After Japanese movie studio “Toho” released “Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla” in 2002, they immediately worked on a direct sequel to the film as another entry to the “Millennium Series.”
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. was released in 2003. (same year Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill came out) Like its predecessor, the film earned positive reviews from critics, fans & movie goers alike. In addition to positive reception, it also made a profit at the box office.
“Godzilla: King Of The Monsters” is officially out in theaters worldwide. Before I see the title character’s return on the silver screen, I’ve decided to look back at each movie related to the Millennium Series so I can spread word of mouth to longtime fans of the long running franchise. If you want more information, check out film/video game critic James Rolfe/Angry Video Game Nerd’s videos/reviews about each Godzilla movie from his website “Cinemassacre.” He’s a lifelong passionate fan of Kaiju.
Today’s review does not contain any crucial SPOILERS whatsoever. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article if you haven’t completely immersed yourself to Godzilla’s mythology.
Strong & Weak Aspects
Strong: Action Sequences were really good as they managed to keep me entertained.
Fight Scenes with Godzilla, Mothra & MechaGodzilla were awesome to see them duke it out.
Practical Effects were heavily used to build miniatures to resemble Tokyo’s environmental locations, pyrotechnics blowing crud up & customized suits for stuntmen to portray Godzilla & MechaGodzilla.
Cinematography never suffered from any technical difficulties throughout.
The human protagonist from the previous movie returns.
The Military are not stupid if you recall “Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus.”
The film is set after the events of the original Godzilla, Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla & the original Mothra.
If you remember its predecessor, MechaGodzilla’s codename is Kiryu.
MechaGodzilla’s weapons are retained. In addition to his arsenal, he has drills for hands similar to Megalon. My favorite Kaiju monster of all time.
Callbacks to the previous film & the original Mothra are mentioned as a reminder for us to remember the mythos of the two monsters.
An old man is actually a soldier from the original Mothra film. He factors in this movie.
Mothra’s motivation to retrieve Godzilla’s bones back to the ocean is understandable. If the government refuses to comply, Mothra will declare war on humanity. I think Mothra has been binge-watching “The Sopranos” taking extortion lessons from Tony Soprano.
Missiles flying simultaneously reminded me of that one scene from Jet Li’s “Hero” when thousands of arrows land directly at Jet Li. Hero came out the same year as Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
The Fairies sing Mothra’s signature theme song.
After an intense fight, the outcome shows us the victor of the climatic battle.
A foe from the Gamera series makes a cameo appearance.
A Post-Credits Scene is shown. It’s actually a Plot Twist.
Weak: The human protagonist role is basically recycled. He wasn’t that interesting. I would’ve preferred the other human protagonist from Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla.
English Dub actors hired to translate Japanese dialogue felt really hokey. It must be hard to take a foreign film seriously when it comes to translating for an American audience.
Product Placement featuring brands such as Sony & Honda. I’ll let this con slide, because I couldn’t any other brand to shove down my throat.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BIGGER & BETTER!
In my opinion, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. is another decent entry to the Millennium Series. Its got some good qualities despite two gripes listed as the weak parts. If you are eager to see Godzilla King Of The Monsters, I highly recommend this film along with the big one known as “Godzilla: Final Wars.”
I hope Godzilla’s recent movie with King Ghidorah, Mothra & Rodan isn’t an epic pile of dino droppings like that god awful Godzilla 1998.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 