GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

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GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters soundtrack


Godzilla films
Shin Godzilla
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
See alternate titles
Japanese poster for GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
Directed by Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita
Producer Keiji Ota et al.
Written by Gen Urobuchi
Music by Takayuki Hattori
Funded by Toho
Production company Polygon Pictures
Distributor TOHO Visual EntertainmentJP, Netflixint'l
Rating TV-14US[1]
Box office ¥342.3 million[2]
Running time 89 minutes
(1 hour, 29 minutes)
Aspect ratio 1.78:1
Rate this film!
2.85
(112 votes)

We will definitely take back this <Earth> (この〈地球〉を必ず取り戻す)
„ 

— Tagline

Despair evolves (絶望は進化する)
„ 

— Tagline

Who will be eradicated, man, or Godzilla? (滅びるのは、人か、ゴジラか。)
„ 

— Tagline

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (GODZILLA 怪獣惑星,   Gojira: Kaijū Wakusei) is an anime science fiction kaiju film directed by Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and written by Gen Urobuchi. Produced by Toho and animated by Polygon Pictures, it is the first installment in a trilogy of animated Godzilla films and the 32nd Godzilla film overall, as well as the second in the Reiwa series. It stars the voices of Mamoru Miyano, Takahiro Sakurai, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Yuki Kaji, Junichi Suwabe, Daisuke Ono, and Kenta Miyake. The film was released to Japanese theaters by TOHO Visual Entertainment on November 17, 2017, and became available to stream worldwide on Netflix on January 17, 2018.[3]

Planet of the Monsters follows young Captain Haruo Sakaki, who lives aboard the Interstellar Emigration Ship Aratrum 22 years after humanity abandoned the Earth to Godzilla. Blaming Godzilla for the deaths of his parents, Haruo drafts up a plan showing how Godzilla could have been defeated years ago. He gets his chance when the Aratrum's Central Committee votes to make a return mission to Earth when their destination of Tau Ceti e proves uninhabitable and Godzilla is found to still be alive on Earth. Haruo's plan is put into action as a brigade is sent to Earth to eliminate Godzilla. However, the soldiers find that 20,000 years have passed and the Earth they left behind has become an alien planet with its ecosystem built around Godzilla. Furthermore, they cannot be sure if the Godzilla they are facing is the same Godzilla which drove them from the planet in the first place.

Planet of the Monsters was followed by GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle in 2018.

Description

English synopsis from the film's official website:

The final summer of the 20th century... when mankind learns it is no longer the sole ruler of planet Earth.

The planet is beset by the emergence of colossal creatures that roam the earth, and king among them is "Godzilla." For a half a century, these beasts engage in ferocious battle with each other and mankind. But humans, unable to compete, prepare for exile from their home planet. In the year 2048, a select few humans are chosen by the central government's artificial intelligence infrastructure to set out on an interstellar emigration vessel, the Aratrum, on an 11.9-lightyear journey for the planet Tau-e in the Cetus constellation. But when they arrive after 20 years of space travel, the remnants of mankind find the environmental conditions on Tau-e to be much different than expected, and basically uninhabitable by humans.

One youth on board the emigration vessel, Haruo, had seen his parents killed by Godzilla before his eyes when he was only 4 years old. Ever since, he has thought of nothing but returning to Earth to defeat Godzilla. With the doors to emigration now closed, Haruo and other crew spearhead a “return to Earth” decision despite severely attenuated and hazardous conditions on board for such a long trip back.

Somehow, the Aratrum makes the return journey in one piece, but the home they return to has become an alien planet. 20,000 years have elapsed, and a new ecosystem has emerged with Godzilla atop the food chain. Can mankind take back its native planet? Will Haruo get his revenge?[4]

English synopsis of the film from Netflix:

A desperate group of refugees attempts to recolonize Earth 20,000 years after Godzilla took over. But one young man wants revenge above all else.[5]

Plot

At the dawn of the 21st century, the Earth became overrun by terrifying gigantic creatures known as kaiju. Humanity's military might was no match for these beasts, and millions of people perished at their hands. The most infamous among the kaiju was Godzilla, an unstoppable monster that killed everything in his path, be it monster or man. An alien race known as the Exif arrived on the Earth during this time, aiming to convert humanity to its religion in its time of great despair. This was followed by the appearance of the Bilusaludo, a technologically advanced race seeking to immigrate to Earth following the destruction of their home planet. The Bilusaludo promised that if humanity would grant them asylum on the Earth, they would rid the planet of Godzilla. By 2046, the Bilusaludo were close to completing their ultimate anti-Godzilla weapon: Mechagodzilla. However, Godzilla breached the facility in Hamamatsu before Mechagodzilla could be activated, and the Bilusaludo were forced to abandon their creation. This decisive defeat of the United Earth at Godzilla's hands was the final straw, and the planet's central government organized a desperate plan to evacuate 15,000 humans from the planet and search for a new homeworld elsewhere in the universe. 10,000 passengers boarded the Oratio, bound for Kepler-452, while another 5,000 were to board the Aratrum, bound for Tau Ceti-e. As young Haruo Sakaki was being escorted onto the Aratrum by Daichi Tani, he witnessed Godzilla appear over the horizon and obliterate one of the shuttles heading toward the ship with his atomic breath. The shuttle crashed to the ground and destroyed the bus carrying Haruo's parents to the ship. Haruo never forgot what happened to his parents, and developed a burning desire to avenge their deaths and destroy Godzilla.

Approximately 22 years after the Aratrum fled the Earth, it finally reaches the target destination of Tau-e. The ship's passengers have dwindled to 4,000, and resources are becoming extremely scarce. A Landing Ship carrying many elderly passengers, including Daichi Tani, is prepared to descend to the planet's surface to determine if it is inhabitable. Haruo, now a captain aboard the ship, believes that the Central Committee aims to rid the Aratrum of its elderly population and is sending these passengers to their deaths. Taking matters into his own hands, Haruo seals himself with a large amount of explosives inside a Landing Ship and threatens to set them off if the landing mission isn't called off. Haruo is contacted by Daichi Tani, who explains that he and the other passengers volunteered for this mission because they are too old and tired to continue living aboard the Aratrum. In Tani's own words, he would prefer to finally die on land rather than in space. Haruo begs his adoptive grandfather not to go through with the mission, but soldiers breach the Landing Ship and arrest Haruo. Haruo can only watch helplessly from a prison cell as the Landing Ship explodes upon entering Tau-e's atmosphere. Metphies, an Exif archbishop and colonel aboard the ship, enters Haruo's cell and says he has come to hear his confession, but in reality is there to give Haruo classified data regarding Godzilla so he can complete his anti-Godzilla plan. Haruo believes that with the right strategy, humanity could have defeated Godzilla 22 years ago, but instead chose to retreat and leave the planet at his mercy. He aims to prove that Godzilla could be defeated, and anonymously publishes his anti-Godzilla plan aboard the ship. Meanwhile, the Central Committee convenes to discuss measures since Tau-e is confirmed to be uninhabitable. Endurph, the Exif cardinal, says that their computer, the Gematron, calculates that the Aratrum could successfully make the return trip to Earth instantaneously using its hyperdrives. The Committee weighs the possibility of returning to Earth, and rumors of a return to Earth begin spreading across the ship, along with Haruo's anti-Godzilla plan. Metphies visits the cabin of Bilusaludo technical officer Mulu-elu Galu-gu to discuss the proposed return to Earth. Galu-gu says he has read over the latest published version of Haruo's plan, and by the time he accessed it it already had over 400 views. Galu-gu says he finds the plan interesting and admires Haruo's determination, but thinks that even if this strategy had been employed 22 years ago, humanity still would have been unable to defeat Godzilla. He says that in that case, the Exif still would have been unable to conquer the Earth by brainwashing humanity using their religion. Metphies counters and says that had the Bilusaludo successfully completed Mechagodzilla and killed Godzilla with it, they would simply have turned it against humanity next. Both aliens agree that these scenarios are simply a matter of what-ifs from a time long past, and they are in the same situation as humanity now.

Eventually, the Central Committee approves the plan to return to Earth, and activates the Aratrum's hyperdrives. The ship emerges from hyperspace completely intact, and finds itself just outside of Earth's orbit. Reconnaissance Drones are sent into the planet's atmosphere to analyze the environment. The analysis concludes that at least 10,000 years have passed on Earth, and that the environmental conditions have changed considerably. Strange metallic particles float through the atmosphere, and a great deal of fog obscures the drones' vision. One drone detects seismic activity in a forested area of what once was Japan, and manages to capture the unmistakable roar of Godzilla just before going offline. Takeshi J. Hamamoto tries to suggest that the sound was caused by wind or some other natural cause, but Unberto Mori angrily declares that no one could ever forget Godzilla's roar. The Committee convenes to discuss further options since Godzilla is apparently still alive on the planet. Professor Martin Lazzari says that Godzilla may have survived all this time by undergoing periodic cycles of dormancy every few millennia, or that he somehow multiplied and only one individual is left. He also raises the possibility that Godzilla is simply immortal, as his existence already defies every existing law of biology. Metphies tells the Committee that he is prepared to reveal the author of the anti-Godzilla plan under two conditions. One, the Committee must drop all charges for leaking classified information; and two, Captain Haruo Sakaki must be released on bail. The Committee agrees, and Haruo is set free and allowed to propose his plan to the Central Committee. Haruo states that Godzilla's invincibility is derived from his asymmetrically permeable shield, an electromagnetic defense mechanism deployed from his body. He is certain that the shield is produced by a specific organ, and if they pay close attention when Godzilla deploys it, they may be able to pinpoint the organ's location. Haruo notes that the shield produces a noise when it deploys, and that if they can isolate the noise and play it back, they can determine at what exact points the shield collapses and redeploys. When the shield is down, they need to destroy the organ and send an EMP Probe into Godzilla's body before the organ regenerates. This theoretically should cause Godzilla's body to become overloaded with electromagnetic energy and make him explode. Haruo says that he will need at least 600 men to carry out the mission, which the Committee reluctantly grants.

Four companies of soldiers are deployed to the Earth's surface in Landing Ships, under the command of Colonel Eliott Leland. Haruo accompanies the expedition aboard a ship piloted by Leland, Metphies, and Major Rilu-elu Belu-be, still bound in handcuffs. Landing Ships begin dropping Thermo-Pressure Warheads onto the forest below to clear space for the ships to land. Haruo's company, Company A, touches down in a clearing while Companies B, C, and D station themselves near the old Tanzawa Pass to prepare the anti-Godzilla operation. Professor Martin requests permission from Leland to lead a scientific expedition into the forest to study the flora and fauna. Leland grants him a small number of soldiers to accompany him, while Haruo insists on coming as well. Leland agrees, but orders Sergeant Yuko Tani to watch over him. Haruo is shocked that Yuko, whose grandfather Daichi raised them both as children, volunteered for the mission. Yuko explains that she wanted a chance to meet with Haruo in person after her grandfather's death. She says that the Committee claimed it removed all of the explosives that Haruo had threatened to detonate, but that they were all still unaccounted for on the ship. She wonders if the Committee really did plan to reduce its elderly population and placed those explosives on Daichi's Landing Ship to ensure that the expedition would never return. Haruo says he wants to believe that the Committee isn't that corrupt, because he hates himself for not being able to trust his fellow man. He angrily says that Godzilla didn't just rob humanity of their home, but of basic human compassion and decency as well. While exploring the forest, Martin discovers that the plants are almost metallic, and their leaves are as sharp as razors. The team eventually comes upon what appear to be ruined buildings. Yuko is astonished to see a glimpse at humanity's old civilization for the first time in her life. Martin states that the buildings were able to be preserved because lichen used them as a seed bed, and the fungus was fossilized over time. Haruo falls to his knees and begins sobbing, saying that the Earth still remembered humanity after all this time. Meanwhile, a winged reptilian creature emerges from the forest with a soldier in its jaws and attacks Company A's base camp. The creature is joined by several more of its kind, which attack the soldiers. The soldiers open fire with their weapons and use Powered Suits to attack the monsters, but still suffer immense casualties. Martin and his team return to the camp and find the carcass of one of the creatures. Martin cuts off one of its teeth and brings it inside a Landing Ship for analysis. He determines using carbon dating that in reality nearly 20,000 years have passed on Earth. His analysis shows that both the creature and the plants from the forest share many similarities, and contain metallic material. He says that the winged creature in particular shares a large portion of its genome with Godzilla, and could be said to exist in the same family. The metallic particles in the atmosphere that produced the fog, he says, were most likely either pollen or chaff produced by the plants. Over the course of 20,000 years, Godzilla's DNA spread to the flora and fauna of Earth and created a new ecosystem built around his biology. Colonel Leland decides to abandon the mission, as the entire environment of Earth has become hostile and unsuitable for humanity. Haruo is infuriated and angrily pins Leland to a wall, saying that the Earth is still humanity's home. Leland says their best option is to colonize the moon and make occasional trips to Earth to obtain resources. Metphies agrees with Leland's plan, but points out that their Landing Ships were all damaged in the recent attack, and so they can't return to the Aratrum even if they want. Leland formulates a new plan to move through the Tanzawa Pass and join up with Companies B and C, then rendezvous with Company D to refuel and repair their Landing Ships and return to the Aratrum. Metphies says that their course is essentially identical to Haruo's original plan, but Leland makes it clear that they will make no attempt to draw out or engage Godzilla. In his words, this is simply a retreat mission.

Company A begins moving through the Tanzawa Pass, with its Landing Ship barely able to maintain flight. They are joined by Companies B and C as they begin to approach their destination. Aboard one of the ships, Metphies says that Haruo seems to be lost in thought. Haruo asks what the point of coming here was if they were just going to retreat again. Metphies says that neither Haruo nor Leland seem to understand Godzilla's purpose. He says that in the years the Exif have wandered through space, they have witnessed numerous civilizations like humanity meet their end at the hands of creatures similar to what humanity calls "Godzilla." Metphies believes that Godzilla is divine punishment for mankind's arrogance, and will never let them escape. True to Metphies' prediction, Godzilla appears near the pass and begins to approach. Leland orders all units to take evasive action, but Company A's Landing Ship begins to lose control and shows a risk of exploding. Metphies sets Haruo free of his bonds and tells him to do what his soul commands. Haruo boards a Hover Bike aboard the ship while Yuko, Metphies, and Martin evacuate the ship. Haruo takes off just as the ship explodes, and begins firing his Hover Bike's guns at Godzilla. Martin says that the bike can't do enough damage to provoke Godzilla to use his shield, so Haruo flies the bike high into the air and prepares to nose-dive directly into Godzilla. Just before Haruo can crash into Godzilla, a Multipodal Battery piloted by Leland opens fire on Godzilla. Haruo diverts his course and watches as Leland bombards Godzilla with artillery. Godzilla deploys his shield and fires his atomic breath at the Battery, killing Leland. Using data collected from the encounter, Galu-gu is able to pinpoint Godzilla's electromagnetic organ as existing in his dorsal plates. The remaining units assemble in a clearing, while Metphies contacts the Central Committee to inform them of Leland's death. Metphies assumes command of the mission, but tells the Committee that he will need to designate his authority to Haruo. The Committee tells Metphies to do whatever it takes to bring as many people back as possible. Metphies addresses the surviving soldiers and informs them that Haruo is now the commander of the operation. Haruo addresses the crowd next, and says that although their situation is dire, they can be proud as long as they do not yield to Godzilla. All they need to do, he says, is finish this battle, and end Godzilla's reign over the Earth. Haruo's plan is put back into action, with Galu-gu moving the explosive traps deeper into the pass and Belu-be and Adam Bindewald leading a fleet of Hover Bikes to draw Godzilla there. Multipodal Batteries and Powered Suits are put in position just outside the pass, where they will attack Godzilla once the traps are sprung.

Belu-be and Adam lead the Hover Bikes to Godzilla's location and open fire, turning his trajectory toward the Tanzawa Pass. Some of the bikes are destroyed when they accidentally crash, while others are obliterated by Godzilla's atomic breath. A flock of the winged creatures flies out of the forest below and attacks the Hover Bikes, which are able to mostly evade them. Haruo contacts Belu-be and Adam and tells them that they need to draw Godzilla into the pass quickly. Belu-be reports that they have lost 10 bikes already and are running low on gas. Haruo tells Adam to break from the formation and assemble six ace pilots to take command of Landing Ships. The ships will fly in front of Godzilla and drop Thermo-Pressure Warheads, creating a path to lead him into the valley more quickly. He says that if the pilots know their ship is being targeted by Godzilla, to eject immediately. Galu-gu remarks that if the ships are destroyed, they will be stranded and have no way to get home. Haruo simply replies that they are already home. Adam complies and assembles six pilots, then takes command of one of the ships. The ships fly in front of Godzilla and drop the thermobaric bombs, which draw Godzilla into the valley. Adam notices Godzilla target his ship and ejects just as the ship is destroyed by Godzilla's atomic breath. Once Godzilla enters the target point, the explosive charges planted by Galu-gu's team are detonated, and the slopes surrounding the pass collapse onto Godzilla, burying him up to his chest in rubble. The Multipodal Batteries all begin opening fire on Godzilla, causing him to deploy his shield. The soldiers successfully isolate the noise generated by Godzilla's electromagnetic organ and play it back, allowing them to determine exactly when it will collapse. The Batteries open fire on Godzilla's back once the shield goes down, and destroy the organ. However, Godzilla's tissue regenerates in a matter of seconds, and the shield is restored. Haruo takes command of a Powered Suit and jumps onto Godzilla's back. He tells the artillery to open fire when the shield goes down, even though he could be hit by the attack as well. Galu-gu obliges, and the Batteries open fire on Godzilla's back again as soon as the shield collapses. The organ is destroyed again, and this time Haruo jams an EMP Probe into Godzilla's back. More Powered Suits follow, and numerous EMP Probes are sent into Godzilla's body. Godzilla begins breaking free of the rubble and forces several of the Powered Suits off of him. As the electromagnetic energy runs wild inside of Godzilla's body, he turns to Haruo and prepares to fire his atomic breath. Haruo exclaims that he has killed Godzilla, just as Godzilla completely explodes.

In the aftermath of the battle, Haruo and his allies stare at the remnants of Godzilla. Belu-be and Galu-gu remark that this creature truly was an unnatural monster. Professor Martin tells Haruo that in his opinion, the Godzilla they just killed probably isn't the same Godzilla that drove humanity from Earth in 2048. Haruo says that this Godzilla possessed the exact same appearance and abilities they had on record, but Martin says that is exactly why he thinks it is a different individual. Life is characterized by change and evolution, he says, and it is extremely unusual for a creature to remain completely unchanged for 20,000 years, especially one like Godzilla which has the ability to individually evolve. Martin proposes that this Godzilla was an offshoot of the original that inherited his form and abilities, and that for all they know there could still be more Godzillas in the world. Haruo is confident that they are prepared to confront more Godzillas if need be, because they just proved that Godzilla can be killed. Martin says he admires Haruo's confidence, but would prefer to never experience such a harrowing battle again. Suddenly, a powerful tremor causes the ground around them to shake. One soldier uses a computer to detect the source of the tremor, but the result tells him that it is within two kilometers. The computer detects a signal larger and stronger than Godzilla, as well as plasma energy. At that moment, a nearby mountain explodes, and the familiar dorsal plates of Godzilla emerge from the smoke. The computer detects that the creature is over 300 meters tall and 100,000 metric tons in weight. Haruo asks how this can be a living creature, but Martin says this makes perfect sense if Godzilla was able to continue to grow and evolve uninterrupted for 20,000 years. Haruo gives the order for as many people as possible to retreat, and numerous soldiers board Hover Bikes and Landing Ships. Metphies watches Godzilla from a nearby hill, and remarks that the "King of Destruction" has finally shown himself once again as Godzilla lets out a deafening roar. As the ships begin to fly away, Godzilla produces a super oscillatory wave from his mouth, which completely destroys the ships. As more soldiers try to evacuate on Hover Bikes, Haruo enters a Multipodal Battery and plans to distract Godzilla while the survivors escape. Godzilla watches the humans escaping, and turns slightly before whipping his tail through the air, producing a powerful shockwave that seemingly destroys all of the humans' forces in a fiery explosion. Haruo watches helplessly from the wreckage of the Multipodal Battery as Godzilla looms in the distance, and weakly vows that he will kill him.

Sometime later, Haruo awakens in an unfamiliar shack, and sees a masked native woman near him. The woman turns to see Haruo has awakened, and removes her mask.

Marketing

On August 18, 2016, less than a month after the release of the film Shin Godzilla, it was announced that an anime Godzilla film is currently in the works for a 2017 theatrical premiere.[6] On October 30, 2016, the film's co-director Hiroyuki Seshita posted on Twitter that the voice recording sessions for the film had been completed, and now it was entirely in the hands of the animators.[7]

Concept art showing machines and armored humanoids moving through a forest, as well as the interior of a spaceship, appeared on the film's official Twitter account on January 19, February 24, and March 5. January 19 also saw the reveal of the film's lead voice actors: Yuki Kaji, Takahiro Sakurai, Tomokazu Sugita, Junichi Suwabe, Kana Hanazawa, and Mamoru Miyano.[8] An event for the film will take place on March 26 at the AnimeJapan 2017 convention, with all six actors in attendance.[9]

On March 13, 2017, Netflix announced through its @NetflixJP Twitter account that it had secured the worldwide distribution rights to the film.[10] On March 24, the film's official website revealed the film's full title, GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, as well as a new visual and poster for the film. In addition, the film's official story and release date, November 2017, were revealed.[11]

Godzilla's design was first revealed on June 12, 2017, in the form of a new poster.

The film's first teaser trailer was released on July 6, 2017, with a full trailer and a new poster following on August 15. On August 14, Toho announced five additional cast members for the film: Daisuke Ono, Kenta Miyake, Kenyu Horiuchi, Kazuya Nakai, and Kazuhiro Yamaji.

On August 18, Toho and Polygon revealed the full design of the film's version of Godzilla on the film's official Twitter account @GODZILLA_ANIME, through pictures of a two meter-tall statue.[12]

On October 1, Toho announced that an official prequel novel to the film, GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, would be released on October 25.[13]

On October 3, Natalie reported that the film's theme song, "WHITE OUT," would be performed by singer XAI, winner of Toho's Cinderella competition in 2016.[14] Takayuki Hattori was announced as the film's composer on October 12.[15] The second trailer was released on October 24. The music video for "WHITE OUT" was uploaded onto Toho Animation's official YouTube channel on November 6.

Staff

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

  • Directed by   Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita
  • Assistant director   Hiroyuki Morita
  • Unit director   Tadahiro "Tady" Yoshihara
  • Story and screenplay by   Gen Urobuchi
  • Series composition by   Gen Urobuchi, Sadayuki Murai
  • Associate writer   Tetsuya Yamada
  • Executive producer   Keiji Ota
  • Co-executive producer   Yoshihiro Furusawa
  • Produced by   Takashi Yoshizawa
  • Line producer   Yoshiyuki Koie
  • Sound director   Satoshi Motoyama
  • Music by   Takayuki Hattori
  • Theme song "WHITE OUT"
    • Performed by   XAI
    • Written by   Sachiko Aoyama
    • Composed and arranged by   Masayuki Nakano
  • Edited by   Aya Hida
  • Character designer   Yusuke Kozaki
  • Production design by   Naoya Tanaka, Ferdinando Patulli
  • CG character designer   Yuki Moriyama
  • Sculpting supervisor   Mitsunori Kataama
  • CG directors   Masayuki Uemoto, Susumu Sugai
  • CG supervisor   Masaki Taga
  • Animation director   Hiroshi Shimada
  • Art director   Yukihiro Shibutani
  • Color design by   Hironori Noji

English dub

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

  • Directed by   Laura Post, Shannon Wilson
  • Production Manager   Mary Kay De Guzman
  • ADR Engineers   Ally Hustings, Tony McVann, Erik Karsen Puhm
  • Dubbing Studio   Post Haste Digital

German dub (Netflix)

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

  • Dubbing Studio   CSC-Studio
  • Dialogue Director   Arlette Stanschus
  • Dialogue Writer   Andreas Barz
  • Production Manager   Jenny Buch
  • Sound Manager   Johannes Marguere
  • Editor   Norman Nodop

German dub (video)

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

  • Dubbing Studio   Think Global Media
  • Dialogue Director   Gordon Rijnders

Spanish dub

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

  • Dubbing Studio   Dubbing House México
  • Producer   Cristina Flores
  • Casting Director   Arturo Cataño
  • Production Assistant   Karina Turcio
  • Dialogue Director   Arturo Cataño
  • Translator   Kora Studio-México
  • Production Manager   José Luis Arias
  • Sound Supervisor   Guillermo López
  • Sound Mixer   Iván Chorné
  • Dialogue Operator   Chachú Gilabert
  • Dialogue Editor   Daniel Macías

European Spanish dub

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

  • Dubbing Studio   International Dubbing Group
  • Casting Director   Rafa Ordoñez Arrieta
  • Production Manager   Lola Diaz Pastrana
  • Sound Supervisor   Javier Fernández
  • Re-recording Mixer   Ricardo Suarez
  • Recording Engineer   Antonio Castillejo López
  • Dialogue Editor   Javier Fernández

French dub

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

  • Dubbing Studio   Lylo Media Group
  • Production Manager   Mélanie Gabant
  • Casting / Art Director   Laurence Stévenne
  • Translation   Justine Rouzé
  • Sound Mixing Engineer   Jean-Michel Beranger
  • Sound Recording Engineer   Denis Portal

Italian dub

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

  • Dubbing Studio   Arte e Comunicazione International SRLS
  • Dubbing Director   Gigi Rosa
  • Translation   Gigi Rosa
  • Sound director   Valerio De Grandis
  • Sound Mixing   Michele Conti
  • Synchronization   Valerio De Grandis

Portuguese dub

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

  • Dubbing Studio   Dubbing House Brazil
  • Producers   Cristina Flores, Marina Esposito
  • Casting Director   Conrado Sotero
  • Production Assistant   Karina Turcio
  • Dialogue Director   Conrado Sotero
  • Translator   João Rodrigo
  • Production Manager   José Luis Arias
  • Sound Supervisor   Eduardo Araujo (Jimmi)
  • Mixer   Guillermo Marghetich
  • Sound director   Guillermo Marghetich

Cast

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

  • Mamoru Miyano   as   Captain Haruo Sakaki
  • Takahiro Sakurai   as   Colonel Metphies, Exif archbishop
  • Kana Hanazawa   as   Master Sergeant Yuko Tani
  • Tomokazu Sugita   as   Major Martin Lazzari, environmental biologist
  • Yuki Kaji   as   Second Lieutenant Adam Bindewald
  • Junichi Suwabe   as   Colonel Mulu-elu Galu-gu, technical officer
  • Daisuke Ono   as   Colonel Eliott Leland, commander of the Earth Landing Brigade
  • Kenta Miyake   as   Major Rilu-elu Belu-be, military instructor
  • Kenyu Horiuchi   as   Admiral Unberto Mori
  • Kazuya Nakai   as   Lieutenant General Halu-elu Dolu-do, Bilusaludo chieftain
  • Kazuhiro Yamaji   as   Lieutenant General Endurph, Exif cardinal
  • Kanehira Yamamoto   as   Deputy Director Takeshi J. Hamamoto
  • Tomisaburo Horikoshi   as   Daichi Tani
  • Shin'ya Takahashi   as   Jack O'Sullivan
  • Junichi Yanagita   as   Corporal Marco Ghione
  • Haruki Ishiya   as   Infantryman Josh Emerson, Martin's assistant
  • Shigeyuki Susaki   as   Benjamin Smith
  • Nana Hamasaki   as   Female Reporter
  • Masayoshi Sugawara   as   Male Reporter
  • Takaaki Uchino   as   Male Newscaster
  • Naoko Komatsu   as   Controller
  • Aya Suzaki   as   Controller / Young Haruo
  • Riki Kagami   as   Old Person
  • Masumi Taira   as   Old Person
  • Michiko Kaiden   as   Landing Ship Pilot
  • Haruka Watanabe   as   Landing Ship Pilot
  • Daiki Hamano   as   Hover Pilot
  • Ari Ozawa   as   Miana, Houtua priestess

English dub

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

German dub (Netflix)

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

German dub (video)

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

Spanish dub

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

European Spanish dub

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

  • Carlos Teruel Borrás   as   Captain Haruo Sakaki
  • Daniel Gonzalez Lillo   as   Colonel Metphies
  • Alejandro Moreno Blanco   as   Major Martin Lazzari
  • Pau Ferrer Ramón   as   Colonel Eliott Leland
  • Boris Sanz Garcia   as   Lieutenant Colonel Mulu-elu Galu-gu
  • Greta Ruiz Ybarra   as   Master Sergeant Yuko Tani
  • Paco Alegre Senent   as   Major Rilu-elu Belu-be
  • Rafa Ordóñez Arrieta   as   Admiral Unberto Mori
  • Ruben Felis Borja   as   Second Lieutenant Adam Bindewald
  • Jose Luis Siurana Gil   as   Deputy Director Takeshi J. Hamamoto
  • Jose Luis Molina Tornero   as   Lieutenant General Halu-elu Dolu-do
  • Jose Manuel Oliva Castillo   as   Gunner
  • M. Jose Chabrera Carda   as   Controller A
  • Nina Romero Fabra   as   Controller B
  • Jose Manuel Casany Lluesma   as   Lieutenant General Endurph
  • Omar Lozano Legaz   as   Infantry
  • Jose Vte. Marzo Gimeno   as   Daichi Tani
  • Alvaro Esteve Jimenez   as   Corporal Marco Ghione
  • Pablo Chico Bautista   as   Tank Driver A / Soldier F
  • Aida Baida Gil   as   Pilot A
  • Enric Puig Sapiña   as   Hover Pilot A
  • Jose Dario Torrent Ortí   as   Hover Pilot
  • Jaime Vicedo Garrido   as   Reporter A / Worker A / Hover Driver C
  • Marina Viñals Colubí   as   Reporter B
  • Gabriel Pareja Llorens   as   Male New A
  • Enric Lencina Peris   as   Male New B
  • Fran De La Torre Lopez   as   Worker B
  • Juan Català Hernández   as   Soldier A / Sentry B
  • Jesús Motos López   as   Soldier B
  • Jesús Gimenez Torres   as   Soldier C
  • Ruben Aranda Sanchis   as   Soldier D
  • Rafael Albert Gabaldón   as   Soldier E
  • Quique Fernandez Regatillo   as   Soldier G
  • Cristina Oliva Redrejo   as   Boy
  • Alba Torrubia   as   Girl
  • Mabel Jimeznez Perez   as   Old Woman
  • Ernest Sendin Baquero   as   Sentry A / Hover Driver D

French dub

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

Italian dub

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

Portuguese dub

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

Appearances

Monsters

Weapons, vehicles, and races

Development

Toho originally conceived GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters and its sequels as a 13-episode television series.[19]

Alternate titles

  • AniGodzi (アニゴジ,   Anigoji, Japanese abbreviated title)
  • GODZILLA: Planet der Monster (first German title on Netflix, before being changed back to the English title, and title for the video release)

Foreign releases

Netflix GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters promo

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters was released worldwide via Netflix on January 17, 2018, exactly two months after its Japanese theatrical release. The film is available dubbed into seven different languages, and with subtitles in 23 languages.[20]

Dubs are available in the following languages:

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • European Spanish

Subtitles are available for the following languages:

  • English
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Korean
  • Arabic
  • Dutch
  • Danish
  • French
  • Finnish
  • Italian
  • German
  • European Portuguese
  • Portuguese
  • Norwegian
  • Spanish
  • Castilian Spanish
  • Swedish
  • Polish
  • Turkish
  • Thai
  • Romanian
  • Hebrew
  • Greek

German publisher KSM Anime, a subsidiary of Koch Films, announced in January 2021 that it would release the trilogy with new German dubs in the following months.[21]

Gallery

Main article: GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters/Soundtrack.

Box office

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters debuted at third place at the Japanese box office, with a $919,000 gross.[22] While this paled in comparison to Shin Godzilla's $6.1 million opening, that film was released to 441 theaters, while Toho only released GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters to 158 theaters.[23][24] After its third weekend of release, it had made about ¥342 million.[2] Variety estimated that the film would finish at $5 million, although its final total is unknown.[22]

Reception

Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku gave GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters a mostly positive review, praising the animation and execution of the action sequences. He noted "The anime version of Godzilla is surprisingly effective and frightening, and while the score vacillates between lacklustre and bombastic, the animation throughout is excellent, and the climatic action set pieces, filled with cool military hardware, are well executed. During the sequences, the camera framing and direction are spot on." However, Ashcraft criticized the characterization in the film, noting that the protagonist Haruo seemed to be the only character given any focus, with most of the other characters being forgettable and uninteresting, with the exception of Metphies. He also felt that the character designs were "uninspired" and "not that great," which combined with their flat personalities made many of the characters seem indistinguishable. Ashcraft added that the film seemed short with an only 89 minute runtime and that "It’s like the filmmakers are hurrying to get to the Godzilla confrontation, but also to the next film in this trilogy. In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, it seems as though the third act is just getting started just as the picture is ending. There’s not enough closure to feel satisfying." Overall, Ashcraft concluded that "the overall experience was good, leaving me hoping that it dovetails nicely with the next entry and addresses these shortcomings. It’s not a perfect picture, but it was a powerful proof of concept: Godzilla works as an anime."[25]

Matt Schley of The Japan Times had similar impressions of the film, finding the animation well-done and admiring the execution of the action sequences, despite noting that the CG anime style may not appeal to everyone. Schley writes: "CG enables a lot of fast-paced, well-choreographed action sequences that would be difficult in either live-action or hand-drawn anime — and even skeptics will admit the 3-D version of the king of the monsters looks pretty darn cool." Comparing GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters to the previous year's Shin Godzilla directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, Schley wrote "directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita take a more workman-like approach, delivering a film that delivers solid action but isn’t nearly as thematically ambitious as its predecessor. Despite a script by respected anime screenwriter Gen Urobuchi, the film’s technobabble-heavy dialogue serves largely as a way to move from one action scene to the next. Compared to Anno’s masterpiece, “Planet of the Monsters” seems content to be a more conventional action film." Schley also echoed the sentiment that the film felt like the beginning to a larger story due to being the first entry in a trilogy and not like a self-contained film. Schley concluded by saying: "Still, with its impressive 3-D animation and action sequences, “Planet of the Monsters” has the makings of something interesting — and it’s nice to see Toho trying new things with its signature beast."[26]

Gareth Edwards, director of Legendary Pictures' Godzilla from 2014, was complimentary of the film, saying that two of his favorite things from Japan, Godzilla and anime, had finally become one in an animated film boasting an outstanding visual presentation. He added that the film was a breathtakingly wonderful animation presenting Godzilla in a way he had never been seen before.[27]

Video releases

Toho Blu-ray (2018) [Collector's Edition][28]

  • Region: A
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, 2.0 Stereo)
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special features: Special three-way back case; exclusive artwork by Yuji Kaida; "From Shin Godzilla to AniGoji" featurette; interviews with directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and composer Takayuki Hattori; complete preview footage; opening night footage; creators' night feature; director Hiroyuki Seshita's sketch collection; special booklet; trailers (1st and 2nd), special information trailers (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), TV spots (action version and character version), and character preview (Godzilla Earth version); staff audio commentary by directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi; cast audio commentary by Mamoru Miyano (Haruo Sakaki) and Takahiro Sakurai (Metphies)
  • Notes: Amazon.co.jp offers a limited SteelBook edition that includes a textless poster for the film illustrated by Yuji Kaida.

Toho Blu-ray / DVD (2018) [Standard Edition][28]

  • Region: A (Blu-ray) or 2 (DVD)
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, and 2.0 Stereo for Blu-ray; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo for DVD)
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special features: Special sleeve case; special booklet; trailers (1st and 2nd), special information trailers (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), TV spots (action version and character version), and character preview (Godzilla Earth version); staff audio commentary by directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi; cast audio commentary by Mamoru Miyano (Haruo Sakaki) and Takahiro Sakurai (Metphies)
  • Notes: Amazon.co.jp offers a limited edition that includes a textless poster for the film illustrated by Yuji Kaida.

Koch Media Blu-ray / DVD (2021) [Collector's Edition][29]

  • Region: B (Blu-ray) or 2 (DVD)
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese, German (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 for Blu-ray; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround for DVD)
  • Subtitles: German
  • Special features: Special three-way back case; exclusive artwork by Yuji Kaida; director Hiroyuki Seshita's sketch collection; special booklet; trailers, art gallery
  • Notes: To be released on April 15. Uses a different German dub than heard on Netflix.

Novelization

Main article: GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (novelization).

In addition to an official prequel novel titled GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse which was published the month before its theatrical release, GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters received an official novelization almost exactly a year after its release. This novelization was written by Takahiro Okura, with supervision by the film's writer Gen Urobuchi, and was published as a tie in for the third entry in the GODZILLA anime trilogy, GODZILLA: The Planet Eater.

Manga adaptation

Main article: GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (manga).

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters received an official manga adaptation by Youth Kurahashi, which was serialized on Shonen Jump's Jump+ app and the manga website Z beginning on March 29, 2018. So far, the manga consists of 14 episodes, and extends into events depicted in the film's sequel, GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle.

Videos

Trailers

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters teaser trailer
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters trailer #1
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters trailer #2
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters trailer #2 (30 seconds)
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters TV spot #1
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters TV spot #2
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters character PV
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Netflix trailer

Miscellaneous

Behind-the-scenes promo
Excerpt from Blu-ray / DVD staff audio commentary by Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita, and Gen Urobuchi
Excerpt from Blu-ray / DVD cast audio commentary by Mamoru Miyano and Takahiro Sakurai
"WHITE OUT" music video by XAI
"WHITE OUT" music video GODZILLA ver.
Cast members from Shin Godzilla and GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters help unveil the S.H. MonsterArts figure of Godzilla Earth
Mamoru Miyano does his best Shin Godzilla impression

Trivia

  • GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters is the first fully animated Godzilla film. Henry G. Saperstein planned to produce an animated Godzilla film in 1988, but it was never made.
  • This film is at least the fifth official appearance of Godzilla in an anime, after the animated segments in Adventure! Godzilland, the Get Going! Godzilland OVAs, Godzilla Kingdom, and the Crayon Shin-chan episode "It's Crayon Shin-Chan vs. Shin Godzilla!"
  • An official timeline for this film was first distributed at AnimeJapan 2017 and later posted on the film's official website, mentioning Kamacuras, Dogora, Rodan, Anguirus, Dagahra, and Orga as monsters that attacked cities around the world before the first appearance of Godzilla. In addition, the timeline calls a 2005 anti-kaiju campaign using biological and chemical weapons "Operation Hedorah."[30] An article published by Livedoor News on June 19, 2017 also mentions that Hedorah, SpaceGodzilla and Moguera are a part of the film's universe.[31] All of these kaiju except SpaceGodzilla either make cameos in the film or appear in the official prequel novel, GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, which also includes appearances by numerous other kaiju and vehicles not mentioned previously.
  • GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters is the first Godzilla film to include a post-credits scene since Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
  • GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters also marks the first occurrence in the franchise of two solo movies being released one after the other, this movie and Shin Godzilla both featuring the character not fighting any other monsters.
  • The Bilusaludo homeworld, Bilusaludia, is said to be the third planet of Cygnus X-1, which is a black hole. This, along with the Bilusaludos' construction of Mechagodzilla, is a reference to the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla, whose home planet was stated to be "the third planet of the black hole." Mulu-Elu Galu-Gu's name may also be a reference to Mugal, the leader of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens in Terror of Mechagodzilla. Likewise, the Exif are said to be named after and inspired by the Xiliens.[32]
  • This film's Japanese tagline, "Who will be eradicated, man, or Godzilla?" (滅びるのは、人か、ゴジラか。,   Horobiru no wa, hito ka, Gojira ka.), is similar to the tagline for Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, "Who will be extinct, Japan, or Legion?" (消滅するのは、日本か、レギオンか。,   Shōmetsu suru no wa, Nihon ka, Region ka.).
  • This film received an official manga adaptation by Youth Kurahashi, which began serialization on Shonen Jump+ on March 29, 2018.

External links

References

This is a list of references for GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters. 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]

  1. G-PotM TV-14 Rating.pngG-PotM TV-14 Rating 2.png
  2. 2.0 2.1 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (5 December 2017). "Live-Action Fullmetal Alchemist Film Tops Japan's Box Office". Anime News Network.
  3. 『GODZILLA 怪獣惑星』Netflixで1月17日(水)全世界同時配信決定! - YouTube
  4. INTRO - godzilla-anime.com
  5. Netflix Original: GODZILLA - Netflix
  6. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/08/18/gen-urobuchi-scripted-godzilla-anime-movie-announced-for-2017
  7. Hiroyuki Seshita on Twitter
  8. GODZILLA_ANIME Cast Tweet
  9. Gen Urobuchi's Godzilla Anime Film Reveals 6 Main Cast Members, Concept Art Image
  10. NetflixJP Tweet
  11. Godzilla Anime Film Reveals Full Title, Story, New Visual, November Premiere - Anime News Network
  12. GODZILLA_ANIME Statue Tweet
  13. GODZILLA_ANIME Novel Tweet
  14. Toho Cinderella XAI, Bunbun Nakano to Produce Anime "Godzilla" Theme Song - Natalie
  15. GODZILLA_ANIME Composer Tweet
  16. I’m Yuki Tani in Godzilla: Monster Planet. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you @LauraPostVoice @POLYGONPICTURES - Cristina Vee on Twitter
  17. Super excited to announce that you can hear me as Young Haruo and other additional voices in Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters now on Netflix!! Working with @LauraPostVoice and Shannon is always the greatest joy!!! Also to be alongside such an amazing cast is awesome!! - Rachelle Heger on Twitter
  18. The Official Site of Voice Actor, Keith Silverstein - Resume
  19. December 2017 issue of Da Vinci, page 195
  20. Theatrical anime GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters will be released simultaneously worldwide on Wednesday, January 19, 2018 - moca
  21. »Godzilla«: Trailer zum ersten Film stellt neue Synchro vor (German)
  22. 22.0 22.1 Variety - Japan Box Office: ‘It’ Climbs to Number One in Third Weekend
  23. Box Office Theory - Japan Thread (Page 616)
  24. Box Office Theory - Japan Thread (Page 697)
  25. The New Anime Godzilla Movie Is Pretty Good - Kotaku
  26. ‘Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters’: Japan’s main mutant gets animated and goes global - The Japan Times
  27. 虚淵玄、アニゴジは「伝統の特撮ゴジラ最新作の後なら」と日本産ゴジラの筋を通す - natalie
  28. 28.0 28.1 Blu-ray / DVD - godzilla-anime.com
  29. [Godzilla: Planet der Monster - Collector's Edition [Blu-ray] on Amazon.de]
  30. Weekly news recap: A whole lotta Monster Planet news; a whole lotta other news
  31. Toho monster general election first place is Mothra! Second place King Ghidorah! The third place is ... - Livedoor News
  32. GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Theater Program. Toho. November 17, 2017.

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