Hey folks, Harry here with a MAN IN SUIT release on DVD... GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK is a really fun kaiju flick! However, there's two titles mentioned in this review I want to point out to you that are available domestically to get. One is SO CLOSE, and that film rocks unholy hell! Not only is it a badass chicks kicking unholy ass, but it has an amazing sense of style and is completely emotionally satisfying. The other title is: RETURNER, which on the backcover of the latest CFQ, I found a quote pulled from my review of the film. I didn't know Sony was doing that, but this film is another case of coolness from overseas! Alright, here's the review...
Hey Harry - don't know if you'd be interested in this, but you did seem pretty excited about its release...
GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT
ATTACK (aka GMK)
Diehard Gojira fans probably already have bootlegs or Region 2 dvds of this, but for those of us who can't afford more dvd players and can't abide crappy bootlegs, this is a welcome release.
For those who aren't all that familiar with what's going on, this is at least the third time that Toho has discounted all sequels and presented a follow-up to the original 1954 picture that started it all. This time around, Gojira is the vengeful collective reincarnation of Japan's WWII dead, and he's pretty pissed off. Opposing him are three "Guardian Monsters" - Baragon (of FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD fame; also witnessed in DESTROY ALL MONSTERS), Mothra, and everybody's favorite three-headed gold dragon, Ghidorah. There's some plot about a juicy plucky reporter following the story while her badass military father schemes to protect Japan, but let's face facts: we're all here for the monsters' brawl. But can it stand up to director Shusuke Kaneko's last kaiju-eiga (GAMERA III, widely considered the greatest giant monster film of all time)? Sadly, not quite. But that's like saying that none of Orson Welles' later films were quite as good as CITIZEN KANE.
The main problem lies in studio compromises. Kaneko had always wanted to do a Gojira film, but when Toho turned him down, he went and reinvented Gamera instead. Coming back to Toho with the outstanding Gamera trilogy under his belt, he finally got his wish, but the studio insisted on using their effects team, not the Gamera team, and replaced Kaneko's proposal of using Angillas and Varan with Baragon and Ghidorah. The results speak for themselves. The effects are not as beautifully realized as GAMERA III's, and there are some moments of pure rubber cheeziness. And Baragon over Angillas? C'mon.
But don't let it bug you - this film delivers. The design of the G-suit alone was enough to sway me; it combines all the best elements of the Heisei-series design with the original 1954 look, and adds some spooky menace by whiting out the big guy's eyes. His breath effects are better than ever, echoing the explosive energy of Gamera's digitally rendered fireballs. The other monsters, however, don't fare so well. Mothra and Ghidorah both have some choice moments (Mothra's stinger attack!!!!!!), but both do a lot of "hanging around" - literally. What is this, 1961? Baragon comes off the best, although he's still crippled by being, well, a rather silly monster.
But if it's classic kaiju action you're craving, this flick's got more than any Gojira film ever before. Just looking at the chapter list, 13 of the 28 chapters have a monster's name in them, usually followed by "vs" and either another monster's name or "military." Seriously, there's enough monster action here to fuel 3 kaiju-eiga.
Kaneko also knows his kaiju-history, and fans will catch some choice references and in-jokes. There's a deep sea submersible named the Satsuma (after suitmation actor Ken Satsuma, who played G from 1984-1995). The adult Mothra is first sighted by a pair of identically clad young women (sadly, they don't sing Mothra's famous theme song). Yukijiro Hotaru (of GAMERA fame) puts in yet another amusing cameo. And of course, let's not forget the clever jab at the crappy Tri-Star GODZILLA...
As you may expect, Sony kind of skimped on the extras. But we do get a nice anamorphic widescreen presentation with the option of English dub or original Japanese audio, which is a huge step up from past efforts. There are also some trailers for THE MEDALLION, SO CLOSE, RETURNER (can't wait for this one), ALIEN HUNTER, and, in a shameless act of self-promotion, the Tri-Star GODZILLA. That's it. But hey - the RETURNER trailer's red band! Kick ass.
Anyway, fans of giant monster movies who've been waiting for more region 1 releases - dig in. This is probably the best Gojira film available in the US to date - and while it's no GAMERA III, it's still a hell of a lot of fun.
If you use this, call me MonstaZero.
