Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) User Reviews

An Enjoyable G-Film!!

[gigan-92 · 7/10 · 25 April 2009]

Godzilla's 14th film, his 20th Anniversary, is pretty good, better than the last two, that's for sure. Finally, we aren't bombarded with stock-footage, crappy monsters, and karate moves. The story was good, and so were most of the SFX. Plus, a reason of its own to give the film a star, it introduced MechaGodzilla, one of my favorite monsters! The story wasn't a rehash of the others and they actually brought back some of the best Toho actors, Akihiko Hirata and Hiroshi Koizumi! The music was all right for the most part, with its jazzy feel to it. The aliens are a bit of a disappointment, being monkeys, but they didn't ruin it like the cockroaches in "Godzilla vs. Gigan". This is the first film since "Godzilla vs. Hedorah", a whole three years (!!), for SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano to actually display something presentable and all of Mecha-G's rampage scenes are carried out nicely. But the doppelganger's chest ray looked too simple compared to his eye beams, which looked incredible. To the monsters....

Angiurus returns, now able to leap at his foes like Baragon in "Frankenstien Conquers the World", a bit odd but cool. His fight with Mecha-G is very physical, ripping Anguirus' jaws apart and all. Mecha-G was incredibly cool looking and all his weapons are brought to life fantastically. I'm glad he returns in "Terror of MechaGodzilla". King Seeser is actually a decent monster but I hate the fact that that braud had to sing for over a minute to awaken him! It was the Mothra song coming back to haunt us all. Godzilla is still the suit from "Godzilla vs. Megalon". The final battle was spectacular and fun goes to bloody levels never before seen in a G-film and the Monster King takes quite a beating. In this film Godzilla also doesn't do any goofy moves or that many human tactics. Of course, besides that scene where he missed his mechanical twin with his heat ray and seemed to snap his fingers in anger. The human characters all give good performances and a few espionage scenes, but the aliens' aluminum foil base wasn't that impressive.

I really enjoyed this movie and really think it's one of the better at a time when Godzilla films were really going downhill. The sequel surpasses this film, but the end of the original series I guess was inevitable at this point.

Review

[NerdBat · 6/10 · 1 July 2018]

When I was young, I was very poor, and this was pretty much the only Godzilla film I owned at the time. That being said, I've seen this one more than most others just out of the fact I had not much else to watch. However, It's definitely not bad. There is a scene in the film that was a bit more gruesome than many other Godzilla films, the splitting open of Anguirus's mouth kinda caught me off guard, even though it looked like they used pepto bismol for blood. MechaGodzilla is one of the most popular and well known monsters in the series, and for good reason, he has an awesome design and concept. The first MechaGodzilla, which is in this film was created by aliens, but the other ones were made by humans, which takes some of the novelty out of it. It's a great film, not the best but not the worst.

Delightfully bonkers

[Meven_Stoffat · 5/10 · 22 May 2014]

The 1970s aren't particularly known for having the best Godzilla movies, but when Godzilla was good, he was very good, and this is one of those cases. In fact, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is highly regarded by fans if the franchise for this reason- it's pure cheese and completely bizarre, but it actually also has drama that works (bet you thought you'd never heard anyone describe any of the Godzilla films from the 70s in that fashion) and a good plot too. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that this was Godzilla's 20th anniversary, and so they decided to cut the bullshit and show him as a destructive force while still keeping him an anti-hero. Not that anyone in particular goes to see Godzilla for anything other than a man in a rubber suit whaling on nothing's, but while this film offers that, it has a good story and even some very interesting plot twists that keep the story all spiced up. It's also short and set at 84 minutes and it rarely fumbles.

As the title itself gives away, Godzilla faces off against... Godzilla. That's two Godzillas for the price of one- but this is a gigantic cyborg Godzilla, and you wouldn't expect the thing to work so well- but the execution is so tight and well done. In fact, it's revealed over the course of the film that Mechagodzilla is controlled by aliens from an external source. The basis for Mechagodzilla is that he appears when a black mountain rises, and when a red moon sets, two more monsters appear to destroy him. When he first appears, you're immediately greeted with a surprise as you think he's Godzilla, then he begins brutally beating Angurius- who is usually his ally. When actual Godzilla shows up is when we see him turn into a cyborg. The fights are especially well done and the last fight is just absolutely brutal. It's great to see the brutality returned to Godzilla after years of him being reduced to a camp type

Plot and character wise it succeeds too. You can actually care for the characters, even if you're not here for the characters. There's a subplot involving a statue which also succeeds due to the intrigue. A classic moment appears on a scene on a ferry where it's revealed one of the workers is an undercover alien, which is a very effective and shocking plot twist. It also results in a very impressive chase and action sequence, which cant be said for a lot of scenes set on a ferry

But ultimately the most memorable moment of the movie happens when the Azumi priestess goes to the island where King Caesar, Godzilla's ally in this movie, rests, and sings an ultra catchy yet haunting hymn to wake him up. It's an actual full three minute song and her vocal range is on full display, making every minute of it believable. The fight that ensues afterward is awesome too. While a lot of the 1970s Godzillas are rather forgettable and at times bad, at least this film actually succeeds in being enjoyable primarily because it's well written, has enough of Godzilla to go around and even the non Godzilla scenes are effective- much like the new Godzilla. An absolute recommend in every sense.

my introduction to the wonderful world of godzilla movies

[ciarandino · 7/10 · 9 October 2012]

This is the first godzilla movie I ever saw, when I was about five years old, so naturally, I have a lot of nostalgia for this flick. It introduced me to the wonderful world of godzilla movies. I personally think this was an awesome movie. It has four monsters, three awesome monster battles, an ancient prophecy, James Bond esc elements and a killer soundtrack. This is a real return to form for Godzilla after the dismal Godzilla vs Gigan and Godzilla vs Megalon (I actually liked Godzilla vs Hedorah, and I enjoyed the final battle in Gigan, but overall GvG was pretty awful).

I love the designs of the monsters. The godzilla suit from Megalon was reused, but it was dramatically improved with an altered head, which had an angry frown and smaller, sharper teeth, which made the suit look a lot more viscous, not like the previous head which made big G look way too cutesy. The Anguirus suit from Destroy All Monsters was reused, which I have no problem with, because the suit looks damn awesome. King Caesar is an awesome monster, though considering he was so integral to the prophecy in the movie, he didn't really do much when he was actually awakened other than get his ass royally handed to him by Mechagodzilla. And now we move on to Godzilla's foe for this movie, his mechanical twin Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla just looks incredible. The thing looks damn evil, what with those glaring orange eyes. It sounds evil too, with that screeching roar it makes.

The movie has brilliant build up. After their first confrontation ends in a tie (with godzilla seemingly dead), godzilla and mechagodzilla leave to recover. After that point, the movie builds up to an epic climax, and it does not disappoint. Godzilla and caesar fight mechagodzilla in one of the most action packed monster fights ever seen. I highly recommend this movie to any godzilla fan, anyone who's new to the series, or anyone who just likes old B movies.

One of the Better 70s Godzilla.

[mattbowyer_84 · 7/10 · 25 November 2004]

Released in 1974, Gojira tai Mekagojira is a very nice break from the garbage that was 1973's Gojira tai Megaro (Godzilla Against Megalon). Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was made to commemorate Godzilla's 20th anniversary. Toho hired veteran composer Masaru Sato for the music, Teruyoshi Nakano was brought back for special effects, and Jun Fukuda returned to direct. After Godzilla vs. Megalon, Fukuda does a 180 and gives us an exciting, original, well-paced film.

The special effects are among the best of the Showa series. While some of the Black Hole Aliens scenes leave some to be desired, the monster scenes are well done,and greatly improved over Godzilla vs. Megalon. The battles between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla are fast-paced and brutal. Mechagodzilla is a very original foe for Godzilla, and probably his deadliest. Godzilla himself is the Megarogoji from 1973, but Toho gave him a "mean" look. King Seesar is an interesting monster, and has a small cult following, but many look down upon him due to him getting pummeled by Mechagodzilla.

There are flaws though. Character development leaves some to be desired, but this can be forgiven by the film's fast pace. Also, some special effects shots, like Mechagodzilla's chest lightning, look ridiculous.

Here's an interesting fact for those who don't already know: During Godzilla's fight with Fake Godzilla, you may notice that Fake Godzilla seems rather goofy, with a chubbier jaw, and his hands resemble Mechagodzilla's missile finger. This is because Toho used a promotional Godzilla suit, instead of making a second Megarogoji suit, which they couldn't afford. The Fake Godzilla suit was also used for water scenes, because water causes a lot of wear and tear on Godzilla suits.

Overall, Gojira tai Mekagojira is a fast-paced, fun, exciting film to watch. Possibly the best of the seventy's, and it's leaps and bounds above Godzilla vs. Megalon. However, if you're expecting anything like the original Gojira, or the Golden Age, look elsewhere. But, if you're the kind who enjoys fast-paced action, this is your kind of film.

Score:7/10

A fun film, but not without it's plot holes

[tyrantlizardthad · 6/10 · 8 January 2019]

The original Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is quite an enjoyable entry in the franchise and definitely an improvement then it's three predecessors, but it's not without it's flaws. The story is simply another alien invasion story, this time about aliens who are actually rip-offs of the apes from Planet of the Apes. There's a prophecy about a monster that will arise and destroy Japan while two monsters will save it. They think the destroyer is Godzilla when he appears and destroys some stuff, but it's revealed to be an imposter, while the humans and aliens fight over a statue to awaken King Caesar. The story is entertaining but at the same time the reusing of aliens over and over for these last few entries makes it feel stale, and so do the characters, as they are another cast of forgettable, shallow archetypes with nothing to them. None of the characters, except maybe the alien commander, really resonate and are one-dimensional. In fact, you can actually end up mixing them up. Also, the aliens in this film make no sense, with some of their decisions being rather questionable, and the reveal that they are actually space apes raises a lot of questions, such as why they suddenly lose their human-like intelligence when they revert back to their true forms, and why they need help from the human scientist to fix Mechagodzilla, which they created from their own technology. The ape makeup and the effect of them transforming also look atrocious. The monster side of things, however, makes up for these somewhat lacking areas. Mechagodzilla looks great, with a design resembling a menacing cartoon villain, Godzilla's design is a vast improvement over the previous one and is definitely one of the best Showa Godzilla designs, Anguirus looks just as good as ever, and King Caesar is another creative new monster that adds a mammalian touch to Godzilla's vast array of kaiju. The special effects are also an improvement over the last few entries and quite well done, with many satisfying and entertaining monster scenes and tons of awesome explosions. Masaru Sato delivers probably his best musical score here, as his music is fun and jazzy while also being foreboding. Overall, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a decent, enjoyable Godzilla film. While it lacks in delivering compelling human characters, it delivers in satisfying kaiju action that will leave any Godzilla fan entertained.

Its not ordinary titanium...

[AwesomeWolf · 5/10 · 10 November 2004]

Version: Siren's R4 DVD, English dub. Possible spoilers.

This fine film starts with an archaeological dig in Okinawa - our archaelogist heroes (although they just don't compare to Indiana Jones) discover rock-paintings with a prophecy about monsters destroying the world and metal not found on Earth. I wouldn't think that such a prophecy would be big news, after all, Godzilla & pals had been raiding Japan for 20 years.

Speaking of Godzilla, he turns up in Japan, trashes Tokyo for a bit and beats up on Angilas. "Why is Godzilla attacking his friend?" a confused scientist asks, before discovering moments later that the strange metal from Okinawa isn't just titanium - its space titanium. Titanium. From Space.

So what does this all mean? Are they random coincidences? Or have alien gorillas who wear human suits, and originating from the 9th planet in the Black Hole Galaxy, come up with a plan to conquer Earth using a MechaGodzilla? You have one guess.

Well, now its up to Godzilla and King Caesar (the not so legendary protector of Okinawa, who has yet to reappear in any kaiju movie...) to battle MechaGodzilla, while the human characters thwart the Aliens plans. Speaking of humans, our future is in the hands of some scientists and an Interpol agent. Yes, Interpol investigates alien invasions now.

"Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" sets new standards in absurdity in Godzilla movies. It really is that silly. I'm not saying that its bad - on the contrary, I thought the movie was great fun, and I think the aliens' real plan was to makes us all laugh ourselves to death. The dubbing is truly bad (that explains a lot of the cheese-factor), and most of the movie is laughable. Any Godzilla fan should check it out, as should anyone looking for cheap, cheesy laughs.

5/10

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is highly regarded by fans if the franchise .

[robfollower · 8/10 · 9 April 2019]

This time, the overgrown-lizard hero is confronted by a mechanical doppelganger, courtesy of an army of extraterrestrial apes. Unable to best his metallic twin in combat, Godzilla seeks out the aid of Okinawan monster god King Seeser. Godzilla's 14th film, his 20th Anniversary. The story wasn't a rehash of the others and they actually brought back some of the best Toho actors, Akihiko Hirata and Hiroshi Koizumi! The music was all right for the most part, with its jazzy feel to it. For SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano to actually display something presentable and all of Mecha-G's rampage scenes are carried out nicely. Angiurus returns, now able to leap at his foes. His fight with Mecha-G is very physical, ripping Anguirus' jaws apart and all. Mecha-G was incredibly cool looking and all his weapons are brought to life fantastically.King Seeser is actually a decent monster. The human characters all give good performances and a few espionage scenes.Toho hired veteran composer Masaru Sato for the music. Here's an interesting fact for those who don't already know: During Godzilla's fight with Fake Godzilla, you may notice that Fake Godzilla seems rather goofy, with a chubbier jaw, and his hands resemble Mechagodzilla's missile finger. This is because Toho used a promotional Godzilla suit, instead of making a second Megarogoji suit, which they couldn't afford. The Fake Godzilla suit was also used for water scenes, because water causes a lot of wear and tear on Godzilla suits. Seeing Godzilla fight Mechagodzilla is truly an entertaining watch. All the battles in this movie are totally epic, and the addition of the King Seesar monster makes it truly a unique and satisfying experience.The 1970s aren't particularly known for having the best Godzilla movies, but when Godzilla was good, he was very good, and this is one of those cases. In fact, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is highly regarded by fans if the franchise for this reason.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 1974 Review

[chandean-69762 · 6/10 · 23 March 2021]

To start, I have to say Mechagodzilla is amazing in this. From his design to his abilities he's just cool all around. He even poses a real threat to all of its opponents. The action was great though, specifically the first battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla caught my eyes and looked visually stunning especially for its time. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzillas story was okay, it felt fresh enough for me not to want to compare it too heavily to Invasion of Astro-Monster or Destroy All Monsters with its alien villains because it does bring in some interesting new concepts and depth that the others didn't have. The archeology / statue prophecy side of the story intrigued me at first, but kinda of lost me in the middle of the film and never really gripped me again. It even had some great memorable characters like Agent Nanbara, who if there was ever an Americanized verizon of this film, would definitely be played by Keanu Reeves. All in all I feel like this was yet another solid entry in the Showa era Godzilla universe with the introduction of Mechagodzilla along with a pretty decent story and some great action.

All Hail King Caesar

[rhinocerosfive-1 · 5/10 · 27 October 2007]

Not quite as bad as it should be, though it does feature a cigar-smoking conquistador gorilla in a mylar suit.

The whole point of a Godzilla movie is that it's massively inept, outrageous enough to entertain in that nebulous middleground of translation issues, cultural disconnect and plain incompetence. The best of the bad Godzillas are just flat-out absurd, the plots a series of unlikely excuses to wipe out business districts and waterfronts. The original "Gojira" is not really a Godzilla movie, if you know what I mean. That's an attempt at a real story with themes and characters.

This one has a more glamorous look than many Toho movies. By this I mean that there are several sets not built to be destroyed, and even a few pretty locations. The photography is a little bit interesting. "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" makes a further gesture toward sophistication when it declines to feature any cute, fat children.

Don't fear, though. This is still a movie so inexplicable as to feature an Okinawan monster named after a Roman emperor. So pandering that its ancient demons are awakened by modern pop songs. And so friggin' stupid that the aliens give their address as "3rd planet of the black hole, outer space." Like many Gameras and Godzillas of the 60s and 70s, it also shows the superficial influence of Kurosawa and Peckinpah, as both monsters and space aliens spurt high-pressure blood.

Unfortunately, this movie features less property damage than perhaps any other Godzilla effort. There are only two or three fights, and they're not very long, and they take place mostly in the countryside; worst, there is not a single remote-control tank deployed to deal with the 500 foot terrorists stomping the mainland. Boy do I miss those rocket planes on wires. This movie makes its least inspired choice when it injures Mechagodzilla just prior to his big job, inspiring his space monkey boss to say, "Damn it, we'll have to postpone our attack on Tokyo." Not words you want to hear in a Godzilla movie. Unless you're Japanese.

Fortunately for the rest of us, this film spawned "Terror of Mechagodzilla," a quantum leap forward in ludicrous hokum. An immensely more satisfying piece of crap, the sequel is a return to form in which Tokyo is properly laid to slightly overdue waste.

Godzilla meets "Planet of the Apes."

[OllieSuave-007 · 8/10 · 20 May 2003]

This is Godzilla's 20th anniversary movie, and Toho brought back some respected actors including Akihiko Hirata, Hiroshi Koizumi, and Kenji Sahara. Here, Godzilla meets his mechanical double called Mechagodzilla, employed by the Ape-like Aliens from the Black Hole in outer space called the Simeons (yes, another alien-invasion plot)! But, unlike "Godzilla vs. Megalon," this movie has more significance, turn-of-events, important characters and a solid plot.

*spoilers ahead*

A priestess from the Azumi tribe makes a prophecy that a monster will appear from a Black Mountain and will try to destroy the world. The priestess also predicts that two other monsters will come and try to save the world. This prophecy theme is used to gear towards another alien-invasion plot, but gets a little intriguing when the main characters go to explore and investigate to see if the prophecy will come true. And, putting in an Interpol agent into the mix gives the movie a little more excitement.

Not a lot of city destruction here, and that King Seesar doesn't really deserve to be called "powerful monster!" He really didn't do a whole lot, especially since he is an important element to the story; people took a big risk to try to obtain the statue that awakens him. Godzilla did more of the work. But, a nice Godzilla entry nonetheless, and it was nice to see some actors from the Godzilla movies of the 1960s. Mechagodzilla looks spectacular - full of weaponry and gear. Masaru Sato's score is catchy and fun and Teruyoshi Nakano did a much better job on the special effects. No stock footage was used, unlike "Godzilla vs. Gigan," and "Godzilla vs. Megalon," which Nakano also did the special effects for. This movie also marks the last appearance of Anguirus.

Overall, one of the better Godzilla movies of the 1970s. This movie deserves a special note, as it was the very first Godzilla film my brother saw. He's also a huge Godzilla fan.

Grade B+

Godzilla is introduced to heavy metal by way of cyborg doppelganger

[A.Fish · 24 February 1999]

In this little doozy, Godzilla goes up against Mechagodzilla, a monster with a long name and made of space titanium. Godzilla teams up with King Seesar, a furry guy who likes quiet evenings at home until he is woken up by singing. MechaG is the evil aliens' world conquering device. By the way, the aliens in their true form look like Japanese actors with green ape masks on. Big budget fun. King Seesar is called upon to protect his home Okinawa and make sure Mr.Miyagi's parents survive so he can grow up to teach Daniel-San. All I can say is if this is Okinawa's best defense, that island is screwed. Godzilla eventually beats MechaG by drawing him to his body magnetically (along with some electrical towers) and ripping his head off. Anguirus is in it too, but who cares? Note: this is one of the films where Godzilla squirts blood likes he's in a Peckinpah flick.

A bombastic and colorful romp that introduces an iconic foe.

[MlleSedTortue · 7/10 · 15 March 2021]

As an overall whole, this is one of Fukuda's least refined works, as the characters and action elements are not as effective or as entreatingly colorful as in his prior work. But it's still really fun. The alien villains are in enjoyable in both their ape form and human disguises. The action overall action is really great with Teruyoshi Nakano being given a higher budget to deliver on his specialty of pyrotechnic explosions. The battles are exciting and accentuated by the grand bombastic score by Masaru Sato. Every Sato Godzilla score is unique and and this film has some of his best work. While there are other Mechagodzilla films that I prefer, this is a good debut for one of the series' most iconic character.

Not as boring as most Godzilla movies.

[13Funbags · 5/10 · 3 May 2017]

The Godzilla movies just won't stop.While this one has plenty of stuff that doesn't make any sense, it's somehow not as bad as most of these movies.So people who have nothing to do with the movie find a cave and a woman immediately goes to inspect it.She sees cave drawings that say when the black mountain appears above the clouds a monster will attack.So guess what immediately happens?Of course the black mountain appears above the clouds.At first Mechagodzilla looks exactly like Godzilla but then without explanation or reason he transforms into a more traditional robot.He was built by alien monkeys who can also shape shift and have chosen to look like humans.When they get shot and live,they become half monkey but if they die they completely revert to monkey form and no one ever mentions that they are monkeys.Even with all the bad things, it's still above average for a Godzilla movie.This is definitely one of the films that people who aren't fans of the franchise might enjoy.

The Penultimate Film

[Sargebri · 14 November 2003]

This film was pretty much the beginning of the end of the Showa era. This film was very fast paced and had a lot of good fight sequences between the two monsters. However, the story left a little bit to be desired. In fact, the non monster scenes almost cause this movie to grind to a halt. At least the battle at the end featuring the new monster King Seesar helps to keep the film from going totally down the tubes. Also, this film isn't really for the faint of heart due to the fact that it is probably the bloodiest of all the Godzilla films. This film may not have been among the best in the series, but it still was pretty decent.

A fun time

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

Not quite the best of the old Godzilla movies, but it's got some very entertaining scenes. Plenty of explosions, Mechagodzilla is a cool antagonist, and the fight scenes are as fun as always.

It's another one where alien invaders want to invade earth through the use of a giant monster. There's a neat twist of sorts in the first act which I appreciated. Things slow down a little for another half-hour or so, but then all the action in the final 20 minutes is great.

Maybe if there'd been a few less human characters, or if the human v alien stuff had been a little more over-the-top, this would be one of the best old Godzilla flicks, but it falls a little short.

(Side-note: even though King Caesar doesn't get his name in the title, he's a pretty great addition, and proves memorable despite minimal screentime. His summoning song isn't nearly as good as Mothra's though).

A lot of fun

[pmtelefon · 7/10 · 7 April 2021]

I got a kick out of "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla". It's totally ridiculous and I liked every minute of it. The monsters are terrific. Their fight scenes are a lot of fun. The story doesn't really matter. Those scenes just allow us to catch our breath between brawls. I plan on watching this movie again very soon.

Best of the 1970s Godzilla films

[a_chinn · 6/10 · 26 November 2017]

Aliens create a giant mechanical version of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, in an effort to destroy Japan. The mechanical creature nearly defeats Godzilla until our rubber- suited hero enlists the help of a fellow Kaiju, the dog-like King Seesar, to defeat the new bionic beast. With the exception of the original films, none of the Godzilla movies are all that serious, but this one seems downright gonzo when the aliens are revealed to be gorilla-like creatures, particularly during one shootout when one of the aliens has half of his human mask removed. What makes or breaks most Godzilla films are the subplots involving the human characters, which if they are boring (as is in most Godzilla films), the movies drag between monster battles, but when the human stories are interesting it makes the film work as a whole. "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" also features a fun jazzy score by Masaru Sato, who scores many films for Akira Kurosawa, and the movie contains plenty of bright colorful Kaiju battles. Overall, this is probably the best of the Godzilla films of the 1970s and is well worth watching for fans of our favorite Japanese monster.

Goofy is one word for this movie...

[vgamerdc · 4/10 · 20 October 2020]

Godzilla in the 70s usually stands out amongst the others, but not for the best reasons. This movie has a lot to be remembered for, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's got Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Anguirus, King Seesar, ape-like aliens who are here to destroy earth, the international police, and a prophecy to be fulfilled. Needless to say, there is a lot in this film... A lot of everything except Godzilla!

This film does not focus on Godzilla, but neither does it develop its focus on the aliens, King Seesar, or the humans. The humans are trying to fulfill a prophecy for KING SEESAR to team up with ~mysterious other monster~ against a greater foe. That partner could have been Ultraman or anything else, but in this case it's Godzilla. The humans go along doing their thing, which is basically following Godzilla, finding the bad guys, and holding the MacGuffin, all to be the center of the plot pushing it forward, and, more importantly, give exposition about what is going on.

The characters in this movie are quite lackluster. I can't provide you with any of their names or describe them without stating what their roll in the story is. The only neat character decision in this film was between Mechagodzilla and Anguirus (and, as I've mentioned in other reviews, we can clearly understand their emotion WITHOUT DIALOGUE, and just through camera angles and their reactions.) Early in the movie, Godzilla appears and is blowing up stuff. Anguirus is like, "Hey, Godzilla, are you feeling okay?" And it turns out that it was Mechagodzilla in disguise! I like surprises like that. However, they gave it away right in the beginning and thus there wasn't any tension as to find out perhaps WHY Godzilla was supposedly attacking.

Speaking of tension, I didn't really feel any, especially during the final battle. The only time I felt something was when a decisive action was made. Such as Mechagodzilla breaking Anguirus' jaw (whoa, where did that come from!) and also Godzilla bleeding toward the end. But until that point in the battle I really stopped caring because the action had gone on for too long, the music was messy, and Mechagodzilla just seemed to have unlimited ammo and keep reloading. It didn't help that we'd intercut the battle with static shots of the captured humans very slowly trying to escape.

Would I recommend this movie? Eh. It's fun to watch with a crowd, but doesn't center on Godzilla (similar to how in Ebirrah, the focus wasn't on Godzilla-but that movie had at least an intriguing human storyline going on, they weren't just there for exposition). I'd say skip this one, and if you want to see Mechagodzilla, watch the next movie: TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA.

One of the best Godzilla movies ever!

[charliewiss · 9/10 · 20 May 2018]

This movie is one of my personal favorites for a good reason. Some of showa era movies are infamous for their bland uninteresting character while this one have well made characters including Akihito Hirata's scientist character and the main villain. the main human plot has a kind of thriller type vibe to it but terror i think has more of that. Mechagodzilla's design in this is truly iconic because of how threatening he looks and with his arsenal of weapons. the screen time of Godzilla is about the right amount a Godzilla movie needs. Over all a brilliant film with brilliant action.

Not the best of the Godzilla series, but far from the worst

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 22 July 2016]

There was just no end to the Japanese GODZILLA series. Year after year the films were churned out, alien adversaries appearing, wreaking havoc, and then being killed time after time. Strangely enough, the films were never boring either, as all contained an immaculate sense of spectacle and fun which made them hugely enjoyable to watch. GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA is no different.

Like the Hammer horror series, Toho decided to introduce more adult material as the '70s dawned on their GODZILLA films. Therefore, gore and nudity was added into the blend, and the opening scene where Anguilis has his jaw half ripped off is proof of this. When the monsters fight now, blood sprays everywhere in huge arterial fountains, something to see I'm sure you'll agree. Apart from the gore content, the rest of the material is much the same, with the heroes fighting off the alien adversaries, lots of shooting, and laser beams flying everywhere. This time around the aliens are monkeys in human form, and the scenes of them getting injured and reverting back to their original forms are done quite cleverly in the special effects department and looks very nice indeed.

Strangely enough Godzilla is hardly in the film, with much of the plot being involved in the human intrigue. The appearance of Mechagodzilla is cleverly staged though and he looks impressive, complete with laser beam eyes and guns for his fingers. The other main monster in the film (apart from Anguilis, the whipping boy's guest appearance) is a shabby old guy called King Seeser, who strangely has reflectors for his eyes and huge, bat like ears. It's pretty funny to watch him run around and get knocked over repeatedly. GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA is typical of this series, not one of the best but not one of the worst either. In any case, it's solid entertainment for the initiated.

Gorillas?

[ericstevenson · 5/10 · 11 September 2017]

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. **

Mechagodzilla is my favorite Godzilla opponent!

[Aaron1375 · 9/10 · 28 February 2003]

Of the Showa era Godzilla films, the best was the first film as it was done very well and had very disturbing scenes when one watched the uncut Japanese version. However, my favorite Godzilla film to watch in the Showa era is this particular film. It features my favorite Godzilla enemy in Mechagodzilla and has an awesome fight at the end. I also like the Mechagodzilla film done during the Hensei era and though I think this Mechagodzilla incarnation is cooler, that one was still the better film and my favorite of the Hensei era films. Mechagodzilla would return during the millennial Godzilla series in two movies, but I was not as happy with them. The first one was really good, but I think they missed the mark on the second. It was a two part thing and they clearly showed Mechagodzilla (call Kiryu in those films) as being superior and more than a match for Godzilla and for reasons unknown they add Mothra to the mix also fighting against Godzilla who was completely overwhelmed during the second film. Here, Mechagodzilla is a product of aliens while in all other incarnations it is a weapon designed by man to defeat Godzilla. This Mechagodzilla, though, to me had the best arsenal of weapons including really cool finger missiles!

The story has some people at a ceremony when the young lady performing it suddenly has a vision of a monster destroying the world. Granted, her vision clearly shows Gidorah shots from previous movies. Well, turns out that there is something to this prophecy as soon Godzilla emerges and begins causing havoc! He decimates his old monster friend Anguiris and makes his way to a port where he comes face to face with another Godzilla! Are there two Godzillas? No, the one causing mayhem is a cyborg version of Godzilla called Mechagodzilla. Godzilla seems killed by this creation and the humans must try and figure out how to resurrect a monster known as King Ceasar to try and combat this metal monstrosity! Thankfully, for King Ceasar a certain monster may come back in a foul mood and ready to avenge his earlier loss!

This Showa era Godzilla film seemed to move away a bit from the silliness of the previous couple of Godzilla films. There was no child present, there was blood spewing and a lot of other things that made this entry darker than the previous film, Godzilla vs Megalon. This film and the next would help the Showa era end on a strong note and these two films are favorites of mine as I do not like the overly kiddie movies like Megalon, but on the other hand I prefer Godzilla to be the hero as I like pulling for Godzilla to win and that does not happen all too often when he is bad Godzilla.

So all in all a really good Godzilla film from the Showa era. It has things within in it that other films in the era do not and I like the characters in this one too. I was actually interested in what the humans were doing as they were done well enough I was not just waiting for the scenes with the monsters. The villains were good too, though I do find it incredibly lame that they could not fix their own creation, but instead had to use and Earthling to do the job. Still, a pretty fun Godzilla flick and the next to last movie of an era.

Old is Still Great

[potatohead-65580 · 7/10 · 3 May 2021]

I liked this movie A lot wen I saw it so I can definitely say this movie is worth seeing on tv watch this movie Now or else you wont see a movie again.

Nothing extraordinary here...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 19 January 2020]

Right, well I can tick off another of the classic "Godzilla" movies, as I have watched the 1974 "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" (aka "Gojira tai Mekagojira").

And while this was hardly an outstanding addition to the franchise, it definitely was watchable. And yes, it does follow that blueprint that they used for every single "Godzilla" movie they made. Godzilla takes on the fight against one or more other kaiju creatures - and wins, of course - while there is a side story about the humans, a side story which hardly matters.

There wasn't really enough of kaiju action in this movie for my liking, so I found the movie to be a bit boring, truth be told. And I can't really claim to have found the storyline all that interesting either.

Visually, well the movie was from 1974, so you will not be blown away by a myriad of grandiose special effects. But these simple and practical special effects that they used in these old movies is part of the charm, so you know what you are getting on this front.

All in all, "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" turned out to be a mediocre movie experience for the franchise. And as such, my rating is five out of ten stars.