Rebirth of Mothra 2 (1997)

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Mothra Films
Rebirth of Mothra
Rebirth of Mothra 2
Rebirth of Mothra 3
Rebirth of Mothra 2
The Japanese poster for Rebirth of Mothra 2
Alternate titles
Flagicon Japan.png Mothra 2: The Battle Under
The Deep Sea
(1997)
Flagicon United States.png Rebirth of Mothra II
(VHS and DVD 2000)
See alternate titles
Directed by Kunio Miyoshi
Producer Shogo Tomiyama, Hiroaki Kitayama
Written by Masumi Suetani, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Music by Toshiyuki Watanabe
Production company Toho Pictures, Toho Eizo Bijutsu
Distributor TohoJP, TriStar PicturesUS
Distributor rentals ¥1.05 billion[1]
Running time 99 minutes
(1 hour, 39 minutes)
Aspect ratio 1.85:1
Rate this film!
2.79
(34 votes)

A transforming miracle! (奇跡の大変身!)
The battle to protect lives begins.
(命を守るための戦いが始まる。)
„ 

— Tagline

A miracle occurs. To protect lives. (奇跡が起こる。命を守るために。)
When a super-ancient civilization <Nilai-Kanai> awakens from its 11,000-year slumber, the beautiful south seas become a battleground, wagering the future of life itself.
(一万千年の眠りから超古代文明《ニライ・カナイ》が目を覚ますとき、美しい南の海は生命の未来をかけた戦場になる。)
„ 

— Tagline

Rebirth of Mothra 2 (モスラ2 海底の大決戦,   Mosura Tsū: Kaitei no Daikessen, lit. "Mothra 2: The Battle Under the Deep Sea") is a 1997 tokusatsu kaiju film directed by Kunio Miyoshi and written by Masumi Suetani from a story by Tomoyuki Tanaka, with special effects by Koichi Kawakita. Produced by Toho Pictures with effects produced by Toho Eizo Bijutsu, it is the second entry in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. The film stars Megumi Kobayashi, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Aki Hano, Hikari Mitsushima, Masanao Shimada, Masaki Otake, and Mizuho Yoshida. Toho released the film to Japanese theaters on December 13, 1997. Columbia TriStar Home Video released it on VHS and DVD in North America in 2000, with the DVD packaged with the first Rebirth of Mothra.

Following the events of Rebirth of Mothra, a huge sea monster called Dagahra appears off the coast of Okinawa, bringing with it a swarm of poisonous starfish-like creatures called Barem. A group of children discovers a small fuzzy creature named Ghogo, who the wicked Elias sister Belvera believes is the key to unlocking the hidden treasure of the lost Nilai-Kanai civilization. The children set off with Belvera's sisters Moll and Lora to the Nilai-Kanai Temple to find the treasure before Belvera, while Mothra Leo contends with Dagahra. But when even Mothra finds himself outmatched by Dagahra, the treasure of the Nilai-Kanai may hold the secret to victory.

Rebirth of Mothra 2 was followed by the final entry in the trilogy, Rebirth of Mothra 3, in 1998.

Plot

On Infant Island, Moll and Lora watch Mothra Leo fly overhead. Suddenly the winds whip up and they feel a sense of unease. In the ocean below, a sea monster awakens. A strange red starfish attacks a fisherman off the coast of Okinawa.

As social studies teacher Akiko Kimura lectures on the sinking of much of the Okinawan islands 150 million years ago, Kohei and Yoji set up a caterpillar to crawl onto Shiori. She bats it aside, causing it to fly into Kohei's mouth and, after he spits it out, down the teacher's shirt. Shiori informs the teacher in charge of their detention, Tatsuzo Itoman, that they call him "hairy octopus" behind his back. Two fishermen offshore, Mikio Otani and Junichi Nagase, encounter a small fuzzy creature. He drops a gold ring after Mikio swats him back into the water. Shiori's mother loans them a pet carrier as they plan to capture him, but believes he was just a dog.

Taking to the skies on Fairy, Moll and Lora find hordes of the red starfish throughout the ocean. Shiori encounters the fuzzy creature while picking flowers; both are equally terrified at first, but she manages to befriend it. Meanwhile, a red starfish punctures Kohei and Yoji's inflatable raft. They run into Shiori after returning to shore and chase her for telling Tatsuzo about his nickname. Just as they catch her, Moll and Lora's wicked sister Belvera appears on Garugaru, informing them that the creature is called Ghogo. Shiori gives her the basket containing Ghogo, only to slip him out and run away. As Belvera and the boys give chase, Moll and Lora arrive. The upgraded Garugaru rains down lasers on them and Shiori. Belvera reveals to her sisters that she plans to use Ghogo to obtain the miraculous treasure of Nilai-Kanai. Shiori and the boys pass Ghogo to each other, keeping Belvera at bay long enough to reach a heavily populated beach, and she withdraws. Ghogo, seeing that Yoji injured his knee during the chase, heals it by secreting a healing liquid. Belvera forcibly recruits the two fishermen.

Moll and Lora formally introduce themselves to the kids. At their school, they research Nilai-Kanai, which according to Okinawan legend was a magical kingdom that sank into the Pacific Ocean 12,000 years ago, also known as Mu. Translating Ghogo's conversation with Fairy, Moll and Lora learn that Dagahra, a monster created by Nilai-Kanai to consume pollution, has returned, with the starfish-like Barem he produces threatening to choke the world's oceans. They hope to stop him using Nilai-Kanai's treasure. Commandeering the computer, Ghogo instructs them to take him to the coast of Ishigaki Island. Meanwhile, Dagahra destroys a JSDF submarine.

That night, Shiori and the boys steal Tatsuzo's canoe and set sail, with the fishermen following them on a water scooter. After they find the submerged ruins of the Nilai-Kanai Temple, Ghogo dives into a small opening, causing a beam of green light to shoot into the sky and pulling the kids into a water tunnel, which ends inside a room with a stone lion. Suddenly, the entire pyramid rises to the surface, allowing Fairy to enter and blast one of the Barem that followed them in. Belvera urges the fishermen inside. Dagahra arrives to attack the pyramid, but rays from the stone statues flanking it drive him off. Moll and Lora fly off to summon Mothra Leo, tasking the kids with finding the treasure. Dagahra runs amok on Ishigaki Island.

The fishermen abduct Shiori and Ghogo as Leo arrives. The guardian and Dagahra begin an aerial duel. Dagahra briefly gain the upper hand with an underwater attack, slamming Leo into a cliffside, but Leo repels him with a Breast Power Beam. Ghogo bites Junichi's hand as he and Shiori escape and reunite with the boys. Seeming to follow Belvera's advice, Dagahra dives into the ocean as Leo rains down attacks. Spinning in circles, he generates a hurricane which envelops Leo and leaves him covered in Barem. Moll and Lora try to dislodge them with lasers from their hands, but there are far too many. Dahagra tackles Leo into the pyramid, felling a statue, and drags him underwater. Suddenly, all entrances to the pyramid close. The remaining statues imbue Leo with a temporary burst of strength and fire on Dagahra, burying him under rock. Leo manages to surface and collapses on top of the pyramid.

The fishermen track down the kids and Ghogo again, but Moll and Lora intervene, destroying their spear gun. Cowed, they apologize, only for Mikio to grab Kohei and Garugaru to shoot down Fairy. The door in front of them suddenly opens. Inside they find massive statues, two with impressive orange gems on their foreheads. Mikio and Belvera retrieve them, but as soon as they do, the doors close. An enormous, regal hologram takes form at the center of the room and wordlessly sends Junichi flying with a blast of lightning. The Elias make their cases for possession of the treasure: Belvera wanting to use it to wipe out humanity, Moll and Lora striving to save it.

Having sprouted two new shoulder cannons, Dagahra renews his attack on Leo from underwater. The hologram shrinks down and beckons the kids closer. She explains that both Nilai-Kanai and Dagahra were buried by an earthquake just as the civilization's greatest scientists created a treasure to protect it. That treasure is not an object, however, but Ghogo. Belvera lunges for him, but a force field stops her. Having crawled on top of the pyramid, Dagahra tries to finish Leo. His weight quickly causes the structure to crumble. The hologram instructs Shiori to bring Ghogo to Mothra, then stops a statue from falling on them with another force field. The humans cross a bridge which shatters immediately afterwards, triggering a firestorm. As more doors close, they seem trapped, but Garugaru trips a switch at the last moment, shutting another door and saving them. Belvera acknowledges her sisters before flying off. As they make it outside, the statues and hologram grant Leo another burst of energy to knock back Dagahra, giving Shiori time to present Ghogo to him. The little creature starts glowing and floats above Leo, giving his life to transform him into Rainbow Mothra.

Dagahra is no match for this new form, his rays deflecting off an invisible shield. Flying low to the water, Mothra clears a dry path for the humans to run to shore. Dagahra retreats underwater, but this time his opponent follows him, shifting into Aqua Mothra. After a withering barrage of beam attacks, he changes into a swarm of smaller Mothras and swims inside Dagahra's mouth, ravaging him from the inside. Reforming outside Dagahra's body, he lifts the monster out of the water and drops him on top of the pyramid, setting off a tremendous explosion. As flames consume the pyramid, it transforms into water, then collapses as Mothra flies through it. After they reach the shore, the kids hear the voice of the hologram, reminding them that the future is in their hands. Shiori reveals the gift Ghogo left her: a single pearl she imagines as the Earth.

Staff

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

Cast

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

  • Sayaka Yamaguchi   as   Lora
  • Megumi Kobayashi   as   Moll
  • Aki Hano   as   Belvera
  • Hikari Mitsushima   as   Shiori Uranai
  • Shimada Masanao   as   Yoji Miyagi
  • Masaki Otake   as   Kohei Toguchi
  • Atsushi Okuno   as   Mikio Otani, fisherman
  • Hajime Okayama   as   Junichi Nagase, fisherman
  • Misako Konno   as   Toshiko Uranai, Shiori's mother
  • Fumie Hosokawa   as   Akiko Kimura, social studies teacher
  • Masahiro Sato   as   Tatsuzo Itoman, gym teacher
  • Maho Nonami   as   Princess Yuna
  • Masahiro Noguchi   as   Fisherman attacked by Barem
  • Kazushi Nemoto   as   Fisherman #2
  • Kentaro Sakai   as   Ishigaki Island police officer
  • Mizuho Yoshida   as   Dagahra

Omni Productions English dub

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

  • Andrea Kwan   as   Belvera
  • Darren Pleavin   as   Mikio Otani
  • Rik Thomas   as   Ishigaki Islander talking to police officer

Appearances

Monsters

Weapons, vehicles, and races

Gallery

Main article: Rebirth of Mothra 2/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Rebirth of Mothra 2/Soundtrack.

Alternate titles

Mothra 2: The Battle Under the Deep Sea logo
  • Mothra 2: The Battle Under the Deep Sea (literal Japanese title)
  • Rebirth of Mothra II (United States)
  • Mothra: The Sunken Kingdom (Mothra: Das versunkene Königreich; Germany)
  • Mothra 2 - The Battle Under the Surface (Mothra 2 - slaget under ytan; Sweden)

Theatrical releases

  • Japan - December 13, 1997

U.S. release

Rebirth of Mothra 2 was dubbed into English by Omni Productions of Hong Kong in late 1997.[2] In the U.S., Columbia TriStar Home Video released the English version of the film on VHS and DVD under the name Rebirth of Mothra II in 2000, with the latter packaging the film with Rebirth of Mothra. It made its cable TV premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel on May 31, 2003, the same day as the other two films in the trilogy. All three films were included in a 2014 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Blu-ray set, which finally made the Japanese language track available in the U.S.

Box office

The film grossed around $7,000,000 at the box office.

Reception

The film is widely considered the weakest of the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy.[citation needed]

Video releases

Columbia TriStar DVD (2000)[3]

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
  • Special features: None
  • Notes: Packaged with Rebirth of Mothra.

Toho DVD (2006, 2013, 2015)

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special features: Audio commentary by Hikari Mitsushima, trailers and DVD spots, message from special effects director Koichi Kawakita, behind-the-scenes tokusatsu featurette, Hikari Mitsushima interview, booklet

Sony Blu-ray + Digital HD (2014)

  • Region: A/1
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0)
  • Subtitles: English, French
  • Special features: Four trailers for Rebirth of Mothra, four trailers for Rebirth of Mothra 2, three trailers for Rebirth of Mothra 3
  • Notes: Packaged with Rebirth of Mothra and Rebirth of Mothra 3. Subtitles correspond to the script of the English dub, not the original Japanese dialogue.

Toho Blu-ray (2017)

  • Region: A/1
  • Discs: 3
  • Audio: Japanese
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special features: Audio commentary by Hikari Mitsushima, trailers and DVD spots, message from special effects director Koichi Kawakita, behind-the-scenes tokusatsu featurette, Hikari Mitsushima interview, booklet, image gallery
  • Notes: Packaged with Rebirth of Mothra and Rebirth of Mothra 3.

Videos

Trailers

Rebirth of Mothra 2 Japanese trailer
Rebirth of Mothra 2 Japanese "Newsflash/Special Announcement" trailer #1
Japanese Rebirth of Mothra 2 Newsflash/Special Announcement trailer #2

Trivia

  • The aerial cliff footage seen in the first Special Announcement trailer for Rebirth of Mothra 2 was shot overseas by special effects director Koichi Kawakita.[citation needed] Footage of the same cliffs, alongside forest footage from the same shoot, appeared in the 1997 film My Secret Cache, which also featured a plush Mothra larva.

References

This is a list of references for Rebirth of Mothra 2. 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. "過去興行収入上位作品". Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. [1]
  3. Amazon.com: Rebirth of Mothra 1&2 (1996)

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