Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (ゴジラ×モスラ×メカゴジラ 東京SOS, Gojira Mosura Mekagojira Tōkyō Esu-Ō-Esu)[2] is a 2003 Japanese kaiju film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Tezuka and Masahiro Yokotani, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 28th film in the Godzilla franchise, the fifth film in the franchise's Millennium series, the 27th Godzilla film produced by Toho, and a direct sequel to the 2002 film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. The film features the fictional monster characters Godzilla and Mothra, along with the mecha character Mechagodzilla, who is referred to in the film by the name Kiryu.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed byMasaaki Tezuka
Written byMasaaki Tezuka
Masahiro Yokotani
Produced byShogo Tomiyama
StarringNoboru Kaneko
Miho Yoshioka
Mitsuki Koga
Masami Nagasawa
Chihiro Otsuka
Kou Takasugi
Hiroshi Koizumi
Akira Nakao
CinematographyYoshinori Sekiguchi
Edited byShinichi Fushima
Music byMichiru Ōshima
Production
company
Distributed byToho
Release date
  • 13 December 2003 (2003-12-13)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office¥1.3 billion[1]

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. stars Noboru Kaneko, Miho Yoshioka, Mitsuki Koga, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Otsuka, Kou Takasugi, Hiroshi Koizumi, and Akira Nakao, with Tsutomu Kitagawa as Godzilla and Motokuni Nakagawa as Kiryu. It is the only installment in the franchise's Millennium period to share continuity with a previous Godzilla film besides the original 1954 film and also shares connections with Mothra. In Japan, it was followed by Godzilla: Final Wars, which was released on December 4, 2004.

Plot

In 2004, Kiryu undergoes repair and modifications after its battle with Godzilla one year earlier,[lower-alpha 1] while its remote pilot Akane Yashiro is sent to the United States for further training, with Kyosuke Akiba taking her place should Godzilla return while she is away. However, the Shobijin warn the Japanese government that Godzilla continues returning to the country because they used the original Godzilla's skeleton in Kiryu's construction. If they return the bones to the sea, Mothra will take Kiryu's place in defending Japan. Due to Mothra attacking Japan in 1961,[lower-alpha 2] Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi refuses, but agrees to discontinue Kiryu once it kills Godzilla. Godzilla and Mothra fight, but the former has the upper hand. With the repairs finished, the government deploys Kiryu, but Godzilla knocks both it and Mothra out.

Meanwhile, on Infant Island, twin Mothra larvae hatch from Mothra's egg and rush to help their mother. As lead scientist Yoshito Chujo uses a maintenance hatch to enter and repair Kiryu from its internal backup cockpit, the Japan Xenomorph Self-Defense Forces (JXSDF) and larvae try to hold Godzilla off, but Mothra sacrifices herself to protect the latter from Godzilla's atomic breath while a separate attack warps the maintenance hatch, trapping Yoshito inside Kiryu. Nonetheless, Yoshito completes the repairs, allowing Kiryu to weaken Godzilla. As the larvae bind it in silk and Akiba receives the order to destroy Godzilla, Kiryu's spirit is reawakened by its roar. The cyborg lifts Godzilla and uses its boosters to carry them both out to sea. After Akiba's fellow pilot Azusa Kisaragi blasts the hatch open, Kiryu turns over to let Yoshito escape before it plunges into the ocean and drifts into an underwater trench with Godzilla.

In a post-credits scene, an undisclosed laboratory is shown with canisters containing the DNA of numerous kaiju.[lower-alpha 3]

Cast

Production

Writing

Toho had commissioned four story outlines for director Tezuka to choose from. Tezuka found them all boring, so instead he wrote a new story outline overnight and submitted it to the studio, which they eventually approved.[3]

Reception

Box office

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. opened on 14 December 2003 on a double bill with the animated feature Hamtaro: Ham Ham Grand Prix. In its opening weekend, it was third place at the box office with $1,686,009 (U.S).

Critical response

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. has received generally positive reviews from journalistic reviewers upon its release on DVD. John Sinnott of DVD Talk gave Tokyo S.O.S. four stars out of five, saying:

There are some problems with this movie, but when all is said and done, I really enjoyed it...While this movie seems to be aimed at a younger audience without a lot of plot or characterization, it was still a lot of fun. The fight scenes were exciting and though they took up most of the movie, they never dragged on or got boring.[4]

Giving the film a score of three out of five, Stomp Tokyo said "the plot is fairly simplistic and the character relationships are painted in broad strokes," but added that the movie "[features] the best monster action Toho has produced."[5] Joseph Savitski of Beyond Hollywood criticized the film's "uninspired script," which he wrote had "ideas [that] are never fully developed," but added that the film is "well-made" and "mak[es] for an entertaining 91 minutes."[6] Mark Zimmer of Digitally Obsessed gave Tokyo S.O.S. a "B" score, calling it "a fun enough action film with enough explosions and destruction of Tokyo to satisfy die-hards and casual fans alike."[7] On Rotten Tomatoes, an approval rating of 80% based on 5 reviews, with a rating average of 6.5/10."[8]

2023 re-release date

Fathom Events announced that the film would be re-released in the U.S. as a theatrical one day of event on March 22, 2023 for its 20th anniversary.[9]

Home media

The film was released on DVD by Columbia/Tristar Home Entertainment[10] on 14 December 2004. It included a "Making Of - Featurette for Special Effects." It is also available in a 3-Disc "50th Anniversary Godzilla DVD Collection" box set; along with Son of Godzilla [1967] and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla [1974].

The film was released on blu-ray on the Toho Godzilla Collection[11] on 6 May 2014 in a 2-Disc double feature with Godzilla: Final Wars. It included a "Making of" documentary.

Notes
  1. As depicted in the film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
  2. As depicted in her self-titled film.
  3. In the Japanese version, an unidentified voice announces that a "bio-formation" experiment involving an "extinct subject" is about to take place.

References
  1. 歴代ゴジラ映画作品一覧
  2. DeSentis, John. "GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTION BOX 6". Scifi Japan. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  3. "Tokyo SOS Director". Scifi Japan TV. September 18, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12.
  4. Review John Sinnott, DVD Talk, 6 December 2004
  5. Review Stomp Tokyo, 17 October 2004
  6. Review Joseph Savitski, Beyond Hollywood
  7. Review Mark Zimmer, Digitally Obsessed, 13 December 2004
  8. "Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  9. "'Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.' Stomps Into U.S. Theaters for the First Time Ever". Collider. Kevin McCall. October 1, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  10. "Rewind @ www.dvdcompare.net - Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. AKA Gojira Tai Mosura Tai Mekagojira: Tokyo S.O.S. AKA Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)".
  11. "Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray".
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