Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018-Film)

## **Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)**

***Godzilla: The Planet Eater*** (GODZILLA 星を喰う者, *Gojira: Hoshi o Kū Mono*, also known as ***Godzilla Part 3: The Planet Eater***) is a 2018 Japanese computer-animated *kaiju* film directed by Kōbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, written by Gen Urobuchi, and produced and animated by Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures, in association with Netflix. It is the 34th film in the *Godzilla* franchise, the 32nd *Godzilla* film produced by Toho, the final film in the franchise's anime trilogy, and the fourth film in the franchise's Reiwa period.

*Godzilla: The Planet Eater* concludes the narrative of the anime trilogy, taking place after the events of *Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters* and *Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle*. The film follows the struggles of humanity, their extraterrestrial allies, and Godzilla as they battle to survive against King Ghidorah. *Godzilla: The Planet Eater* was released theatrically in Japan on November 9, 2018, and was released worldwide on Netflix on January 9, 2019.

## **Plot.**

Following the destruction of Mechagodzilla City, the remaining Bilusaludo on the *Aratrum* demand justice for Haruo destroying what they saw as necessary to defeat Godzilla. The humans disagree, believing Haruo exposed the Bilusaludo's true intentions of assimilating Earth. The Bilusaludo revolt and shut down the ship's engine room, forcing the ship to run on secondary batteries for the next two days. On Earth, Haruo learns from Dr. Martin that Yuko is rendered brain-dead with the nanometal in her body keeping her alive. He also learns that those treated by the Houtua survived the nanometal's attempt to absorb them, with Methphies deceiving the survivors into believing their survival was divine intervention. When confronted by Haruo about converting the remaining humans, Methphies reveals his plan to bring the Exifs' god to Earth and needs Haruo's help to make it possible. Dr. Martin advises Haruo to hide until tensions ease.

Haruo is escorted to a remote camp by the Houtua twins, Maina and Miana. Miana explains privately to Haruo that her people have no concept of hatred and that their concept of life revolves around "winning" (surviving and making life) or "losing" (dying and disappearing). She tells Haruo that he is "losing" and offers to "connect life" with him, but he turns her down. When Maina later extends the same offer, he realizes it was she who had rescued him, not her sister Miana, and accepts. Miana discovers Metphies telepathically communicating with Endurph, the Exif briefly revealing his plans before capturing her as she telepathically contacts Haruo and Maina.

Metphies later conducts a ritual with his followers in conjunction with Endurph to summon their god, Ghidorah, to defeat Godzilla. Ghidorah manifests as a shadow on Earth and partially through singularities, devouring Metphies's followers and destroying the *Aratrum*. Ghidorah then proceeds to attack Godzilla, who is helpless against the intangible monster as its heads bite Godzilla and drain his energy. Dr. Martin concludes that Ghidorah's true form exists in another plane of existence and is being guided by someone in their universe, Haruo finding it to be Metphies who had replaced his right eye with the amulet he repaired with the nanometal. Metphies proceeds to reveal that his people devoted themselves to Ghidorah since learning the absolute truth that their universe is finite and fated to destruction, having worked to offer the monster planets to feed on. Proceeding to telepathically assault Haruo, Metphies explains that the human's hatred towards Godzilla made him an ideal offering and tells Haruo that he must submit himself to Ghidorah as its witness to enable its full manifestation.

Maina and Dr. Martin use the Houtuan god's egg to psychically reach Haruo and reveal how to stop Ghidorah, Haruo learning that Metphies orchestrated the deaths of the Tau Ceti e exploration party so they could be "saved". At the same time, Haruo recalls the charm he lost the day he fled from Earth as a boy. Its image of flowers reminds him of the meaning of his name, "Spring", and the power of hope to overcome despair. Haruo then breaks free and cracks Metphies' amulet, causing Ghidorah to become affected by Earth's physics and be ultimately defeated by Godzilla. Metphies dies telling Haruo that Ghidorah will always be watching him as long as he lives.

Time passes as survivors bury their weapons and integrate into Houtua society, with Maina pregnant with Haruo's child. Dr. Martin tells Haruo that he got the last remaining Vulture mech working, having discovered how to use Mechagodzilla's nanometal in Yuko's body as a tool to rebuild civilization as it was. Haruo's right eye stings, hearing Metphies's voice that this turn of events would ensure Ghidorah's eventual return to their reality. Taking Yuko with him, telling Maina that there are times when people face a day where they choose to fight a losing battle, Haruo provokes Godzilla into destroying him and all traces of the living nanometal for the good of the Houtua.

In a post-credits scene, Maina, showing signs of advancing age, watches a group of children conduct a ritual honoring Haruo, placing knotted strings representing their fears into a fire under a wooden effigy of a Vulture mech.