PLOT: Like all the Shinsei movies, GAMG only acknowledges continuity with itself and the original 1954 Godzilla (although there is a nod to the original Mothra in a flashback sequence). Anyway, Godzilla begins menacing Japan, who promptly build Kiryu (Mechagodzilla) to stop him. With a DNA computer constructed from the skeleton of the original Godzilla, Kiryu is quickly completed. Without warning, Godzilla shows up again and Kiryu is rushed out to face him. Just as the battle heats up, something unexpected and very, very, bad happens to Kiryu...
CHARACTERS: The humans in this movie are pretty well fleshed out, especially the female pilot who handles Kiryu, Akane. She definately gets the most depth out of anyone. Just second to her are the doctor who designed Kiryu's computer and his daughter Sarah. The dialogue hurts the development somewhat (keep reading for details) but doesn't kill them completely.
GOOD GUY: This is Mechagodzilla in his toughest and best-looking incarnation yet. Unlike previous MGs, Kiryu doesn't shy away from duking in out in close combat. And at long range, he hammers Godzy with a staggering array of really nasty-looking weapons. He's also by far the best flyer out of any MG.
BAD GUY: After his horrific All Out Attack incarnation, Godzilla returns to a form closer to that of the Shinsei movies G2K and Megaguiras. The spikes are toned down somewhat, so they don't look like Godzy sat on a pin cushion. The eyes are more detailed than previous Shinseis, making Godzilla look more intelligent than certain other costumes. There's not much that's really special about his attitude, though. This is mostly a generic bad Godzilla.
SFX: Great. Kiryu is brought to life with amazing detail. His missiles look real. His arm guns look real. And his chest cannon looks pretty damn deadly! However, the true crowning moment of the movie is watching Kiryu drop out of the sky, Vernier thrusters burning (you heard me Gundam fans, MG's got Verniers.
) Godzilla's fire looks wonderful; a cross between the blazing fire of G2K and the hard-hitting beam of AOA.DUB: The dub isn't perfect, but it's partly the fault of the somewhat flat dialogue. If there is one flaw to be found in GAMG, it's the uninspired dialogue. It's flat enough that it nearly (but not quite) kills the feeling of the characters. The rest of the movie, however, more than makes up for this weakness. Just bear with it, trust me.
FIGHTS: There are two major battles in GAMG: an initial duel between Kirya and Big G, then the knock-down, drag-out fight at the end. Although pretty much all the battle footage is is worth watching, the crowning moment of the film is Kiryu's shoulder slam. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it.
MUSIC: The music is pretty good. It's not as perfectly suited to the movie as AOA's score, but it comes very close. The primary choice of music has a definate military feel to it, which fits the tone of the movie, and it's actually pretty catchy.
OVERALL: A definate must-see for any Godzilla fan, in my opinion. For Mechagodzilla fans, YOU MUST SEE THIS. NOW. It's quite simply the best Mechagodzilla movie yet. The fights are solid, the characters are solid, the SFX are realistic and the somewhat flat dialogue is a forgivable shortcoming.
SCORE: 4 out of 5.
). Plus I've been a big Godzilla fan since I was 4 so long ago I've mostly watched these movies with "did it look cool" in mind. Sometimes that's still not enough even for me. Godzilla doing his backwards flying thing in Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster is still a little too much for me.