Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Best looking Godzilla of the modern era. One of the better films too.

First things first: Up to this point, I have seen all Godzilla films either in the original Japanese language with subtitles or in German dubbing. In the case of "Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.", however, I could only get hold of the English-language version, and that spoiled my viewing pleasure somewhat. While the German dubs are usually quite competent, this US dub seems terribly amateurish.

But I don't think I'm a big fan of the movie, even without this limitation. Because although it is a direct sequel to "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla," which I generally liked, the strengths of its predecessor, namely the engaging human characters, are barely present. In any case, the new characters remain pretty pale. And I've never been able to connect much with Mothra either, which is why the big fight didn't really appeal to me either. Accordingly, I found "Tokyo S.O.S." quite disappointing, especially after its strong predecessor.

If you're looking to watch a Godzilla movie about Mechagodzilla, Mothra, and the military, then this is the movie for you. If you want to watch a movie where Godzilla basically just stands there while the previously mentioned monsters and the military attack him, then this is also the movie for you. This movie is not about Godzilla. He only serves as a source of evil for the other characters to perform acts of heroism around.

The special effects are very good, primarily the Mothra "scale" attack and Godzilla's atomic blue breath. I especially appreciate the outstanding miniatures and puppetry. This doesn't appear to be a CGI fest.

"Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." is not the movie to watch if your goal is to view a good city stomping, but the impressive special effects make it at least worth a watch.