Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994)

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla is a campy Godzilla movie, in the style of “two guys in rubber suits pretending that they’re in the WWE”.  I enjoyed it, but that’s the kind of monster movie that I grew up with; if you are in the mood for a more serious movie, I’d suggest  Godzilla 2000,  Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla Final Wars, or the original Godzilla.   This isn’t that kind of movie–it’s the kind of mindless enjoyment that’s perfect for a rainy, or snowy, Saturday afternoon with a tub of popcorn and your children.

Review of Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla

The basic plot has an alien clone of Godzilla, fused with glowing crystals, approaching Earth.   The giant robot, Mogera, has been built using the technology scavenged from the MechaGodzilla of an earlier film.  The robot is dispatched to deal with it and is badly beaten.   There’s a subplot of the U.N. trying to control “our” Godzilla via a combination of technology and telepathy. Also, a different U.N. group that is attempting to use a special radioactive bullet to kill him.   Along the way, the audience is re-introduced to Baby Godzilla, who’s now roughly 25+ feet tall, and looks like a cross between Godzilla and Barney the purple dinosaur.

Space Godzilla eventually lands, and soundly defeats Godzilla, and kidnaps Baby Godzilla in the process.   The Yakuza (Japanese mafia) decide to complicate things by kidnapping the telepath who is trying to communicate/control Godzilla. After a short skirmish, they’re defeated — and destroyed by a rampaging Space Godzilla.

Finally, Godzilla arrives for a re-match with Space Godzilla. Mogera arrives as well, demonstrating its’ ability to split in two and convert to a drilling machine and an airship respectively. It gives the feeling that the producers were attempting to create a marketable toy, rather than an enjoyable movie.

In all,  Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla is enjoyable, although not very deep, Godzilla movie.   I rate it 2 stars out of 5.

Editorial review of Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla, courtesy of  Amazon.com

When they revived the Godzilla franchise after 1985, not much was done to add to the charm and cheese of the original series of movies. Though the special effects are marginally better and the explosions more vivid, Gojira (Godzilla) still looks like a man in a rubber suit stomping on plastic cities. Thankfully! But in the new movies, the story line is more complex and developed. In arguably one of the best Godzilla flicks of the ’90s, everyone’s favorite nuclear-powered lizard goes mano a mano with the scourge from outer space, Spacegodzilla. But like Batman, Godzilla is not invincible. He must rely on his wits, help from a couple of friends (including Mogera), and his son (Baby Godzilla) to defeat a superior foe. —Tod Nelson

Cast of characters in Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla

• Megumi Odaka (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II) … Miki Saegusa
• Jun Hashizume (Godzilla: Final Wars) … Lt. Koji Shinjo
• Zenkichi Yoneyama … Lt. Kiyoshi Sato
• Akira Emoto (Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla) … Major Akira Yuki
• Towako Yoshikawa … Prof. Chinatsu Gondo
• Yôsuke Saitô (The Cat Returns) … Dr. Susumu Okubo
• Kenji Sahara (King Kong vs Godzilla) … Minister Takayuki Segawa
• Akira Nakao (Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.) … Commander Takaki Aso
• Koichi Ueda (Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.) … General Hyodo
• Sayako Osawa and Keiko Imamura … the Cosmos
• Ronald Hoerr (Godzilla vs Destoroyah) … Prof. Alexander Mammilov
• Tom Durran … “Yokuza” Boss McKay
• Kenpachiro Satsuma (Godzilla vs the Smog Monster) … Godzilla
• Little Frankie … Little Godzilla
• Ryō Haritani (Godzilla vs Destoroyah) … SpaceGodzilla
• Wataru Fukuda (Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla II) … M.O.G.U.E.R.A.