From: dave@blackbox.cc.columbia.edu (David Milner)
Subject: GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA REVIEW
Keywords: Godzilla Japan Monster
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:18:33 GMT

When it was announced that Kazuki Omori would not be directing
GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA, many genre fans were, frankly, quite pleased.
Few had thought much of his work on GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE, and
even a significant number of those who liked GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH,
which Omori also directed, felt that perhaps it would be best to
bring in someone new to take the helm of the next film in the
series. If for no other reason, many fans found the news of Omori's
departure agreeable simply because they thought it meant that they
would not have to stomach yet another of his not-so-subtle
references to films produced in Hollywood, such as the "we are
lethal weapon" line in GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE, and the "you can
tell your son about it when he's born, Major Spielberg" one in
GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH.

Unfortunately, even though Kazuki Omori chose not to direct
GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA, he did write the screenplay for it, and if you
found the Hollywood references in the two previous Godzilla films
to be a little hard to swallow, then you certainly will choke on
the Indiana Jones clone that appears in this one. After a brief
prologue, we meet Takuya Fujita, a treasure hunter who not only
just happens to find the walls collapsing in on him immediately
after he steals a priceless wooden statue from an ancient temple in
Thailand, but who also has to cling for his life to a rickety old
wooden footbridge when it gives way and crashes against the side of
a cliff. Tetsuya Bessho, who plays Fujita, does succeed in
establishing a separate identity for his character about halfway
through the film, but by then anyone who has seen the Indiana Jones
films has already been prevented from being able to take it
seriously.

Of course, it is far from certain that GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA was
intended to be taken seriously in the first place. If anything, it
is certain that it was not. The film is geared more toward children
than any of the other recent Godzilla films, although it is still
far from the level of GODZILLA VS. MEGALON, and a few of the scenes
featuring the monsters, such as the one in which Battra saves
Mothra's life in return for the same favor by preventing a large
Ferris Wheel from falling on him, are almost as embarrassing as the
ones with the Indiana Jones clone in them.

Despite all of these flaws, GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA is still very
enjoyable. This is due in large part to Koichi Kawakita's special
effects, which are significantly improved over those he did for the
two previous Godzilla films. The extensive matte work combining
actual shots of Japanese cities with footage of the monsters, for
example, gives the film a realism that is unmatched by any other
genre entry, and there are some very nice atmospheric shots of the
monsters, such as the one in which Mothra is seen swimming toward
Japan with the sun in the background.

The opticals, also, are very well done. The transformation of
Battra from larva to adult, in particular, is very impressive, and
the final battle between Godzilla, Mothra and Battra in Yokohama is
a tour de force. The only problem with the optical work is that
Kawakita simply gets too carried away with it. Having Mothra emit
yellow rays from his antennae, and Battra emit pink ones from his
eyes, just is too implausible. So, too, is Mothra's ability to
direct bolts of lightning at Godzilla from just underneath his
wings.

The computer graphics, which were fair, at best, in GODZILLA VS.
BIOLLANTE, and only a little better in GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH, really
stand out in GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA.

About the only poorly executed special effects sequence in the film
is the one in which Godzilla and Battra go at each other
underwater. The superimposition of bubbles in the foreground does
help to add a little to the realism of the shot, but it also
obscures the monsters to too great an extent.

Godzilla comes across very well on the screen. The new suit
constructed for the film is even better than the ones used in
GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE and GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH simply because it
is a little thinner, and its musculature is not as mammalian in
nature. The only flaws associated with Godzilla are his roars,
which sometimes seem too quiet, or distant, and the noise heard
whenever he uses his breath, which is now higher-pitched than
before, and much too artificial sounding.

Mothra, too, is handled well, for the most part. Both the larval
and adult stages look good, and the extent to which especially the
adult really seems animated is quite surprising. About the only
shortcoming involving Mothra is that it is very obvious the larva
is simply being rolled along in some of the shots showing him
making his way through Tokyo.

Battra, on the other hand, just seems too much like the type of 
monster that you would expect to see in an episode of one of the
ULTRAMAN television series. Also, the fact that the adult Battra is
much too small in comparison to the larva detracts significantly
from the believability of the monster.

Takao Okawara's direction is good, although not outstanding. His
style is somewhat similar to Kazuki Omori's, but it also is a
little more light-hearted.

The acting, for the most part, is also good. Even Shiori Yonezawa,
the little girl who plays Fujita's daughter, Midori, and the
Americans in the film, aren't too bad. Shoji Kobayashi, who
reprises his GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH role as Security Chief Ruzo
Dobashi, and Makoto Otake, who plays Tomokane Takeshi, the head of
the corporation which is planning to develop Infant Island, do,
however, ham it up more than just a little too much in some
instances.
Akira Takarada, perhaps best known for his role as Hideto Ogata,
the naval officer who is in love with Emiko Yamane in GODZILLA,
KING OF THE MONSTERS, once again returns to the genre to play Joji
Minamino, the head of the Environmental Planning Board, but he is
given so little to do that his appearance is reduced to being
merely a token one.

Akira Ifukube's score is a step up from the one he did for GODZILLA
VS. GHIDRAH simply because he did not use quite as many of his old
marches in it. This makes it seem like less of a mere miscellany,
and more of a cohesive work.

The songs performed by the cosmos, formerly known as the fairies,
were all very nicely rearranged by Ifukube. The tempo of THE SONG
OF MOTHRA, however, was increased, making it less affecting than it
otherwise would have been. Also, some of the singing, which was
actually done by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa, the girls who play
the cosmos in the film, is noticeably flat in spots.

The pacing is even faster, and the editing is occasionally even
more abrupt, than that of GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH. For example, there
is virtually no buildup to the introduction of the new maser
cannons, or the new maser planes. This trivializes what otherwise
could have been some of the most exciting moments in the film.

Although GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA is not quite as exciting a film as
GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH, it does certainly have its advantages.
Whoever takes the helm of GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA, due out in
Japan in December, hopefully will be able to incorporate the best
elements of both GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH and GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA into
it.


David Milner  Columbia University
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