Godzilla vs Mothra a.k.a Godzilla and Mothra Battle for Earth (1992-Film)

## Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

***Godzilla vs. Mothra*** (ゴジラvsモスラ, *Gojira tai Mosura*, also known as ***Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth***) is a 1992 Japanese *kaiju* film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Kazuki Ōmori, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 19th film in the *Godzilla* franchise, and is the fourth film in the franchise's Heisei era. The film features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Mothra, and Battra, and stars Tetsuya Bessho, Satomi Kobayashi, Takehiro Murata, Megumi Odaka, Shiori Yonezawa, Makoto Otake, Akiji Kobayashi, Koichi Ueda, Shinya Owada, Keiko Imamura, Sayaka Osawa, Saburo Shinoda and Akira Takarada, with Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla. The plot follows Battra and Mothra's attempts to stop Godzilla from attacking Yokohama.

Originally conceived as a standalone Mothra film entitled *Mothra vs. Bagan*, the film is notable for its return to a more fantasy-based, family-oriented atmosphere, evocative of older *Godzilla* films. Although he did not return as director, Ōmori continued his trend of incorporating Hollywood elements into his screenplay, in this case nods to the *Indiana Jones* franchise.

*Godzilla vs. Mothra* was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992, and was followed by *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II* the following year. *Godzilla vs. Mothra* was released direct-to-video in the United States in 1998 by Columbia Tristar Home Video under the title *Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth*. The film was the second highest-grossing film in Japan in 1993, with *Jurassic Park* being the highest-grossing.

## Plot

In mid-1992, following the events of *Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah*, a meteoroid crashes in the Ogasawara Trench and awakens Godzilla. Six months later, explorer Takuya Fujito is detained after stealing an ancient artifact. Later, a representative of the Japanese Prime Minister offers to have Takuya's charges dropped if he explores Infant Island with his ex-wife, Masako Tezuka and Kenji Ando, the secretary of the rapacious Marutomo company. After the trio arrives on the island, they find a cave containing a depiction of two giant insects in battle. Further exploration leads them to a giant egg and a pair of diminutive humanoids called Cosmos, who identify the egg as belonging to Mothra.

The Cosmos tell of an ancient civilization that tried to control the Earth's climate, thus provoking the Earth into creating Battra, which became uncontrollable, and started to harm the very planet that created him. Mothra, another earth protector, fought an apocalyptic battle with Battra, who eventually lost. The Cosmos explain how the meteoroid uncovered Mothra's egg, and may have awoken Battra, who is still embittered over humanity's interference in the Earth's natural order.

The Marutomo company sends a freighter to Infant Island to pick up the egg, ostensibly to protect it. As they are sailing, Godzilla surfaces and heads toward the newly hatched Mothra larva. Battra, also as a larva, soon appears and joins the fight, allowing Mothra to retreat. The battle between Godzilla and Battra is eventually taken underwater, where the force of the battle causes a giant crack on the Philippine Sea Plate that swallows the two.

Masako and Takuya later discover Ando's true intentions when he kidnaps the Cosmos and takes them to Marutomo headquarters, where the CEO intends to use them for publicity purposes. Mothra enters Tokyo in an attempt to rescue the Cosmos, but is attacked by the JSDF. The wounded Mothra heads for the National Diet Building and starts constructing a cocoon around herself. Meanwhile, Godzilla surfaces from Mount Fuji.

Both Mothra and Battra attain their imago forms and converge at Yokohama Cosmo World. Godzilla interrupts the battle and attacks Battra. The two moths decide to join forces against Godzilla. Eventually, Mothra and Battra overwhelm Godzilla and carry him over the ocean. Godzilla bites Battra's neck and fires his atomic breath into the wound, killing Battra. A tired Mothra drops Godzilla and the lifeless Battra into the water below, sealing Godzilla below the surface by creating a mystical glyph with scales from her wings. The next morning, the Cosmos explain that Battra had been waiting many years to destroy an even larger meteoroid that would threaten the Earth in 1999. Mothra had promised she would stop the future collision if Battra were to die, and she and the Cosmos leave Earth as the humans bid farewell.