Toho's idea to not only resurrect Godzilla but his foes as well was working. The previous two entries in the Hesei series were huge hits. Not one to miss a gold mine, Mechagodzilla was then brought back for his third attempt at demolishing Toho's icon. Many fans consider this to be the best of the second round of Godzilla films, though that's up for some serious debate.

Using technology from the mechanical head of King Ghidorah from Godzilla's previous rampage, the UN creates a robotic version of Godzilla, the final hope of stopping the beast. Before the first test can begin, scientists find a mysterious egg and Rodan on an island. In that egg is Baby Godzilla, one that the adult version wants back. The main problem is that Rodan feels a connection to the human sized creature too. Everything spirals out of control for the final melee involving all of the destructive monsters.

This is one of the longest movies in the series, if not THE longest coming is at over a 100-minutes. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much to build any characters. Instead of aliens bringing Mechagodzilla, humans now control the monster internally. You have absolutely no connection to anyone inside as they fight an excruciatingly long battle.

Only one character returns, one of the few joining parts of the second string of films, Megumi Odaka. Her character has limited value and only seems to be included for the finale to try and give the film much needed tension. The addition of American actors is a nice touch. Unfortunately, their performances are absolutely hilarious. In the end, it still boils down to the monsters fighting it out, and that's usually fine. Here, it's not very effective.

It has little to do with the special effects. The Godzilla suit is the usual Hesei one and it remains the best. Rodan's makeover gives him a sleeker, more realistic look. Mechagodzilla has underwent serious changes, ditching the angular and much more robotic look of the original for a softer, almost gentler looking monstrosity (which doesn't make much sense). Miniature work is unfortunately minimal, most of it being saved for the final confrontation. If a scene is required to show some destruction, it's usually a well-done matte shot.

All of the flashy beams the monsters are known for are used constantly. They look great, a testament to the special effects teams dedication, but it's not fun to watch after a while. In fact, it's boring. Once Rodan finally changes into Fire Rodan and adds another bright beam into the mix (the only thing that the change really seems to give him), you know it's all too much. There's little if any contact during the fight scenes, save for the excellent brawl early on that pits Godzilla and Rodan against each other.