Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Encyclopedia
, alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction
kaiju
film directed by Takao Okawara
and written by Kazuki Omori
. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla
series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series. The film is the last in the Heisei series to feature Godzilla, who is nearing a nuclear meltdown which threatens the Earth. To further worsen the situation, vicious creatures called Destoroyah
emerge from the water and start terrorizing Japan, and the Japanese Self-Defense Force must come up with a daring plan to take down both threats.
, Birth Island is found destroyed. Godzilla
's biological son, Little Godzilla
, is presumed dead at first but later reveals himself as a larger and more powerful sub-adult due to the excess radiation and is re-named Godzilla Junior. Godzilla, covered in glowing lava
-like rashes, enters Hong Kong
and destroys most of the city. G-Force representatives hire college student Kenichi Yamane, the grandson of Dr. Kyohei Yamane, to come work at the center in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Godzilla's condition.
Yamane suspects that Godzilla has been influenced by the volcanic eruption on Birth Island, starting a self destruct sequence in himself and will suffer a nuclear heart attack. His death would result in an explosion which will destroy Japan and an atmospheric chain reaction would destroy all life on Earth. G-Force deploys a flying combat vehicle outfitted with anti-nuclear cold weapons to forestall this; the Super X III
. Meanwhile, strange life forms appear where Godzilla was thought to have been killed in 1954. Soil
samples reveal that the creatures are connected to the Oxygen Destroyer used against Godzilla in 1954, which mutated Precambrian
era life forms. The creatures end up escaping after a transfer mistake and kill all life in an aquarium. They rapidly evolve into monstrous crab-like creatures and begin wreaking havoc. After several deadly skirmishes with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the creatures, dubbed "Destoroyah
", evolve beyond the J.S.D.F.'s containment abilities and psychic
Miki Saegusa
must use her failing powers to lure Junior to the area in an attempt to combat Destoroyah in Tokyo
. Godzilla, who is searching for his son, follows Junior, but complications arise. Due to his encounter with the Super X III, Godzilla will suffer a meltdown once his body reaches 1,200 degrees Celsius, destroying Earth in the process.
Junior and Destoroyah fight as planned, but in the ensuing brawl, Junior is seriously wounded and seemingly kills Destoroyah. Godzilla and Junior meet in Narita, but Destoroyah returns in his final form, which resembles an enormous winged devil. Destoroyah knocks down Godzilla and grabs Junior, dropping him from an extreme altitude that brings the child monster close to death. Godzilla, enraged, attacks Destoroyah and a battle ensues that destroys much of Tokyo. Born from the only weapon that was believed to have killed him, Destoroyah at first shows an advantage, but Godzilla's radioactivity has increased his own power. Destoroyah's body decomposes into many smaller Destoroyah which attempt to swarm Godzilla from all sides, but Godzilla uses his nuclear pulse to incinerate the miniature Destoroyahs.
Alone at last, Godzilla tries to revive Junior but he fails. Overcome by grief, Godzilla's heart continues to fail. Suddenly, Destoroyah returns for one last attack. Godzilla's demise begins, resulting in his power increasing once again infinitly. In a fury of rage, Godzilla begins reigniting Destoroyah with his powerful atomic breaths, severely burning and mortally wounding the beast. Destoroyah then attempts to escape to die elsewhere before Godzilla meltsdown, but the military shoots and blows off his wings. Destoroyah falls out of the air but Godzilla doesn't move. When Destoroyah hits the ground, because of the extreme change in temperatures
from the ice rays and Godzilla super-heating the ground, Destoroyah explodes. As Godzilla reaches meltdown, he becomes furious because he is now unable to exact revenge on his son's murderer and begins to die, the Super X III freezes him with ice beams to stop him from the destroying the planet and is successful, but are unable to save his life. Godzilla's final moments of life are long, strenuous, and sad as he is overcome with immense pain, with his flesh and body slowly melting away. At one point he glows so brightly that he is too bright to look at. The King of the Monsters gives one last faint roar before he becomes nothing more than a pile of melted flesh and ashes.
The victory is a costly one however, for the radiation has made Tokyo an uninhabitable city. Miki holds her hat in salute to the creature she had cared about for so long. Suddenly, radiation levels begin to plummet, and from within the thinning smoke, is a revived and full grown Godzilla Junior. Apparently, in his last moments, Godzilla transferred his radiation to Junior, allowing him to carry on his father's legacy as the new Godzilla.
fighting the ghost of the original 1954 Godzilla. Godzilla would be killed by it then be revived and manage to destroy it. Another idea which had been tossed around featured Bagan, who was the final boss in the Super Nintendo
video game Super Godzilla
.
An alternate ending was filmed. Destoroyah
attempted to escape once Godzilla
gained the upper hand, but the J.S.D.F. shot him down. Godzilla, despite suffering from his meltdown, continued to battle the vicious monster. Godzilla quickly overpowered Destoroyah, grabbing him by his horn and pummeling him repeatedly. As Godzilla melts away, the J.S.D.F. rain their ice beams upon him, as well as Destoroyah. Unable to stand against the immense heat of Godzilla's meltdown and the freezing coldness of the beams, Destoroyah falls and evaporates. However, the scene was removed because it was thought to be inappropriate, since Godzilla's foreseen death was to be the climax
of the film. So the scene was re-edited to have Destoroyah die after the JSDF intervenes and helps Godzilla finish off Destoroyah, allowing Godzilla to have center stage as he dies and Godzilla Junior
takes his place as the new Godzilla.
Japan Hero called the film "a work of art" and "a must see for anyone who loves Godzilla" that features "something for everyone"
Mike Bogue of American Kaiju felt the film suffered from "several visual weaknesses" and "disappointing editing," but that "the positive aspects of the visuals outweigh the negatives" and praised the film for "treating Godzilla with the same awe, majesty, and terror as [the original 1954 Godzilla
]. "
, Sony Tristar distributed the previously unreleased Heisei Godzilla films on April 28, 1998, less than half month before the release of Tristar's Godzilla remake. Excluding Godzilla 1985
and Godzilla vs. Biollante
, since they have already been released prior. This film and "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla" are the only ones that did not open with the 1984 Tristar Pictures logo.
for special effects.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film directed by Takao Okawara
Takao Okawara
Takao Okawara is a Japanese film director, writer and producer.-Biography:Most famous for directing three Heisei Godzilla films, Okawara joined Akira Kurosawa and Ishirō Honda on the film Kagemusha . Four years later, Okawara became the assistant director for the first Heisei Godzilla film: The...
and written by Kazuki Omori
Kazuki Omori
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter.-Career:Born in Osaka, Ōmori studied at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and actually holds a license to practice medicine. While in school, he began making films independently, with Kuraku naru made matenai! , which featured Seijun Suzuki,...
. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series. The film is the last in the Heisei series to feature Godzilla, who is nearing a nuclear meltdown which threatens the Earth. To further worsen the situation, vicious creatures called Destoroyah
Destoroyah
, alternatively Destroyah, or Destroyer, is a fictional Japanese monster from the Godzilla Franchise appearing only in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and in some of the Godzilla video games. He originated as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans that had been awakened and mutated when the...
emerge from the water and start terrorizing Japan, and the Japanese Self-Defense Force must come up with a daring plan to take down both threats.
Plot
In 1996, after the death of SpaceGodzillaSpaceGodzilla
, is a modified clone of Godzilla featured in the Heisei Godzilla film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla . SpaceGodzilla is the main antagonist of the film. It was originally planned for use in the Showa era of films but dropped, and its physical appearance is nearly identical to Super Godzilla, a variant...
, Birth Island is found destroyed. Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
's biological son, Little Godzilla
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
, is presumed dead at first but later reveals himself as a larger and more powerful sub-adult due to the excess radiation and is re-named Godzilla Junior. Godzilla, covered in glowing lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
-like rashes, enters Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and destroys most of the city. G-Force representatives hire college student Kenichi Yamane, the grandson of Dr. Kyohei Yamane, to come work at the center in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Godzilla's condition.
Yamane suspects that Godzilla has been influenced by the volcanic eruption on Birth Island, starting a self destruct sequence in himself and will suffer a nuclear heart attack. His death would result in an explosion which will destroy Japan and an atmospheric chain reaction would destroy all life on Earth. G-Force deploys a flying combat vehicle outfitted with anti-nuclear cold weapons to forestall this; the Super X III
Super X
The is a fictional Japanese military aircraft featured in the 1984 Heisei Godzilla film The Return of Godzilla. The concept and basic design were reused for the Super X-II in 1989's Godzilla vs. Biollante and the Super X-III in 1995's Godzilla vs...
. Meanwhile, strange life forms appear where Godzilla was thought to have been killed in 1954. Soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
samples reveal that the creatures are connected to the Oxygen Destroyer used against Godzilla in 1954, which mutated Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
era life forms. The creatures end up escaping after a transfer mistake and kill all life in an aquarium. They rapidly evolve into monstrous crab-like creatures and begin wreaking havoc. After several deadly skirmishes with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the creatures, dubbed "Destoroyah
Destoroyah
, alternatively Destroyah, or Destroyer, is a fictional Japanese monster from the Godzilla Franchise appearing only in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and in some of the Godzilla video games. He originated as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans that had been awakened and mutated when the...
", evolve beyond the J.S.D.F.'s containment abilities and psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
Miki Saegusa
Miki Saegusa
, played by Megumi Odaka, is a recurring fictional character from the Heisei series of Godzilla films. She's notable for being a psychic that uses her powers to communicate with and, in some instances, control the mutant dinosaur Godzilla and is credited for being the most frequently recurring...
must use her failing powers to lure Junior to the area in an attempt to combat Destoroyah in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Godzilla, who is searching for his son, follows Junior, but complications arise. Due to his encounter with the Super X III, Godzilla will suffer a meltdown once his body reaches 1,200 degrees Celsius, destroying Earth in the process.
Junior and Destoroyah fight as planned, but in the ensuing brawl, Junior is seriously wounded and seemingly kills Destoroyah. Godzilla and Junior meet in Narita, but Destoroyah returns in his final form, which resembles an enormous winged devil. Destoroyah knocks down Godzilla and grabs Junior, dropping him from an extreme altitude that brings the child monster close to death. Godzilla, enraged, attacks Destoroyah and a battle ensues that destroys much of Tokyo. Born from the only weapon that was believed to have killed him, Destoroyah at first shows an advantage, but Godzilla's radioactivity has increased his own power. Destoroyah's body decomposes into many smaller Destoroyah which attempt to swarm Godzilla from all sides, but Godzilla uses his nuclear pulse to incinerate the miniature Destoroyahs.
Alone at last, Godzilla tries to revive Junior but he fails. Overcome by grief, Godzilla's heart continues to fail. Suddenly, Destoroyah returns for one last attack. Godzilla's demise begins, resulting in his power increasing once again infinitly. In a fury of rage, Godzilla begins reigniting Destoroyah with his powerful atomic breaths, severely burning and mortally wounding the beast. Destoroyah then attempts to escape to die elsewhere before Godzilla meltsdown, but the military shoots and blows off his wings. Destoroyah falls out of the air but Godzilla doesn't move. When Destoroyah hits the ground, because of the extreme change in temperatures
Thermal shock
Thermal shock is the name given to cracking as a result of rapid temperature change. Glass and ceramic objects are particularly vulnerable to this form of failure, due to their low toughness, low thermal conductivity, and high thermal expansion coefficients...
from the ice rays and Godzilla super-heating the ground, Destoroyah explodes. As Godzilla reaches meltdown, he becomes furious because he is now unable to exact revenge on his son's murderer and begins to die, the Super X III freezes him with ice beams to stop him from the destroying the planet and is successful, but are unable to save his life. Godzilla's final moments of life are long, strenuous, and sad as he is overcome with immense pain, with his flesh and body slowly melting away. At one point he glows so brightly that he is too bright to look at. The King of the Monsters gives one last faint roar before he becomes nothing more than a pile of melted flesh and ashes.
The victory is a costly one however, for the radiation has made Tokyo an uninhabitable city. Miki holds her hat in salute to the creature she had cared about for so long. Suddenly, radiation levels begin to plummet, and from within the thinning smoke, is a revived and full grown Godzilla Junior. Apparently, in his last moments, Godzilla transferred his radiation to Junior, allowing him to carry on his father's legacy as the new Godzilla.
Cast
- Yasufumi Hayashi as Kenichi Yamane
- Yoko IshinoYōko Ishinois a Japanese actress and tarento. She was born in Ashiya, Hyōgo.Ishino debuted in 1985 as a pop singer, and first appeared on television in 1986. Her older sister is Mako Ishino. Ishino has also attended in Horikoshi High School with the idol singer Yukiko Okada.-Filmography:*1987 – Godzilla vs....
as Yukari Yamane - Megumi OdakaMegumi Odakastarted her career in 1984 as a voice-actress for the animation-TV-Series Fushigi na koala Blinky aka Noozles aka The Wondrous Koala Blinky , where she played the character Sandy Brown...
as Miki SaegusaMiki Saegusa, played by Megumi Odaka, is a recurring fictional character from the Heisei series of Godzilla films. She's notable for being a psychic that uses her powers to communicate with and, in some instances, control the mutant dinosaur Godzilla and is credited for being the most frequently recurring... - Takuro Tatsumi as Kensaku Ijuin
- Akira NakaoAkira Nakaois a Japanese actor and personality from Kisarazu, Chiba, Japan. He graduated from Chiba Prefectural Kisarazu High School and attended Musashino Art University. Nakao is a member of the Furutachi Project agency....
as General Aso - Momoko Kochi as Emiko Yamane
- Kenpachiro SatsumaKenpachiro Satsumais a Japanese actor. He is probably best known for playing Godzilla in the Heisei series of Godzilla films , but played other giant monsters as well.-Films:...
as GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,... - Ryo Hariya and Eiichi Yanagida as DestoroyahDestoroyah, alternatively Destroyah, or Destroyer, is a fictional Japanese monster from the Godzilla Franchise appearing only in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and in some of the Godzilla video games. He originated as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans that had been awakened and mutated when the...
, the main antagonist of the film. - Hurricane RyuHurricane Ryu-Films:* 1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah * 1992 - Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth * 1993 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II * 1995 - Godzilla vs. Destoroyah...
as Godzilla JuniorGodzilla Junior, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
Production
This film's original idea was to feature GodzillaGodzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
fighting the ghost of the original 1954 Godzilla. Godzilla would be killed by it then be revived and manage to destroy it. Another idea which had been tossed around featured Bagan, who was the final boss in the Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
video game Super Godzilla
Super Godzilla
Super Godzilla is a video game for the Super Nintendo released in 1993 by Toho.Unlike other games of the era, Super Godzilla is not a straight action game. Instead, the player must guide Godzilla into the different levels by pressing the adequate button in the appropriate place...
.
An alternate ending was filmed. Destoroyah
Destoroyah
, alternatively Destroyah, or Destroyer, is a fictional Japanese monster from the Godzilla Franchise appearing only in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and in some of the Godzilla video games. He originated as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans that had been awakened and mutated when the...
attempted to escape once Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
gained the upper hand, but the J.S.D.F. shot him down. Godzilla, despite suffering from his meltdown, continued to battle the vicious monster. Godzilla quickly overpowered Destoroyah, grabbing him by his horn and pummeling him repeatedly. As Godzilla melts away, the J.S.D.F. rain their ice beams upon him, as well as Destoroyah. Unable to stand against the immense heat of Godzilla's meltdown and the freezing coldness of the beams, Destoroyah falls and evaporates. However, the scene was removed because it was thought to be inappropriate, since Godzilla's foreseen death was to be the climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
of the film. So the scene was re-edited to have Destoroyah die after the JSDF intervenes and helps Godzilla finish off Destoroyah, allowing Godzilla to have center stage as he dies and Godzilla Junior
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
takes his place as the new Godzilla.
Box office
The film sold approximately 4 million tickets in Japan, and earned ¥2 billion in distribution income (around $18,000,000 (U.S)). It was the number one Japanese film at the box office for the calendar year 1996.Reception
Critical reaction to the film has been mostly positive. Toho Kingdom said, "With an elegant style, a powerful plot, brilliant effects, and believable acting, this entry is definitely a notch above favorites from all three timelines, and its impact on the series is challenged by only a handful of competitors. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is without a doubt a paradigm all its own." Michael Hubert of Monster Zero praised the "spectacular monster battles," calling Godzilla vs. Destoroyah "a great movie" and "one to add to your collection," adding: "Even for non-Godzilla fans, this movie might help dispel some of the preconceptions you have about Godzilla's 'cheese factor'."Japan Hero called the film "a work of art" and "a must see for anyone who loves Godzilla" that features "something for everyone"
Mike Bogue of American Kaiju felt the film suffered from "several visual weaknesses" and "disappointing editing," but that "the positive aspects of the visuals outweigh the negatives" and praised the film for "treating Godzilla with the same awe, majesty, and terror as [the original 1954 Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
]. "
Home media
To tie in with the American remakeGodzilla (1998 film)
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
, Sony Tristar distributed the previously unreleased Heisei Godzilla films on April 28, 1998, less than half month before the release of Tristar's Godzilla remake. Excluding Godzilla 1985
The Return of Godzilla
The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla (released as in Japan and as Godzilla 1985 in North America, is a 1984 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The sixteenth film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and directed by Koji Hashimoto with special...
and Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. Biollante
is a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...
, since they have already been released prior. This film and "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla" are the only ones that did not open with the 1984 Tristar Pictures logo.
DVD release
Columbia TriStar (Sony)- Released: February 1, 2000
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic
- Sound: English (2.0)
- Region 1
- Note: A double feature with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzillaGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzillais a 1994 science fiction kaiju film directed by Kensho Yamashita and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was the twenty-first film released in the Godzilla series and sixth in the Heisei series of films. It is the second film to feature the Moguera and Little Godzilla and also the seventh film to...
. There were no other special features present, except for subtitles.
Awards
In Japan, the film won the 1996 Best Grossing Films Award-Golden Award and the Academy PrizeJapan Academy Prize
Japan Academy Prize may refer to:*Imperial Prize of the Japan Academy, an award of the Japan Academy to non-members in recognition of outstanding academic achievements....
for special effects.
External links
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Godzilla vs. Destoroyah toho kingdom page 1
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla/Godzilla vs. Destoroyah toho kingdom page 2