Godzilla contra Mechagodzilla

16) TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA – ORIGINAL SHOWA SERIES 1954-1975. The legendary Ishiro Honda is my favourite Godzilla director, but here he's a shadow of his former glory. The story seems to be told at half throttle, the first 50 minutes or so have more static debate than appropriate, with the visuals of a cheap TV production, and the plot doesn't move anywhere. The title is quite misleading, too. Most of the action revolves around the underwater lizard Titanosaurus, with Godzilla and Mechagodzilla playing only second fiddle. Of course, Honda's favourite element – aliens – couldn’t be absent. But otherwise it is surprising that the level of the special effects in Honda's films hasn't progressed an inch since the days of King Kong vs. Godzilla. This actually makes me quite cynical about the character of Godzilla himself; here, and for the last time in the franchise, he looks like some sort of plush toy from a children's show, and it's quite fun to watch him make moves that are irresistibly comic. It's not until the last 20 minutes – when Mechagodzilla is released – that Honda finally gets unleashed and the wrestling match between Godzilla and Titanosaurus is not that bad, there even fist punches and head kicks. Otherwise, though, a slightly boring experience. (12.08.2010)

"Mekagojira's Revenge" pleasantly concludes an era, with the giant monster's final march at the end being simply iconic, even though similar moments appeared in previous films. Gojira walks alone into the ocean, and we watch him from behind. Fantastic. The film includes impressive special effects scenes, especially the final battle which is packed with action, explosions, gunfire, flames, and mayhem. A fantastic action-packed and entertaining B-movie. (08.03.2015)