeah, that's a really silly effect. Their faces are covered in this green ooze that morphs them into gorillas. I guess that was their true form? It especially gets silly during the climax. There's another monster named King Caesar who is prophesized to defeat Mechagodzilla. King Caesar resembles a giant gorilla thing with big ears. I don't know what the aim of that design was. Apart from that, Anguirus doesn't appear after the beginning. I felt bad for that guy. It's just a movie that for me is mostly crowded with goofy scenes but at least we get some good fights with the monsters, particularly in the beginning with Godzilla. I just found it too silly. **

I'll be fair and say that after the dismal "Godzilla vs. Megalon" (1973), long-time series director Jun Fukuda's "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" (1974) was a welcome return-to-form for the then-fledgling "Godzilla" series of films of the Showa Era. For the longest time, "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," in my opinion, I believed was one of the best films of the Showa series, and I still believe that.In this film, the Simians, ape-like aliens from a distant galaxy similar to ours, have their eyes set on Earth's destruction. To accomplish this task, they've built the cyborg monster Mechagodzilla. Of course, much like the Terminator cyborg, Mechagodzilla appears wearing a rubber disguise of the real Godzilla. Soon enough, the real Godzilla does appear and unmasks his robotic doppelganger, revealing the creature in all its shiny, space titanium glory.Mechagodzilla is unique amongst Toho kaiju (monsters) because it is the only monster, in any incarnation of the character, to ever actually come close to actually killing the great King of the Monsters. Yes, that's right. Godzilla actually comes pretty close to biting the big one in no due part to his heavily armed, heavily armored mechanical twin nemesis; Lord knows, Godzilla does bleed enough during his final confrontation with Mechagodzilla to warrant a young one to cover their eyes in horror at Our Monster Hero bleeding profusely during battle with an enemy that may just send him to his maker. (I don't believe any other monster has ever come close to accomplishing this task, not even the monster Destoroyah from 1995's "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.") But Godzilla does have some help here, mostly in the form of long-time ally Anguirus (who throws the humans onto the evil aliens' plot) and series newcomer King Caesar, a monster-god of Okinawan origin that is an awkward combination of a dog and a lion.A lot of people will comment about the special effects here, which are flawed indeed due to Toho's well-documented financial troubles in the early 1970s. But that doesn't stop the fact that "Godzilla vs. Mechagodziila" does have some of the best pyrotechnic effects of any film from the Showa series. I'm talking about when Godzilla and Mechagodzilla first fight at the oil refinery, to Godzilla's "shocking" return to Monster Island where he recharges after said fight, and the final three-way showdown between Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, and King Caesar in Okinawa."Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" is still one of my favorites, though, despite its flaws. It features a key supporting role from the late, great, long-time "Godzilla" actor Akihiko Hirata as Professor Miyajimi (he first appeared as the tortured Dr. Serizawa in the original 1954 "Godzilla"), who is kidnapped and forced by the aliens to help repair Mechagodzilla after the monster's head controls are damaged during its initial confrontation with Godzilla. There's also a lot of James Bond-like intrigue thrown into the plot, amongst various other elements from American spy movies, which were incredibly popular at the time and allow the film to flow at an incredibly rapid pace. This movie also has one of the most beautiful and exotic scores (by Masaru Satoh) of any film from the Showa series, largely because it makes good use of the alternating mainland Japan/Okinawan locations in the story."Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" was followed by a direct sequel titled "Terror of Mechagodzilla" one year later in 1975, which would mark the end of the first generation of "Godzilla" pictures before "Godzilla 1985" (1984) marked the rebirth of the King of the Monsters for the Heisei series of films, and he was once again returned to his roots as a fearsome, rampaging menace.6/10

It is rather funny that in regards to most of the Godzilla movies that I've changed my opinion of after reaching adulthood, I usually changed my vote from liking it to disliking it. The reaction is the opposite for "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla," the last Godzilla film directed by Jun Fukuda, who more or less transformed Godzilla from a dark allegorical icon into a eco-friendly hero. When I was younger, I did not like this one at all; it was one of my least-favorite Godzilla movies. Looking back on it as an adult, just the opposite. Compared to other entries in the late-Showa era of Godzilla movies, this is one of the more nostalgic and more entertaining. It comes to terms with the fact that it's a low-key movie and makes the most of it not only through its surprisingly limited monster scenes, but its human elements as well.It was because of this second reason that I did not initially like the movie. I wanted more monster action and less of humans contending with ape-like alien visitors who constructed a mechanical clone of Godzilla. Most of the action scenes in this picture are our hero protagonists fighting off against silver-suited aliens who, when killed, transfigure back into green-fleshed apes with yellow teeth. These action scenes are very spontaneous and low-key, but they are done with a certain level of enthusiasm that makes them fun despite the fact that they are seldom convincing. It's really this nostalgic quality that makes me so enthralled by the movie now. "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla" contains very little of Godzilla. In fact Godzilla's really only in the movie to defeat MechaGodzilla at the end and he's seldom seen, referenced, or concerned elsewhere. This plot of civilians fighting aliens reminds me not only of the early science-fiction films of Japan, but also of the United States. A surprisingly likable character, an Interpol agent played by Shin Kishida, reminds us a lot of the science-fiction movies of the Americas in the 50s.Of course, the movie is called "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla," so I should touch on the seldom-seen monsters. Again, they are portrayed by rather mediocre rubber suits clad around a stuntman. However, these effects, compared to others in the late-Showa era are a little more competent, save for an embarrassing shot of Godzilla rising from the ocean at the climax of the movie. But the pyrotechnics are an absolute success, particularly this very eye candy destruction scene which sets the screen with an attractive crimson glow. We also have aiding these scenes a surprisingly enthusiasic and suiting music score by Masaru Sato, whose previous scores were anything but special or ear-warming.Acting; it's all you expect. Amateurish with a few exceptions. Veteran Toho actors Hiroshi Koizumi and Akhiko Hirata play, guess what else, scientists. The two leads, are however, fairly well-played by Masaaki Daimon and a very comely Japanese actress named Reiko Tajima and thankfully, any romance between them is suggested rather than blatantly explained, again, a nostalgic quality.In the end, it's not any particular element of the movie, but all of the past-paying nostalgic qualities that make this Godzilla entry, for the right fan, a thoroughly enjoyable picture.

Godzilla rises from the watery depths ticked off at a mechanical prototype resembling itself, created by alien spacemen bent on conquering the earth. The aliens also wish to retrieve a statuette representing a monstrous guardian of a dying family, King Shisa, a creature sleeping within a mountain who can only be awakened by an ancestor's soulful tune. A Nobel Prize winning professor, his daughter, two brothers(..one uncovers the mountainous lair containing the aliens' hidden fortress where their control room is located for the mechanical Godzilla creation, the other's crew helped discover the King Shisa statuette), and an archaeologist attempt to stop the aliens and help Godzilla fight the Mecha-Godzilla which is equipped with a variety of hi-tech weaponry at it's disposal. Joining forces with Godzilla, an awakened King Shisa prime for combat, the two monsters will duke it out with the giant robot which has superior firepower, but is still a machine..the professor will get much needed assistance in a pair of Interpol agents with the goal of overthrowing the aliens and ending their plans of world domination.The plot is preposterous and corny...there's no denying that. If you just read what I wrote, then you should not be surprised entering a movie with a title of Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla that it isn't entertaining for some deep, penetrating message that has you evaluating life. This is a massive plot surrounding what the audience pay to see..rubber monsters fighting each other with lots of models being destroyed. Godzilla, for instance, battles a creature called Anguirus and actually pumps his fists at the monster(..putting up his dukes and challenging the creature as if preparing it for a barroom brawl)before pummeling it into submission..we later discover that it wasn't Godzilla at all but the Mecha-Godzilla. The aliens are basically Japanese actors in silver jumpsuits(..the leader even smokes a cigar, often smirking at his human adversaries when he isn't teasing them, propelling himself to victory before the combat had started)and when they are shot or killed, their faces change into gorilla masks! You can't help but break out in laughter..it's just too much. But, the whole movie is pure campy fun and I was in the right mood for this junk. The film really has a little too much plot for it's own good, using the kitchen sink formula to the maximum. I think fans of kaiju eiga will find this laboring because there are limited numbers of battles, mainly in the opening and the big showdown at the end with a lot of story in the center. And, only one minor(..well, for these movies anyway)attack on a city with an apartment complex and village homes toppled and crushed. Most of the film's major battle occurs in the countryside of Okinawa(..Tokyo got a break for a change)where our heroes look on as two monsters attempt to destroy their difficult enemy.Poor Anguirus(..resembling a four-legged dinosaur with it's back top heavy with spikes)just gets pulverized in it's battle with who was thought to be Godzilla..body slammed and hip-tossed like a minuscule pro wrestler, Anguirus crawls away helpless and bleeding from the mouth. Shisa, a hideous "lion-dog", should tickle your funny-bone..it's quite a creation, this monster. The Mecha-Godzilla looks like a giant tin robot replica of Godzilla, it's head can turn all the way around, it has a forcefield/shield as a temporary protection, has flying capabilities(..as Godzilla discovers all too well), can fire rockets, lasers, and rays at it's opponents. For a moment, Godzilla looked vanquished until it "hulked up", building a magnetic field, soon, with help by Shisa, gaining the upper hand. I could go through the cast, but they aren't as consequential towards your enjoyment of this film as the monsters themselves, although it's clear that everyone involved desired more than just what the audience expected..that has to admired, I think.