After the terrific, thrilling Godzilla Vs Megeguirus and the interesting but very muddled [and extremely over rated!]Godzilla,Mothra,King Ghidorah,Monster's All Out Attack,this latest version of Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla falls between the two.It's disappointing that Toho decided to remake this yet again only ten years after the last version,and there is indeed a distinct lack of originality in this one,which in some ways like an early 60s period Godzilla film with better special effects. However,director Masaaki Tezuka [who also directed Godzilla Vs Megagiurus],unlike Shuseke Kaneko,has respect for Godzilla and Godzilla fans and just sets out to create a fun,unpretentious Godzilla film,and there's nothing wrong with that.
The plot is of little interest,but does bring back some of the themes [artificial life vs real life,for example] of the 1993 Godzilla Vs Mehagodzilla,small surprise as it has the same writer. Godzilla seems even more characterless and lethargic than usual for the Millenium series here,but the latest incarnation of Mechagodzilla looks by far the best. Tezuka provides some terrific shots and camera angles for the two monsters,especially in the great scene where an out of control Mechagodzilla goes on the rampage,and the final battle,lively,exciting and funny but not overly so, proves again he is the best director of monster battles since Inoshiro Honda. Toho almost appears to have sorted out their CGI,too,with some impressive effects both traditional and computerised. Amidst all this the human drama is quite touching even if,as is often the case,it's just filler inbetween the monster scenes.
Fun,fast and furious,Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla is Godzilla done by the book,and that's just fine and dandy.
