7/10
Not the best of the Godzilla series, but far from the worst
22 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
There was just no end to the Japanese GODZILLA series. Year after year the films were churned out, alien adversaries appearing, wreaking havoc, and then being killed time after time. Strangely enough, the films were never boring either, as all contained an immaculate sense of spectacle and fun which made them hugely enjoyable to watch. GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA is no different.

Like the Hammer horror series, Toho decided to introduce more adult material as the '70s dawned on their GODZILLA films. Therefore, gore and nudity was added into the blend, and the opening scene where Anguilis has his jaw half ripped off is proof of this. When the monsters fight now, blood sprays everywhere in huge arterial fountains, something to see I'm sure you'll agree. Apart from the gore content, the rest of the material is much the same, with the heroes fighting off the alien adversaries, lots of shooting, and laser beams flying everywhere. This time around the aliens are monkeys in human form, and the scenes of them getting injured and reverting back to their original forms are done quite cleverly in the special effects department and looks very nice indeed.

Strangely enough Godzilla is hardly in the film, with much of the plot being involved in the human intrigue. The appearance of Mechagodzilla is cleverly staged though and he looks impressive, complete with laser beam eyes and guns for his fingers. The other main monster in the film (apart from Anguilis, the whipping boy's guest appearance) is a shabby old guy called King Seeser, who strangely has reflectors for his eyes and huge, bat like ears. It's pretty funny to watch him run around and get knocked over repeatedly. GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA is typical of this series, not one of the best but not one of the worst either. In any case, it's solid entertainment for the initiated.
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