Godzilla vs. Biollante

Out of the twenty-eight entries in the long-running Japanese Godzilla series, one of the more artistic and welcomingly imaginative ones is the unfortunately overlooked "Godzilla vs. Biollante", a film that is so-so in its story and characters (although that is a standard for most Godzilla movies), but tremendously entertaining in its premise and its visual style. The movie follows the majestic monster movie masterpiece "The Return of Godzilla", in which Godzilla is released from his volcanic prison on Oshima Island and begins to wreck the countryside of Japan again around the same time that a scientist's (Koji Takahashi) experiment to preserve his dead daughter's spirit in an immortal plant species goes awry.

"The Return of Godzilla" was not only a great Godzilla movie, but one of the finest monster movies, Japanese or otherwise, that I have ever seen and I do like to sometimes pretend that "Godzilla vs. Biollante" and the not-so-special sequels that followed never existed, that it ended with Godzilla falling into Mount Mihara and being imprisoned there forever. But although this movie does kind of ruin that feeling, it's quickly forgiven once its slow beginning departs and its truly majestic middle begins.

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the more artistic Godzilla movies there is. Most entries in the series are formulaic and repetitive. And although this is okay for the fans, it is refreshing to see one that tries something new and original. And "Godzilla vs. Biollante" most certainly is original. Basically everything except the human characters tries something new. The movie boasts a battle between Godzilla and his new monstrosity of an opponent, but it's not all about their clash, it's really more following the spirit of the preceding movie with military trying to eliminate Godzilla. What's more, the movie boasts some incredibly visionary and impressive special effects. Godzilla's appearance is one of his finest yet. There are a few shots where he didn't look very good, such as this one where the way he was positioned reminded me more of a bear than a reptile, but other times the mobility that he had in his jaws and his neck provided some surprisingly convincing movements. The miniatures for the destruction scenes are thoroughly impressive, and the effects used to create Biollante are a pure triumph without a single weak shot.

Even the music score is something new. The movie reuses three classic Godzilla themes by Akira Ifukube, but most of the score, as with the first film, is done by a new composer and he does it with a completely new style. Now Koichi Sugiyama's score is not incredible as Reijiro Koroku's was for the preceding movie. There are some weak moments and some parts are recycled too much throughout the movie. In addition, after having reviewed the whole soundtrack on CD form, I discovered that the best of Sugiyama's score was left out. Why Toho opted to do this, I have no idea. But as for what we do here, it's mincemeat of visionary triumph and minor letdowns.

I do have some complaints about the movie, however. It does take a while to get started. Whereas "The Return of Godzilla" had great characters and a strong story so that I could stay interested even when Godzilla was not on screen, this movie struggles a little more. And again, some parts of Koichi Sugiyama's dare-deviling soundtrack simply don't work as well as they should have. And the ending of the final battle between Godzilla and Biollante was a flat letdown.

However, despite its flaws, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" is a more unique and interesting and certainly enjoyable entry in this deservedly famous long-running motion picture series. Now I don't think Godzilla will ever be considered art by any major organization. But there are three films starring the big lizard that do stand out pretty strongly due to either their strong allegorical content or their tremendous style. This is one of them.

It has its faults. The first act throws a veritable buffet of ideas at us to start stitching the plot together: 80s action blockbusters, extrasensory perception, genetics, high stakes competition between biotech companies, grief, of course Godzilla himself, and more. Some of these ideas will rise and recede in their importance as the length draws on, but all of them are initially cobbled together somewhat gawkily, leading to a sense of the first act, especially, being overfull. This sense will return much later in the denouement as filmmaker Omori Kazuki tries to resolve all the disparate parts of Kobayashi Shinichiro's story. One could also point easily enough to the clunky abruptness with which some beats or scenes transpire (even including the sudden return of Biollante in the third act), some curious audio cues, an ill-fitting theme in the score, and other minutiae. Additionally, though not to the same extent as other franchise installments including this one's predecessor, the feature does struggle somewhat with pacing, chiefly in the second act when the focus is strictly on Godzilla; there is a fairly long stretch of "He's coming! Oh yes, he's coming! Watch out, he's coming!" It wouldn't be a classic Godzilla flick if there weren't stumbling blocks of some sort.

Yet for whatever criticism we might level, there is much to appreciate in these 100-odd minutes, and in fact 'Godzilla vs. Biollante' surely counts among the upper-middle tier of the series. It weaves together a glut of notions, and at that perhaps a tad inelegantly, but I recognize an effort to make a smarter and more thoughtful variety of kaiju piece. I admire that the movie takes risks, even if they don't all pay off with equal reward; there are plentiful notions here ripe for genre storytelling, including all those tidbits that result in the creation of Godzilla's opponent. Speaking of which, as is almost always the case with these films, the creature designs and effects are unquestionably one of the great draws here. I'll grant that use of rear projection or composite shots are uneven, but in general the post-production visuals are fairly decent for 1989. And of course the dominant practical effects are outstanding, one of the reasons we flock to Toho's signature creation in the first place: stunts, creature effects, models and miniatures, fire and explosions, blood, and general destruction all look outstanding. Why, the production design and art direction alone are gorgeous, nevermind the imagination that went into Biollante, and the new suit for Godzilla looks notably improved from the one we saw just five years before in 'The return of Godzilla.'

While full to the point of spilling over, the plot is pretty solid even as it leans a bit more into airy fantasy in a couple regards, with Biollante less present than one might assume. Despite instances of pacing problems, Omori's direction is reliable in bringing the tale to bear. No one among the cast specifically stands out per se, and some actors are forced into smaller corners than others, but by and large everyone gives swell, committed performances suitable to the material. While that one theme just doesn't entirely belong (seeming recycled from 'Beetlejuice,' or 'The Addams Family,' with its playful edge), mostly Sugiyama Koichi's score is quite good as it complements the proceedings, if not always memorable; one example borrows and brightly rearranges a key phrase from Ifukube Akira's iconic music, which is also revisited in a broader sense, to my pleasure. In most regards the picture is ably well made by contemporary standards as Godzilla rises again and faces off against a new foe, with adjoining human drama that itself is capably navigated. And when all is said and done 'Godzilla vs. Biollante really is interesting, engaging, and enjoyable. It might not be the very top of the line in a now seventy-year old franchise, but overall it's very good as it strikes out on a slightly different path. And that, to me, speaks to lasting value.

It doesn't altogether demand viewership, but whether you're a big kaiju fan or just looking for something fun to watch, 'Godzilla vs. Biollante' holds up fairly well if you have the chance to check it out.

Being Toho's most mature kaiju film, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" placed Godzilla in the age of bio-terrorism. Your cliché 80's folks are seen here...the shy teen girl, the military hero, the villain with sunglasses and leather gloves, etc. What many fans don't like about this movie is the adult-oriented nature of it, considering that Godzilla films were seen as kiddie fun at this point. Personally, I would say this is the best of the series since "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962). The Godzilla design remains the best and most realistic to date, and the final form of Biollante is such an awesome sight, one of the most impressive screen monsters in film. Overall, "Godzilla vs. Biollante" stands out from the rest of the series, and has a poetic touch to it...something I've never seen in a monster movie. This film is much appreciated by me.

Gojira vs. Biorante is not a masterpiece in any shape or form, but I really liked it and thought it was a lot of fun. It is perhaps a little too long and the ending falls a little flat. Quibbles aside, it never fails to be entertaining. The film does move briskly, while I loved the idea of the story which was nicely constructed and fun. The visuals are great too, the colours look great while the cinematography is good and the effects are excellent, Godzilla especially is brilliantly done, so is Biollante. The score is quite nice also, it isn't amazing, but it is memorable and quite an interesting one. The dialogue is reasonable enough, while the direction is good and the acting and characters are likable without anyone in particular standing out too much. So all in all, quite a nice surprise and entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I was lucky enough to find a VHS copy and I have to say that this is my favorite Godzilla film. The reason I liked it is because it was so different than any other Godzilla movies. Godzilla vs. Boillante is violent, very dark, looks really good, and actually has a solid plot. I almost didn't want to watch it cuz the darkness of this flick made me feel so uncomfortable by about 45 mins in. Both monsters are great, and Biollante's horrendousness gives this movie power that no other G movie can stand up against. The monster makes this movie so ugly and creates such a dark atmosphere that it is kind of beautiful. I'm not big fan of Japanese movies (I hate anime), but this is a true accomplishment.