In This Issue: Fairyland’s new Album Warp 11 Shadowless Sword Kwaidan Vampire Gigolo Basilisk Anime and... Contents: ∏Godzilla: Final Wars Page 3 ≥Fairyland Page 17 æBasilisk Anime Page 13 ∑ Shadowless Sword ∏Kawaidan Page 8 Page 21 ØWarp 11 Vampire Host Page 24 æ Page 27 Godzilla: Final Wars that the Japanese suitmation is better, the real Godzilla was performed (Gojira: Fainaru Uozu) by an actor in costume. Japan 2004 When the two finally battle it out, ‘Zilla is quickly dispatched, Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura almost as an afterthought. The evil alien overlord who is controlling all the monsters on Earth, except for Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Godzilla of course, remarks that he never should premier kaiju franchise, Godzilla: Final Wars is have put his faith in that “tuna-eating” both a tribute to the history of the series and disappointment. an answer to the horrible American movie There’s also a lame scene set in New York carrying the Godzilla name. City just before Rodan destroys it that plays Toho Studios was not pleased with on Japanese stereotypes of Americans. the U.S. version of Godzilla, nor were None of the other international cities most Godzilla fans, and Final Wars is that are wasted during the film, such clearly an attempt to bring the big guy as Paris and Shanghai, receive this home, even more so than Godzilla 2000 and treatment. the other post-U.S. Godzilla movies. There are In addition to taking shots at the U.S. a number of pot shots at the U.S. version, including Godzilla, Godzilla: Final Wars pays homage the appearance of the American Godzilla, who is known to many of the previous fantasy movie efforts here as ‘Zilla. ‘Zilla gets little screen time, although he of Toho Studios with actors, characters and is allowed to scuff up Sidney. ‘Zilla was created using computer animation as he was in the U.S. film. To prove monsters returning from previous entries If anything, G:FW suffers from ship to destroy the shield generator. And it in the series, a cheesy plot and lots of tank overload from trying to cram in too was hardly an original idea when used in stomping, building crushing, civilization many references to prior movies. Director Independence Day. destroying action. Even the basic plot, Ryuhei Kitamura’s trademark technique The entire main story line was junk: about aliens who first claim to come in of combining genres and overloading plots Mutants who live to fight have been born friendship, yet secretly take control of fails him here, as too much time is spent on Earth and are trained into an elite Earth’s monsters and plan to conquer the on an incomprehensible and uninteresting monster fighting force under the command world, is taken from previous films, notably story about mutant martial artists and of the U.N. Our hero is one of these. It Invasion of Astro Monster (1965) and Destroy not enough on Godzilla. Following the turns out that they are a product of a mix All Monsters (1969). impressive pre-credit sequence, Godzilla of human and Xilian breeding. Apparently Final Wars could even be considered a doesn’t show up again during the first half remake of sorts of Invasion of Astro Monster/ of the movie–a serious flaw in a Godzilla War of the Monsters/Godzilla vs. Monster movie, although the pent-up demand for Zero, considering that the aliens, the the big lizard causes cheers when he finally funky sunglass wearing Xilians, originally does make his appearance. appeared there, along with King Ghidorah The director borrows too much from as the alien’s pet Monster X and the basic other movies not in the Godzilla cannon, plot of using controlled monsters to take notably the Matrix series. There’s even a over the world. Even actor Akira Takarada, scene taken from Independence Day where who played an astronaut in that movie, and a disgraced mutant redeems himself by Kumi Mizuno, who played an alien femme flying his fighter into the alien mother fatale are back in different roles. the Xilians were here in prehistory since there a Japan brief sub-plot about a mummified monster (Gigan) that is connected to them. The Xilian DNA allows the mutants to be mind-controlled by the aliens and turn on humanity. Our hero is immune because he is a “Keiser” as is the head alien. It seems being a Keiser allows you to suddenly have the ability to use the force to deflect laser bolts and revive Godzilla when the plot requires it. Oh, the Xilians want to use humans as cattle. Exactly how, when and why humans and Xilians managed to interbreed to this added to the movie and it detracted from the produce the mutants is never explained. If the mutant important stuff: Big Monster Fights. DNA has been around since prehistoric times, why There are a number of good scenes of monsters Original haven’t mutants also been around that long? The destroying cities, such as Anguilus destroying Language: mutants all seem to be about 25 years old. And if Shanghai, but Rodan didn’t get enough time and Japanese the Xilians have been around for such a long time, didn’t seem very convincing in his New York (some lines why are they just now getting around to enslaving destruction derby and King Seasar was obviously a in English) the Earth? Seems that it would have been simpler before the pesky humans Subtitled in got a hold of monster-stomping flying English by submarines. Sony Pictures Kitamura’s signature style is obvious here in his scenery-chewing villain, Format: a pointless-but-cool high-speed Movie motorcycle chase/kung-fu fight, sword and kung fu fights between humans, Genre: mutants and aliens, and the various Science Fiction/ long stylish coats his characters wear Kaiju so they can dramatically flap them around. Kitamura certainly has a flair for filming action scenes and making his actors look good, but none of guy in a suit with silly floppy ears. While sister ships not only paid tribute to older “There’s two things you don’t know the quick dispatching of ‘Zilla was meant Japanese science fantasy movies, but also about the Earth,” Frye, as Captain Gordon, to be funny, there are monsters that gave gave the humans a fighting chance against warns the alien commander. “The first Godzilla a movie’s worth of trouble in the giant monsters. one’s me. The second one’s Godzilla.” previous films who are defeated in at best Masahiro Matsuoko did a creditable Frye is actually convincing putting a couple of minutes of fighting, or in the job as Shin’ichi Uzaki, the one mutant himself in Godzilla’s class. Not many actors case of Hedorah, a couple of seconds. Blink not under the control of the aliens, but his could pull off that line. and you’ll miss the smog monster. story line is too nonsensical for him to be Many of the minor roles in the movie Although the kaiju guest list is long, convincing. Kazuki Kitamura, however, is are played by actors who have a history not every noteworthy past adversary or simply awful as the despicable leader of the with the Godzilla franchise. One such ally could be brought in, Jet Jaguar, for Xilians. He over-acts and throws temper notable actor is Akira Takarada, who example, is noticeably missing from the tantrums and doesn’t seem bright enough starred fifty years ago as a naval officer in movie as is MechaGodzilla. One familiar to put on his boots without help. Some of the first Godzilla movie and in various face that should have been left in the Toho this may be the director’s fault, as Kitamura’s roles in several sequels, who gets significant Studios archives is Minilla, the son of villains tend to be over-theatrical. screen time as the secretary-general of the Godzilla. Even though he does reconcile Professional wrestler and martial artist United Nations. Kumi Mizuno, a popular the humans and Godzilla at the end of the turned actor Don “The Predator” Frye actress with scores of Toho movie roles movie, his part could have been cut out and steals the movie with his dominating including in several Godzilla entries, plays it wouldn’t have been missed. The scenes performance as the maverick captain of the commander of the Earth Defense with him are simply painful to watch the Goutengou, one of four monster- Forces. In fact, if there is an older Japanese Kitamura does add some interesting busting submarine/airships that form the actor with a few lines of dialog or a cool new twists into the formula. The idea that front line units of the Earth Defense Force. scene, it’s a good bet they’ve been seen in soldiers, even super-powered mutant kung- Frankly the movie would be much better if a Godzilla movie before. fu soldiers, armed with rocket launchers the mutant story line had been dropped in Even the actresses who played Mothra’s and portable mazers could take on and favor of showing more of the Goutengou, fairies in recent movies are back, although defeat even low-powered giant monsters is the Éclair, the Karyu and the Rambling, the Peanuts (who originated the roles) silly, but provides for an amusingly cheesy letting their eccentric captains take center don’t appear. action scene, complete with what are stage. There are some interesting cosplay obviously tiny toy tanks being destroyed. Frye may not show much nuance to possibilities for fans of the movie short of Bringing in the Goutengou (known in the his performance, but neither do any of the building monster costumes.