Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
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The descent of the God of Destruction (破壊神降臨)
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— Japanese tagline |
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A supernatural, super powered, intergalactic epic!
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— North American VHS tagline |
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (ゴジラ
G-Cells cast into space have spawned the mutant monster SpaceGodzilla, who intends to destroy Godzilla and conquer the Earth for himself. G-Force meanwhile has completed the successor to Mechagodzilla, the anti-Godzilla mech MOGUERA. However, MOGUERA first sees action against the space monster, and fails to halt its approach to Earth. SpaceGodzilla defeats Godzilla as well, then converts the city of Fukuoka into his own crystal fortress. Now in order to save his adopted son from imprisonment within SpaceGodzilla's crystals, Godzilla must fight alongside MOGUERA to defeat his extraterrestrial clone. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla was followed by Godzilla vs. Destoroyah in 1995.
Plot
In 1995, one year after the defeat of Super Mechagodzilla at the hands of Godzilla, the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasure Center (U.N.G.C.C.) have devised two alternate plans that they hope will finally resolve the Godzilla problem. The first plan, dubbed Project M, involves the creation of a new anti-Godzilla mech: MOGUERA (Mobile Operations Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-type). This new machine, considered "the ultimate counter-Godzilla weapon", contains a powerful plasma laser cannon, similar to Mechagodzilla's, spiral missiles, advanced space-travel capabilities, and the ability to split in half to form two different vehicles: Land Moguera, a burrowing tank, and the Star Falcon, a flying airship similar to the Garuda, a previous U.N.G.C.C. mech. The two vehicles are assembled and then attached to each other in the U.N.G.C.C. hangar to complete MOGUERA The second plan is dubbed Project: Telepathy (Project T), and involves the placement of a telepathic amplifier on the back of Godzilla's head that, it is hoped, can be used to quite literally control the beast and keep it away from Japan. Twenty-three year old psychic Miki Saegusa, a veteran Godzilla-fighter, is asked by Dr. Susumu Okubo, a biologist, and Dr. Chinatsu Gondo, sister of Col. Goro Gondo who was killed by Godzilla in 1989 to join the project due to her advanced telekinetic abilities. Miki, however, is opposed to the project as she believes it to be not only immoral, but impossible to pull off. Nevertheless, the Counter-G Bureau prepares for the eventuality of her agreement and sends a team of two G-Force soldiers, Koji Shinjo and Kiyoshi Sato, to Baas Island, a small, tropical paradise in the South Pacific that is often visited by the King of the Monsters himself. While not an official "home" to Godzilla, the island is home to another creature: LittleGodzilla, who has grown to 30 meters in height and begun to develop very Godzilla-like characteristics, with his adopted father sometimes coming ashore to check on him. When Koji and Kiyo arrive on the island, they are greeted by another soldier: Major Akira Yuki. However, Yuki does not have any intention of helping to control Godzilla, and plans to kill the beast instead. In 1989, his best friend Goro Gondo (Chinatsu Gondo's brother) was killed by Godzilla, and ever since, he has fought to kill the monster once and for all. He recruits the two G-Force soldiers to help bury tear gas mines along the coast in preparation for the creature's eventual return. He reveals to the men that he has devised a weapon that should, in theory, finally destroy the monster for good. He shows them a special hand-made bullet that contains a deadly blood coagulant. Yuki claims that Godzilla has a weak-zone on his body underneath his arm that can be breached by his bullet. He hopes that the coagulant, once in Godzilla's body, will poison and kill the creature.
Meanwhile, far out in the deep reaches of space, the guardian monster Mothra continues her mission to stop an approaching comet from impacting the Earth and destroying the human race. However, something of more immediate danger to the planet had come to her attention. In response, the giant insect begins to release countless smaller Fairy Mothras in her wake as she flies. One such Fairy Mothra travels to Earth and comes upon Miki, who is still considering her options about joining Project T. Before her eyes, the small moth transforms into an image of the Cosmos. The two twin girls then submit a grave warning to Miki: there is a creature, a space monster, on its way to Earth. Its objectives: destroy Godzilla and conquer the planet for its own. The Cosmos warn Miki that if Godzilla is killed, the Earth will have no defense an be easily overtaken. They beg Miki to do her best to protect Godzilla and her planet, and then disappear. The young woman now realizes that joining the Project T will give her the opportunity to help Godzilla and accepts the post of chief psychic on the scientific team.
Meanwhile, a meeting is held at G-Center between Japan's Counter-G Bureau and representatives from NASA to discuss a strange occurrence that had happened to NASA's Interplanetary Research Vessel. The video file on-board showed that the craft had first suffered from an electrical disturbance, and then had its hull breached by strange, crystal-like projections. Unable to find an explanation to the strange happenings, NASA "could only speculate that it was some sort of... huge monster". In response, the U.N.G.C.C. votes to launch MOGUERA into space to intercept and attempt to destroy the creature, which, it is discovered, is approaching the Earth at great speed. At the same time, Miki, along with Dr. Okubo and Dr. Gondo arrive at Baas Island. There, they join up with Koji, Kiyo, and Yuki to test Project T on Godzilla, whom it is hoped will visit the island again. Some time after the team sets up camp, they hear several explosions coming from the beach, and they quickly mobilize. However, it proves to be a false alarm, as it was only LittleGodzilla that had wandered on to the beach and accidentally set off the tear gas mines Yuki had buried earlier. Meanwhile, millions of miles from Earth, MOGUERA enters the asteroid belt as it moves to intercept the space monster. However, as it flies through the field of space rocks, it's scanners detect an object moving towards it at great speed. A few seconds later, a gigantic object comes into view. The huge, crystalline object flies straight for MOGUERA and attacks it, shooting energy pulses and even grazing the robot's body. Although the mech attempted to fight back, it could not stand against the incredible power of this creature, and was forced to retreat heavily damaged. Behind it, the space monster continues towards the Earth unimpeded.
Back on Baas Island, as Yuki checks several of his traps, Godzilla finally rises from the sea, and begins to lumber onto the island. Koji and Kiyo quickly return to the base and receive their marching orders: they are to shoot the psychic amplifier onto the back of Godzilla's head via a high-powered rifle. As they head towards the beach, Yuki grabs his own rifle and loads it with his coagulant bullets, prepared to shoot and kill Godzilla. Both the G-Force soldiers and Yuki take their positions and wait for Godzilla to reach the beach. When he does, he stumbles on several of Yuki's tear gas mines. As he turns his head to avoid the gas, Koji takes his shot and successfully hits the titanic monster in the back of the head. Yuki then takes his shot, aiming for Godzilla's armpit, but misses. Kiyo radios back to Okubo and Gondo, who switch the Project T computers on and prepare to test it. Miki places a device on her head designed to amplify her T-wave, and she commands Godzilla to walk along the beach. Outside, Godzilla seems to comply, and begins to walk peacefully along the coast towards the cape. Eventually, however, Godzilla begins to regain control of his mind, and Okubo increases the power to a dangerous level, causing the computer to short circuit and Miki to pass out after a powerful electric shock. With that, control of Godzilla is terminated.
Koji and Kiyo are called back to the tent, and Miki regains consciousness. However, when she awakens, she feels the space monster the Cosmos warned her of approaching, and approaching quickly. Outside the tent, Koji and Kiyo discuss assisting Yuki in shooting Godzilla, and quickly depart to find him. Nearby, Yuki is following Godzilla across the island, crawling through the brush in an attempt to find an opportunity to shoot him. Soon, the two G-Force soldiers, with Miki and Gondo hot on their heals, arrive and point their guns at Godzilla, prepared to fire. However, before any triggers can be pulled, the sky begins to darken and, from out of the clouds, a gigantic creature descends. It lands on Baas Island, and as it does, meteors strike the ground and huge crystalline spires erupt from them. Miki, along with the others, are shocked to see that the space monster bears a striking resemblance to Godzilla himself! As the monster bathes in the energy from the crystal structures, LittleGodzilla creeps out from behind a rock. Curious, the infant monster lumbers forward to investigate the newcomer. Unfortunately, the space monster turns and violently attacks LittleGodzilla, who attempts to flee. As the heartless creature assaults the young monster with a powerful Corona Beam, the adult Godzilla arrives and attacks his child's tormentor. However, Godzilla's beam is deflected back at him by an energy shield the space monster has projected around itself. LittleGodzilla finally escapes, and runs to his father for protection. The humans watch in horror as the space monster, now airborne, relentlessly blasts Godzilla and his son with energy beams. Soon, Godzilla is brought down, and can only watch as LittleGodzilla is lifted away by the space monster's telekinetic energy and imprisoned within a field of crystals. Incidentally, those crystals have given the space monster all the energy they can, and the creature retreats, leaving LittleGodzilla trapped and Godzilla wounded. Unable to rescue his son, the King of the Monsters leaves the island to recuperate.
Okubo declares Project T a failure, and the team prepares to evacuate Baas Island. However, Miki decides to stay behind, as she is worried about Godzilla and his son. As the chopper prepares to leave, Koji elects to stay behind with Miki, and both he and Kiyo hop off the chopper, which carries Yuki, Gondo, and Okubo back to the U.N.G.C.C. headquarters in Japan. There, MOGUERA has returned and is being repaired. The giant machine, while unable to defeat the space monster, did manage to retrieve cell samples from it. In a meeting with the Counter-G Bureau, Dr. Gondo presents her findings. She compares a sample of G-cells (Godzilla cells) with the space monster's cells, which are shown to be all but identical. Therefore, the scientists have dubbed the creature "SpaceGodzilla". The G-force scientists hypothesize that G-cells were taken into space as either a part of the monster Biollante (another Godzilla clone who, after fighting Godzilla in 1989, broke down into tiny spores and flew into space) or as a piece of Godzilla's flesh attached to Mothra (who, after her bout with Godzilla in 1993, flew into space as well), and that those cells had merged with crystalline alien organisms before being sucked into a black hole, where they absorbed cosmic rays from exploding stars. The mutated cells were then pushed out a theoretical "white hole," in the form of a living creature capable of living in space. Now, this SpaceGodzilla has landed on Earth, and in all probability will attack a major city soon enough. The G-Force lobby to revamp MOGUERA to fight SpaceGodzilla, and G-Force Commander Takaaki Aso recruits Major Yuki to pilot the giant mech.
Back on Baas Island, Miki is again visited by the Fairy Mothra, and the Cosmos encourage her to continue helping Godzilla, who may be the Earth's only hope against SpaceGodzilla. As the Fairy Mothra departs, Koji approaches. Both Miki and Koji are growing increasingly fond of one another, but each have a very different opinion of Godzilla and how he should be dealt with. While Miki respects Godzilla as a living animal with a right to live, Koji, as a soldier of G-Force, is sworn to fight the monster. A few hours later, as the three sleep, a group of men invade the camp, beat up the two soldiers, and kidnap Miki. The job is so expertly pulled off that it is almost certain that someone on the inside is behind it. Koji and Kiyo return to Japan, where they discover that Dr. Okubo has sold out. After deliberately sabotaging Project T, he made it seem to be a failure. He had captured Miki in order to use her to control Godzilla, making him a very powerful figure in the corporate mafia. In the mafia hideout, Okubo records Miki's T-wave and shows off his machine to the other mafia members by making Godzilla rise from the sea. Now able to control the King of the Monsters, there is no telling what the mafia might do. However, after a few minutes, Godzilla once again begins to regain control, and Okubo quickly attempts to increase the power. Fortunately, at just the right moment, Yuki, Koji, and Kiyo, having located the hideout, break in and engage the Mafia members in a shootout. As the bullets fly, Koji locates Miki. However, a mafia member crawls behind the table Miki is strapped to and flips it over, using Miki and the table as a shield. Koji, in fear of hitting Miki, cannot shoot back. Miki, however, closes her eyes and uses her telekinetic powers to lift the table up off of the ground, allowing Koji to shoot the enemy easily. He then frees Miki and meets up with Kiyo and Yuki. Suddenly, Miki senses SpaceGodzilla approaching, and the team quickly leaves the area. Inside the hideout, Okubo is still laboring over the short circuiting T-Project computer. Outside, SpaceGodzilla flies through the sky, causing electrical disturbances along the way. The space monster flies over the hideout and destroys it, killing Okubo and destroying the T-Project equipment.
SpaceGodzilla continues to fly over Japan, causing massive destruction in its wake. The interstellar demon eventually arrives in Fukuoka, where it lands. Gigantic crystal structures shoot forth from additional meteor impacts, destroying the buildings and empowering SpaceGodzilla. In no time, SpaceGodzilla has converted Fukuoka into a crystal fortress. Energy from space is channeled into Fukuoka Tower, which is then siphoned into the crystal objects, where the energy is converted into a form that SpaceGodzilla can absorb and gather strength from. Now empowered and stronger than before, SpaceGodzilla waits for its opponent to arrive. Sure enough, Godzilla appears off the coast of Japan, and destroys a JSDF blockade as it heads towards the coast and through Beppu Bay. At U.N.G.C.C., Yuki, Koji, and Kiyo arrive and are briefed on their new mission: pilot MOGUERA and use the machine to its full potential to combat and destroy SpaceGodzilla. Miki and Gondo say goodbye to Koji and Yuki (respectively), and watch as MOGUERA blasts off to Fukuoka. As they fly, they receive word that Godzilla has hit the mainland and is wading through the cities of Japan in order to reach SpaceGodzilla. Yuki, still seeking revenge against Godzilla, reroutes MOGUERA and flies towards Godzilla instead, leaving Fukuoka defenseless. As Yuki fires on Godzilla, Koji, seeing no alternative, rises and knocks the Major out cold. He and Kiyo then take control of MOGUERA and turn it back towards Fukuoka.
MOGUERA soon arrives at SpaceGodzilla's crystal fortress and begins to attack the monster from the air. The giant robot soon lands and unleashes its Spiral Grenade Missiles against SpaceGodzilla. The interstellar abomination, however, possesses a skeletal structure reinforced by diamond-hard crystal, and the missiles do little to injure him. MOGUERA then rolls forward and begins to attack SpaceGodzilla at close range with its drill nose. However, it is soon forced to retreat, and as it flees, SpaceGodzilla blasts it with its Corona Beam, taking the robot down. Inside, Yuki awakens to find his crew unconscious, the weapon systems offline, and SpaceGodzilla preparing to finish them off. He wakes his two co-pilots and they blast MOGUERA into the air and out of harm's way. As the crew fly around the battlefield conducting in-flight repairs to their mech, Godzilla finally arrives in Fukuoka and engages his cosmic clone in battle. As Godzilla wades through the sea of crystals, SpaceGodzilla continues to assault the Monster King with its Corona Beam, as well as blocking Godzilla's own atomic ray with its shield. As Godzilla grows closer, SpaceGodzilla finally brings the monster down with another shot from its beam. SpaceGodzilla then uses its telekinesis to lift Godzilla into the air, then ram him into a building. The space demon then telekinetically lifts itself and several of its crystals, which it fires like spears at Godzilla. After being hit by several of these projectiles, Godzilla uses his ray to shoot down the rest. Realizing that SpaceGodzilla will be impossible to defeat in close combat, Godzilla begins to turn his attention to destroying the matrix-like network of crystals in and around the city. On board MOGUERA, Yuki, Koji, and Kiyo notice Godzilla's tactic. They notice that the only building left standing anywhere near SpaceGodzilla is the Fukuoka Tower, which stands in the middle of the crystal fortress. They know that the tower receives energy from space, and deduce that it is SpaceGodzilla's main energy source. Destroying it, then, will severely weaken the monster. Although the crew is initially a little adverse to fighting with Godzilla instead of against him, they eventually agree to help Godzilla destroy Fukuoka Tower.
Yuki descends into the secondary cockpit of MOGUERA, the cockpit of the machine's lower half, the Star Falcon. The giant machine splits in half and while Yuki pilots the Star Falcon, Koji and Kiyo transform and control MOGUERA's upper half, Land Moguera. Land Moguera lands on the ground and begins to burrow beneath Fukuoka, heading for the tower. Above ground, Star Falcon assaults SpaceGodzilla from the sky, and Godzilla continues to destroy the crystal spires, growing closer to Fukuoka Tower. Godzilla attempts to hit the tower with his ray, but SpaceGodzilla projects his shield around the building, protecting it from harm. Underneath the structure, however, Land Moguera drills through the foundations and superstructure, thereby weakening it above. On the surface, Godzilla has finally reached the tower, and he begins to pummel and pound it mercilessly. Eventually, the giant tower is brought down, and SpaceGodzilla's main energy source is cut off. Land Moguera emerges and once again joins with its upper half, forming MOGUERA once more. Both MOGUERA and Godzilla begin to assault the weakened SpaceGodzilla, working in tangent to bring down the space monster. MOGUERA fires its Spiral Grenade Missiles at SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals, through which the monster absorbs its energy. The missiles destroy these crystals, weakening SpaceGodzilla even more. However, SpaceGodzilla retaliates and blasts off one of MOGUERA's arms in revenge. The interstellar demon then drives its crystal-tipped tail into MOGUERA's chest and hurls it away. The machine then crashes to the ground and is rendered inoperable. The crew prepare to bail out, and Koji and Kiyo enter the elevator that will bring them to MOGUERA's escape pod. However, Yuki stays behind and launches the pod, taking Koji and Kiyo to safety. Yuki loads his rifle with his blood coagulator, and prepares to shoot and kill Godzilla. Meanwhile, on the battle field, Godzilla begins to gain the upper hand. After biting SpaceGodzilla in order to sap his energy, the Monster King begins to release energy from his body. SpaceGodzilla, desperately trying to siphon energy from the remaining crystals, begins to absorb Godzilla's energy, further weakening him.
Some distance away, Koji and Kiyo emerge from their escape pod. The reach the city limits, where they find Miki and Gondo waiting. They turn to see the battle still commencing in the leveled city. Inside MOGUERA, Yuki attempts to find an opportunity to shoot Godzilla. In mad frustration, he accidentally activates MOGUERA's rockets, and the giant machine barrels through the air and crashes head on into SpaceGodzilla. Although SpaceGodzilla recovers, MOGUERA is in ruins, and Koji quickly heads off into the battlefield towards the wreckage to attempt to find Yuki. He finds the Major alive, but hanging upside down, his leg stuck in a malfunctioning escape hatch on MOGUERA. Yuki tells Koji that he has realized Godzilla's tactic: when SpaceGodzilla absorbs too much of Godzilla's unleashed energy, the space monster will explode. Back outside the city, Kiyo also realizes what is about to happen, and quickly moves to safety. Miki, however, stands before the leveled city, closes her eyes, and begins to communicate telepathically with Koji. Through him, she uses her psychic powers to free Yuki from the malfunctioning hatch, but just as she does, SpaceGodzilla begins to undergo a catastrophic demise. Godzilla drawns upon stray cosmic energy to produce a red Burn Spiral Heat Ray, blasting SpaceGodzilla repeatedly. Overloaded with energy, SpaceGodzilla combusts in a massive explosion. The blast destroys what is left of Fukuoka, as well as MOGUERA. When the flames clear, the essence of the space monster escapes its burning body and rises into space. At long last, SpaceGodzilla has been defeated. Godzilla, victorious, roars in triumph.
In the burning rubble of Fukuoka, Kiyo, Gondo, and Miki search for Koji and Yuki. As they begin to despair, the two soldiers finally emerge from the dust and rubble, none the worse for their ordeal. Although Yuki is limping, he has survived the blast thanks to Koji and Miki. The small group turn and watch as Godzilla departs the burning city. Yuki has finally come to respect Godzilla, as the monster had, after all, saved the human race. However, Gondo reminds them all that G-cells are still floating out in space, and it is quite possible that another SpaceGodzilla might appear someday. As the group head away from the city, Miki uses her telekinesis to remove the Project T amplifier from Godzilla's head, prompting the giant monster to turn and face her, as if thanking her. The Cosmos appear before Miki one final time, and thank her for saving the Earth. The Fairy Mothra then returns to outer space. The group rests on the beach and watch Godzilla wade into the ocean, headed for Baas Island. As Yuki and Gondo sit together, Miki and Koji walk along the beach. Miki uses her powers to allow both her and Koji to see LittleGodzilla, now once again free on Baas Island, attempt to fire a weak atomic heat ray in the form of tiny bubbles. The two laugh, and clasp hands as they see Godzilla off.
Staff
- Main article: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Credits.
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Directed by Kensho Yamashita
- Written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara
- Executive producer Tomoyuki Tanaka
- Co-executive producer Shogo Tomiyama
- Assistant producer Shinichiro Arimasa
- Associate producer Ritsuko Suzuki
- Music by Takayuki Hattori
- Theme song "Echoes of Love"
- Arranged and performed by Date of Birth
- Lyrics by NORICO
- Composed by Isao Shigeto
- Stock music by Akira Ifukube
- Cinematography by Masahiro Kishimoto
- Edited by Miho Yoneda
- Production design by Ken Sakai
- First assistant director Kunio Miyoshi
- Director of special effects Koichi Kawakita
- First assistant director of special effects Kenji Suzuki
Cast
- Main article: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Credits.
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Jun Hashizume as G-Force Lieutenant Koji Shinjo
- Megumi Odaka as Miki Saegusa, head of the U.N.G.C.C. Psychic Center
- Zenkichi Yoneyama as G-Force Lieutenant Kiyoshi Sato
- Akira Nakao as Colonel Takaaki Aso, G-Force commander
- Yosuke Saito as Dr. Susumu Okubo, evolutionary biologist
- Koichi Ueda as Colonel Iwao Hyodo, G-Force deputy commander
- Kenji Sahara as U.N.G.C.C. Secretary Takayuki Segawa
- Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa as Cosmos
- Towako Yoshikawa as Dr. Chinatsu Gondo, professor of bioengineering
- Akira Emoto as G-Force Major Akira Yuki
- Hiroshi Miyazaki as G-Force Lieutenant Yuzo Suzuki
- Hoka Kinoshita as G-Force Lieutenant Hideki Ono
- Ronald Hoerr as Dr. Alexander Mammilov, robotics engineer
- Edward Sardey as Eric Gould
- Eddie Quinlan as Frank Reynolds, American representative on U.N.G.C.C. council
- Tom Dolan as McKay, corporate mafia boss
- Hitoshi Kusanagi as G-Force Lieutenant Makoto Uehara
- Taro Horizak as G-Force Lieutenant Masato Wakatsuki
- Sensaburo Makimura as Michiya Kato
- Shinji Nasu as police officer in Fukuoka
- Miho Arakawa as reporter
- Yutaro Mitsuoka as G-Force member
- Isao Shinohara as G-Force member
- Kenichi Kimihira as G-Force member
- Akihisa Hattori as G-Force member
- Hideyuki Umeda as G-Force member
- Yohei Ohsawa as G-Force member
- Isao Yamazaki as G-Force member
- Hisayoshi Izaki as G-Force member
- Zengoro Mamiana as G-Force member
- Tomomi Muranaka as displaced man at Mountaintop Hotel (Fukuoka)
- Charlie Kraslavsky as mafia
- Robert Santana as mafia
- Shinichi Shimizu as mafia
- Frank O'Cornor as astronaut
- Andy Smith as astronaut
- Maxie Marczykiewicz as astronaut
- Kanji Watanabe as aide
- GAZ as aide
- Kazuki Kozakai as salaryman boss
- Kunihiro Matsumura as salaryman subordinate
- Toru Minegishi as Colonel Goro Gondo (stock footage, uncredited)
- Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla
- Ryo Hariya as SpaceGodzilla
- Wataru Fukuda as MOGUERA
- Little Frankie as LittleGodzilla
Omni Productions English dub
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Jack Murphy as G-Force Lieutenant Koji Shinjo
- Darren Pleavin as G-Force Lieutenant Kiyoshi Sato / salaryman subordinate
- Rik Thomas as Colonel Takaaki Aso / Dr. Alexander Mammilov / salaryman boss
- Colin Shevloff as Dr. Susumu Okubo / police officer in Fukuoka
- Andrea Kwan as Dr. Chinatsu Gondo / Cosmos
- Craig Allen as G-Force Major Akira Yuki / Takayuki Segawa / Colonel Iwao Hyodo (one loop)
Appearances
Monsters
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Weapons, vehicles, and races
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Production
Filming of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla began on June 27, 1994.[3]
Gallery
- Main article: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Gallery.
Soundtrack
- Main article: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Soundtrack.
Alternate titles
- Godzilla Against Cosmicgodzilla (Godzilla kontra Kosmogodzilla; Poland)
Theatrical releases
View all posters for the film here.
U.S. release
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla was released directly to VHS by TriStar Pictures in 1999, along with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. TriStar utilized Toho's international English dub for the film, which was recorded by Omni Productions in late 1997[4]. TriStar placed the film's English title in parentheses at the bottom of the Japanese title card rather than use Toho's international title card. TriStar also cut the film's end credits, replacing them with a black screen containing copyright information. In 2000, TriStar released the film on DVD in a double feature with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, but did not make any changes to their version of the film. In the mid-2000s for cable airings on Starz Encore Action, video on demand showings on Fearnet, and its hosting on the streaming website Crackle, Sony used an uncut but textless copy of the film that also included the international title card, which was simply the film's English title superimposed over the Japanese title card. When Sony released the film uncut on Blu-ray in 2014 in a double feature with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, it included the original Japanese audio track and the full international opening and ending credits.
Box office
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla had a budget of ¥1 billion.[citation needed] When the film was released in Japan on December 10, 1994, it sold 3.4 million tickets and earned ¥1.65 billion, making it the second highest grossing Japanese film of 1995.[1]
Reception
Critical reaction to Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla has also been mixed. Toho Kingdom said the film is "far from terrible" and "an underrated movie" but felt it suffered from an "overly complicated story," "underdeveloped characters," and "forgettable" music. Monster Zero called the film "a curiously uninvolving effort" that "disappoints in nearly all aspects of the production". American Kaiju criticized the "wildly uneven pacing," "uneven special effects," and "exceedingly lumpy story," but added that "most of the special effects are pretty fair" and "the monster battles are mostly fun." DVD Cult said, "It does have some great destruction scenes and monster battles; two things that make these films worthwhile to begin with. The monster SpaceGodzilla is excellently designed, and is certainly far more menacing than anything Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich ever dreamed up."
Video releases
Pop & In Entertainment Co., Ltd. VCD (1998)[5]
- Region: NTSC
- Discs: 4
- Audio: Japanese (2.0 Stereo), English (2.0 Mono)
- Special features: None
- Notes: Presents the Japanese version with Traditional Chinese subtitles and the English export version, the versions accessible from the main menu.
- Region: 1
- Discs: 1
- Audio: English (2.0 Stereo)
- Special features: None
- Notes: Includes French and Spanish subtitles. The film's title card is cropped. Packaged with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Also included in The Toho Godzilla Collection Volume 1.
Marketing-Film DVD (2002)
- Region: 2
- Discs: 1
- Audio: English (2.0 Mono), German (2.0 Mono, 5.1 Surround)
- Special features: Complete Japanese opening and end credits, 5 trailers for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Japanese trailer for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, U.S. trailer for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, photo gallery
- Notes: Includes German subtitles. Out of print.
DVD Toho DVD (2002)
- Region: 2
- Audio: Japanese
Madman DVD (2006)
- Region: 4
- Discs: 1
- Audio: Japanese (2.0 Stereo, 5.1 Surround), English (2.0 Mono)
- Special features: Four teasers, one trailer, and two TV spots for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla; trailers for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah; photo galleries
- Notes: Subtitles copy the English dub instead of translating the Japanese dialogue.
TOHO Visual Entertainment Blu-ray (2010)
- Region: A/1
- Audio: Japanese
- Region: A/1
- Discs: 2
- Audio: Japanese (5.1 Surround), English (2.0 Mono, 5.1 Surround)
- Special features: Four Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II trailers and three Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla trailers.
- Notes: Packaged with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.
Manga adaptation
- Main article: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (manga).
A manga adaptation of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla was published by Shogakukan, written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and illustrated by Takayuki Sakai. The manga makes many deviations from the film. Sho Kuroki, a character from Godzilla vs. Biollante who was featured in the manga adaptations of many subsequent films, returns as a major character in this manga. SpaceGodzilla first appears on a planet covered in crystals rather than attacking a NASA spacecraft. Akira Yuki steals MOGUERA from G-Force, who deploys the rebuilt Mechagodzilla to stop him. After destroying Mechagodzilla, Yuki uses MOGUERA to attack BabyGodzilla in an attempt to draw out Godzilla. Rather than trying to attack Godzilla using a bullet filled with blood coagulant, Yuki intends to use a remaining shell containing the Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria to infect Godzilla while he is battling SpaceGodzilla on Baas Island. The monster battles are considerably more violent, with SpaceGodzilla using his crystals in combat to stab Godzilla. Godzilla kills SpaceGodzilla by impaling him with one of his own crystals, rather than by using his spiral heat ray.
Videos
Trailers
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Miscellaneous
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Trivia
- A film entitled A Space Godzilla was considered by Toho in the late 1970s as they searched for a way to revive Godzilla after the poor box office performance of Terror of Mechagodzilla. Aside from the title, this film has no relationship with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.
- Three Godzilla suits were used for this film. In addition to the brand new MogeGoji suit, the BatoGoji (from Godzilla vs. Mothra) and RadoGoji (from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II) costumes were brought out of storage to perform water tank stunts. The BatoGoji suit was converted to a water costume for shots in the Big Pool: the feet and tail were removed for this purpose. RadoGoji was primarily used to portray Godzilla's amphibious arrival at Baas Island. It, too, was shot from the waist up in the Big Pool, which greatly damaged the costume. If one watches the film carefully, one will see that the RadoGoji's long tail is split toward the end and appears to be hanging on by a thread. In fact, in a scene that was cut from the final film, when the wires that controlled Godzilla's tail lifted the tail up, the tip of the tail completely snapped off.
- A possible hint at Godzilla's new form in the following film is seen when Godzilla prepares to fire his spiral ray and red radioactive patches appear similar to where the orange patches would be on Burning Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
- It was the idea of special effects director Koichi Kawakita to redesign BabyGodzilla as the rather Minilla-like LittleGodzilla for this film. According to Kawakita, he wanted to make the character appeal more to female audiences and show BabyGodzilla growing from a dinosaur to a monster.[8]
- An earlier screenplay for this film, Godzilla vs. AstroGodzilla, was considerably more complex than the finished project. In this version AstroGodzilla, SpaceGodzilla's predecessor, had an army of giant alien dragonflies at his disposal, and would use his telepathic powers to mind-control both Miki Saegusa and LittleGodzilla. Godzilla would be forced to team up with MOGUERA and Mothra in order to defeat AstroGodzilla and save his son. Ultimately, the giant dragonflies were removed from the screenplay and Mothra was relegated to a minor cameo, and several story aspects were cut down or removed entirely. The film may have been trimmed down due to the poor box office performance of Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon earlier that year, making Toho more wary about how much money to spend on the film.
- In another early draft, titled Godzilla Super Wars, a repaired Mechagodzilla was G-Force's anti-Godzilla weapon.[9] It's believed that MOGUERA would fill that role in the finished film because of Koichi Kawakita's love of The Mysterians.
- Special effects malfunctions and a tight schedule forced Koichi Kawakita to employ stock footage from Godzilla vs. Biollante in Godzilla's battle with the Japanese navy.[10] A scene of Godzilla battling Type 74 Tanks, MBT-MB92s, and an MBAW-93 was cut entirely.[11] Another deleted effects scene involved Godzilla lingering over LittleGodzilla's crystal prison before leaving Baas Island in pursuit of SpaceGodzilla.[10]
External links
References
This is a list of references for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. 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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