TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975) ** ½

Terror of Mechagodzilla was the last Godzilla movie directed by the iconic Ishiro Honda, and the final Godzilla film of the classic Showa Era series.  It starts off just like a Rocky sequel with a recap of the fight from the last movie, with Godzilla emerging victorious in his battle against Mechagodzilla.  Then the plot begins.  

While searching the depths of the sea for the remains of Mechagodzilla, a toy submarine… I mean… a research vessel accidentally awakens the longnecked Titanosaurus.  Meanwhile, those pesky aliens from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla are still trying to take over the world.  They team up with a human-hating scientist to resurrect the malignant metal monster.  The aliens bring his dead daughter back to life, and thanks to their extraterrestrial technology, use her to power Mechagodzilla.  When the revived Mechagodzilla teams up with Titanosaurus to level Tokyo, it’s up to Godzilla to save the day. 

Hopefully, you’ll be content with the stock footage-filled scenes of beastly brawling in the opening credits sequence because it takes an awful long time to get to the monster mashing in this one.  In fact, you have to wait about fifty minutes before the G-Man finally shows up.  It also doesn’t help that Titanosaurus is one of his lesser opponents.  He’s rather goofy and lacks the menace of someone like Gigan.  Also, his power to create giant wind gusts is too similar to that of Rodan, but I did like the scene where he jumps up and swats a couple of jets out of the sky the way a basketball player blocks a shot.

Once the three titans of terror finally appear on screen together, the film at last starts to kick a little ass.  The scenes of Mechagodzilla wreaking havoc on the city are impressive, and Godzilla’s fisticuffs with Titanosaurus are a lot fun.  If only Mechagodzilla didn’t spend 2/3 of the movie in the shop, this could’ve been a top-notch effort.  As it is, Terror of Mechagodzilla isn’t bad.  I mean Godzilla gets at least one legitimately badass back-from-the-grave moment that is one of the most fist-pumping scenes of any Godzilla movie.  You just have to be a patient viewer to get to it.

We also get a little nudity this time around, a rarity in a Godzilla picture.  Too bad it occurs during a brain surgery scene, so it’s not what you would call “hot” or anything.  Still, with a movie that’s as slow to start as this one is, you take what you can get.  

Godzilla didn’t appear on the big screen for another decade with the equally uneven Godzilla 1985.

AKA:  After Holocaust.  AKA:  Mechagodzilla’s Counterattack.  AKA:  Monster’s from an Unknown Planet.  AKA:  The Terror of Godzilla.  AKA:  Mechagodzilla vs. Godzilla.  AKA:  Revenge of Mechagodzilla.  AKA:  The Escape of Mechagodzilla.