Mechanical Titan of Terror!

Starring: Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, Reiko Tajima, Akihiko Hirata, Hiromi Matsushita, Hiroshi Koizumi, Masao Imafuku, Bellbella Lin, Gorô Mutsumi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"When the red moon sets, and the sun rises in the West, two monsters will appear to save the people." - Saeko Kaneshiro

Why watch this? Just as Godzilla films were languishing, this gem birthed a great new foe in Mechagodzilla!

Plot Summary: Godzilla battles a powerful robotic duplicate that has emerged to threaten Earth. This imposter, Mechagodzilla, is controlled by an alien force attempting to conquer the planet. To combat this new threat, an ancient Okinawan prophecy comes to light, hinting at the awakening of a guardian monster to aid Godzilla in the fight.

Dad's Preview: By 1974, the Godzilla series of films had simply lost a lot of what made them great long ago. The monsters had become essentially wrestlers in plastic suits. However, for Toho's 20th Anniversary, they rolled out this effort and clearly created a better film. Here a prophecy details that a monster will try to destroy the world only to be stopped by Okinawa's guardian King Ceasar. When Godzilla emerges from Mt. Fuji, and begins a destructive rampage, it is assumed that he has become evil. Suddenly a second Godzilla appears, and is determined to stop the imposter. As with many of these films, there is a human subplot with lots of folks seeking a way to help, but the final battle is the reason to watch. It's worth the wait, as Mechagodzilla's highly-advanced weapon functions are more than a match for Godzilla alone. Thank goodness, King Ceasar is there to lend a hand.    

Toho Co. Ltd.