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*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' was the last Godzilla film staff members from the original ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' worked on, namely producer [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] and composer [[Akira Ifukube]]. While Ifukube's themes have appeared in Godzilla films since then, they have all been preexisting recordings.
*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' was the last Godzilla film staff members from the original ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' worked on, namely producer [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] and composer [[Akira Ifukube]]. While Ifukube's themes have appeared in Godzilla films since then, they have all been preexisting recordings.
*In [[Kenkichi Yamane]]'s room, there is a bulletin board containing stills from various past ''Godzilla'' films, including several from the [[Showa era|Showa series]].
*In [[Kenkichi Yamane]]'s room, there is a bulletin board containing stills from various past ''Godzilla'' films, including several from the [[Showa era|Showa series]].
*There are two tributes to the original film's opening in the opening of ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. It opens with two of Godzilla's footsteps and then his roar, just like in the original film. During the opening sequence when Godzilla attacks Hong Kong, when the main title plays, it starts with the title card of the original, only for it to explode and be consumed by the oxygen destroyer, of which's descent is followed by the real title.
*There are two tributes to the original film's opening in the opening of ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. It opens with two of Godzilla's footsteps followed by his roar, just like in the original film. During the opening sequence when Godzilla attacks [[Hong Kong]], the title card of the original film appears onscreen, only to subsequently explode and become consumed by the [[Oxygen Destroyer]], followed by this film's title.
 
==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cju6x_godzilla-vs-destoroyah-promo-thing_shortfilms Advertisement for Marketing Film's DVD]
*[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cju6x_godzilla-vs-destoroyah-promo-thing_shortfilms Advertisement for Marketing Film's DVD]

Revision as of 22:59, 5 August 2019

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Image gallery for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Credits for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah soundtrack


Godzilla Films
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
GODZILLA (1998)
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
See alternate titles
The Japanese poster for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Directed by Takao Okawara
Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, Shogo Tomiyama
Written by Kazuki Omori
Music by Akira Ifukube
Distributor TohoJP
TriStar PicturesUS
Rating Not Rated
Budget ¥1,000,000,000
Box office ¥2,000,000,000
Running time 103 minutesJP
(1 hour, 43 minutes)
101 minutesUS
(1 hour, 41 minutes)
Aspect ratio 1.85:1
Rate this film!
4.52
(107 votes)


Godzilla dies (ゴジラ死す)
„ 

— Tagline

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (ゴジラVSデストロイア,   Gojira tai Desutoroia) is a 1995 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho, and the twenty-second installment in the Godzilla series, as well as the seventh and final in the Heisei series. The film was released to Japanese theaters on December 9, 1995.[1]

Plot

The film takes place in 1996, after the death of SpaceGodzilla. Birth Island is found destroyed with Godzilla nowhere in sight. His adopted son, LittleGodzilla, is presumed dead. Meanwhile, all is well in Hong Kong, but Godzilla, covered in glowing lava-like rashes proceeds to attack Kai Tak Airport and menace the aircraft there, before wiping out the seafront area of Hong Kong with repeated blasts of his Atomic Spiral Ray. G-Force representatives hire college student Kenkichi Yamane, adopted grandson of Dr. Yamane who witnessed the original Godzilla in 1954, to come work at the center in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Godzilla's condition.

Yamane suspects that due to his out of control radioactivity, Godzilla will soon explode, taking the rest of the world with him. G-Force immediately deploys a flying combat vehicle outfitted with anti-nuclear cold weapons to forestall the event; the Super X III. Meanwhile, in the construction area where the original Godzilla died, strange life forms begin to rise, and a host of deadly creatures called Destoroyah begin wreaking havoc. Soil samples reveal that the existence of Destoroyah is directly connected to the Oxygen Destroyer used against Godzilla in 1954, which mutated Precambrian era life forms. After several deadly skirmishes with the Japanese Self Defense Force, the Destoroyah evolve beyond the JSDF's containment abilities. The UNGCC tasks psychic Miki Saegusa with using her diminishing powers to lure Godzilla's son to the area in an attempt to combat Destoroyah in Tokyo. As Miki searches for LittleGodzilla, it at first seems as if he died in the the explosion which destroyed Birth Island. However, he surfaces off the coast of Kyushu, having grown further into Godzilla Junior, scaring tourists away as he continues his journey north towards the Bering Strait. Godzilla, who is tracking his offspring, follows Junior and will soon arrive in as well, but complications arise. Due to his encounter with the Super X III, Godzilla has now bypassed an explosion and will ultimately melt down once 1200 degrees Celsius has been reached; an event that will burn straight into the core of the planet and destroy all of Earth.

The first time the monsters fight, Junior is grievously wounded but manages to destroy his opponent. However, as Godzilla and Junior meet in Narita, Destoroyah returns in his final form: a monstrous gargoyle-like creature. Swooping down upon the surprised monsters, Destoroyah knocks down Godzilla and snatches the little Godzilla away; dropping the small creature onto the Ariake Coliseum below and blasting him with micro-oxygen, killing him. Enraged, Godzilla attacks Destoroyah and a back and forth battle ensues that destroys much of Tokyo. Born from the weapon that first defeated Godzilla, Destoroyah shows an obvious advantage from the start, but Godzilla's runaway radioactivity has pushed the monster's power to unimaginable levels and he soon destroys his son's killer. Unwilling to die easily, Destoroyah's body decomposes into many smaller Destoroyah which attempt to swarm Godzilla from all sides, but the attack ends in futility when Godzilla uses his Nuclear pulse to incinerate the miniature Destroroyahs.

Alone at last, Godzilla attempts to breathe life into his fallen son, but to no avail, and even as he grieves, Godzilla's heart continues to fail, causing even more pain within the monster. Suddenly, Destoroyah returns in his final form for one last attack. The battle is short but fierce; enraged by the loss of his offspring and maddened by the pain within him, Godzilla drives Destoroyah back to the brink of death as Tokyo is bathed in fire. As the battle reaches fever pitch, the ghastly creature attempts to flee, but just as Destoroyah lifts off, the Super X3 attacks and disables the creature's wings, causing Destoroyah to plummet back to Earth where he explodes and is consumed in a fiery inferno at Godzilla's feet.

His son gone and his foe defeated, Godzilla stands alone and dying, but the human race cannot afford to give Godzilla a quiet funeral. As the monster begins to melt, the JSDF bombards the dying beast with a plethora of ice weapons, successfully neutralizing the immense heat that is given off and preventing Godzilla's remains from melting into the center of the Earth and igniting the planet.

The victory is a costly one, however, for the radiation has made Tokyo an uninhabitable ghost town. Suddenly, radiation levels begin to drop, and from within the thinning smoke a roar can be heard. The younger Godzilla rises from the ashes a child no more. In death, Godzilla had passed on his excess radiation and life essence as a final gift to his son, reviving and mutating the next generation. A spitting image of his father, the new adult Godzilla flexes his claws and bellows a challenge to the world, preparing to take his father's place as the greatest force of nature ever born.

Staff

Main article: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah/Credits.

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Main article: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah/Credits.

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Takuro Tatsumi   as   Dr. Kensaku Ijuin, Physicist for the National Physical and Chemical Research Institute
  • Yoko Ishino   as   Yukari Yamane, newscaster
  • Yasufumi Hayashi   as   Kenkichi Yamane
  • Megumi Odaka   as   Miki Saegusa, Director of the Psychic Center
  • Sayaka Osawa   as   Meru Ozawa, G-Summit American Information Officer
  • Takehiro Murata   as   Soichiro Hayami, TV station director
  • Satoru Saito   as   Nanjo, TV station cameraman
  • Sei Hiraizumi   as   Ueda, Director of the Cabinet Research Office
  • Jun Fujimaki   as   Okazaki, Ground Self-Defense Force
  • Takehiko Ono   as   Murata, Ground Self-Defense Force
  • Koichi Ueda   as   Takao Tayama, night watchman at Shinagawa Aquarium
  • Masahiro Takashima   as   Commander Sho Kuroki, Defense Agency Director General Special Operations Room Third Specialist
  • Momoko Kochi   as   Emiko Yamane
  • Akira Nakao   as   Colonel Takaki Aso, G-Force Commander
  • Shigeru Koyama   as   General Goto, Ground Self-Defense Force
  • Saburo Shinoda   as   U.N.G.C.C. Secretary Mitsuru Kunitomo, Chariman of the G-Summit
  • Koichi Nihei   as   Nakamura
  • Kanzo Ogihara   as   Nomura
  • Kensuke Aoshima   as   Super X3 pilot
  • Hiroji Kawazaki   as   Super X3 navigator
  • Noriko Wakihama   as   JBS TV AD
  • Ronald Hoerr   as   Marvin
  • Minoru Ishikawa   as   Maser Cannon soldier
  • Motohiro Toriki   as   G-Force Command Room personnel
  • Masaru Sakurai   as   G-Force Command Room personnel
  • Tetsuhiro Hosono   as   G-Force Command Room personnel
  • Tsuyoshi Yasuku   as   G-Force correspondent
  • Shelley Sweeney   as   Pentagon official
  • Daisuke Odera   as   National Public Safety Commissioner
  • Tatsuya Kanno   as   Police officer
  • Kenji Ezure   as   Policeman in the street
  • Tamio Sato   as   Policeman
  • Norizaku Kinoshita   as   Shinagawa Aquarium staff member
  • Takami Morioka   as   SWAT Team member
  • Shinichi Shimizu   as   SWAT Team member
  • Yoshiyuki Takaichi   as   SWAT Team member
  • Akio Endo   as   SWAT Team member
  • Eiji Kamata   as   SWAT Team member

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Takashi Odajima   as   SWAT Team member
  • Takeshi Masushima   as   SWAT Team member
  • Keiji Tsuji   as   SWAT Team member
  • Bimutsumi Nakamura   as   SWAT Team member
  • Yasushi Kobayashi   as   SWAT Team member
  • Hiromu Nakagawa   as   SWAT Team member
  • Hideaki Ishikawa   as   SWAT Team member
  • Ryo Fujita   as   SWAT Team member
  • Takayasu Kinoshita   as   SWAT Team member
  • Takeshi Azuma   as   SWAT Team member
  • Noboyuki Kawai   as   SWAT Team member
  • Munenori Kano   as   SWAT Team member
  • Keisuke Kajita   as   SWAT Team member
  • Yusuke Nakagawa   as   SWAT Team member
  • Kenji Ochi   as   SWAT Team member
  • Masazumi Nitanda   as   Temporary headquarters member
  • Daikichi Sugawara   as   Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line construction supervisor
  • Seiroku Nakazawa   as   Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line construction leader
  • Santaro Mitsui   as   Reporter
  • Naomi Uemara   as   Reporter
  • John Callock   as   KA 1079 pilot
  • Fan Lo Chi   as   KA 1079 copilot
  • Chang Hsao Shing   as   Kai Tak Airport controller
  • Kazuko Okada   as   Nuclear Plant scientist
  • Eijiro Akimoto   as   Director General of Nuclear Power Station, Science and Technology Agency
  • Yoshio Sakai   as   Director of Defense Agency
  • Tokuji Nakura   as   Defense Agency police officer
  • Tetsuro Ogasawara   as   Director of National Agency for Disaster Prevention
  • Junko Murakami   as   Dr. Ijuin's laboratory assistant
  • Toyohiro Yuki   as   Dr. Ijuin's laboratory assistant
  • Kunihiko Hisa   as   Earth environmental scientist
  • Akihiko Hirata   as   Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (stock footage, uncredited)
  • Takashi Shimura   as   Dr. Kyohei Yamane (photograph, uncredited)
  • Toyoaki Suzuki   as   Shinkichi Yamane (photograph, uncredited)
  • Kenpachiro Satsuma   as   Burning Godzilla
  • Eiichi Yanagida   as   Aggregate Destoroyah
  • Ryo Hariya   as   Perfect Destoroyah
  • Hurricane Ryu Hariken   as   Godzilla Junior

Appearances

Monsters

Weapons, Vehicles, and Races

Gallery

Main article: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Soundtrack).

Alternate Titles

  • Godzilla vs. Destroyah (Alternate Spelling)
  • Dinosaur Empire (恐龍帝國; Taiwan)
  • Godzilla the Final Chapter: Deadly Battle of the Century (哥斯拉完結篇之世紀必殺陣; Hong Kong)
  • Godzilla Against the Space Destroyer (Godzila protiv svemirskog razarača; Yugoslavia)
  • Godzilla Against Absolute Destroyer (Γκοτζίλα Εναντίον Απόλυτου Καταστροφέα Nkotzíla Enantíon Apólytou Katastroféa; Greece)

Theatrical Releases

View all posters for the film here.

  • Japan - December 9, 1995[1]   [view poster]Japanese poster
  • Hong Kong   [view poster]Chinese poster
  • Thailand   [view poster]Thai poster

U.S. Release

American Godzilla vs. Destoroyah VHS cover

After Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was released in Japan, Toho commissioned Omni Productions, a Hong Kong company, to dub the film into English. In this international version of the movie, an English title card was superimposed over the Japanese title, as had been done with the previous 1990's Godzilla films and would be done for every film since.

TriStar Pictures (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment) released Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah to home video on January 19, 1999. This was the first time either film had been officially released in the United States. TriStar used the Toho international dubs, but cut the end credits and created new titles and opening credits for both films. In 2002, both films were released together on DVD in a double feature, but the films themselves were essentially identical to the earlier VHS releases. The complete Toho international version of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah has been broadcast on several premium movie channels since the early 2000's. In 2014, Sony released Godzilla vs. Destoroyah on Blu-ray in a double feature with Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. This release included the original Japanese audio track as well as the uncut end credits. It also featured the international title card.

Box Office

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah had a budget of ¥1,000,000,000, or roughly $10,000,000. When the film was released in Japan on December 9, 1995, it received an attendance of 4,000,000 and earned ¥2,000,000,000, or $18,000,000.

Reception

Critical reaction to the film has been mostly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes it currently holds a fresh score of 90%. 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'." 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." Japan Hero called the film "a work of art" and "a must see for anyone who loves Godzilla" that features "something for everyone." Stomp Tokyo gave the film a 4/5 and calls it "a big sparkly show with lots of stuff happening on screen." 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]."

Kazuo Miyauchi earned a Japanese Academy Prize nomination for Best Sound for his work on the film.[2] Chizuko Osada was nominated for Best Editing.

Video Releases

TriStar DVD (2000)[3]

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Stereo)
  • Special Features: None
  • Other Details: Packaged with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Also included in The Toho Godzilla Collection, Vol. 1.

Marketing-Film DVD (2002)

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Mono), German (2.0 Mono, 5.1 Surround)
  • Special Features: Complete English end credits, Japanese trailers for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, U.S. trailer for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
  • Notes: Includes German subtitles. Out of print.

Toho DVD (2002)

  • Region: 2
  • Audio: Japanese

Madman DVD (2006)

Toho Blu-ray (2010)

  • Region: A/1
  • Audio: Japanese

Sony Blu-ray (2014)[4]

  • Region: A/1
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: Japanese (2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Surround), English (2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Surround)
  • Special Features: Three trailers for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and two trailers for Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.
  • Notes: Includes French subtitles. Packaged with Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.

Videos

Trailers

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese trailer
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Taiwanese trailer
Japanese "Godzilla 7" teaser
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #1
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #2
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #3
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #4
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese TV spots
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Japanese TV promo

Miscellaneous

CNN report on Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Behind-the-scenes footage

Trivia

  • Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was originally intended to be the last Japanese Godzilla film until 2005. However, Toho saw an opportunity to produce a new film in the wake of the widespread negative reaction to TriStar Pictures' 1998 American GODZILLA film, and brought the series out of retirement early with Godzilla 2000: Millennium in 1999.
  • The producer and creator of Godzilla Tomoyuki Tanaka sadly died about 2 years after the film was finished.
  • Momoko Kochi, who had played the lead female role of Emiko Yamane in the original 1954 film, returned in this film to reprise the character. But it was her final film role, and she died three years later due to intestinal cancer.
  • Akira Ifukube, who composed music for countless Godzilla films since the original film, returned as the music composer in this film. It was his final film score, although his numerous pieces continue to be used in Toho's films to the present day. He died almost 11 years after the film was finished due to multiple organ failure.
  • Both the opening scene and finale of this film take place at or near an airport; Kai Tak Airport in the opening, and Haneda Airport during the final battle.
  • Due to the extreme amount of energy and radiation Godzilla controls due to his impending meltdown, this is the only film in the Heisei era in which Godzilla does not use his standard Atomic Breath, instead being limited to using the far-more-powerful Spiral Ray.
  • This film is the only film in the entire Heisei era in which Godzilla doesn't fight his opponent more than once. All of the previous films in the Heisei era feature Godzilla engaging in at least one rematch with his opponents.
  • An alternate ending for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was filmed and scrapped. Destoroyah attempted to escape once Godzilla gained the upper hand, but the JSDF shot him down. Godzilla, despite suffering from his meltdown, continued to battle the monster. Godzilla quickly overpowered Destoroyah, grabbing him by his horn and pummeling him repeatedly. As Godzilla's life melts away, the JSDF rain their ULT weapons upon him, as well as Destoroyah. Unable to stand against the immense heat of Godzilla's meltdown and the freezing coldness of the ULT lasers, Destoroyah falls and evaporates. The scene was replaced because it was thought to be inappropriate, since Godzilla's foreseen death was to be the climax of the movie. So the scene was re-edited to have Destoroyah die after the JSDF intervenes, and allow Godzilla to have center stage as he melts down.
  • The Godzilla suit used for this film was modified from the MogeGoji suit used the previous year for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. The modified suit was nicknamed the "DesuGoji."
  • The sequence in this film where the metropolitan police battle the Juvenile forms of Destoroyah was influenced by Aliens.[5]
  • Toho used many different publicity stunts in an attempt to fuel the rumors that the Godzilla series was indeed concluded with this film. For example, Toho had the "Big Pool," a stunt pool used in the filming of almost every one of Toho's special effects-based movies since the 1960's, paved over and converted into a parking lot. In addition, special effects director Koichi Kawakita, who had worked on all of Godzilla's films since 1989, announced that he would be retiring from Toho and going to work as a designer at Bandai.
  • The theme for Godzilla's requiem in the film is actually a medley piece that Akira Ifukube created using various other pieces of music he had composed for Toho. The opening to the theme is a remake of a piece from the Yakuza film The Big Boss, which was also used in the opening to Godzilla vs. Gigan, and the music also fittingly features sections of Rodan's death theme from his debut film.[6]
  • The advance poster for this film painted by Noriyoshi Ohrai is the only one in the Heisei series which depicts Godzilla in the background and his opponent in the foreground. The idea behind this is that although Destoroyah is an evil monster, Godzilla's meltdown could possibly destroy the planet, therefore he is, as the poster suggests, the real threat.
  • Shortly after this film was finished, Toho actually held a funeral for Godzilla.
  • Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was the last Godzilla film staff members from the original Godzilla worked on, namely producer Tomoyuki Tanaka and composer Akira Ifukube. While Ifukube's themes have appeared in Godzilla films since then, they have all been preexisting recordings.
  • In Kenkichi Yamane's room, there is a bulletin board containing stills from various past Godzilla films, including several from the Showa series.
  • There are two tributes to the original film's opening in the opening of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. It opens with two of Godzilla's footsteps followed by his roar, just like in the original film. During the opening sequence when Godzilla attacks Hong Kong, the title card of the original film appears onscreen, only to subsequently explode and become consumed by the Oxygen Destroyer, followed by this film's title.

External Links

References

This is a list of references for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

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