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

Director:

Shusuke Kaneko

Writers:

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

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 Niiyama	...	Yuri Tachibana (BS Digital Q reporter)
Ryûdô 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
Kazuko Kato	...	Schoolleacher
Katsuo Nakamura	...	Yaizu harbor fisherman
Kôichi Ueda	...	Village headman
Yôichi Atsumi	...	Man in hostel bathroom
Takehiro Murata	...	Cameo appearance (jet fighter pilot)
Yoshimasa Kondô	...	Eyewitness
Okunuki Kaoru	...	Eyewitness
Okina Hanasaka	...	Ropeway guest
Hinako Saeki	...	Ropeway guest
Yukijirô Hotaru	...	Cameo appearance (suicidal man)
Masaya Takahashi	...	Cameo appearance (bicycle shop owner)
Chiu Yan	...	Yokohama street hippie (speaking Chinese)
Masaaki Tezuka	...	Cameo appearance (SDF officer)
Mizuki Kanno	...	Cameo appearance (communications soldier)
Koichi Kawakita	...	Cameo appearance (SDF officer)
Mizuho Yoshida	...	Gojira / Bystander in Yokohama (behind twin girls)
Akira Ohashi	...	Kingu Gidora / Man in Yaizu harbor office
Rie Ôta	...	Baragon / Woman in Yaizu harbor office
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shingo Ippongi
Tarô Ishida	...	SDF officer
Ryo Kase	...	Fisher
Miyuki Komatsu
Ai Maeda	...	Cameo appearance (Twin girl in Yokohama)
Aki Maeda	...	Cameo appearance (Twin girl in Yokohama)
Tomoe Shinohara	...	Teenage girl at hostel and hospital
Kôichi Yamadera	...	TV studio producer

Directed by
Shusuke Kaneko

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kei'ichi Hasegawa		writer
Shusuke Kaneko		writer
Masahiro Yokotani		writer

Produced by
Hideyuki Honma	....	producer
Shogo Tomiyama	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Kô Ôtani

Cinematography by
Masahiro Kishimoto

Film Editing by
Isao Tomita

Casting by
Tadao Tanaka

Production Design by
Toshio Miike

Art Direction by
Toshio Miike
Isao Takahashi

Production Management
Kôji Maeda	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nozomu Aida	....	assistant director
Mokoto Kumazawa	....	assistant director
Hideaki Murakami	....	first assistant director
Toshifumi Shimizu	....	assistant director

Art Department
Maki Kobayashi	....	set designer
Hiroshi Sagae	....	miniature builder
Fuyuki Shinada	....	monster designer
Thunder	....	miniature builder

Sound Department
Teiichi Saitô	....	sound recordist
Eisho Taira	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Junko Aoki	....	script supervisor: special effects unit
Makoto Kamiya	....	special effects director
Shusuke Kaneko	....	special effects consultant
Yûichi Kikuchi	....	special effects assistant
Takayuki Matsuno	....	production manager: special effects unit
Kiyotaka Taguchi	....	assistant special effects director
Shinji Higuchi	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Hajime Matsumoto	....	visual effects supervisor
Toshihiro Ogawa	....	visual effects producer
Kaoru Saito	....	special effects lighting supervisor
Masaaki Tezuka	....	director: composite footage

Stunts
Mitsuo Abe	....	stunt coordinator: monster suit stunts
Toshinori Sasaki	....	stunts: Baragon

Camera and Electrical Department
Masahiro Kishimoto	....	director of photography: live-action unit
Katsuhiko Kudo	....	set photographer
Takashi Nakao	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Roger La Prairie	....	telecine colorist

Music Department
Akira Ifukube	....	composer: theme music

Other crew
Miho Iizuka	....	script supervisor
Takuya Yamabe	....	suit builder: Godzilla and King Ghidorah
Tetsuya Yoshida	....	suit builder: Baragon

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kuk Dong
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Marbling FineArts (miniatures and models)

Other Companies

• Toho Studios  sound stages

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 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

Great Monster War March

Godzilla movie triumphs over terrible story.

GMK: Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All Out Attack. Once you get by the title, is a great Godzilla. Not to say that it's not without flaws. The movie continues from the very first Godzilla 54', as most of the millennium series has, this time with Godzilla probably being revived from spirits of the war dead? Yes this is concept is beyond stupid and without a doubt one of the worst aspects of this movie. Ignoring that, Godzilla makes his way to the Japanese mainland, where the guardians of Japan, Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah will eventually rise to defend against this very evil incarnation of Godzilla. One by one Godzilla disposes of the monsters, who to him seem to be no real match for the great monster we have all come to love. Eventually wounded in the battle with Ghidorah, the Japanese admiral pilots a sub into the mouth of Godzilla drilling through his chest. In attempt to use his radioactive breath Godzilla ends up destroying himself from damaged done by the sub.

Overall this movie was good. Some of the good aspects has to be the use of some CGI in this movie. I am not a big fan of CGI, however even I know that in some cases it works out much better then other methods. Flying planes, missiles, large scenes are done well with this and it gives a much more modern and realistic feel to the Godzilla series. No strings attached. Also, using CGI in some of Mothra's scenes were great. Finally Mothra flew with realism rather the big stuffed thing awkwardly moving towards his foe. The large cites are very detailed and looked very impressive, some of the best I have ever seen. Godzilla being the bad guy is also a plus, although some of my favorite movies are when he was good guy, he is excellent as the villain and is portrayed as evil as he has ever been. The colorless eyes only added to this feeling. His radioactive breath in this movie, is impressive, possibly overdone, but gets the point across to all who get in his way. Extremely powerful. The Godzilla suit itself was changed a bit, resembling more of the original 54' version and worked out well, with the suit also being well made and not to rubbery looking. Baragon was also a plus, since there has not been many great new monsters made that have been popular it was good to revive a forgotten one. The score was also creepy and dark that gave the feel that was needed for this film. Shusuke Kaneko who directed this and also directed the Gamera movies of the 90's did Godzilla justice, though a bit sadistic. Its good that it was elevated to be more of and adult movie rather then a kids, but the destruction of every monster every time leads no where in my opinion in terms of any kind of good sequels. It would be better in some cases to have one beat it for another movie instead of making up a bad story to create the same creature again.

There are many aspects that were bad. Number one the story is lame, confusing, and very stupid. Godzilla is the culmination of the vengeful souls of all the Pacific war dead. Boring and stupid. It would have been much better to continue the traditional Nuclear story line then that. Even aliens invading would have been more entertaining. Most of the characters in the movie are forgettable, but who goes to see a Godzilla movie for the human characters? No one. But Eisei Amamoto coming back for a another G film is appreciated. Which brings us to the monsters. Baragon was a nice addition, although the suit unfortunately looked like a rubber suit and being a B class monster was never a match for A class one like Godzilla. But King Ghidorah was extremely disappointing. No doubt his worst incarnation, small, badly made suit and ....a good guy? No it does not work out and should have been reworked or changed for another monster. There also many parts in the movie that should have been left out. Mothra was shown well, but also may have been her weakest ever in this film. With some of the battles being OK, but certainly not the best in Godzilla's history. The nuclear explosion when Godzilla uses his ray, may have been to be symbolic, but comes out not belonging. Perhaps had the movie ended like that it would have been better. But overall this movie is a step in the right direction for the Godzilla series. With CGI now mixed with suitamation it has elevated much of the genre to a new level as Gamera had in the 90's. Though not his best, defiantly watchable even to a non fan. 7 and half stars out of ten. Support Godzilla and G-Fan world wide.