Godzilla vs. Megagirus

In order to stop Godzilla’s recurring rampages, the Godzilla Defense Force, G Grasper, develops an experimental and dangerous Black Hole Cannon.  However, a test firing of this weapon opens a dimensional hole that unleashes a new kind of enemy on Japan: the Meganula.  As the G Graspers scramble to deal with both threats, Godzilla soon comes face to face with the Meganula Queen, Megagirus, and only one of these royal titans will be left standing when the dust settles.

With Godzilla 2000 kicking off a brand new era for the franchise in 1999, Godzilla vs. Megagirus at first looks to emulate the creative strategies of Hesei Era, at least when it comes to inventing an original new foe for Godzilla to face (granted Orga also filled that role in Godzilla 2000).  But while Godzilla vs. Biollante had the advantages of continuity and a thought provoking central plot, GvM doesn’t have nearly as much going for it from a lack luster monster to one note humans to the plain simple fact that its just boring.
 
Unlike Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. Megagirus is its own stand alone entity in the Millenium Era, a quality that would continue for all but two of this era entries.  I don’t know how I feel about superimposing a modern day Godzilla into the classic 1954 scenario.  Other films haven’t shied from using the classic legendary footage for their backstroies and to not continue that feels disrespectful to Godzilla’s humble destructive beginnings.  At the very least, Godzilla vs. Megagirus is an overall visual improvement over Godzilla 2000.  That nightmare inducing Windows Screensaver Godzilla swimming underwater is nowhere to be found, with CG being put to better use having hundreds of swarming bugs besieging the King of the Monsters en masse.  The suit and model work is still pretty good too with the impressive Godzilla 2000 suit making a return and Megagirus having a lot of wire work to bring its menace to life with a fair use of CG effects for good measure. 
 
Good looking effects though cant hide how dull and boring the movie is overall.  The title match is probably the most disappointing as it drags for too long and only has a couple of neat moves on Godzilla’s part.  It doesn’t help that Megagirus feels like an updated version of Batra from Godzilla vs. Mothra.  Why not just bring back Batra then?  Of course there’s a good amount of Godzilla vs the Military but even that has a bare minimum of a few planes from the G Grasper defense force involved.  It kind of shows that while the original Godzilla formula was needed for Godzilla 2000 to pull the franchise out of the dark shadow of the 1998 US debacle, the same formula had grown a bit stale and was in need of a refresher, something later Millenium Era entries would most certainly succeed in, for better or worse.
 
None of that improvement is more needed than when it comes to the human cast.  No one in Godzilla vs. Megagirus is as entertaining (or cool) as Godzilla 2000’s Katagiri.  Theyre all just uninteresting and in some cases trying too hard.  Kudo’s just another scientist who doesn’t play against the rules who’s out of the box expertise is needed to complete the G Graspers Black Hole Cannon.  Kiriko just scowls for most of the film and feels like a prototype for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla’s protagonist, Akane.  And…yeah those are the only two of any note as anyone could slip into the other roles and you couldn’t tell the difference.  If later Godzilla films like Godzilla Minus One have taught us anything, it’s possible to care about your human cast cause if you don’t, then only the Kaiju brawl can save your movie…which is definitely not the case here.
 
Godzilla vs. Megagirus is by a wide margin the weakest of the Millenium Era entries.  The story, characters, even the action is so by the numbers when it should have been charting the series in bold new directions after the fun but necessarily safe Godzilla 2000.  Instead Godzilla’s first (and only Vs) title match of the Millenium Era fails to excite or do anything worthy of being memorable.  Yeah it’s not just the lowest point of the Millenium Series, it’s arguably one of the weakest entries in the entire Godzilla franchise. 
 
3/10
 
And with that, Godzilla roars a bout own as we conclude Godzilla Month IV.  Fear not though.  Since this has become a bit of a new tradition here at the Gundam Anime Corner, Godzilla Month V is in the planning stages for November 2026.  Only this time…the King of the Monsters might be joined by a fellow big screen fan favorite Kaiju Titan.  See ya Next November Big G.