GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (Japan, 2004)
Directed by: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Masahiro Mitsuoka, Don Frye, Kazuki Kitamura

2005 is Godzilla's 50th Birthday, and Toho is celebrating by releasing the 28th, and final (ha ha), movie in the series, Godzilla: Final Wars. A take-no-prisoners assault on the senses, it manages to include every single Godzilla foe in one film and it’s bursting at the seams with aliens, space ships, gargantuan Godzilla battles, superhuman soldiers, Ultimate Fighter Don Frye spitting one-liners, and as if that wasn’t enough there’s also a much-anticipated scene where the Japanese Godzilla beats his 1998 American counterpart to a pulp.

We’ve been proud to host the New York premieres of director Ryuhei Kitamura’s previous films (Versus and Azumi) and fans are going to go nuts over this over-the-top entry in the Godzilla franchise. But be warned: Kitamura doesn’t want to make a film geek movie that will appeal to the Big G’s hardcore fans who can trade monster trivia all day long. His favorite Godzilla movies are the off-their-rocker ‘70s installments, and he brings the surreal, destructive anarchy of those flicks up to date, throws them in a blender, and sets it on “funky”. Some people hate this film, some people love it, but there is no denying that it is a very special motion picture experience.

The movie kicks off with Godzilla trapped under ice in the South Pole. Pollution has caused a global monster epidemic. The government breeds superhuman soldiers to cope with these colossal threats, but when aliens from old Toho flick, Monster Zero, show up on earth and use mind control to turn the planet into their own personal pantry, these supersoldiers need help from the world’s most famous lizard with a bad attitude. Mayhem ensues. Lots of mayhem. Lots and lots and lots of mayhem as Godzilla takes on pretty much every monster he’s ever faced, Rodan attacks New York, and there’s even an appearance by Minilla, Godzilla’s godawful son.

Don’t think about it too hard, just sit back, grab some shrimp chips, and watch the ultimate giant monster movie unfold in all its lunatic glory.