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JUST ANOTHER FILM REVIEW
I adore films. Whether that be a black and white silent classic or a popcorn fuelled blockbuster I am at my happiest when escaping into the worlds that only films can create. This blog allows me to go on a journey of film discovery and although there will be good and bad times along the way it is an adventure that I hope you will join me on. I don't take myself too seriously, you shouldn't either. - Robert Hay
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December 21st: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
I have just realised we are getting very close to the end of the Heisei era, with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) being the penultimate film. With the Showa era lasting so long it feels like we were just getting going with these one, but alas all ears come to an end. And with the trajectory of the films from this era, maybe that isn’t the worst thing. With the failure of Mechagodzilla in the previous film, the authorities decide to develop two new projects to fight against
December 20th: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
This is coming to you a day late, but it’s a busy time of year so I feel like I should be forgiven, right? What you don’t have to forgive me for is the fact that I’m hungover writing this and so it’s going to be a short one. Thankfully, there isn’t al that much I have to say about this film, mostly because there is basically no story in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) . To try and summarise this film, the United Nations have decided there needs to be proper defences agai
December 19th: Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
We have the first feature in the Heisei era of one of Godzilla’s main enemies/allies depending in the film in the form of Mothra. She is often described as his girlfriend, although if that is the case then this film must come when they are in a rocky patch. Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) opens with a meteor hitting earth. This results in two events that will shape the course of the narrative. Firstly it awakens Godzilla from his hibernation in an underwater trench. At the same ti
December 18th: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Well, it only took three films for this era to go completely mad. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) takes the silly aspects of the prior film and turns that up to 11 (rest in piece Rob Reiner). And while I have been critical of how silly the Showa films got towards the end, the fact that this film takes those aspects seriously makes it kind of work for me. The film sees a UFO land on earth. However, these are not aliens, these are humans from the 23 rd century who have trave
December 17th: Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
We may only be two films into the Heisei era, but if it carries on at this pace I think it is going to clear the Showa era in terms of quality. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) picks up where The Return of Godzilla (1984) left off, both thematically and narratively. With the defeat of Godzilla, scientists have found some of his cells which they want to research to find the potential uses. However, an accident in the research leads to Dr. Shiragami’s (Koji Takahashi) daughter bei
December 16th: The Return of Godzilla (1984)
And a new era begins with The Return of Godzilla (1984) . And if you thought soft reboots were a new phenomenon, then you would be very mistaken. This film acts as a direct sequel to the original Godzilla (1954) , completely ignoring all other sequels that came after it. And personally, for the tone and direction this film takes that was probably the best direction to take. Thirty years after Godzilla terrorised Tokyo, he has returned. Initially the Japanese government wish t
December 15th: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
And here we are, the end of an era. Not the end of the full franchise, we’re just about halfway through that. But Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) is the final film of the Showa era of Godzilla films, an era that lasted over 20 years. And in a nice bookend to the era, Ishiro Honda returns one last time. And if you thought that might mean aliens aren’t involved in the film’s narrative, think again dummy. The film opens with a submarine being attacked by a mysterious undersea cre
December 14th: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
After Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) and Jun Fukuda’s return to the directing chair my enjoyment of this franchise took a hit. It felt like a return to the formula that had become a little stale and it wasn’t a welcome one. So, it needed something new to bring me back in. Something fresh. Something exciting. What’s that? A mechanical Godzilla? You son of a bitch, I’m in! Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) sees aliens (what a shock) trying to take over the earth using a mechanical
December 13th: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
I’m still of flu but I’m a lot less grumpy about this film in this series. Yes, Fukuda is still at the reigns, so it isn’t a return to the tone that spiced things up for me, but this one ends up going so far into being silly and ridiculous that it becomes kind of charming. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) steps away from alien antagonists, replacing them instead with the people of Seatopia, a kingdom of people whose civilisation has been forever damaged by human’s nuclear testing
December 12th: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
So, we have just had the best film in this series since the original, a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Where should we go from here? Bring back Jun Fukuda and go back to the formulaic family friendly stuff we were doing before? Sigh. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) reintroduces aliens back into the franchise, who again are wanting to use Ghidorah to help takeover the world. However, this time around they also use a new foe, Gigan, to create a terrible double act. Earths on
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