Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidorâ: Daikaijû sôkôgeki (2001)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Shusuke Kaneko

Writers:

Kei'ichi Hasegawa (writer)
Shusuke Kaneko (writer)

Release Date:

15 December 2001 (Japan)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Who will be the last monster standing?

Plot:

Three ancient guardian beasts awaken to protect Japan against Godzilla.

Plot Keywords:

Japan | Disaster | Submarine | Ghidorah | Mothra

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chiharu Nîyama	...	Yuri Tachibana (BS Digital Q reporter)
Ryudo Uzaki	...	SDF Adm. Taizô Tachibana
Masahiro Kobayashi	...	Teruaki Takeda (science writer)
Shirô Sano	...	Haruki Kadokura (Yuri's boss)
Takashi Nishina	...	AD Aki Maruo
Kaho Minami	...	SDF Intelligence Capt. Kumi Emori
Shin'ya Ôwada	...	SDF L:t. Gen. Katsumasa Mikumo
Kunio Murai	...	SDF HQ Secretary Masato Hinogaki
Hiroyuki Watanabe	...	Yutaka Hirose
Shingo Katsurayama	...	SDF Intelligence Maj. Tokihiko Kobayakawa
Toshikazu Fukawa	...	Adjutant Miyashita
Masahiko Tsugawa	...	Chief Cabinet Secretary
Eisei Amamoto	...	Prof. Hirotoshi Isayama the Prophet (as Hideyo Amamoto)
Nobuaki Kakuda	...	Commanding Sector officer (as Nobuo Kakuda)
Takafumi Matsuo	...	Mototsu Station police officer

Also Known As:

GMK (Japan) (promotional abbreviation)
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (International: English title)
Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Daikaiju Sogougeki
Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: The Giant Monsters' General Offensive (literal English title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Studio 1, Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

Some of the miniature city sets from this film were used in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). They were supplied for him by art director Toshio Miike.

Quotes:

[Yuri tries to convince her boss on doing a story about the possible return of Godzilla]
Yuri: You don't sound interested.
Kadokura: ...Godzilla is passé.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Little Red Riding Hood (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Great Monster War March

Could have been better

This is the first Godzilla movie directed by Shusuke Kaneko, and special effects director Shinji Higuchi (uncredited) of the '90s Gamera fame. All I can say after seeing this movie is "What happened ?". None of the greatness of Gamera movies are seen in this one, especially the special effects. Is this what company politics does to a movie ? If so, Toho management should all resign at once. The late president of Daiei, Yasuyoshi Tokuma who produced the Gamera series, and has been producing Hayao Miyazaki's animation movies for 30 years showed steady improvements in the movies he's produced. Toho's movies are off again on again affairs with qualities varying by quite a margin between each production. Doesn't this say volumes about the management of each company ? I've heard that in Kaneko's original plot, the monsters were Baran, and Angilas. Not Mothra and King Gidorah. Director Shusuke Kaneko was then asked to change the monsters to these more popular ones. I think with Baran and Angilas, the movie would have had a more sober feel to it and would have enhanced the story.

I'd like to see Kaneko - Higuchi combination make another stab at making movies perhaps with Hollywood backing. Any Hollywood producers be interested in such a project ?