Godzilla vs. Megalon Review

Ah, Godzilla vs. Megalon, a title fans cringe when hearing it. However, over the years, the fanbase has gained a liking for the film, becoming what the critics call a 'cult classic.' Back in the day I would hear fans call this the worst Godzilla movie ever. Today, things are different. Final Wars has taken its place and is the hated one now. (A lot of people tend to even like All Monsters Attack more than Final Wars, though most agree that it's still better than the 98 film.) Godzilla vs. Megalon is the most low-budgeted Godzilla film since All Monsters Attack. Thought Godzilla vs. Gigan had stock footage? That was nothing. Here the majority of Megalon's 'attacks' on the city are stock footage from Ghidorah and a few others. Also, you'll notice that Japan seems like a ghostown. It's like everyone died in the previous film and it's just these people that are left. Seriously, on the highway, it's just those two cars! This film defines the 70's for Japan. Just look at the groovy outfits and disco music. It's no surprise that this film has a slight comedy undertone. The monsters are representing the 70's with energetic moves and personality that put the Heisei era to shame. There are car chases in this man. You just can't dislike this movie, it's too entertaining.

I remember many years ago when my dad put on the Sci Fi channel, there was a Godzilla marathon airing. (Those were the days.) The scene that had always stayed in my head was when Gigan and Megalon did their monster 'high five.' The film never got an official North American DVD release, until now of course. Fast forward over ten years later and the awesome people at Media Blasters has released the first ever official American release of the film. Besides it being a bare-bone release with no special features, the video and audio are impressive. (Yes, you get to hear the horribly dubbed kid's high pitched voice in all its glory.) The story is also not something that would usually be found in these movies. Atlantis, I mean Seatopia, has decided to take revenge on the surface world for doing atomic tests. So they send their 'god' Megalon to cause destruction. It's a lot more silly than it sounds, trust me. While Zone Fighter is a second rate Ultraman, Jet Jaguar is pretty awesome. (The only Godzilla film where a robot gives a thumbs up.) Eventually Seatopia sends a message to Space Hunter Nebula M so they can borrow Gigan for a bit. (Apparently undersea people has connections with outer space.) With Megalon and Gigan ganging up on Jet Jaguar, Godzilla arrives to even the score and the stage is set for the most colorful battle in all of Godzilla history. If you're one of the people only remembering Godzilla has a hero of Japan, this is the film defining that. No longer do the people fear Godzilla, in fact, they welcome him!

First of all, there are three main characters. Goro, his kid brother Rokuro, and Hiroshi. The relationship between the two main guys is not explained. Friends? Roommates? Cousins? They never explain it. Whereas all the previous films had people living in the cities with traffic and everything, here it's like open country. Only once we're shown people, a little bit before Megalon attacks the dam. (Which was a pretty great scene.) Besides that, it's like these three guys are the last surviving members of the human race. At least they're funny to watch. (I'll take funny over boring, Heisei era.) The 'antagonist' I guess you can say is some guy that belongs in Rome. The dub's voice, you're going to die laughing at how seriously sad he sounds. In the end, he turns out to be the most laughable human antagonist in the series. With some character development, things could have been better. Then again, this guy just fits the film. He's really serious, and that's the funny part.

This is the first new Godzilla look in awhile. (The previous one lasted four films starting in DESTROY ALL MONSTERS.) Isn't he just cute? It's amazing to think how far (or behind) the series has come in terms of tone from Gojira. There Godzilla was a horror icon, people feared him, he was scary. Now here he has a Pug-like face and people cheer him on. C'mon, this is good stuff. Godzilla is acting all 70's with his gestures and boxing like moves. He's really into it, in fact, this is the first time when he starts acting all karate like. This is the heroic Godzilla a lot of people know. He's there, ready for a fight, no retreats and helps his teammates. This Godzilla has so much personality, he's just a blast to watch on screen. This is also Jet Jaguar's film. Created in a contest, the robot is pretty darn awesome. For awhile fans disliked him, but over the years he's been more liked. Who doesn't love a robot that can magically 'program himself' to increase size? Despite what you might think, Jet Jaguar (love how Hiroshi just thinks the name out of the blue) has a lot of personality. When he's getting doubled by Megalon and Gigan, que sadness from the audience. Megalon is the new monster this time around. Excellent and unique concept, a giant beetle thing with drills for hands. (Gotta love TOHO and its crazy creations.) This weakling of a monster fits right in with this era. (Really should have been him instead of Hedorah in Final Wars.) The giant cyborg chicken Gigan returns. This guy is just awesome with his 'I-enjoy-killing-you' persona. He actually threatens to Godzilla that he will chop off Jet Jaguar's head if he comes any closer! (Godzilla then just blasts him away with atomic breath, good stuff.)

The final fight is what makes the film. It actually has a lot less stock footage than I remember. The actual battle is much better choreographed than the battle in Godzilla vs. Gigan. There it felt like it dragged on too much, the fight in this film is long enough, fun enough, and awesome enough. There's just so much energy and personality in the fight! You gotta love the monster expressions, like when Megalon watches Jet Jaguar in awe as he turns monster size. My personal favorite is when Gigan and Megalon think they have Godzilla and Jet Jaguar trapped in a ring of fire, they're dancing around mocking the two heroes, then Godzilla grabs hold of Jet Jaguar and they fly out! Gigan and Megalon stop dancing and look in disbelief to see the two flying. They're like "You've got to be kidding..." Man I LOVE this stuff. The soundtrack takes some ques from Godzilla vs. Hedorah. (Yes, Godzilla's goofy theme returns.) I was not a fan of the soundtrack in Hedorah, but here it sounds good cause it fits the non-serious, slightly (let's change slightly to very much) humorous tone. (At the end you'll hear Jet Jaguar's song, it is worth the wait for its amazingly cheesy lyrics.)

Godzila vs. Megalon is the type of film hardcore critics hate. It's not the most well-made movie, with stock footage throughout and non-existent character development and a pretty poor (but funny) human antagonist. However, as a fan of the genre and one who likes a fun time with a film, I, as many others, enjoy this movie. It's just too much fun, you will be left smiling. Critically it deserves a 4/10 because of its low production values, but it gets a 7/10 from me for having personality, fun, and most of all, heart. Plus it has Godzilla defying gravity with his famous and infamous double kick. (He's Godzilla after all.)

7/10

Monster of the Week: Gigan (Millennium)

This Gigan is a space monster that came to earth 12,000 years ago. While the Showa version was more of a  bully than a world destroyer, this one was the latter. This Gigan pretty much destroyed everything before Mothra intervened. After a great battle she defeated Gigan and he was turned into a mummy. 12,000 years later he is discovered and brought to  a research lab. That is where the events of Godzilla: Final Wars takes place...

This Gigan is a complete showoff. Then again, he has every right to be. He knows he's awesome and pretty powerful, but unlike the honorable Battra, he just loves to act 'cool.' Sometimes I think he's more concerned with looking cool than actually winning a fight. Apparently the Xiliens knew Gigan, cause the leader knew him by name. "Gigan.....rise!!!!!" That is what he said. (It is possible that it was the Xiliens that originally sent the cyborg.) After that quote, Gigan's visor lit up and he started shaking his claws. He was back, and he was happy about it, already making some poses attempting to look cool. Then he slashed the roof open, and just like that he was back in the world. He roared a roar saying he was back. Unlike his Showa counterpart, this one actually liked to use his beam. On the way he decided to blow up a rather tall building. How can an evil monster not blow up a tall building? Later in the day ol' chicken-head (okay, to be fair, this version looks a lot less like a chicken than his Showa counterpart) was called in to destroy the Gotengo, which was going to awake Godzilla. Gigan is a loyal, arrogant monster. He'll get the job done while looking cool. Gigan was pretty much laughing to himself as the Gotengo's missiles didn't hit him. Of course he hadn't expected them to melt Godzilla's icy prison. Gigan was caught off guard by a sudden blast of atomic radiation. Godzilla was then occupied by blowing up a building, but Gigan was quick to retaliate, showing Godzilla his own beam. After a blast he landed, roaring. He knew he was cool, and he thought Godzilla knew that too. Despite what you might think, Gigan isn't one to 'play around' with his victims like his serial killer Showa counterpart, he's a serious fighter, but likes to look cool along the way. He likes to show his opponent who's boss. He's also merciless, his opponents die slow painful deaths from that buzzsaw, Godzilla would be the next. Or so he thought. After he managed to tie Godzilla's neck, he shouted a roar of knowing he had this in the bag and started up his buzzsaw as he reeled Godzilla in. He then roared a roar of mockery to Godzilla.Though Gigan has one very sensitive area, his head. One good blast, and it's destroyed. That's exactly what Godzilla did. A blast of atomic radiation easily destroyed his head, rendering him powerless. However, that wouldn't be the end of our Millennium friend, if you thought he couldn't get cooler, you were wrong.

While Godzilla was dealing with Monster X, Mothra was arriving to help out. Of course, can't have two earth monsters ganging up on ol' Monster X. So the Xilien leader sent out a new and improved upgraded Gigan, complete with chainsaws. And he loved them, already showcasing them as he left the Xilien mothership. However, he's not one to waste too much time, his mission was to destroy Mothra. And he was pretty happy about it, he could exact revenge on his old rival. He flew toward her and they went at it. Then they both went to the ground some distance between them. Gigan roared and got into a battle stance, anticipating his battle with Mothra, and then her death. Gigan didn't consider Mothra to be a respectable rival like Battra did, she was nothing more than a bother to him, an extreme bother. Mothra kept roaring at her old enemy. Gigan lifted one of his chainsaw claws, he had a plan. He zoomed and managed to grab Mothra's abdomen with his tail and swung her away like rag doll. Gigan like I said before is a serious fighter, but when it comes to Mothra, it's a grudge fight. Right after Mothra flew into the air, he was hot on her tail, clipping one of her annoying wings off. She fell, defeated.. Once she was down, only thing left was Godzilla. So he stepped in to assist his ally Monster X. (See the reference to when his Showa counterpart teamed up with Ghidorah back in 72?) After a beam of letting know he was here, he landed and started up his chainsaws, making another 'cool' pose. This guy was really full of himself. He knows two against one isn't honorable, but he doesn't care about that stuff. He just wants to get the fight over with. And look cool while doing it. After Monster X managed to subdue Godzilla, Gigan roared in thrill as he approached. He showed Godzilla his chainsaw as if saying you're about to feel a lot of pain, and then laid a blow. Of course, being how smart is, Godzilla spun around Monster X and Gigan struck him insead. However, the two didn't argue, it was a mistake. Unlike his Showa counterpart, this Gigan knew what it meant have an ally and when mistakes happen. Then Mothra came and knocked them both down. Of course, since she was back, she was once again Gigan's main target. After chasing after her, Mothra went beind him and shouted something like "Hey!" Gigan turned around, struck another pose, then shot out two ninja stars, Mothra easily avoided them, but Gigan unexpectedly shot a beam, setting fire all around. With the explosion in the background, he turned around, looking 'cool' while roaring a roar of victory and bragging about it. Sadly for him, as embarrassing as it sounds, his arrogance got the best of him, he forgot about his ninja stars and they came back and decapitated him. Yes, he was decapitated twice in the film. A little bit of a running gag. However, this upgraded version could actually still operate without the head, but 'Fire Mothra' emerged and went sraight into Gigan, blowing him up and ending his reign of terror for good.


That was the end of the Final Wars Gigan. Comparing to his Showa counterpart, this one was obviously faster, loves to show off, and just generally cooler. (It's no surprise that he's my favorite kaiju.) While he was the running joke of the film, there's no denying that he made a great impression with what is by far the coolest monster design (or re-design in this case) ever. With his arrogance, show-off persona, and look, the Millennium Gigan will never be forgotten, despite being decapitated twice in the same film. 

Memoirs from a Godzilla Fan

"Another Godzilla article?" "Is this guy obsessive or something?" These are thoughts that may come to your head as you read this. I'm not going to lie, I don't go one day without mentioning the Big G, whether it be on Twitter, Facebook, or in person. It's not just a side or little hobby, I consider it to be part of my life. So if you want label that as obsessive, then sue me. When one has a great passion like this, it's usually rooted in childhood. It's no different here. But you know, as shocking as it may be, there was a time when I didn't care about the franchise at all. (Don't faint loyal reader!) Below I'm going to talk about my Godzilla fan life and the definition of passion.

You know, I really cannot pin-point an exact date, event, or even first movie that got me started as a fan. My dad is the one that got me into it at a very young age, that I know for sure. It was either 1999 or 2000 that I have my earliest memories of being a fan. I was either 4 or 5 years old when I had asked my dad to get some Godzilla tapes. (Yup, back before DVDs became popular.) I remember him coming home with four tapes. Ghidorah: the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs. Biollante. I remember that day, my dad had said that he went to a lot of stores to find these. (Goes to show that even back then Godzilla wasn't exactly 'out there' in the States.) Ghidorah, Destoroyah, and Mechagodzilla II were the defining films I grew up with. What about Biollante you ask? I saw that tape once, it was my least favorite. The others I could keep watching over and over again. I was never into Biollante, it's only now that I see it's a pretty good film. (Hey I was young, all I wanted to see was monsters beating the living daylights out of each other.) So the other three films are what I call 'nostaglic.' I've probably seen them a thousand times growing up. I put in one of those right now, then I'm reminded of my childhood. (Everytime Mothra has the conversation with Godzilla and Rodan I can't help but smile.) I still own the Ghidorah and Destoroyah tapes. My next memory was in Best Buy. Me and my dad had bought this 5 pack DVD set. It featured Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla's Revenge, Mothra vs. Godzilla,  (which was somehow broken by my sister many years ago, I miss having that film, it's only now that I appreciate how great of a movie it truly is) Terror of Mechagodzilla, and Rodan. Godzilla's Revenge is probably the Godzilla film I've seen the most. I mean, it's just so light-toned with lots of monster scenes. Of course, now I realize how awful it is, but it still brings back memories.

When I was a kid they used to air marathons on the Sci Fi channel. I remember one scene from Godzilla vs. Megalon, when Gigan and Megalon did their 'high-five,' it always stood out to me over the years. It was the only scene I had remembered until I saw the film again a year ago. I remember watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla for the first time. I remember on the description saying something about a rock monster. Once Anguirus popped up, me and my dad thought "Anguirus is the rock monster?!" I also remember watching DESTROY ALL MONSTERS for the first time, I actually don't think I was impressed with it. It would be a good eight years before I saw it again. I also remember watching King Kong vs. Godzilla and my family rooting for the 'hero' King Kong instead of Godzilla. But a true defining moment was on Christmas morning sometime in the early 2000's. I turned on the TV to see this thing attempting to swallow Godzilla whole! I was glued, what the heck was that? I had never seen Godzilla being defeated in this manner before. Alas, I was young, and it was Chrisatmas morning, so I had turned it off so I could open those gifts. My next memory would come in 2002...

I was at the now-deceased KB Toys in search for, well, toys. I was a very indecisive kid back then, I really didn't know what to get. Until my mom told me they had some Godzilla toys. I remember, they had Godzilla 1954, Gigan, Burning Godzilla, and Mothra. I wanted to pick up Godzilla, but my mom insisted on getting Gigan since he looked kinda unique. I ended up getting both. I still have both those figures, in pretty good condition I have to add. (Unlike most kids at the time, I treated my stuff with the HIGHEST respect.) Another toy-themed memory was getting the Pack of Destruction. Basically it featured miniature versions of Godzilla 1954, Destoroyah, Manda, Mothra, Mothra Larva, Minya, MOGUERA, and Burning Godzilla, I still have all of them minus Mothra Larva. I had seen it and my dad asked if I would be sure to play with it. I said of course or something like that. All those wonderful minis were then mine. (Fun fact is that I didn't know who MOGUERA was at the time, I thought he was a mecha version of Megalon.)

Another defining aspect is the video game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. Me and my dad use to play it a lot. I remember seeing the final character's headshot in the character selection screen and eagerly called up my dad, saying 'the final character is this crocodile-looking thing!" (At the time, I didn't know who Orga was.) Also, as more of a sidestep, I was also into Gamera. I still have this VHS tape of Gamera vs. Gyaos. I don't remember when I got the DVDs, but it was definitely a long time ago. Gamera the Invincible, War of the Monsters (Gamera vs. Barugon) Gamera: Attack of Legion, and Gamera: Revenge of Iris. Like with King of the Monsters, I had found Gamera the Invincible incredibly boring. If there was no other monster to battle the title character, then it would be boring. That was how I felt. I do remember enjoying War of the Monsters, and I still like it to this day. I remember watching Revenge of Iris, my mom had to explain to me that those dead bodies that Iris was leaving were just dolls. I remember how everyone was shocked at how Gamera sacrificed his own hand to stop Iris. 

The year is 2005. I remember my parents going somewhere for their anniversary and that my grandmother would be watching me and my sister. To keep everyone entertained, my dad had rented this 'new' Godzilla film called Godzilla: Final Wars. The three of us; me, my sister, and my grandma watched it that evening. I actually remember a preview that showed Final Fantasy: Advent Children. I remember my grandma saying how real the animation looked. I don't remember my first full impressions on Final Wars, the one scene I do remember is when Ozaki is punching the Xilien Leader while Godzilla is punching Monster X, the three of us were laughing at that. The very next day I saw it with my parents. I remember that I kept hyping up the final villain to my dad. The surprise transformation from Monster X into Keizer Ghidorah, which my dad would then say "Finally a real fight." I would see Final Wars once more in that house. 

After the Final Wars era, my liking for the series diminished. I was still technically a 'fan,' but really, the franchise didn't matter to me. In 2006 I had gotten Godzilla: Save the Earth for my birthday. I played it once, but it would be a few years before I would play it again. Why? Well, I had thought that I couldn't get the monsters to stay unlocked for an example. But really, I just didn't find the game fun. You have to be a fan to really appreciate the games. My dad had gotten it for me because I was always a 'fan,' but I didn't really play it at all. In the years 2007 and 2008, I didn't care at all about the series. I guess you could say movies was something I was more interested in, comic book movies and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. 2008 was a turning point year, it was the year I moved to New Jersey. It wasn't until December of that year that I started getting back into comics. Aside from that, the following year, 2009, is what I call my 'darkest' year for a few personal reasons. In general terms, I didn't have a 'passion' for pretty much anything. It was a disappointing year when I look back on it. After that, 2010 is what I call a 'golden year.' Sometime that year something had clicked. I wanted to get back into Godzilla. It was like a backup program inside my head starting to play. I started to play Save the Earth again after a few years of it laying dormant in the draw. Like my mind knew everything, it told me to play as Gigan, and from then on, Gigan became my favorite Godzilla character. It was at that point that I wanted to start watching the films again. Naturally I started with Godzilla vs. Gigan. I was very happy while watching it, it was like a lost childhood that came back. After Godzilla vs. Gigan, I rented three Godzilla films I had never seen before, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth, and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. I was on a roll, with the final film in the 'marathon' being Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. But soon it would be my birthday and guess what I would be watching on Netflix Instant? Final Wars, it had been some years. I remember me and everyone else here having a blast. That Christmas I got a two pack DVD set, featuring DESTROY ALL MONSTERS and Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. It would be the first time in forever since I've seen DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, so it was truly a treat. Some scenes, like Gorosaurus' famous kangaroo kick on Ghidorah I have always remembered. At around this time I was training myself by going to the Godzilla Wiki and TOHO Kingdom, attaining knowledge of things I had never knew about the franchise. Enter 2011...

It was later in the year that I joined the TOHO Kingdom forums. The site helped me realize that I wasn't alone in this world in liking this franchise. There were actually people that knew more about the franchise than me. On my birthday, I had received the actual DVD for Godzilla: Final Wars, it was great seeing it on the huge TV downstairs. Man I love that film. It's amazing that I first saw it seven years ago. I continued to check out the films sparingly during the latter part of 2011. Then we enter a turning point in my life as a fan. In my time in the TOHO Kingdom forums, visiting the toy thread and seeing the collections posted there made me want to buy a figure. Plus, when I had taken out my Godzilla and Gigan, they looked a bit lonely. They needed a thrird figure. So I went ahead and bought a $20 Destoroyah figure. It was supposed to be a one-shot thing, but that same day I saw this $60 Mecha King Ghidorah. I wanted that Mecha King Ghidorah. I got that Mecha King Ghidorah. And now to this this day, I am a collector of Godzilla figures. My room is full of them, it's really what you would expect from a Godzilla fan. Also that Christmas I got my first ever Godzilla poster. I had been wanting a life-sized one for awhile to define my room, and I finally got it. It's the poster for Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. It has my favorite Godzilla design on it. And very recently, I finally got my very own Godzilla shirt!

At this point of time, I am at the peak of being a fan. Knowledge flows through my head, the name Godzilla is always right there and ready to be said from me. However, even a fan like myself is still learning new things. Just a few weeks ago I had seen the original Gojira for the first time, it was like seeing a whole new film, since I've only seen the American King of the Monsters version, which was over ten years ago. Godzilla is a part of my life, I'm always Tweeting about it, and could get rather defensive over it. A lot may wonder what I see in this franchise. It's just giant rubber suited monsters crushing miniature sets, right? No. Godzilla is something deeply rooted in my childhood. What is your passion? Music, dancing, Twilight? When something is always somewhere on your mind, something you talk about enthusiastically without having a care to what anyone thinks about it, that's a passion. Godzilla is my passion.

Godzilla Unleashed Review

Godzilla Unleashed came out back in 2007. The game was pretty big because it was the first time Godzilla appeared in anything since the bombastic Final Wars three years earlier. Unleashed is the third game in Atari's series, the first being the classic Destroy All Monsters Melee, then the improved and awesome Save the Earth, and of course this game There are two main versions, like with the other games. There's the Wii version, and the PS2 version. I'm going to be honest and even a little harsh....the PS2 version sucks. If that version was the only one that existed, it would be fine, but there's a far superior gamed called Godzilla: Save the Earth out there. The PS2 version felt like a rushed thing. It was never meant to be on the system, it was just meant for the Wii. The PS2 version's gameplay is slow, and I mean slow. It's like they didn't finish touching up the gameplay. (Throws are broken!) The graphics are grainy, unless it was meant to give the monsters a more gritty look, they all looked like they needed some brightness. And while the Wii version gets all the new monsters, do you know what PS2 owners are left with? Battra. Now that wouldn't be such a bad thing, in fact it'd be pretty awesome, if not for the fact he's nothing other than a Mothra clone. Same moveset, it's almost like the PS2 version is trolling the fans. The Wii version is the real deal. So many great monsters we thought we would never see in a game like this, (who remembers Varan?) and the graphics are the best in any Godzilla game. Whether it's a good game or not is a different story.

This game is basically a fan service. Varan, Godzilla 1954, only G fans could really appreciate this game. For the first time in console games, this one actually has a story. Yes, the previous two games had 'stories,' but this one is cutscene based, even if it's just comic book panels with no animation. Save the Earth is still the definitive Godzilla game, thanks to its balanced fighting style and perfect controls. Unleashed on the other hand is more of a Godzilla fan's dream. However, there's one thing holding the game back: the controls. The Wii remote is used here. Not to bash the system or anything, but their controls for fighting games never work. (Try playing Naruto Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3 with the Wii remote, seriously try it.) When you first play the game, you are not going to understand what the heck you're doing. It takes some weeks to understand and actually like the controls a bit. Whereas the attacks and combos were pretty balanced in the previous games, here it isn't, there's a lot more spamming involved. There's the normal attack and the strong attack. Only thing is that there's no point in even doing a normal attack, since a strong attack can just break through it. Both players will constantly use the strong attack. And if you thought Destoroyah was overpowered in the previous games, wait until you see him here. Unlike in the others, he has unlimited use of his horned katana, making him the character no one wants to play against. The arenas are different. You'll have to play the game to see it for yourself, but each has its own thing going. Tokyo is flooded, Seattle is a volcanic wasteland, etc. It definitely gives the battles a unique atmosphere every time. 'Rage,' isn't here, instead it's this Critical Mass. It's pretty cool, it really makes the battles all the more frantic as you see your opponent turning all fiery and giant right before your eyes.

Story mode is pretty fun the first couple of times, but imagine having to do it over ten times. That's the case sadly. In order to buy monsters in the store, you have to get money. Not only that, some monsters you have to find in story mode. Trust me, after hearing Admiral Gyozen's gruff voice for the eighth time, you might just die a little inside. Also, the monsters are way too expensive. Probably the intention was to add replay value, but it ends up being nothing short of annoying. The player is left thinking "Is it really worth it? Maybe I should just put in a cheat code unlocking everything." The game's soundtrack is a high-point. Destroy All Monsters Melee had some of the most bland music I have ever heard in a video game. Save the Earth had some nice tunes, but nothing special. Unleashed broke the chain and included some great music done by Heavy Melody Music. Every monster has their own unique theme, from Mecha King Ghidorah's in-your-face one to Gigan's more soft, stealthy one.

Unleashed boasts an impressive 26 characters. We have a bunch of new monsters, which was the main selling point. Finally, we get Titanosaurus. His attacks and the way he fights matches his movie counterpart well. (Though it's ironic that his beam attack is a supersonic roar, considering that supersonic sounds are his weakness in the film.) Biollante was a HUGE selling point. I mean, just the fact that you can play as her is awesome. Varan, a monster that only Godzilla fans know, makes a return after many years absence from his previous game appearance. Though I'm not sure you'll want to play as him, he could very well be the weakest character in the game. If you're using him and your opponent is Destoroyah, you're toast. Godzilla 1954 was a odd but welcome character. Gigan gets his Final Wars look, which is pretty cool to play as. They made Godzilla 90's look way too much like 54. To the unsuspecting eye, it's easy to confuse the two. This game is also known for having two original monsters, Krystalak and Obsidius. They're pretty cool, but if you're going to have new characters, you better give them backstory. Sadly story mode doesn't do that, making these characters feel like a waste. For that, you could have put two other monsters from Godzilla lore instead (Still waiting for Hedorah...)

Overall, Godzilla Unleashed isn't a 'great' game, Save the Earth is still the Godzilla game. However, fans of the franchise will still definitely want to pick it up. (You get to play as Biollante!) This isn't a hardcore or balanced fighting game like Save the Earth, but it's fun once you understand the controls. Just stay far, far away from the PS2 version.

7/10

Monster of the Week: Gigan (Showa)

Gigan is the giant cyborg chicken that hails from Space Hunter Nebula M. Alright, maybe he's not a chicken, but it's always fun to refer to him as that. Gigan as you know is a cyborg, which could only mean one thing: he was originally a creature that lived on Nebula M. Obviously it was destroyed and the 'Nebulans' rebuilt him as a cyborg. Probably when he 'died' he had lost all his sanity. Yes, Gigan is the serial killer of the Godzilla world. He stabs and keeps stabbing, the sight of blood just makes him want to keep going. As you can see, he's the most unique looking monster in all of Godzilla. No history is really given before the events of Godzilla vs. Gigan, there's just speculation. The way they talk of him in the film means that he must have existed on Nebula M for awhile. The Nebulans were giant cockroaches in disguise. Their plan? Use Gigan and Ghidorah to take over earth, that's where the events of Godzilla vs. Gigan take place....

The Nebulans had infiltrated Earth, and it wan't long after that they sent a call for Gigan and Ghidorah. Usually these two wouldn't be teaming up, but the Nebulans needed them to, so they mind-controlled both of them so there wouldn't be any problems. The only thing they didn't fully anticipate was the arrival of both Godzilla and Anguirus. Godzilla of course went for Ghidorah, them being the biggest rivals. Our friend Gigan went on to completely beat up Anguirus. Gigan is a taunter, as seen when he openly taunted Anguirus to try and save Godzilla while is buzzsaw was going. (Anguirus eventually did run straight into it, not with pretty results.) As the fight raged on, somehow the human characters managed to destroy the mind control device. Gigan and Ghidorah now had free will again. Upon seeing Godzilla on the ground, Gigan went for him. Either the Nebulans had told him about G, or he just likes attacking downed people. See, Gigan is a bully at heart. He's not quite the bruiser like Ghidorah, he attacks the weaker ones or when monsters are weakened. Upon seeing Godzilla weakened, that's where he showed his true serial killer persona, repeatedly stabbing the King of Monsters to the point where his head opened up. Saying the cyborg chicken is brutal would be an understatement. He then presided to drag Godzilla to Ghidorah, who then slammed him away with his cackling heads. Gigan was obviously enjoying this, putting on his victory dance and clapping Ghidorah on the wing. That alliance was short-lived when Godzilla got Gigan to bang into Ghidorah. The two presided to argue while Godzilla and Anguirus began to plan. Thus began the downfall of the two monsters. Gigan is not like Titanosaurus, he's cowardly. At the FIRST sign of major trouble, he's out. The humiliating part for him is that he tried retreating twice yet kept getting shot down by Godzilla. Eventually the two monsters retreated into space and went their separate ways. However, it wouldn't be long before ol' Gigan ran into Godzilla again...

The year is 1973, when a lot of Japan was strangely empty. That, or no one went out of their houses that particular day. What's special about this day and year is the rise of the Seatopians...or so they had hoped. They had sent their 'god' Megalon to terrorize Japan. Unfortunately for them, Megalon wasn't the brightest or strongest of monsters. Jet Jaguar was making short work of him. The Seatopians couldn't have this, so they asked the Nebulans if they could borrow Gigan for a bit. (Apparently lost civilizations has connections with outer space.) Gigan is apparently very loyal to the Nebulans and will do as they say. They must also have a way with communicating with the monster, since he knew exactly where to go. Now this was interesting, instead of Gigan being basically the lackey for a bigger monster, it was the other way around. He would be calling the shots. Right when he arrived he was telling Megalon that they would be teaming up. He then precided to show the Seatopian god how to REALLY beat up on someone. In one particular scene he really clawed into Jet Jaguar the way Jason would hatchet people to death. Megalon was pretty much enjoying this, he and Gigan shared the iconic scene of a monster high five, claw to drill. Of course, Godzilla appeared, scaring the living daylights out of both Gigan and Megalon. What would follow is the famous 2 on 2 tag team battle. Gigan is a cunning monster, even teaching Megalon the trick of playing dead. Of course, being a bit on the cowardly side, the cyborg doesn't hesitate to take hostages, case in point when he grabbed Jet Jaguar and threatened to cut his head off to Godzilla. What follows is another humiliating scene as Godzilla just plainly blasts him away. The roles would be kinda reverse when Jet Jaguar breaks Gigan's arm and grabs him like a police offiver would a robber. Eventually he would retreat into space since Megalon was defeated. However, that wouldn't be the end for our cyborg friend...

Gigan would have a true one-on-one fight with Godzilla in the show Zone Fighter. Here he's given an upgrade by having parachutes. Yes, it looks cheesy as heck. See, Gigan thinks he's pretty awesome. After he lands, he tries to 'impress' Godzilla by slashing some rocks. Of course he's knocked down by G in the next minute. At least here the cyborg shows some of his true strength. After Gigan puts up a decent fight, he is later confronted by Zone Fighter himself. After humiliating Zone Fighter for a bit, the latter finally destroyed him. Yup, Gigan wasn't destroyed with dignity in a movie by Godzilla, he was destroyed in a show by a second rate Ultraman.

That would be the end of the Showa incarnation of Gigan. While not the strongest of monsters from that era, he proved to be the most memorable. With his taunting gestures and cowardly tactics, you can never get bored of this guy. Despite all that, he's by far the most brutal when it comes to fights, right next to Destoroyah. He's the Nebulan's assassin, and we're left wondering why he doesn't ever use his eye laser. Could have been effective in these fights. Ah well, while he's been humiliated on more than one occasion, he's still a monster you do not want to mess with if you're a beginner at the system. He's quite the contrast from his calm and collective Final Wars counterpart. Still, there's no denying that the Showa version of Gigan is one awesome monster in design, concept, and persona.

Godzilla vs. Gigan Review

1972 and 1973 were two declining years for Godzilla. (It technically started with Revenge, but that one's stock footage was used in a dream.) This film started to go back to basics after the strange Godzilla vs. Hedorah. With director Jun Fukuda at the helm, you know we're in for light-toned adventure. Godzilla vs. Gigan is famous for a few different things, really great things. The only thing holding thing it back is its use of stock footage.

Official description from Sony TriStar:

Imagine the fun at the new, high-tech, Tokyo amusement park with its gargantuan make-believe monsters and mechanized rides. But this pastoral playground is nothing more than a staging ground for destruction as a strange group of orange-uniformed "men" unleash a force of devastation the likes of which has never been known. They call their insatiable monster robot Gigan , built specifically to destroy Godzilla. But there's more. To assist Gigan , they enlist the help of King Ghidorah , the infamous three-headed flying hydra. The forces Godzilla to recruit his former foe, the stegosaurus-like Anguirus, in what turns out to be the most radical monster tag-team match-up of all time.

With Jun Fukuda, you know exactly what to expect. All his Godzilla films have a very similar tone and atmosphere. Once again, alien invaders are used. What separates them from the other aliens in the previopus films is that their real forms are cockroaches. (They literally use real life cockroaches, no props there folks.) The characters are truly defined in their traits. The usual main character, a tough-willed female (who is a black belt in karate) an always worried girl, and what fans define as a 'hippie.' (Sunglasses, a goatee, and bananas, don't forget the bananas.) What this film is known best for (besides the debut of the always-awesome Gigan) is the long drawn out fight at the end. It goes on for about half an hour. It's great stuff, but the stock footage really does ruin it sometimes. I think it'd be best if I start talking about the very interesting cast.

Hiroshi Ishikawa portrays our main character, the manga artist Gengo. He's a fun character to watch on screen when there's no monsters around. Though one scene did bother me with him. When he and Tomoko were running up the stairs of the Godzilla tower, he trips amd says "I'm finished." Now that was strange, he was part of this grand plan, then he trips and says he's through? If the purpose was to make the viewer laugh, it succeeded. Then there's his (I presume) girlfriend Tomoko. A lovely fun character for sure. (A black belt in karate no less.) Who can't help but smirk at the scene where she walks in, beats three of the Nebulans up, and forces them to leave the house? Good stuff. Then there's Machicko and her 'hippie' friend. First off, Tomoko Umeda as Machiko gives a very likable and realistic performance. The only real problem is there's really no character development for her. She seems to know a few things, but the film doesn't explain her or her hippie friend much. Then there's the bananas, it was kinda interesting, if not a bit strange. (And then Gengo threw the banana before he had finished it.) Zan Fujita plays the main villain this time around, Chairman Fumio Shudo. He never left an impression on me the first couple times I saw the film, but now I see what a great antagonist he is. What separates him from the other alien leaders is how young he is. I personally think he was the best character in the whole thing, an underrated perforamce. (He's right up there next the Controller of Planet X and the Commander of the Aliens of the Thid Planet from the Black Hole.) And as usual, the monsters stole show, some with mixed results surprisingly.

The Godzilla suit is looking really outdated here. It looked great in DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, but in this film it looks extremely outdated. (It's hard to make out the eyes. I know it's night, but still.) King Ghidorah isn't looking much better. The wings barely flap at all, it had lost its menacing look after being used so many times. Gigan is the new monster this time around. It's no surprise that's he my favorite of them all. With an amazingly unique design and great personality, Gigan makes a fine addition to this franchise. (A giant cyborg chicken-looking thing from outer space with the personality of a serial killer? TOHO really knew how to make them.) The only thing missing is his laser beam, which was showed on the posters for the film. (It's beyond me on why it wasn't used.) But yeah, Gigan is a fantastic monster. (Some great shots of him with the fire from the burning buildings.)

The score is fantastic, done by Akira Ifukube, featuring-wait a second, then you remember one thing: this movie just has stock music. But it's Ifukube's best themes, it fits every single scene in the film well. Then at the same time it doesn't have an original soundtrack. But again at the same time, no other themes would fit the scenes like these do. The main thing about this film is the drawn-out fight at the end. There are wisley put human scenes in-between the fight so it doesn't lose its momentum. As for the actual fight, it's really fun. Sadly, the stock footage ruins it sometimes. Sometimes they work, (the stock footage in Monster Zero from Rodan) but not here. Day switches to night instantly, and the Godzilla suits switch from 64 to this one! Great scenes, such as Anguirus's famous attack on Ghidorah from DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, are used. It's almost a crime. What we do get in this fight is the use of blood, something the Godzilla films had barely used before. It's brutal, but man it's awesome. Of course, some scenes in the film actually re-used, it gets kinda annoying seeing Godzilla throw Ghidorah down three times in a roll. Now, the most infamous thing about this film is the 'monster dubbing.' Basically, in two scenes, the monsters are given voices. On Monster Island, it goes out like this...

"Hey Angilas!" 
"What do ya want?"
"Something funny's going on, you'd better check!"
"Oh yeah."
"Hurry up!"


Then in the water...
"Hey Angilas come on, there's a lot of trouble ahead! We gotta hurry!"
"Okay."

Yeah it's kinda silly, but so awesome. How can one not smile at these scenes? Never gets old.

Overall, Godzilla vs. Gigan is fun little film. It has a fun cast and great monsters. (Minus the Godzilla and Ghidorah suits.) The pacing isn't that bad, the story is fun enough to keep the viewer invested with a great final fight. Unfortunately, it can't get the rating it was supposed to achieve cause of the overuse of stock footage. Either way, Godzilla vs. Gigan is a fun entry in the Godzilla franchise.

7.5/10.

Destoroyah!

Greetings all. Normally I don't write about what's up with me, the last time I did was my Irene post last year. After all, the title of this blog is 'Destroyer's Editorials and Reviews.' But I'll take a short break to talk about my latest addition to my collections: a Destoroyah figure. Normally I wouldn't talk about me getting something new as a blog post, but I thought this would be a fun little entry, plus it's Godzilla related.

I was maybe seven when I walked into the now deceased KB Toys at the Staten Island Mall. I was into action figures, plastic swords, and all that good stuff at that age. I believe it was my mom who called me over to the back section of the small store. When I got there I was face to face with a bunch of Godzilla Bandai figures, $9.99 each. I had always liked Godzilla, but I never owned any figures. I saw the Godzilla 54 one, and I grabbed it. I believe my mom said something like how I should get someone more unique looking and found a Gigan one. I don't remember if I was a big fan of Gigan as I am now, but I ended up getting both. I don't remember if they had Ghidorah or Rodan, but I know they had Rainbow Mothra. After that, I never got another one. For some reason, I was more interested in getting plastic swords and lightsabers than those figures, probably because they weren't meant to play around with that much, and I wanted them to move around. Of course, this was back when I didn't appreciate the term 'collection.'

Fast forward many years later, and I begin to see the error of my ways. Today, good luck trying to find any Godzilla figure in stores. Today, they have become something of a collector's item. If I could rewind time, I would have bought more of those instead of a lightsaber which broke down two years later. It's pretty much impossible to find any for $9.99. Over the past two years I've gained a better appreciation for the franchise, even more so than when I first started watching the films. As a fan, I wanted to get more figures, but the prices were against me. (The Mecha King Ghidorah I've been dying to get is $65.) I put it to the side, but the thought of getting a new Godzilla figure was always on the back of my mind. Recently I've been selling some of my old video games to buy batches of comics over at MyComicShop.com, it  occurred to me what else I've been wanting could I get with the extra money from the sold games? So it hit me I could get a Godzilla figure to add to my collection of two so it could make three. Obviously I couldn't afford the Mecha King Ghidorah one, so what next? I thought about getting the Final Wars Gigan one, but I already had a Gigan, I needed something new. What to get that would look really nice next to my other two figures.....how about my second favorite kaiju?

Destoroyah.

On Amazon, I found the Bandai Destoroyah one for $30. That was disappointing. However, one rule of the internet is to always check the other place if Amazon fails, Ebay. After some searching, I found the same one from Amazon for, get this, $20. In pretty awesome condition. I placed the order Sunday night, and I got it today. It truly felt good to hold the high quality figure, then placing it next to my Godzilla and Gigan was gold. So after about eight years or more, I had finally gotten a new Godzilla figure. The Bandai 7 inch Destoroyah figure is truly awesome, it feels good to own it.

Yes, that's my nice little collection.

I don't buy action figures anymore, just the Godzilla statue figurines. Usually I don't go spending on stuff besides the weekly comics, but I made an exception for the Destoroyah figure. Isn't it a wonderful looking thing? Godzilla figures today are hard to find for a good price, and I probably won't buy another anytime soon, but I'm content with the stuff in that picture. I will get that Mecha King Ghidorah one, someday.

Since getting the Destoroyah figure, I decided that a celebration was in order. What better way than to make a video tribute to his debut film? Here we go.

Thanks for reading!