The appeal of Mechagodzilla would seem to be the introduction of a mechanical Godzilla, since the whole "man vs. machine" (or, er, Gozilla vs. machine-Godzilla) theme always works. But the battle sequences are actually few and far between, with the bulk of the movie entailing wrong-headed plot movement and mythological backstories that, no matter what your language, make virtually no sense. So it is both tedious and delightful to watch the vague "scientists," "historians," "paleontologists," and "aliens" debate the various nuances of the crisis at hand. Said crisis involves the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy in which two monsters will unite to save humanity … the appearance of Godzilla initially seems to indicate that the great rubber monster is the enemy, until it is revealed that it is actually Mechagodzilla (an alien-built version of Godzilla made of "space titanium") donning the guise of Godzilla to fool the gullible earthlings. So it is up to the real Godzilla, in conjunction with long-dormant ally "King Seesar," who awakens from his spellbound sleep to gang up on Mechagodzilla. One thing I love about these films is the resignation with which the general populace receives news of Godzilla's activities … it's always, "Oh my, Godzilla is destroying the city!," as though that is something utterly common and acceptable. GVM benefits from one of the coolest villains ever used in the long-running franchise, as well as some of the laziest writing as well as some incongruous musical numbers. The main plot reminds me most of The Jade Pussycat (the John Holmes-Linda Wong porno), as does the cinematography (minus the money shots, of course). The fight scenes are terrific—alternately exciting and ridiculous—and Godzilla once again emerges as one of the most misunderstood, and eternally cute monsters of all time. It's no masterpiece, unless your criteria for a great film relies on most of the movie being boring and laughable. Hm … then again, that does seem to be my criteria, so maybe Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla is a masterpiece after all.
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