Terror of Mechagodzilla was the last Godzilla film of the first series and the last to be directed by Ishiro Honda, the same director of the first and arguably best Godzilla movie in 1954. Fact: Like every Godzilla movie ever made (perhaps bar the first two), it is ridiculous. Get over that and you have the darkest, and in my opinion best Godzilla movie of them all. In the UK it is the only G-movie to have a 15 certificate--for brief nudity and a violent shoot out--(How typically 70's)--but is also the darkest in tone from the art direction to the brilliant score--and the characters..oh, the characters... Well, TOMG is the only Godzilla movie to feature a femme fatale--which is already an achievment for a mostly juvenile sub-genre. *****SPOILER****** Funky Interpol agent Ichinosi falls deeply in love with Katsura, the cyborg daughter of a mad scientist, after exchanging all of about two cold scentences with her--fantastic! Not to mention his secretary--look closely and im sure she's got a crush on him...A love triangle in a monster movie! And then of course, the monsters are great--no stingy 'waste land' battles--we actually get to see buildings get smashed up in this one (surely the whole point of a G-movie), and the monsters are great too--'good guy' Godzilla's suit still looks cartoony, yet angry in a cute kind of way, and then there's Titanosaurus, who has a great shriek/noise and a tail that can 'fan' buildings away (!). Look out for Godzilla's first appearance which is also particularly fanatstic--and then his second arrival in Tokyo to save a couple of kids getting stamped on--genius. And did i mention Mechagodzilla? He really tears the roof off in this one--two re-makes on and the original Mechagodzilla is still the scariest. All i can say is give this film a chance--it has more ham than a spam factory but is very fast paced and entertaining throughout--right up until the inevitable tragic ending between katsura and ichinosi.
And yes, the ending score as godzilla sails off into he ocean still makes me cry even today.
And yes, the ending score as godzilla sails off into he ocean still makes me cry even today.