Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

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ゴジラ×モスラ×メカゴジラ 東京SOS

While mechanic for Japan’s military defense force, currently assigned repairs on Kiryu (MechaG named for Mechagodzilla in this film as opposed to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla), Yoshito Chujo (Noboru Kaneko) is visiting his uncle’s home (Hiroshi Koizumi, who played Dr. Shinichi Chujo in Mothra (1961)) on a minor vacation, talking about fighter planes with his nephew, (Kenta Suga). The three of them are visited by the “Mothra twins” are told that the 1954 Godzilla bones (currently attached with mechanical parts to form Mechagodzilla) must be returned to the sea in order to save Tokyo from further devastation and destruction. For one final mission, MechaG will be under operation to combat Godzilla. Godzilla, it seems, is returning to Japan because of MechaG so the twins’ declaration that the bones belong in the sea and never should have been taken from their final resting place appears correct. Meanwhile, despite the warnings that Mothra would attack Tokyo herself if the bones weren’t returned turns out false as she defends the city against Godzilla while the defense force’s engineers prepare MechaG for its mission against the giant lizard menace once again stomping down streets and through buildings. Meanwhile, Mothra’s offspring, two larvae hatching from their egg, surface in Japan to help out their mother. Sinew is spit all over Godzilla, in the hopes of webbing the lizard, but Mothra must sacrifice herself to protect her larvae while MechaG gives and takes firepower and blows.

The mechanical wizardry that MechaG is equipped with in this film is quite cool, including dispatched metal arms that blast right into Godzilla’s body. The drill into Godzilla and the opening chest that features an intense laser used effectively to further torment the open wound finally seem to indicate actual serious harm to the iconic monster. One jettisoned arm collapses right to the ground, and MechaG even deposits the heroic mechanic so he can be rescued as it carries the injured Godzilla to the ocean for burial. Mothra’s death—as it lights up and explodes into eviscerated ash—just horrified me…that was my reaction. I was just taken aback by Mothra’s death. It just lights up the sky and she even has this death cry before exploding. And the larvae having to see it first-hand, I guess I was kind of surprised at just how much this impacted me. The film does seem to set up that Mothra might actually assist Godzilla in making matters worse for those in the city (and government/military), but Yoshito’s nephew tests her by stacking desks from his school to form its calling symbol. Dr. Shinichi wouldn’t leave the city without his grandson, obviously, and they sure enough see Mothra fly in to battle Godzilla. I think Mothra not attacking Tokyo as the twins forewarned, instead defending the people instead of attacking them, could be the reason I felt so strongly impacted by her demise. But if all the firepower at MechaG’s disposal had trouble stopping Godzilla, Mothra’s powerful wings and clasping legs certainly wouldn’t give him too much problem. Still Mothra put up a fight despite the disadvantage…one horrible moment for Mothra came when Godzilla got a mouth full of leg, biting it off! Another moment has Big G hurling Mothra into a skyscraper, further wounding her.

After watching Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), which threw at us a lot of martial arts and tons of monsters, it was nice to see a film featuring only three monsters (one chief adversary, Mothra, and her two larvae) and returning mechanical equivalent of the Big G. You still get city wide carnage, Godzilla laying waste to buildings and looking mean, and great special effects behind the operations of MechaG involved. No aliens and kickboxing mutants but pilots risking their lives inside MechaG and fighter planes, and a mechanic willing to offer his services as danger awaits every turn; so the plot stays away from distractions in favor of how to stop Godzilla from continuing to breath his fire and stomp about with all its rage and fury. I have to say that I have liked the Mothra movies I’ve seen from Toho. It wasn’t too long ago I watched Mothra (1961), in fact, so it is a very aesthetically attractive monster among the Kaiju pantheon. Good ole Toho sure knows how to destroy model buildings with rubber monsters! So Toho Kaiju fan for life, this guy. It had been mentioned that this was seemingly aimed for kids, while Final Wars certainly went for teens and fans of fighting action. I still think Tokyo SOS had plenty to offer different age demographics, particular monster movie nerds like me.