Gojira tai Megagirasu: Jî Shômetsu Sakusen (2000)

Country of Origin: Japan
Year of Production: 2000
Running Times: 105 mins
Format: colour     35mm (anamorphic)     Super 35
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Toho Company Ltd
Executive Producer: Shogo Tomiyama

SCRIPT
Script: Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Wataru Mimura

DIRECTION
Director: Masaaki Tezuka

PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameras and Lenses: Panavision

MUSIC
Music: Michiru Oshima
Godzilla Theme: Akira Ifukube

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Director: Kenji Suzuki
Assistant Special Effects Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi

CAST
Misato Tanaka (Kiriko Tsujimori)
Shosuke Tanihara (Hajime Kudo)
Masatô Ibu (Motohiko Sugiura)
Yuriko Hoshi (Yoshino Yoshizawa)
Toshiyuki Nagashima (Takuji Miyagawa)
Tsutomu Kitagawa (Gojira)
Minoru Watanabe (Megagirasu)
Kôichi Yamadera (kid's TV host)
Yûsaku Yara (narrator)

PLOT SUMMARY

The Japanese authorities develop the Dimension Tide, a weapon that can create artificial black holes, and install it aboard hi-tech ship The Gryphon to help combat the ever-present menace of Godzilla. But when the device is tested, a host of eggs appear in the city and hatch out into a swarm of water-dependent Meganurons. After flooding much of Tokyo and feeding off the energy of its inhabitants, the creatures transform into giant dragonflies called Meganuras and then seek out Godzilla for the energy they need to nurture the larva of their queen. Finally, the larva transforms into the gigantic Megaguirus and the stage is set for a titanic struggle between the two behemoths.

Hong Kong
DVD Distributor: Universe Laser and Video Co Ltd

Japan
Video Distributor: Toho Company Ltd

South Korea
Theatrical Distributor: Kuk Dong

USA
Video Distributor: Asian Cult Cinema

TIMELINE

2000
November
3: Japan – shon at the Tokyo International Film Festival

December
16: Japan – theatrical release

2001
January
5: South Korea – theatrical release

December
21: Poland – theatrical release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

GXM – Japanese advertising title
Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus: The G Annihilation Strategy
Godzilla vs Megaguirus

SEQUEL TO
Gojira (1954)
Gojira ni-sen mireniamu (1999)

SEQUELS
Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidora: Daikaijû soukougeki (2001)
Gojira tai Mekagojira (2002)

SEE ALSO
Akira (1988)
Gamera 2: Region shurai (1996)
The Matrix (1999)
Mimic (1997)
Poketto monsutâ (1997)
Sora no daikaijû Radon (1956)

REFERENCES

NEWSPAPERS

International Herald Tribune no.36663 (19 January 2001) p.11 (USA)
review (by Donald Richie)

KEYWORDS

black holes; giant insects; giant monsters; godzilla; military; satellites; ships; super-weapons; tokyo; water