Oct
17th
2015
Godzilla-tober Movie Streams: Godzilla vs. Biollante · 6:20pm Oct 17th, 2015
Blending kaiju cells with something else in gene splicing? What could POSSIBLY go wrong?~
...Oh yah that...
Its the King of the Monsters vs. The Plantimal, as proposed by a script written by a dentist! Join us at 4:00pm Eastern time for the first "Vs." movie in the Heisei series, and fan favorite of the franchise. And remember kids, always mow your lawn or else this might happen!
Movie Stream Link! - Show Starts At 4:00pm
I forgot if this was already answered in your Q&As. In The Bridge, is Biollante considered Godzilla Senior's child and do Junior or Xenilla consider her a sibling? Also, what does Raiga think of her?
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By factor of Biollante of at least partially having a human soul, she is still 'Erika' to an extent and thus likes to keep to herself and away from other kaiju. Senior doesn't consider her his offspring and the brothers stay away from her (due to the fact she'd attack on sight or just move away if they approached). Raiga is ambivalent to her. Biollante isn't destructive so she's got no reason to attack her, but I'd imagine somewhere down the line Junior or Lea had to keep her from wanting to get into fisticuffs with the plantimal (because that is exactly the sort of thing Raiga would pull).
I'm glad I finally managed to watch this all the way through. The Superman-like music was weird but the plot was interesting and sad. I also wish Biollante appeared in more movies. I can't wait for Godzilla vs King Ghidorah tomorrow. I actually watched that one, but it was the horrible English dub (seriously, whoever dubbed them couldn't act at all).
Sad Fact: I just looked up that when the Heisei Series was finished, Megumi Odaka, the girl who played Miki Saegusa, expressed an interest in appearing in future Godzilla films. Unfortunately, around 2001, she became very sick and frail, so she retired from acting. Some sources claim she's recovered and gotten married but she remained retired.
One of my favorite Godzilla monsters. I was actually able to watch this one. Sent most of these end before I even get.off work.
This is my in my opinion the greatest Godzilla movie and greatest movie ever made. All the production scenes both unmade and rejected along what went into this movie make the film all the more wroth it.
Incoming Review/Analysis
Here the thing about it. I love the movie not only out all the Godzilla movies (Though I liked them too), but every movie in general. The HBO home video cover sure help me wanting that much. This film is a compilation of things I loved being in film: James bond spy exploitation, Little Shop of Horrors (Being a killer plant) and a Godzilla film.
This problem is what fan think is their too many theme towards the movie. My thoughts are that their are just enough theme to have them all connected and The are connected between one person and the other protagonist. The film continued the political commentary from the last film (The Return Of Godzilla/Godzilla 1985), where other nations after the attack in japan from the previous film. They use the opportunity the gather Godzilla's cells from the wreckage. This play on what Professor Hayashida saying Godzilla is "Living Nuclear Weapon", so nation exploit Godzilla's cell to create weapon for warfare. Such as America, the fictional middle east nation Saradia (Similar to Rolisica in Mothra 1961) and even japan itself. Biological warfare is just the result of this and the danger of exploiting it.
Here we get to Dr.Genshiro Shiragami where this whole film is ties around too. It took me a while to see what this film is all about. This film is essential is a "Coming of age" film.The is about a man who is a father and a scientist learning to take responsibilities for his actions and letting the past go. This coming of age along the line of Super 8 Where the boy protagonist having to carry around his pendent with the photo of his mother he grief his loss, until the climax where his journey allow him to ultimately gives his pendents up. The character Dr. Shiragami is the most obsessed, self denial,broken down scientist and father character in the film. The man loss his daughter and his dream to create a super plant life ecosystem to help the world. Since the death of his daughter Erika he been obsessed into keeping her live by any means necessary (parallels to Dr. Mafune in Terror of MechaGodzilla ). Which include fusion his daughter D.N.A. with rose D.N.A. and seeking Miki Seagusa to help hear if her voice could be heard. Almost similar to The Bible when King Saul seek a medium to speak Samuel spirit which cause him his life. Which is the same fate which happens to Dr. Shiragami at the end of the film. When the JSDF wanted him to created the Anti-Nuclear energy Bacteria he strait out refused yet He almost lose the rose from the volcanic eruption his obsession push him to agree to the terms only his had means to keep a pieces of his daughter alive. Which cause him to not only make a weapon but a monster as well. His action affect the rest of both protagonist and antagonist, have killed couple dozen people through the film along with effecting Scientist Kazuhito Kirishima decisionassit the JSDF in to hand over nuclear energy bacteria to The Bio-Major. He self-denied Kuzuhito reason creating the A.N.E.B is a bad ideas for his selfish reason and continued until near the end of the film. He during the film believe that maybe he is the mistake as he goes about the talk about the new generation. This brings another core lesson from the film "Passing the touch" where he believe his generation his done and up Kuzuhito's generation but Kuzuhito answer back that they are no different than the previous generation(Wither that a intentional metaphor the the old Godzilla generation film crew passing the touch to the new Godzilla generation film crew it up to the audience). But back to the coming of age story line. When Godzilla is injured both from Biollante and A.N.E.B taking affect on him, When he was offer the chances to recreate more A.N.E.B. refuse this time. By this action Biollante descendant to space metaphorically he was letting go of his obsession to Erika and that when he was shot. This action not only set her free but him as well.
Kuzuhito is the voice to the message of the film about the danger of biological warfare. It seem silly making a plant monster out of a prehistoric monster, but they're a deep underlining message with it. The danger of Biological Warfare may be just a apocalyptic as nuclear holocaust and with weaponize disease going on today it not too out of the blue. He kept warning what the possible might going to happen and the authority ignore him or calls him paranoid until it too late. He was what we learning from past don't want to repeat but human arrogance and demands blind people to reasoning.
Miki Saegusa has been my favorite female protagonist throughout the whole Heisei era of film. This film set her connection to Godzilla throughout the film. If you research about Miki Saegusa character did you heard about a Godzilla manga entitled "Godzilla 1990" where it a retelling of "Godzilla vs. Biollante" where they explain that Miki's Parent killed during "The Return Of Godzilla" Rampage. Miki story begins with used for Dr.Shiragami to speak to his daughter roses through her. Yet she is used by JSDF to detect Godzilla activity after she and her psychic students receive a vision of Godzilla returning. This part of her story was to prevent Godzilla reaching land and possible get revenge for what Godzilla have done to her. She also understood when Erika spirit was in Biollante and when she called out to Godzilla. Colonel Kuroki believe Miki Saegusa could change Godzilla to a near by Osaka city instead of in Osaka city through her psychic, But in the end it fail. But her Psychic battle between the King of the monsters is what have her connect to him later throughout the series. She also play a part of delivering Erika final message to Dr. Shiragami.
Lt. Goro Gondo was one my favorite character from this film. He is the snarky, critical Lieutenant who waiting and looking for action against Godzilla (Almost like a Dr. Malcolm From Jurassic Park). He seem to always as somewhat of foresight in what Godzilla might come when he guessing Godzilla wouldn't show up when JSDF would be and head towards Osaka instead. His commentary and making light of the situation help give us audience a laugh
in the film. With line like:
You can't help but love the guy,Which is sad when he is killed by Godzilla. Yet he died putting the last A.N.E.B. down Godzilla's throat.
Godzilla has a characteristic in the film like all the others later films even in deleted scenes. Contrary to people belief Godzilla in the film is not just a weapon *Cough*Zazubaar*Cough, Cough*. Godzilla after being released from his volcanic prison seek revenge on the humans race that imprison him or released him from his peaceful holding place(Either way he blame the human on his part figure). When He hears Biollante Call I don't think he simply wanted to destroy her, He was wonder whither he should have a companionship with Biollante being made from his D.N.A. or to challenge it being the same species(Sort of). After Biollante attack first, it set him off to destroy Biollante. Godzilla meeting Biollante again still challenge it but still trying to see if they should fight or not. After having so many challenge along with A.N.E.B. Godzilla to finally decide to turn away into the seas. He had enough fighting that he simply gave up and left. An interesting deleted scene where after Biollante rose form died that the mountain valley was fill with flowers, sure Godzilla roar but he seem to be calm almost at peace at what he was seeing. In a rejected storyboard when Biollante rose form had a human face in the first battle Biollante was to walking and impaling Godzilla, sending his radioactive blood raining down on by standers killing them. It would still give the impression Godzilla radioactivity was still a hazard to humans. Godzilla is literally a living walking death, everywhere he goes he bring and caused death around him. This give him another reason to hate the human race for what they made him.
Biollante is also one of my favorite monster she both strange, unique and cool looking kaiju in the heisei series. She may have the soul of Dr. Shiragami daughter Erika but it has another spirit too. She has dual spirit in one body. The human Erika and the hybrid Godzilla plant. which make her action unpredictable. One minute she calling out to Erika and Asuka the next She calling for Godzilla and attack the dock. Biollante lure Godzilla out to kill him being a Godzilla herself she fear he might destroy her out of territorial reason. Yet their a sense of sadness like all she wants is to live. Yet she defend herself out of anything (Deleted scene where she attack a boat and the dock scene) or any creature to come near her. She want companionship yet scare of them being a threat or not to her existence. Yet at the end it seem she came to help the humans by coincidentally injuring Godzilla helping spread A.N.E.B. to spread yet her Godzilla side still wanted to destroy any remaining JSDF Heavy Artillery when her second form arrived. Her aggressive Godzilla side lead her to her down falls which caused Godzilla to kill her again. Yet as she was dying she seem to be at peace as if she was free form her life burden.
The music was great from it 80's techno-rock score (Bio-Wars), to it national super heroic score (Super X II theme) to it calm romantic (Asuka and Kirishima 1 m7) and finally heaven theme(The Ascension of Biollante) along with a few Akira ifukube Score. Koichi Sugiyama did a fantastic job for the score of the film.
Having to many character may have been a problem but it not the major problem it maintain the characters and having the audience understand the core theme of the film is what the problem.
Why Am I bringing this up? Well, fans is debating whither to write it off as a cheesy Godzilla film with silly spiritual meaning , To just focus on the action or just making plain bad for not having a understand message with too many characters? They need to look at it form a different angle or try to see where the message is actually trying to convey. I wanted to what I see in the film and give something Fans should think about when watch this movie again.
This will always be both my number one Godzilla movie and movie in general.