Godzilla: Final Wars
Encyclopedia
is a 2004 Japanese science fiction
-kaiju
film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama
. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series
, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era. The film stars Masahiro Matsuoka
, Don Frye
, Rei Kikukawa
, Kane Kosugi
, Maki Mizuno
and Kazuki Kitamura
.
The film is set in the future where mutant soldiers have been discovered and been placed in an Earth Defense Organization. An alien invasion force called The Xilians unleash a legion of giant monsters across the world, leaving only a few survivors. The survivors travel to the South Pole to free Godzilla from his icy prison to battle the monsters while the survivors attempt to infiltrate the alien Mothership and take out The Xilians.
As a 50th anniversary
celebratory film, a large group of actors from previous Godzilla
films, both classic and new, made appearances as main characters or cameo appearances. This goes for the kaiju
(monsters) as well, as most of the monsters in the film had been missing from the screen for more than thirty years. This is the only Godzilla film, from the Japanese series, to receive a PG-13 rating by the MPAA. The only other Godzilla film to receive this rating is the American remake of Godzilla
.
Despite the title, this is not the actual finale of all Godzilla films; Toho
decided to temporarily retire the character for a period of time. It was also the first Godzilla movie to be shot on high-definition video
instead of film.
. The Earth Defense Force (EDF) is created to protect the planet. The organization is equipped with the best technology, weapons and soldiers, as well as mutants with special abilities. Godzilla
, a giant mutant dinosaur, is EDF's only unstoppable opponent. The EDF's best combat vehicle, the Gotengo
, corners Godzilla at the South Pole
and buries him under the Antarctic ice, freezing him alive.
Several years later, the EDF discovers a mummified space monster. Mutant soldier Shinichi Ozaki and U.N.
biologist Miyuki Otonashi are sent to research it. The Shobijin, fairies of the guardian monster Mothra
, reveal that the monster is Gigan
, an alien cyborg sent to destroy the Earth 12,000 years ago, and that a battle between good and evil will happen soon.
Suddenly, monsters appear in major cities on Earth and the EDF is summoned, attempting to drive away the monsters. Despite defeating Ebirah
, the EDF is unsuccessful in destroying the monsters. The various monsters include Anguirus
in Shanghai
, Rodan
in New York City
, King Caesar
in Okinawa, Kamacuras
in Paris
, Kumonga
in Arizona
, Zilla
in Sydney
and Ebirah near Tokyo
. After destroying much of their cities, the monsters vanish as an enormous alien mothership hovers over Tokyo
. Aliens called the Xilians insist they are friendly and that they eliminated the monsters. They also warn the Earth about an asteroid called Gorath
that will crash into the planet. The Space Nation is established, an alliance to unite the universe.
Ozaki, Miyuki, and several others distrust them. After a lot of research and undercover work, they discover the Xilians are lying. The Xilians turn out to be the ones who unleashed the monsters, as well as replaced several key members of the EDF with android duplicates, planning on subjugating humanity to harvest their mitochondria for food. The Xilians are then exposed on live television. At the moment, the second-in command of the Xilians called the Controller, who was opposed to his commander's decision to subtly take over Earth, kills him and orders an all-out strike. Instantly, the monsters are released into Earth's major cities, as well as the EDF's mutants become mind-controlled, with the exception of Ozaki.
On Mt. Fuji, a hunter and his grandson discover Minilla
, Godzilla's son. The trio are successful in outrunning the Xilians' assault, keeping a low profile.
Ozaki and the leftover EDF soldiers eventually decide to free Godzilla. Using the Gotengo, the EDF goes to Antarctica and are chased by Gigan. As soon as Godzilla is released from his hibernation, he fights and destroys Gigan with his atomic ray. Spotting the Gotengo, Godzilla immediately follows it. The Gotengo returns for Tokyo, hoping Godzilla will unwittingly defeat the Xilians. The Xilians send the controlled monsters after Godzilla. He defeats them in short battles and the Gotengo and Godzilla arrive at Tokyo.
The Gotengo attacks the Mothership and a desperate battle ensues, during which Ozaki's rival and friend Kazama sacrifices his own life to destroy the Mothership's shield generator. Meanwhile, the meteor falls to Earth and Godzilla destroys it. However, a powerful space monster, Monster X
is inside and they engage in a battle. Gigan, who has now been upgraded, aids Monster X, but Mothra arrives to engage him into battle. In their confrontation, Gigan blasts Mothra with his laser and the burning Mothra flies into Gigan, blowing him up. Inside the Xilian mothership, the humans enter to begin the final attack. In the midst, Ozaki is revealed to be a "Kaiser"; an all powerful super being, which is why he wasn't controlled. The Xilian Controller is revealed to also be a Kaiser. After an extended battle, the humans eventually win and escape the Mothership before it self-destructs.
With Gigan dead, Godzilla continues his battle with Monster X, who reveals himself as Keizer Ghidorah. Keizer Ghidorah initially has an advantage over Godzilla using his lightning beams to overpower him and draining his power through its teeth. In a bid to aide Godzilla, Ozaki uses the Gotengo's cannons to transfer his Kaiser powers to Godzilla, revitalizing him and giving him the strength to overpower Ghidorah. Godzilla rips one of Ghidorah's heads off and makes Ghidorah fire his lightning upon his other head, blasting it off the neck. He then throws Ghidorah up into the atmosphere and obliterates the monster with his atomic ray. He then turns to attack the Gotengo, but a now much larger Minilla confronts him. Godzilla heeds his son and turns to leave. Minilla turns to the humans before leaving and manages to fire his own atomic breath into the sky. With that, he and Godzilla return to the sea, with Godzilla letting out one final roar. In a post-credits scene
, Mothra rises from the sea to return to Infant Island.
Several computer animated
monsters were created for use in the film. They consist of Manda, Mothra
, Zilla
, Kamacuras
, and Kumonga
. Stock footage
from previous films were used for other monsters, such as Varan
, Gaira, Baragon
, Gezora
, Titanosaurus
, Mechagodzilla
, and Megaguirus
.
, Daisuke Yano and Nobuhiko Morino
, while the band Sum 41
contributed the song "We're All To Blame" to the soundtrack (and received high billing in the film's opening credits sequence). Some critics expressed concern with the music of Final Wars, arguing that Emerson's score would be better suited for a campy made-for-television movie or video games, while others pointed out that it made a refreshing change from the music of previous Godzilla films.
Akira Ifukube
's themes were mostly absent from the movie, though Godzilla's original theme can be heard at the beginning of the film. However, Keith Emerson
did cover the Godzilla theme which is available on the film's official soundtrack. The cover is entitled "Godzilla (Main Theme)".
The bands Sum 41
and Zebrahead
contributed the tracks "We're All To Blame" and "Godzilla vs. Tokyo" respectively, to the film, however neither song was on the film's soundtrack.
, New York City
, Paris, Shanghai, Arizona
and Tokyo
.
reports that 50% of critics gave positive reviews for the film based on nine reviews.
Steve Biodrowski of Cinefantastique
called the film "utterly fantastic" and "a rush of explosive excitement." Jim Agnew of Film Threat
gave the film four and a half stars out of five, saying "the good news for kaiju
fans is that Godzilla: Final Wars is a kick-ass giant monster flick." Drew McWeeny
of Ain't It Cool News
remarked, "Godzilla: Final Wars earns a special place in my heart. It's fun. Pure lunatic fun, every frame." Sean Axmaker of Static Multimedia said, "Directed by a true fan of the old school, it's lusciously, knowingly, lovingly cheesy." Craig Blamer of the Chico News & Review called the film "a giddy and fast-paced celebration of the big guy."
Conversely, David Nusair of Reel Film gave the film one and a half stars out of five, saying that "the battles are admittedly quite entertaining" but felt that director Ryuhei Kitamura "is absolutely the wrong choice for the material." David Cornelius of eFilmCritic gave the film two stars out of five, calling it "the dullest, weakest Godzilla movie I've seen in a long, long time." Ty Burr of the Boston Globe gave the film one and a half stars out of five, saying it focused too much on action and not enough on story, and calling it "35 minutes longer than is necessary."
Among kaiju
-related websites, J.L. Carrozza of Toho Kingdom "absolutely love[d]" Final Wars, saying "[it's] no masterpiece, but it is such insane fun that quite frankly it's hard not to adore it." Mike Bogue of American Kaiju said "the film is flawed, but nonetheless entertaining," saying there are "too many [Matrix
-style] battles" but that the film "makes excellent use of its monsters" and "Kitamura keeps things moving at a brisk pace." Japan Hero criticized the "[lack of] character development" but concluded that Final Wars is "a very entertaining movie," saying that "Kitamura did a wonderful job making it an interesting and great looking film worthy of being the final [Godzilla] movie."
Stomp Tokyo said "the monster scenes are generally well done" but criticized the film's "incoherence," saying: "It's a shame that Kitamaura couldn't choose a tone for the film, instead shifting the movie's mood wildly from scene to scene." Lenny Taguchi of Monster Zero criticized Keith Emerson's soundtrack but gave Final Wars an overall favorable review, calling it a "fun and good" movie that "tries many things, and generally succeeds at almost all of them."
Any hopes Toho had of Godzilla: Final Wars ending the series with a box office bang were crushed when the film opened in Japan on December 4, 2004. In its opening weekend, it came in third at the box office with $1,874,559. At the holiday season box office, it was clobbered by Howl's Moving Castle
and The Incredibles
, both which also pursued the family market. It eventually grossed roughly $12,000,000 at the Japanese box office, with 1,000,000 admissions. Not only was it the least-attended film in the Millennium series, it was also the least attended film in 29 years since Terror of Mechagodzilla
.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
-kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
Ryuhei Kitamura
-External links:*...
, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama
Shogo Tomiyama
Shōgo Tomiyama is a Japanese film producer. He is best known for producing all of the Godzilla films from the 1990s onward.-Biography:...
. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series
Godzilla (film series)
Original movie poster for [[Godzilla |Godzilla]].|thumb is a popular series of giant monster films featuring the character Godzilla. Starting in 1954, the Godzilla series has become one of the longest running film series in movie history....
, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era. The film stars Masahiro Matsuoka
Masahiro Matsuoka
is a Japanese drummer and actor. He is a member of Tokio, a Johnny Entertainment musical group. His nicknames are Mabo and Maa-kun. He starred as Shinichi Ozaki in Godzilla: Final Wars., and comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.- As an artist :...
, Don Frye
Don Frye
Donald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
, Rei Kikukawa
Rei Kikukawa
is a Japanese actress, model and television presenter. Kikukawa was born in Urawa , in Saitama Prefecture. She is a graduate of the University of Tokyo where she majored in architecture. She was scouted by an agent while shopping, and eventually came to be represented by Oscar Promotions...
, Kane Kosugi
Kane Kosugi
born in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
, Maki Mizuno
Maki Mizuno
Maki Mizuno , , was born as Yuki Enowaki is an actress. She has appeared in jidaigeki and contemporary dramas....
and Kazuki Kitamura
Kazuki Kitamura
is a Japanese film and television actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 14th Yokohama Film Festival for Minazuki, Kyohansha and Kanzen-naru shiiku.-Movies:...
.
The film is set in the future where mutant soldiers have been discovered and been placed in an Earth Defense Organization. An alien invasion force called The Xilians unleash a legion of giant monsters across the world, leaving only a few survivors. The survivors travel to the South Pole to free Godzilla from his icy prison to battle the monsters while the survivors attempt to infiltrate the alien Mothership and take out The Xilians.
As a 50th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
celebratory film, a large group of actors from previous Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
films, both classic and new, made appearances as main characters or cameo appearances. This goes for the kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
(monsters) as well, as most of the monsters in the film had been missing from the screen for more than thirty years. This is the only Godzilla film, from the Japanese series, to receive a PG-13 rating by the MPAA. The only other Godzilla film to receive this rating is the American remake of Godzilla
Godzilla (1998 film)
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
.
Despite the title, this is not the actual finale of all Godzilla films; Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
decided to temporarily retire the character for a period of time. It was also the first Godzilla movie to be shot on high-definition video
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
instead of film.
Plot
Endless warfare and environmental pollution has resulted in dangerous giant monstersKaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
. The Earth Defense Force (EDF) is created to protect the planet. The organization is equipped with the best technology, weapons and soldiers, as well as mutants with special abilities. Godzilla
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
, a giant mutant dinosaur, is EDF's only unstoppable opponent. The EDF's best combat vehicle, the Gotengo
Gotengo
The , also known in the West as Atragon, is a submarine battleship that has appeared in several tokusatsu films of Toho Company, Ltd., beginning with Atragon in 1963. It was first conceived by author Shunrō Oshikawa in his 1899 novel Kaitei Gunkan , of which Atragon was an adaptation produced by...
, corners Godzilla at the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
and buries him under the Antarctic ice, freezing him alive.
Several years later, the EDF discovers a mummified space monster. Mutant soldier Shinichi Ozaki and U.N.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
biologist Miyuki Otonashi are sent to research it. The Shobijin, fairies of the guardian monster Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
, reveal that the monster is Gigan
Gigan
is a kaiju from the Godzilla series, introduced in the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a cybernetic monster sporting a buzzsaw weapon in its frontal abdominal region and large metallic hooks for hands. Gigan is considered Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponent, alongside Destroyah,...
, an alien cyborg sent to destroy the Earth 12,000 years ago, and that a battle between good and evil will happen soon.
Suddenly, monsters appear in major cities on Earth and the EDF is summoned, attempting to drive away the monsters. Despite defeating Ebirah
Ebirah
, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:...
, the EDF is unsuccessful in destroying the monsters. The various monsters include Anguirus
Anguirus
is the second Kaiju to appear in the Toho franchise. Anguirus appeared only a year after Godzilla in the 1955 Toho film Godzilla Raids Again...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Rodan
Rodan
is a fictional Japanese mutated pterosaur introduced in Rodan, a 1956 release from Toho Studios, the company responsible for the Godzilla series. Like Godzilla and Anguirus, he is designed after a type of prehistoric reptile...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, King Caesar
King Caesar
is a fictional Kaiju from the Toho produced Godzilla series. King Caesar's appearance was inspired by the Shisa, a beast that looks like a combination between a dog and a lion. It first appeared in the 1974 Showa film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla...
in Okinawa, Kamacuras
Kamacuras
, is a fictional gigantic praying mantis that has appeared in the Toho produced Godzilla series. In its first appearance, the creature was called Gimantis in the U.S. version.-Showa:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Kumonga
Kumonga
is a giant spider daikaiju that appeared in the Toho produced Godzilla series. In the monster's first two appearances, it was called Spiega or Spiga. Spiga/Kumonga is the main antagonist in Son of Godzilla.-Abilities:...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Zilla
Zilla
, also known as the American Godzilla, is a movie monster that first appeared as the title character in the 1998 Roland Emmerich film Godzilla. The design by Patrick Tatopoulos is that of a hunched bent-over marine iguana...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Ebirah near Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. After destroying much of their cities, the monsters vanish as an enormous alien mothership hovers over Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Aliens called the Xilians insist they are friendly and that they eliminated the monsters. They also warn the Earth about an asteroid called Gorath
Gorath
Gorath, released in Japan as , is a Japanese science fiction tokusatsu film produced by Toho in 1962. The story for Gorath was by Jojiro Okami.-Synopsis:...
that will crash into the planet. The Space Nation is established, an alliance to unite the universe.
Ozaki, Miyuki, and several others distrust them. After a lot of research and undercover work, they discover the Xilians are lying. The Xilians turn out to be the ones who unleashed the monsters, as well as replaced several key members of the EDF with android duplicates, planning on subjugating humanity to harvest their mitochondria for food. The Xilians are then exposed on live television. At the moment, the second-in command of the Xilians called the Controller, who was opposed to his commander's decision to subtly take over Earth, kills him and orders an all-out strike. Instantly, the monsters are released into Earth's major cities, as well as the EDF's mutants become mind-controlled, with the exception of Ozaki.
On Mt. Fuji, a hunter and his grandson discover Minilla
Minilla
is a Kaiju from the Godzilla series of films and is the first of several young Godzillas. He first appeared in the Showa film Son of Godzilla and also appeared in Destroy All Monsters, All Monsters Attack and the Millennium film Godzilla: Final Wars.-Origin:The son of the famous Godzilla, Minilla...
, Godzilla's son. The trio are successful in outrunning the Xilians' assault, keeping a low profile.
Ozaki and the leftover EDF soldiers eventually decide to free Godzilla. Using the Gotengo, the EDF goes to Antarctica and are chased by Gigan. As soon as Godzilla is released from his hibernation, he fights and destroys Gigan with his atomic ray. Spotting the Gotengo, Godzilla immediately follows it. The Gotengo returns for Tokyo, hoping Godzilla will unwittingly defeat the Xilians. The Xilians send the controlled monsters after Godzilla. He defeats them in short battles and the Gotengo and Godzilla arrive at Tokyo.
The Gotengo attacks the Mothership and a desperate battle ensues, during which Ozaki's rival and friend Kazama sacrifices his own life to destroy the Mothership's shield generator. Meanwhile, the meteor falls to Earth and Godzilla destroys it. However, a powerful space monster, Monster X
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
is inside and they engage in a battle. Gigan, who has now been upgraded, aids Monster X, but Mothra arrives to engage him into battle. In their confrontation, Gigan blasts Mothra with his laser and the burning Mothra flies into Gigan, blowing him up. Inside the Xilian mothership, the humans enter to begin the final attack. In the midst, Ozaki is revealed to be a "Kaiser"; an all powerful super being, which is why he wasn't controlled. The Xilian Controller is revealed to also be a Kaiser. After an extended battle, the humans eventually win and escape the Mothership before it self-destructs.
With Gigan dead, Godzilla continues his battle with Monster X, who reveals himself as Keizer Ghidorah. Keizer Ghidorah initially has an advantage over Godzilla using his lightning beams to overpower him and draining his power through its teeth. In a bid to aide Godzilla, Ozaki uses the Gotengo's cannons to transfer his Kaiser powers to Godzilla, revitalizing him and giving him the strength to overpower Ghidorah. Godzilla rips one of Ghidorah's heads off and makes Ghidorah fire his lightning upon his other head, blasting it off the neck. He then throws Ghidorah up into the atmosphere and obliterates the monster with his atomic ray. He then turns to attack the Gotengo, but a now much larger Minilla confronts him. Godzilla heeds his son and turns to leave. Minilla turns to the humans before leaving and manages to fire his own atomic breath into the sky. With that, he and Godzilla return to the sea, with Godzilla letting out one final roar. In a post-credits scene
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, Mothra rises from the sea to return to Infant Island.
Cast
- Masahiro MatsuokaMasahiro Matsuokais a Japanese drummer and actor. He is a member of Tokio, a Johnny Entertainment musical group. His nicknames are Mabo and Maa-kun. He starred as Shinichi Ozaki in Godzilla: Final Wars., and comedy series Yasuko to Kenji.- As an artist :...
as , a soldier in the Earth Defense Force's M-Unit team. - Rei KikukawaRei Kikukawais a Japanese actress, model and television presenter. Kikukawa was born in Urawa , in Saitama Prefecture. She is a graduate of the University of Tokyo where she majored in architecture. She was scouted by an agent while shopping, and eventually came to be represented by Oscar Promotions...
as , a molecular biologistMolecular biologyMolecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
recruited by the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. - Don FryeDon FryeDonald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
as , the captain of the Gotengo. - Kane KosugiKane Kosugiborn in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
as , a soldier in the Earth Defense Force's M-Unit and close friend of Ozaki. - Maki MizunoMaki MizunoMaki Mizuno , , was born as Yuki Enowaki is an actress. She has appeared in jidaigeki and contemporary dramas....
as , Miyuki's older sister and a news reporter for Nitto Television. - Kazuki KitamuraKazuki Kitamurais a Japanese film and television actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 14th Yokohama Film Festival for Minazuki, Kyohansha and Kanzen-naru shiiku.-Movies:...
as the , the villainous leader of the Xilian race. - Kumi MizunoKumi Mizunois a Japanese actress most famous for appearing in several Toho Kaiju films of the 1960s and early 1970s....
as , the Earth Defense Force CommanderCommanderCommander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. - Kenji SaharaKenji SaharaKenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato...
as , a paleontologist and friend of Miyuki who discovers Mothra in Hokkaido. - Patrick Castillo as JXSDF First LT. Andre Ramirez, Used to be a Kiyru Fighter now a operator on the Gotengo but, later dies.
- Masami NagasawaMasami Nagasawais a Japanese actress under Toho Entertainment. She has performed in many movies and television dramas including Crying out Love, In the Center of the World, Dragon Zakura and Proposal Daisakusen. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in 2006. She is also known as "Ma-chan" or, as Tomohisa...
and Chihiro OtsukaChihiro Otsukais a Japanese actress. Her birth name in kanji is , but she transformed her given name into hiragana characters.-Movie:*Dark Water *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. *Be with You...
as the , the fairy guardians of Mothra. - Shigeru IzumiyaShigeru IzumiyaShigeru Izumiya is a Japanese poet, folk singer, actor, tarento. He established record company "For Life Records" with Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue, Hitoshi Komuro in 1975...
as , an elderly hunter based in Mt. Fuji. - Kenta Suga as , Samon's grandson.
- Masakatsu FunakiMasakatsu Funaki, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is currently performing at All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is one half of the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champions, along with Keiji Mutoh...
as , the leader of the M-Unit and Ozaki's direct superior. - Masatoh Eve as the , the second-in-commandSecond-in-commandThe Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
of the Xilian Leader. - Jun Kunimura as , the assistant commander of the Gotengo.
- Akira TakaradaAkira Takaradais a Japanese film actor who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.-Overview:Takarada was born in Japan-occupied Korea, and lived for a time in Harbin, China. His father worked as an engineer on the South Manchuria Railway...
as , the United Nations Secretary-General. - Tsutomu KitagawaTsutomu Kitagawais a Japanese actor and Stuntman.He is mostly known for playing Godzilla for the Millennium series.He also played King Ghidorah for Rebirth of Mothra III...
as GodzillaGodzilla Junior, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
, the titular character. - Kazuhiro Yoshida as GiganGiganis a kaiju from the Godzilla series, introduced in the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a cybernetic monster sporting a buzzsaw weapon in its frontal abdominal region and large metallic hooks for hands. Gigan is considered Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponent, alongside Destroyah,...
and HedorahHedorah, also known as the Smog Monster, is a fictional character in the 1971 film Godzilla vs. Hedorah. The monster was named for , the Japanese word for sludge, vomit, slime or chemical ooze. He is the main antagonist of the film.-Description:... - Naoko KamioNaoko Kamiois a Japanese suit actress. She is married to the suit actor, Hirofumi Fukuzawa.-Partial filmography:* Denji Sentai Megaranger as Mega Pink* Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack* Mirai Sentai Timeranger as TimePink, Shion, TimeGreen...
as MinillaMinillais a Kaiju from the Godzilla series of films and is the first of several young Godzillas. He first appeared in the Showa film Son of Godzilla and also appeared in Destroy All Monsters, All Monsters Attack and the Millennium film Godzilla: Final Wars.-Origin:The son of the famous Godzilla, Minilla...
and RodanRodanis a fictional Japanese mutated pterosaur introduced in Rodan, a 1956 release from Toho Studios, the company responsible for the Godzilla series. Like Godzilla and Anguirus, he is designed after a type of prehistoric reptile... - Toshihiro Ogura as Keizer GhidorahKing Ghidorahis a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
, AnguirusAnguirusis the second Kaiju to appear in the Toho franchise. Anguirus appeared only a year after Godzilla in the 1955 Toho film Godzilla Raids Again...
and EbirahEbirah, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:... - Motokuni Nakagawa as Monster XKing Ghidorahis a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
and King CaesarKing Caesaris a fictional Kaiju from the Toho produced Godzilla series. King Caesar's appearance was inspired by the Shisa, a beast that looks like a combination between a dog and a lion. It first appeared in the 1974 Showa film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla...
Several computer animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
monsters were created for use in the film. They consist of Manda, Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
, Zilla
Zilla
, also known as the American Godzilla, is a movie monster that first appeared as the title character in the 1998 Roland Emmerich film Godzilla. The design by Patrick Tatopoulos is that of a hunched bent-over marine iguana...
, Kamacuras
Kamacuras
, is a fictional gigantic praying mantis that has appeared in the Toho produced Godzilla series. In its first appearance, the creature was called Gimantis in the U.S. version.-Showa:...
, and Kumonga
Kumonga
is a giant spider daikaiju that appeared in the Toho produced Godzilla series. In the monster's first two appearances, it was called Spiega or Spiga. Spiga/Kumonga is the main antagonist in Son of Godzilla.-Abilities:...
. Stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
from previous films were used for other monsters, such as Varan
Varan
is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
, Gaira, Baragon
Baragon
is a fictional Kaiju that was first featured in the 1965 Toho-produced film, Frankenstein Conquers the World. Baragon is a four-legged dinosaur with a horn on his head and large ears. His main weapon is a heat ray that he can fire from his mouth...
, Gezora
Gezora
Gezora is a giant squid character in the movie "Space Amoeba."Height: 30 meters Weight: 20,000 tons Powers/Weapons: Tentacles, ice mist, icy blood, able to discharge a stream of inkWeakness: Fire, Supersonic waves...
, Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus (Godzilla)
is a fictional kaiju featured in the 1975 Showa film Terror of Mechagodzilla, the fifteenth Godzilla film to be produced by Toho.-Abilities:...
, Mechagodzilla
Mechagodzilla
is a fictional character from various films in the Godzilla series, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla . He is Godzilla's mechanical doppelgänger and one of the most popular Toho kaiju...
, and Megaguirus
Megaguirus
are fictional characters that were Paleozoic giant insects reanimated by mining operations in Kitamatsu village, Kumamoto Prefecture, in the 1956 kaiju eiga Rodan. The Meganulon made a return in the film Godzilla vs...
.
Music
The music in Godzilla: Final Wars was composed by Keith EmersonKeith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, Daisuke Yano and Nobuhiko Morino
Nobuhiko Morino
Nobuhiko Morino is a Japanese film composer who usually partners up with Daisuke Yano on his film scores. Nobuhiko went to the same high school as Japanese film director Ryuhei Kitamura, who is the director of seven of Nobuhiko's compositions...
, while the band Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
contributed the song "We're All To Blame" to the soundtrack (and received high billing in the film's opening credits sequence). Some critics expressed concern with the music of Final Wars, arguing that Emerson's score would be better suited for a campy made-for-television movie or video games, while others pointed out that it made a refreshing change from the music of previous Godzilla films.
Akira Ifukube
Akira Ifukube
was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
's themes were mostly absent from the movie, though Godzilla's original theme can be heard at the beginning of the film. However, Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
did cover the Godzilla theme which is available on the film's official soundtrack. The cover is entitled "Godzilla (Main Theme)".
The bands Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
and Zebrahead
Zebrahead
Zebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:...
contributed the tracks "We're All To Blame" and "Godzilla vs. Tokyo" respectively, to the film, however neither song was on the film's soundtrack.
Filming locations
Godzilla: Final Wars began filming in July 2003. The locations of filming included Sydney, EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Paris, Shanghai, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Critical reception
Godzilla: Final Wars has received mixed reviews from film critics and fans alike. As of May 2011, review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 50% of critics gave positive reviews for the film based on nine reviews.
Steve Biodrowski of Cinefantastique
Cinefantastique
Cinefantastique was a horror, fantasy, and science fiction film magazine originally started as a mimeographed fanzine in 1967, then relaunched as a glossy, offset quarterly in 1970 by publisher/editor Frederick S. Clarke...
called the film "utterly fantastic" and "a rush of explosive excitement." Jim Agnew of Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
gave the film four and a half stars out of five, saying "the good news for kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
fans is that Godzilla: Final Wars is a kick-ass giant monster flick." Drew McWeeny
Drew McWeeny
Drew McWeeny , also known by his pseudonym Moriarty, is a film critic, screenwriter, and the former west coast editor of the Ain't It Cool News website...
of Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
remarked, "Godzilla: Final Wars earns a special place in my heart. It's fun. Pure lunatic fun, every frame." Sean Axmaker of Static Multimedia said, "Directed by a true fan of the old school, it's lusciously, knowingly, lovingly cheesy." Craig Blamer of the Chico News & Review called the film "a giddy and fast-paced celebration of the big guy."
Conversely, David Nusair of Reel Film gave the film one and a half stars out of five, saying that "the battles are admittedly quite entertaining" but felt that director Ryuhei Kitamura "is absolutely the wrong choice for the material." David Cornelius of eFilmCritic gave the film two stars out of five, calling it "the dullest, weakest Godzilla movie I've seen in a long, long time." Ty Burr of the Boston Globe gave the film one and a half stars out of five, saying it focused too much on action and not enough on story, and calling it "35 minutes longer than is necessary."
Among kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
-related websites, J.L. Carrozza of Toho Kingdom "absolutely love[d]" Final Wars, saying "[it's] no masterpiece, but it is such insane fun that quite frankly it's hard not to adore it." Mike Bogue of American Kaiju said "the film is flawed, but nonetheless entertaining," saying there are "too many [Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
-style] battles" but that the film "makes excellent use of its monsters" and "Kitamura keeps things moving at a brisk pace." Japan Hero criticized the "[lack of] character development" but concluded that Final Wars is "a very entertaining movie," saying that "Kitamura did a wonderful job making it an interesting and great looking film worthy of being the final [Godzilla] movie."
Stomp Tokyo said "the monster scenes are generally well done" but criticized the film's "incoherence," saying: "It's a shame that Kitamaura couldn't choose a tone for the film, instead shifting the movie's mood wildly from scene to scene." Lenny Taguchi of Monster Zero criticized Keith Emerson's soundtrack but gave Final Wars an overall favorable review, calling it a "fun and good" movie that "tries many things, and generally succeeds at almost all of them."
Box office
At roughly $19,500,000, Godzilla: Final Wars was the most expensive Toho-produced Godzilla film of all time.Any hopes Toho had of Godzilla: Final Wars ending the series with a box office bang were crushed when the film opened in Japan on December 4, 2004. In its opening weekend, it came in third at the box office with $1,874,559. At the holiday season box office, it was clobbered by Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle (film)
is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones...
and The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
, both which also pursued the family market. It eventually grossed roughly $12,000,000 at the Japanese box office, with 1,000,000 admissions. Not only was it the least-attended film in the Millennium series, it was also the least attended film in 29 years since Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
.
DVD
Sony Pictures- Released: December 13, 2005
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.39:1) anamorphic
- Sound: Japanese (5.1), English (5.1)
- Supplements: Behind-the-Scenes featurette (comparison of B-roll footage to finished film); Trailers for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, SteamboySteamboyis a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date...
, Dust to GloryDust to GloryDust to Glory is a documentary about the famous Baja 1000 off-road race. Filming occurred throughout the 2003 event. The film is directed by Dana Brown of Step Into Liquid fame. The film was edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. The film score was by Nathan Furst.-Cast:Mario Andretti, Sal Fish, Jimmy...
, MirrorMaskMirrorMaskMirrormask is a 2005 fantasy film from Jim Henson Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. It stars Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, and Gina McKee. It is designed and directed by Dave McKean, written by Neil Gaiman from a story they developed together...
, and MadisonMadison (film)Madison is a semi-fictional 2001 film about APBA hydroplane racing in the 1970s. It stars James Caviezel as a driver who comes out of retirement to lead the Madison, Indiana community-owned racing team.-Background:... - Region 1
- MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence.
External links
- Official Site in Japanese
- Godzilla: Final Wars at Toho Kingdom including several reviews