Since it’s first comissioning in the mid 1970’s; the weapon system simply known as Mechagodzilla has endured (minus a few iterations, and defeats) as a machine that can truly stand the test of time! OK, fair do’s, it hasn’t. I just thought it might be fun to introduce this post in a way that sounds realistic, and also characterizes Mechagodzilla as a machine, rather than an actual being. Again, fair do’s, Mechagodzilla isn’t a being (mostly) either, but it is so much easier to talk about it/him/her as if he/her/it is a being. I think I’m getting off track here. Let’s start again.
Since it’s debut in the series in the mid 1970’s; Mechagodzilla has proven itself to be both one of Godzilla‘s most enduring foes, and also one of his toughest. Virtually every iteration of Mechagodzilla has not only put up a serious fight against against the big G, but has virtually always came very close to actually killing him. It’s hard to think of any monster in the series that has come even as close as Mechagodzilla, to slaying the King of the Monsters, and is therefore widely considered (alongside King Ghidorah) to be Godzilla’s archenemy.
If this was professional wrestling (which some of the fights in the series have constantly been suggested to be a lot like), Mechagodzilla could be the series’ Undertaker, or Kane. A seriously tough monster, who doesn’t compete all that often; but when they do, are a serious threat. Just imagine if they ever teamed up, they could be the new “Brothers of Destruction“.
Mechagodzilla is one of a group of five monsters known as the “Toho Big Five“. This is a group of monsters who have regularly featured across the Godzilla series, over it many eras; the other monsters being King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, and of course Godzilla. But despite it’s inclusion into that group, it’s total number of films, is pretty small, at 9. Now whilst Rodan has only really appeared in 8 films, at least Rodan has been given the minor honour of appearances in stock footage in 6 other films, and lightly referenced in another. Mechagodzilla has not once appeared as stock footage, or reference. It is easy to see why though, as Mechagodzilla requires time and build-up, for it’s participation to work, due to what it is. Where as Rodan is so much more simpler to introduce and reference.
Anyway, I thought I would list my personal favourite films starring the Big-MG. It turns out it wasn’t a hard process to rank them, as there are a few, lets say…bad films attributed to this character. There are several really good ones, one or two relatively enjoyable ones, one very forgetful one; and then two genuinley terrible ones (oh, and one I haven’t seen, but isn’t technically a Godzilla film). And whilst at this point I would mention a few worth noting, I think on this occassion it’s just best if we get straight into it. So on that note; here are My Top 5 Favourite Mechagodzilla Films; Enjoy!
5. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. – After it’s hard fought battle against Godzilla one year earlier; Kiryu (I’ll explain later) has finally been repaired, although lost the use of it’s most powerful weapon. Meanwhile Mothra’s twin fairies have appeared, requesting that Godzilla’s bones (I’ll explain later) be returned to the sea!
The only film in the Millenium Era to be a direct sequel to the previously produced film, instead of a direct link to the 1954 film. It’s quite a distinction, and a good one too, as there really should be a continuation of that story (although sadly they didn’t make a direct sequel to this film’s post credits scene). Whilst the previous film (I’ll explain later) was an terrific achievement, this one struggles in several ways. Whilst it is a continuation, sadly it’s not a continuation on the human side, choosing to ditch one of the previous film’s key positives, and replace most of the core cast with new characters. In addition to that, most of the final battle is a carbon copy of events from the previous film, all leading to a very anti-climactic conclusion. It’s still a decently cool pic, and the inclusion of Mothra makes it doubley so; but still sadly does not live up to the same high’s as it’s predecessor!
4. Godzilla vs. Kong – Five years after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters; Godzilla has mysteriously begun to consistantly launch unprovoked attacks against a high-tech facility in Hong Kong, whilst Monarch takes special interest in Kong‘s welfare on Skull Island!
I know what you must be thinking right now: where does Mechagodzilla fit anywhere in that synopsis? It doesn’t! Mechagodzilla is a part of this film, but doesn’t appear for a while, and then again, doesn’t make a difference until the very end of the film. Mechagodzilla’s involvement in this film is a little surprpising, but not unexpected, and whilst it doesn’t appear until the very end, it still lives up to it’s reputation, as once again the Big-MG comes very close to killing Godzilla once again, and this time with some new armaments, and tactics. It’s just a shame really that the final fight is so very brief, rather than a more epic climactic conclusion (although I bet Godzilla and Kong by this stage were rather knackered)!
3. Terror of Mechagodzilla – Following the events (this is the last of the follow-ups, I promise) of the previous film, a submarine searching for the remains of Mechagodzilla, is attacked by an unknown aquatic creature. Interpol launch an investigation into the incident, and are led to a deceased scientist, and his mysterious daughter!
The last film in the series to be directed by Ishirō Honda. This film has a cool investigative mystery like plot, with one group of heroes trying to discover more about a strange new creature in the sea, whilst on the other hand, you have a secretive group of aliens, trying to rebuild the ultimate killing machine. It’s a cool story, but one that sort of plateaus, and it can be a while for the monsters to appear, plus; some of the overall visual effects are pretty dull. But when the monsters do show up, it really picks up. Godzilla’s arrival is one of the coolest scenes in the entire series, and the final fight is epically brutal, although it does come down not to the monster’s strength, but the tragedy of a romance in the human story. And then it ends on that weird image of Godzilla smiling. Overall: grim, but in a good way!
2. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla – An Azumi priestess has a vision of a giant monster destroying a city, and soon after that, several elements of an ancient prophecy begin to appear. This all leads to Godzilla appearing, but there’s something odd about his roar!
The film that launced the career of Mechagodzilla (seven years after King Kong got a mechanical doppelganger), and one of the series best ever. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla has something of a weird direction about it, given that it features a very science fiction-ish villain, facing off against a fantasy-like hero in King Caesar. It’s not just that though. Where-as the following film has a police investigative style to it, here the police are portrayed more like secret agents (the film is basically more a recruitment video for Interpol, as it depicts their officers as the coolest people on Earth), and then there’s the jazz like soundtrack. But all of this works so well. It’s amazing how many clashing genre’s just seem to blend into an epic film. The fight’s are very gorey, but much like Godzilla’s entrance in Terror, Mechagodzilla’s reveal in this film is seriously incredible!
1. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla – Since 1954, Japan has been attacked by several large monsters. So the government launches a secret project to create a weapon to defend the nation. They dig up the bones of the original Godzilla, and use it as a framework to create a mechanical monster, which they name…Kiryu!
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla has to be one of the most original film’s in the entire series, due to how it sort of adds layer upon layer in it’s plot. Firstly, the government digs up some old bones, then builds a weapon around them, and then on it’s first major battlefield test run, it runs amok. Meanwhile, parrallel to these events, you have a strong female test pilot, who has lost her self-confidence after a tragic accident, and has to rebuild herself. And then whilst all this is going on, you have a story about a young girl whose lost her mother, and the governement trying to decide how to proceed when they lose control of their great hope. It’s a film which creates so many possibilities, that it feels like it will lose control itself, with too much stuff going on. But it instead uses them more appropriately, adding them into scenes when it serves the plot best. It has it’s lightly awkward comedic moments, but it also contains a lot of heart, creating a lasting impression!
Things I Like 
Leave a comment