Movie Review: Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991)
Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991) is the third film in the Heisei series of Godzilla films, and features many of the major themes that run through out the Heisei series. Genetic engineering, solid acting and beautiful monster suits run amok through the course of the film. The film also features several plays for the attention of children, quite a departure from Godzilla VS Biollante (1989), while keeping the tension and stakes high for the characters.
Speaking of high, there is the plot. There are holes that don’t take much effort to acknowledge. Why would time travellers intending to visit 1944 need to make a pit stop in 1991? That is really the only plot hole that I had to overlook, the other plot holes are addressed well enough and in funny fashion. At one point the time travelers complain that the 20th century is so soaked in radation it doesn’t matter what they do, Godzilla is inevitable. I find that believable. When a journalist discovers a Soviet Union nuclear submarine sank in the Bering Strait in 1977, that is easily the most believable part of this movie. Interestingly enough that is a major plot point that unites X-Men and Godzilla franchises.
The wikipedia prime article about Godzilla VS King Ghidorah mentions that when this film was released in the United States in 1998, some found the scenes of American soldiers dying controversial, with an implied anti-American sentiment. I find those claims absolutely perposterous. The scenes dipicting American soldiers showed them as mostly kind. Signature American smiles and even a minor tribute to Steven Spielberg’s dad (who did fight in World War 2, but as a B-25 Squadron Leader, based in India, not the Pacific) is woven into these scenes.
However this film is not without controversy, stated simply, the controversy mentioned above is laughable. Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991) is loaded with Japanese Nationalism and Ethnocentricism, to a degree much greater than I have seen in any other Godzilla movie. And then there is the laughable paths of history since 1991 that definitely generates eye rolls when you see how 1991 Japan saw itself.
The dipiction of Japanese soldiers in World War 2 only focuses on those soldiers as noble defenders; and it is fair to want to defend your home. However, the film rather gleefully is uncritical of those soldiers and their leader; those men are called “the men who rebuilt Japan’s economy.” Perhaps in 1991, as so many World War 2 vets were older and entrenched as the CEOs and Business Leaders of the 80s, at that time Japanese media was quick to powerwash their history.
And again this whitewashing is quite unremarkable and isn’t what I call controversial. The plot of this movie and motivations of the characters is as follows:
By the 23rd Century Japan has dwarfed the world in global power. In the 22nd Century Japan litterally purchases Africa and South America, and economically dominates the world. The other powers of the 23rd Century are jealous of Japan’s preiment position, thus send time travelers to 1991 to disrupt Japan’s destined rise. This notion of Japanese Exceptionalism and Destiny delivered by time travel in the same film that whitewashes World War 2 history is uncomfortable or even downright dangerous.
There is also something hilariously peculiar to 1991 in this film — in 1991 Japan’s economy had been growing a great deal for nearly two consecutive decades with no end in sight. This film is built on the premise that this economic growth continues unabated for 2 or 3 centuries. In fact, that did not happen.
1991 was a high tide for the Japanese economy. The subsequent years were not so kind. It is very good to live in an era of economic growth; I have done so many times. It is very stressful to live in a time when the economy is contracting. The 90s in Japan came to be refered to as The Lost Decade, or the great plateu. So the sweet dreams of this film quickly came to be debunked. Exceptional Japan had to join the rest of us as ordinary humans, as history proved out.
In contrast, Godzilla 2000 directly attacks Japan, punishing Japanese citizen 2, 3 or 4 generations removed from World War 2 for the crimes of their elders. Godzilla VS King Ghidorah seems like a film curated by an actual World War 2 veteran who wants to be portrayed better than he actually was, while Godzilla 2000 seems like a film crafted by that person’s grandchild, who wants to shine a light on the war crimes of the past.
That is what is controversial in this film: Japanese nationalism and ethnocentrism is waving a huge flag, and is done so in a film where Japanese World War 2 veterans are in leadership positions and called “The men who rebuilt Japan’s economy”. And thanks to the time travelers, we know that this economy grows unabated into an Economic Super Power that dominates the world. It would be better to make no references to World War 2 than to make these claims.
23rd century global jealousy of Japan is a major plot driving force, so it is not easy to overlook this controversy in this film. What does it mean to say Japan purchased Africa and South America? The movie doesn’t explore that so we are left to our own imagination. I know that, as an American, the concept of purchasing Africa is not morally sound. The African Slave Trade is a shameful part of American history, just as the events before and during World War 2 are shameful for Japan.
Since we’re on the subject of World War 2 and now American regrets, I think I can speak for President Truman and certainly for myself when I express regret over dropping Atomic weapons on Japan. If all that had happened was a big explosion, that would be acceptable. Instead I have seen the films of people dying days and weeks later. Those not slain immediately suffered radiation poisoning such that the marrow in their bones died. As they tried to walk away from their destroyed cities, their blood had no coagulants. A paper cut caused them to bleed to death. As their body no longer made red blood cells, if they did not die of blood loss, they would slowly die of oxygen deprivation. America did not need to do that. I believe it was anti Japanese racism that made dropping the bombs possible, from a cultural point of view. I did not think it was fair to slam this movie for Japanese nationalism and not address one of the more appalling events of World War 2 from the United States of America, an event that has no doubt had a huge impact on the Godzilla franchise.
Now, I’m going to put critiques of nationalism aside and get back to the movie. Like the first 2 Heisei movies I have seen so far, Godzilla Returns (1985) and Godzilla VS Biollante (1989), this film has solid to good acting. Biollante stands out with an exceptional performance by the so called mad scientist. This film could easily lose its sense of gravity in the time travel romp that includes small cute creatures that are likely toy advertisements for children, an android — Terminator 2 came out in July 1991, Godzilla VS King Ghidorah came out in December 1991 — , and childish appeals to destiny and fate delivered by time travelers. However, the film does not fail and fall into this pit.
Everything the characters do to try an inhibit Godzilla only makes him stronger and more frightening. There is even a sense of Moby Dick in how one character (Shindo) personifies a proto-Godzilla’s accidental protection as altruistic, only to be sadly disappointed when Godzilla is in fact a come one come all humanity destroyer. If you see through the jingoism, his sadness reflects his real reflections and regrets regarding World War 2. Yes some soldiers were in fact noble defenders. But the larger picture is one of true horror — how could this be us? That is the expression I see on Shindo’s face. Some were good, many were not, and that is the dark demeanor Shindo wears as he sees Godzilla’s inexorable approach. “I defend Japan, Godzilla defended me, Godzilla is evil, what am I?”
It is only through historical knowledge that a person could catch these messages; so these messages go right over the head of the young viewers. That is fine, children do love Godzilla and there is no reason to show them the true horrors of war and war crimes. I do not see any Anti-Americanism in this movie, and again I’d call the portrayal of Americans in this movie as somewhat kind and capable of friendship. The white people antagonists in this movie are clearly transnationalists and have no relation to present nations.
The monster costumes are top notch. I believe one scene in particular is a literal tribute to King Kong (1933), and it is executed well. The monster battles are appropriately brutal. Heisei era films have a problem in monster fights where they mostly spam range attacks and the physicality of the fights is left on the editor’s floor. Not in this film. If Godzilla is going to use their atomic breath, Godzilla does so at point blank range. And it hits with the power of a monster’s shot gun.
There are some shots in this film that I cannot figure out how they were done. That is particularly charming for me as I usually do understand how practical and special effects were done. These are some virtuosic special and practical effects. There are some special effects that I can take or leave but they don’t take me out of my suspension of disbelief. The portrayal of the android could take you out of the film but I think it actually works well in service to the story. Even the cute children’s toy creatures have a rich pay off in the course of the movie.
If you are interested in films portraying Japan’s self reflection, this film is absolutely worth seeing. It is a good movie and a good Godzilla movie, with human scenes that are interesting and monster fights that are wondrous. Godzilla movies cover enough history and time to reflect significantly different eras of Japanese culture, and this film is absolutely in that category, and even stands out for how much reflection, if not introspection, it has.
Normally I watch Godzilla movies for the monster scenes, especially later era Showa era films. The Heisei series continues to flip that script and make compelling human scenes with drama I can believe, while not shortchanging the titular monsters.
If you like any of these subjects this movie is very strong: Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Japanese self reflection as shown in film, solid drama and acting in a disaster movie. If you don’t like Godzilla movies in the first place you’re probably not reading this review. To those of you who do, I highly recommend this one. My personal rankings of the first three Heisei movies are
1. Biollante
2. Returns
3. King Ghidorah
This is not to say Godzilla VS King Ghidorah is bad, but that the Heisei series is very strong. The Heisei series has consistency and gravity that slowly fell away in the Showa series. Biollante VS Godzilla claims number one for me so far on the strength of the acting, with one actor in particular delivering a great performance, one that rivals Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi’s best roles. That actor’s ability to use his face to represent the depth of intellect and despair elevates Biollante above its peers. Godzilla VS King Ghidorah also has strong acting, but does not posses any one stand out performance on that level. The monster design in Biollante is amazing, but the monster fights in King Ghidorah are far superior. It’s hard for me to rank Returns lower, as I have such vivid memories of it as a child. It was the awesome return to horror for the Godzilla franchise.
(first posted to /r/GODZILLA)
