[Spoilers Ahead]
One of the things that has always bothered me about kaiju films is that it is extremely difficult to feel any kind of sympathy or empathy for giant rubber suits beating the stuffing outta each other. In the best case scenario, the kaiju don't have any real motivations except to consume and destroy. In the worst case scenarios, they become Friends to All Mankind and become amusement park mascots. Ishirō Honda's Mothra vs. Godzilla manages to find a comfortable middle ground in its tale of the titanic struggle between two of the greatest kaiju of all time. Godzilla just wants to destroy, Mothra wants to protect mankind and its eggs. It's a simple yet surprisingly effective conflict. I actually felt myself tearing up a little when Mothra laid down to die with her wings resting over her egg. The film is also structured very well. The first hour is a real slow burn that sets all of the pieces for the battle between Mothra, Godzilla, and Mothra's children. By devoting the last third to the kaiju battles, the film doesn't feel uneven or bizarrely paced like Godzilla Raids Again (1955) and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) which seemed to struggle for direction in between the giant battles. It also helps that the kaiju fights are some of the best that I have ever seen from the Showa Era. The first battle where Mothra literally drags Godzilla by the tail was delightful and contained some surprisingly effective special effects. And who couldn't love watching Mothra's children capture Godzilla in a whirlwind of silk spray?
7/10
I liked this one quite a bit and actually prefer it to the original Mothra. I agree that it's surprisingly touching at times. I still need to see the original Godzilla (I know, I know...) but this is my favorite in the series of what I've seen.
ReplyDeleteI think that this might be the best Godzilla sequel that I've seen, at least from the Showa Era. I think it works not just as a kaiju crossover, but as a film in and of itself.
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