Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

## Nomenclature

### Alternate titles

Godzilla × Mechagodzilla (literal Japanese title)Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (alternate translation)

## Production Information

### Box office

¥1,910,000,000

***Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*** (ゴジラ×メカゴジラ *Gojira ekkusu Mekagojira*?, lit. *Godzilla X Mechagodzilla*) is a 2002 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho Company Ltd., and the twenty-seventh installment in the *Godzilla* series, as well as the fourth in the Millennium series. The film was released to Japanese theaters on December 14, 2002.

*Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* was directed by Masaaki Tezuka, produced by Shogo Tomiyama, and written by Wataru Mimura. *Mechagodzilla* reboots the series once more, and this time follows a timeline where, following the death of the 1954 Godzilla, the bones from the corpse of the creature were used to create a new incarnation of Mechagodzilla as a means of defense against kaiju, including a newly risen Godzilla.

*Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* would break the tradition set by prior films in the Millennium series, and would be followed by a direct sequel the following year on December 14, 2003, under the title of *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*. These two films would go on to be known as *The Kiryu Saga*, and would remain as the only films within the series to be connected to one another, canonically.

## Plot

When the kaiju Godzilla attacks Tateyama in the year 1999, the Diet decide to commission a robot constructed from the original Godzilla's bones, with help from Japan's top scientists. Four years later, the cyborg, called Kiryu, is finished and inducted into the Japan Self-Defense Forces along with its human pilots as the Kiryu Squadron. At the same time, Godzilla shows up once again, even though the JSDF seemed to finally defeat him. In the midst of the first battle, the original Godzilla's soul inside Kiryu is awoken by Godzilla's roar, and brings with it the memories of his death years ago. This action makes Kiryu extremely angry and he proceeds to destroy the city around him. Horrified, the Kiryu Squadron can only watch in terror and alarm as the rampaging cyborg destroys more city property than Godzilla did.

Kiryu is brought back to headquarters for further work. Meanwhile, Kiryu's main pilot, Lieutenant Akane Yashiro, tries to settle matters involving second lieutenant Susumu Hayama, scientist Tokumitsu Yuhara and his distressed daughter, Sara, who thinks that using Kiryu to fight is wrong and that it should be friends with Godzilla. Kiryu was put out of commission, until Godzilla once again attacked. The prime minister of Japan realized how dire the situation was, and he sent Kiryu into battle. Missiles and lasers were fired.

The two creatures clashed, slowly knocking into each other. Missiles, masers, the wrist blade, and all of Kiryu's lesser weapons were used to contend with Godzilla at a close range. Kiryu sent Godzilla into a centrifugal throw as it began to charge its ultimate weapon: the Absolute Zero Cannon. Unfortunately, Kiryu was downed before it could be used. Its pilot, Akane Yashiro, managed to take manual control of the robot as the machine was recharged. Kiryu was sent back into battle, disabling Godzilla's heat ray and unleashing its Absolute Zero Cannon. Godzilla managed to survive the brutal attack, although gained a massive chest injury, but Kiryu's power supply was exhausted. Godzilla returned to the sea, as Japan could only watch on in a bittersweet stalemate.

## Staff

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

* Directed by Masaaki Tezuka
* Written by Wataru Mimura
* Produced by Shogo Tomiyama
* Music by Michiru Oshima
* Cinematography by Masahiro Kishimoto
* Edited by Shinichi Natori, Shinichi Fushima
* Production design by Shinji Nishikawa
* Special effects by Yuichi Kikuchi

## Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

* Yumiko Shaku as Akane Yashiro
* Shin Takuma as Tokumitsu Yuhara
* Kana Onodera as Sara Yuhara
* Koh Takasugi as Togashi
* Akira Nakao as Hayato Igarashi
* Yusuke Tomoi as Hayama
* Jun'ichi Mizuno as Sekine
* Kumi Mizuno as Machiko Tsuge
* Takeo Nakahara as Hitoyanagi
* Koichi Ueda as Dobashi
* Midori Hagio as Kaori Yamada
* Akira Shirai as Shinji Akamatsu
* Naomasa Rokudaira as Goro Kanno
* Shinji Morisue as Hayama
* Misato Tanaka as Tsujimori
* Hideki Matsui as Hideki Matsui
* Takehiro Murata as Pedestrian
* Kenji Suzuki as Type 90 Maser Cannon Pilot
* Tsutomu Kitagawa as Type 90 Maser Cannon Pilot
* Hirofumi Ishigaki as Type 90 Maser Cannon Pilot

## Appearances

### Monsters

* Godzilla
* Kiryu
* Mecha-Trilobite
* Mothra (stock footage)
* Gaira (stock footage)

## Alternate titles

* ***Godzilla X Mechagodzilla*** (Literal Japanese title)
* ***GXMG*** (Abbreviated title)
* **Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla 3**

## Theatrical releases

* Japan - December 13, 2002; November 2, 2002 (Tokyo International Film Festival)
* South Korea - January 2003

## Box office

Budgeted at roughly $8,500,000, *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* opened in Japan on December 13, 2002, and earned $2,253,231 in its opening weekend. It went on to gross approximately $16,000,000 in Japan, making it the second biggest of the Millennium *Godzilla* films at the box office. It sold approximately 1,700,000 admissions.

## Reception

*Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* is generally liked by *Godzilla* fans for introducing what some consider the best incarnation of Mechagodzilla.

Mike Pinsky of *DVD Talk* gave the film three stars out of five, saying: "While I did have some minor complaints, [this is] a fine entry in the series." Pinsky said "the plot is more interesting than most giant monster movies," and "the battle scenes, which are the main reason anyone watches these films to begin with, were great."

Matt Paprocki of Blog Critics said the film is "pretty flawed, [but] those of us who still love seeing Japan get trampled are in for a treat." Stomp Tokyo praised the "great monster fight action" but criticized the "uncompelling non-monster scenes." Giving the film a "B+" score, Mark Zimmer of Digitally Obsessed said that it's "a good deal of fun and one of the better entries in the series." Digital Monster Island gave the film a "B" rating, calling it "a fun and exciting film that should please most kaiju fans."

## Trivia

* The continuity of what has been dubbed the "Kiryu Saga" by fans reaches beyond the continuity of the *Godzilla* series; the film makes reference to the events of such classic Toho tokusatsu kaiju film as *Mothra* and *War of the Gargantuas*. The sequel to *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*, *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*, also makes reference to *Space Amoeba*, and even includes the monster Kamoebas in the monster cast. A book, released in Japan on the heels of the film's release, lays out a timeline of monster attacks included in the "Kiryu Saga." Included in the timeline are the monsters Rodan, Meganulon, Varan, Moguera, Maguma, Dogora, Baragon, King Kong, Gorosaurus, the Giant Sea Serpent, and the remaining monsters from *Space Amoeba*; Gezora and Ganimes.
* Titanosaurus was originally supposed to appear as a hero, for the first time, once again helping Mechagodzilla, though he was removed. However, his name is imprinted on a fish tank, during Godzilla's appearance at a festival.
* Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, whose nickname is "Godzilla," makes a cameo in this film.