From: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Subject: REVIEW: GODZILLA VS. BIOLANTE
Reply-To: From: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:30:23 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01702
Keywords: author=JMann

			  GODZILLA VS. BIOLANTE
		       A film review by Jim Mann
			Copyright 1993 Jim Mann

     I've been a Godzilla fan since somewhere in the early sixties, when
my father took us to the drive in to see KING KONG VS. GODZILLA.  Many
of my early theatre experiences where Saturday matinee showings of
Godzilla films: GODZILLA VS. THE THING (now known as GODZILLA
VS. MOTHRA); GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER; DESTROY ALL MONSTERS.  I
still from time to time watch some of the films in the series.  The
original, GODZILLA, is actually quite a good film (and is as much about
nuclear weapons as it is about a giant monster: it was the only film in
the series to truly focus on the human devastation caused by the
destruction of a city).  GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA has some good moments and
is a reasonable film.  DESTROY ALL MONSTERS is nonsense, but fun,
inspired nonsense.

     Somewhere along the way, though, Godzilla changed.  The series
became just out and out stupid.  GODZILLA 1985 was billed as a return of
the old Godzilla.  It, however, was a major disappointment.  While it
had a few nice moments, it was overall rather dumb.  And not the
inspired dumb of DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (alien invaders use mind control
devices to control Earth's monters as part of their invasion) but just
dumb dumb (birds are dinosaurs, so therefore Godzilla can be lured by
bird calls).

     GODZILLA VS. BIOLANTE was also a disappointment, though not quite
as big a one as GODZILLA 1985.  At the very least, it doesn't have
moments that are quite as dumb as the bird calls in GODZILLA 1985.

     First, a brief plot synopsis:  after Godzilla's destruction of
Tokyo, various groups try to get some Godzilla cells to use in biotech
research.  One Japanese scientist working for a middle eastern country
gets some, but they are destroyed in a bomb blast which also kills his
daughter.  Later, when he goes to work for the Japanese government and
gets more Godzilla cells (to be used to make an anti-Godzilla weapon),
he instead uses them to make a giant mutant rose of sorts (to honor his
daughter, who loved roses).  This giant mutant plant thing is Biolante.
Along the way, Godzilla fights Biolante twice, fights the Super-X II (a
new super weapon), destroys a city, gets zapped with artificial
lightening, etc.

     Now, while this whole thing sounds rather silly, it *could* have
worked.  Similarly silly things did work in movies like the original
GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA.  The movie, however, suffers from several problems
beyond the plot.  It plods along.  There seems to be no life in it.  The
older Godzilla films usually weren't boring; this film had long boring
moments.  Even the monster battles are dull and plodding.

     Another problem was Biolante.  The first time it appears, it is
perhaps the dumbest looking monster ever:  its head looks like a giant
rose.

     On the plus side, there are a few nice moments.  The destruction of
a city (Okinawa, I think) was very nicely done: probably the best
effects of its type done since a few of the early Godzilla movies.
Godzilla himself looked good: he was much more realistic than he has
been before.  The eyes, especially, looked real this time.

     I hope that the next movie in the series, GODZILLA VS. KING
GIDORAH, is better, though I'm not getting my hopes up after this film.

     One final note about the video tape: in these days when all sorts
of serious films are still not released in letterbox format, GODZILLA
VS. BIOLANTE *is* letterboxed.

--
Jim Mann
Stratus Computer   jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews