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Director: Masaaki Tezuka (Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla)
Original Release Year: 2000
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Released By: Universe Laser & Video (Hong Kong)
Video: Widescreen
Audio: Japanese 5.1, Cantonese 5.1, Cantonese 2.0
Extras: Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
Closed Captions: None
Region: 3
Format: NTSC
Chapters: 9
Packaging: Keepcase
MSRP: $35 HK
UPC #: 4895024925257
Catalog #: 5775
Status: Out of print
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Zillamon51
Japan has been forced to abandon nuclear energy, for fear of drawing the monster back to the mainland. Even plasma energy, a supposedly “clean” energy source, attracts Godzilla’s attention. In an effort to rid Japan of the monster, the Japanese government establishes a counter-G task force, the “G-Graspers.” Their leader is the determined Kiriko Tsujimori (the stern but pretty Misato Tanaka). She has a very personal reason for fighting Godzilla: Her commanding officer died while saving her life from the monster.
Japan’s newest weapon is the Dimension Tide, an artificial black hole fired from an orbiting satellite. The G-Graspers are determined to erase Godzilla from existence. They test the weapon and unwittingly release strange creatures from a rift in the space / time continuum: Meganeuron, a giant prehistoric dragonfly. The larvae of these creatures breed in the sewers of Tokyo, flooding much of the city. The mature dragonflies swarm Godzilla. They siphon enough of his energy to feed their growing queen, Megaguirus. Now, the G-Graspers rush to perfect the Dimension Tide as Godzilla and Megaguirus battle for dominance.
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (GxM for short) is an odd combination of high-tech and 1970s-style camp. The special effects are a mixed bag. While the CGI and compositing are generally improved over the previous year’s Godzilla 2000, the monsters are filmed in such a way that Godzilla and Megaguirus look just like a guy in a rubber suit and a puppet, respectively (which they are). The human characters are a “who’s who” of sci-fi clichés: The embittered warrior-with-a-grudge, the cocky young genius, the corrupt bureaucrat, the “Kenny,” and not one, but two wise old scientists-who-know-all.
Despite all that, GxM still manages to be a solid Godzilla movie. There are some great scenes, including Kiriko “surfing” on Godzilla's back, and Godzilla battling the Meganeura swarm. (Meganeura was a real prehistoric insect that also appeared in Toho's 1956 classic Rodan.) It’s directed with a lot of energy and enthusiasm by first-timer Masaaki Tezuka. Megaguirus is an interesting opponent. Her speed allows her to easily dodge Godzilla’s attacks. He must actually think and strategize; he can’t simply overpower the flying insect. The film also benefits from an excellent score by Michiru Oshima (the first woman to score a G-film). The score is rousing and powerful, in the spirit of Akira Ifukube’s classic scores. All in all, this is a flawed but entertaining movie. Grade: B
Video: The widescreen image is reasonably clear and colorful. There is no apparent grain or print damage. The picture looks a bit soft at times, probably due to lack of anamorphic enhancement, and there is some occasional minor compression artifacting. While not bad in its own right, it does suffer in direct comparison to the superior region 1 transfer. Grade: B-
Audio: The original Japanese language track is presented in 5.1. It sounds sharp and clear. The Chinese 2.0 track is low and muffled. The Chinese 5.1 track is fuller and clearer, but still not as good as the Japanese track. Grade: A-
Extras / Menus: The only extra is the film’s theatrical trailer. It’s in widescreen, and the video quality is noticeably inferior to the actual film. It’s in Japanese with (poor) English subtitles. Most of the menus are static and without sound. Only the chapter select menu has animated film clips in the selection windows. Grade: C-
Final Analysis: In both video quality and supplemental content, this disc is superior to Universe’s region 3 releases of Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. It has since been discontinued, and replaced with a slightly updated version. The only things either HK edition of GxM have over Sony's region 1 version are more accurate subtitles and a lower price tag. Final Grade: B-
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