1973's "Godzilla vs. Megalon" ("Gojira tai Megaro" in Japan) can only be seen as the most desperate of Toho's original series of 15 (the 13th), the Big G looking decidedly shabby and docile with Shinji Tagaki replacing Haruo Nakajima inside the bulky suit, the last throwaway entry with the introduction of Mechagodzilla just around the corner. No female characters among the hapless human cast, the adult inventor of a flying robot named Jet Jaguar, his child brother and a male companion, the robot coveted by spies from the underground civilization Seatopia, not much of a threat if they need the already ineffectual Gigan to back up their creation Megalon, a winged beetle that bores through the earth (many viewers will concede to being bored well before its introduction!). For a time, Jet Jaguar is programmed by the enemy, eventually restored to obedience to summon Godzilla on Monster Island, transforming into a cinematic Ultraman for no apparent reason, another fairly useless partner for this title's wrestling match. New menace Megalon is quite the manic monster, maneuvering underground and in the air, one surprisingly tense sequence breaking down a dam to imperil our human characters. A plotless series of car chases and varied escapes, Godzilla himself only taking part for the final 15 minutes, his most notorious gimmick sliding along the ground by his tail to pummel a defeated Megalon. It certainly plays out like a would be comedy, the level of amusement decreasing as the inherent silliness goes into overdrive for the tag team finale, sadly an easy choice as the bottom rung for beleaguered Toho, forced to compete with television and declining attendance, completion done on the fly after just three weeks.
Review of Godzilla vs. Megalon
