Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Godzilla v. Destoroyah
Official Japanese poster
Directed by	Takao Okawara
Produced by	Tomoyuki Tanaka Shogo Tomiyama
Written by	Kazuki Omori
Starring	Takuro Tatsumi Yōko Ishino Yasufumi Hayashi Megumi Odaka Momoko Kochi Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla
Music by	Akira Ifukube
Editing by	Chizuko Osada
Studio	Toho
Distributed by	Toho TriStar Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Release date(s)	Japan December 9, 1995 United States/Canada April 28, 1998 (VHS premiere)
Running time	103 min.
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	US $10,000,000

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (ゴジラVSデストロイア, Gojira tai Desutoroia^?), alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Kazuki Omori. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series. The film is the last in the Heisei series to feature Godzilla, who is nearing a nuclear meltdown which threatens the Earth. To further worsen the situation, vicious creatures called Destoroyah emerge from the water and start terrorizing Japan, and the Japanese Self-Defense Force must come up with a daring plan to take down both threats.

Plot

In 1996, after the death of SpaceGodzilla, Birth Island is found destroyed. Godzilla's biological son, Little Godzilla, is presumed dead at first but later reveals himself as a larger and more powerful sub-adult due to the excess radiation and is re-named Godzilla Junior. Godzilla, covered in glowing lava-like rashes, enters Hong Kong and destroys most of the city. G-Force representatives hire college student Kenichi Yamane, the grandson of Dr. Kyohei Yamane, to come work at the center in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Godzilla's condition.

Yamane suspects that Godzilla has been influenced by the volcanic euruption on Birth Island, starting a self destruct sequence in himself and will suffer a nuclear heart attack. His death would result in an explosion which will destroy Japan and an atmospheric chain reaction would destroy all life on Earth. G-Force deploys a flying combat vehicle outfitted with anti-nuclear cold weapons to forestall this; the Super X III. Strange life forms appear where the first Godzilla was killed in 1954, and a host of deadly creatures called Destoroyah begin wreaking havoc. Soil samples reveal that Destoroyah is connected to the Oxygen Destroyer used against Godzilla in 1954, which mutated Precambrian era life forms. After several deadly skirmishes with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Destoroyah evolve beyond the J.S.D.F.'s containment abilities and psychic Miki Saegusa must use her failing powers to lure Junior to the area in an attempt to combat Destoroyah in Tokyo. Godzilla, who is searching for his son, follows Junior, but complications arise. Due to his encounter with the Super X III, Godzilla will suffer a meltdown once his body reaches 1,200 degrees Celsius, destroying Earth in the process.

During Junior's first battle, he is wounded. Godzilla and Junior meet in Narita, but Destoroyah returns in his final form. Destoroyah knocks down Godzilla and kidnaps Junior, dropping him from an extreme altitude that brings the child monster close to death. Godzilla, enraged, attacks Destoroyah and a battle ensues that destroys much of Tokyo. Born from the only weapon that killed a Godzilla, Destoroyah at first shows an advantage, but Godzilla's radioactivity has increased his own power. Destoroyah's body decomposes into many smaller Destoroyah which attempt to swarm Godzilla from all sides, but Godzilla uses his nuclear pulse to incinerate the miniature Destoroyahs.

Alone at last, Godzilla tries to revive Junior but he fails. Overcome by grief, Godzilla's heart continues to fail. Suddenly, Destoroyah returns for one last attack. Godzilla's demise begins, resulting in his power increasing once again infinitly. In a fury of rage, Godzilla begins reigniting Destoroyah with his powerful atomic breaths, severely burning and mortally wounding the beast. Destoroyah then attempts to escape to die elsewhere before Godzilla meltsdown, but the military shoots and blows off his wings. Destoroyah falls out of the air but Godzilla doesn't move. When Destoroyah hits the ground, because of the extreme change in temperatures from the ice rays and Godzilla superheating the ground, Destoroyah explodes. As Godzilla reaches meltdown, he becomes furious because he is now unable to exact revenge on his son's murderer (even though he had a vital part in Destroyah's death by heating the ground) and begins to die, the Super X III freezes him with ice beams to stop him from the destroying the planet and is successful, but are unable to save his life. Godzilla's final moments of life are long, strenuous, and sad as he is overcome with immense pain, with his flesh and body slowly melting away. At one point he glows so brightly that he is too bright to look at. The King of the Monsters gives one last faint roar before he becomes nothing more than a pile of melted flesh and ashes.

The victory is a costly one however, for the radiation has made Tokyo an uninhabitable city. Miki holds her hat in salute to the creature she had cared about for so long. Suddenly, radiation levels begin to plummet, and from within the thinning smoke, is a revived and full grown Godzilla Junior. Apparently, in his last moments, Godzilla transferred his radiation to Junior, allowing him to carry on his father's legacy as the new Godzilla.

Cast

• Yasufumi Hayashi as Kenichi Yamane
• Yoko Ishino as Yukari Yamane
• Megumi Odaka as Miki Saegusa
• Takuro Tatsumi as Kensaku Ijuin
• Akira Nakao as General Aso
• Momoko Kochi as Emiko Yamane
• Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla
• Ryo Hariya and Eiichi Yanagida as Destoroyah, the main antagonist of the film.
• Hurricane Ryu as Godzilla Junior

Production

This film's original idea was to feature Godzilla fighting the ghost of the original 1954 Godzilla. Godzilla would be killed by it then be revived and manage to destroy it. Another idea which had been tossed around featured Bagan, who was the final boss in the Super Nintendo video game Super Godzilla.

An alternate ending was filmed. Destoroyah attempted to escape once Godzilla gained the upper hand, but the J.S.D.F. shot him down. Godzilla, despite suffering from his meltdown, continued to battle the vicious monster. Godzilla quickly overpowered Destoroyah, grabbing him by his horn and pummeling him repeatedly. As Godzilla melts away, the J.S.D.F. rain their ice beams upon him, as well as Destoroyah. Unable to stand against the immense heat of Godzilla's meltdown and the freezing coldness of the beams, Destoroyah falls and evaporates. However, the scene was removed because it was thought to be inappropriate, since Godzilla's foreseen death was to be the climax of the film. So the scene was re-edited to have Destoroyah die after the JSDF intervenes and helps Godzilla finish off Destoroyah, allowing Godzilla to have center stage as he dies and Godzilla Junior takes his place as the new Godzilla.

Box office

The film sold approximately 4 million tickets in Japan, and earned ¥2 billion in distribution income (around $18,000,000 (U.S)).^[1] It was the number one Japanese film at the box office for the calendar year 1996.^[2]

Reception

Critical reaction to the film has been mostly positive. Toho Kingdom said, "With an elegant style, a powerful plot, brilliant effects, and believable acting, this entry is definitely a notch above favorites from all three timelines, and its impact on the series is challenged by only a handful of competitors. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is without a doubt a paradigm all its own."^[3] Michael Hubert of Monster Zero praised the "spectacular monster battles," calling Godzilla vs. Destoroyah "a great movie" and "one to add to your collection," adding: "Even for non-Godzilla fans, this movie might help dispel some of the preconceptions you have about Godzilla's 'cheese factor'."^[4]

Japan Hero called the film "a work of art" and "a must see for anyone who loves Godzilla" that features "something for everyone" ^[5] Mike Bogue of American Kaiju felt the film suffered from "several visual weaknesses" and "disappointing editing," but that "the positive aspects of the visuals outweigh the negatives" and praised the film for "treating Godzilla with the same awe, majesty, and terror as [the original 1954 Godzilla]. "^[6]

Home media

To tie in with the American remake, Sony Tristar distributed the previously unreleased Heisei Godzilla films on April 28, 1998, less than half month before the release of Tristar's Godzilla remake. Excluding 'Godzilla 1985 and Godzilla vs. Biollante, since they have already been released prior.

DVD release

Columbia TriStar (Sony)

• Released: February 1, 2000
• Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic
• Sound: English (2.0)
• Region 1
• Note: A double feature with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. There were no other special features present, except for subtitles.

Awards

In Japan, the film won the 1996 Best Grossing Films Award-Golden Award and the Academy Prize for special effects.

References

1. ^ http://www.tohokingdom.com/box_office/godzilla_vs_destoroyah.htm
2. ^ "Kako haikyū shūnyū jōi sakuhin 1996-nen" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. http://www.eiren.org/toukei/1996.html. Retrieved 8 February 2011. 
3. ^ Review Toho Kingdom
4. ^ Review Michael Hubert, Monster Zero
5. ^ Review Japan Hero
6. ^ Review Mike Bogue, American Kaiju

External links

• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at the Internet Movie Database
• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at AllRovi
• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah at Rotten Tomatoes
• "ゴジラvsデストロイア (Gojira tai Desutoroia)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1995/ds003160.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
• Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Godzilla vs. Destoroyah toho kingdom page 1
• Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Godzilla vs. Destoroyah toho kingdom page 2