Godzilla vs King Ghidorah : 3 of 5

It's time to get started with the Heisei era of Godzilla movies! Unfortunately, the first two films in this second series aren't even available on Region 1 DVD, so I can't rent them (looks like I will have to buy some cheap Hong Kong versions), so I had to begin with the third movie in this set from 1991. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah has one of the most bizarre plots every conceived, filled with time travel craziness! People from the year 2204 return to present day Japan to tell people they need to stop Godzilla from being created, so they go back to World War II when Godzilla was just a regular dinosaur who happened to be living on an island during nuclear testing. So, they transport him away, but leave three little creatures behind, which end up turning into King Ghidorah from the same nuclear power! Yes, we've been double-crossed by these future dudes, who really just want to prevent Japan from becoming too powerful in the future! There's too much more to go into, but it's enough to say that Godzilla still gets created, and he's so mean that they have to travel into the future to resurrect Ghidorah this time, who returns as a half-machine, mecha-Ghidorah, complete with pilot! It was fun recognizing some actors, including some from the original Ultraman and more recent Japanese dramas. This DVD is pretty lousy, though - no full widescreen and one of the worst English dubs ever (but totally hilarious!). This new Godzilla is definitely not cute - he's all teeth and rage with blinking eyes, and the costume is pretty stiff. The rest of the effects are cool, though, especially Godzilla's atomic breath and Ghidorah's rays. The Heisei era has a much different feel - I think I'm going to miss those heroic walks into the sunset of the Showa era!