After a successful revamping of their star attraction in 1984 (or 1985 here in the States), Toho was quick to realize that there was a ton (no pun intended) of life left in the franchise. A direct sequel to the film, Godzilla vs. Biollante, was created in 1989 much to delight of G-fans. The Heisei series is generally dissected amongst G-fans while arguing over Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah's time travel storyline, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla's explosive kaiju battle, and of course the series finale showing the demise of the beast in Godzilla vs. Destroyah, but rarely does anyone thoroughly discuss Biollante.
This is arguably the "lost" film of the series, one that simply never received the massive marketing muscle of its prequel or the large theatrical release. Here in the states, it was quietly brought to home video by HBO in a masterful widescreen print (VHS and laserdisc) and tolerable dubbing, a first for the G-films. Still, the film never really seemed to take off with fans as much as the later films did, but those who enjoy it realize it's enduring qualities.
Godzilla vs. Biollante was the first film to introduce us to Miki Segusa (Megumi Odaka), who would end up in each of the Hesei series films. Her character remains relatively minor in the film with her only major sequence coming when she attempts to stop Godzilla from approaching the mainland. Dr. Shiragami (Koji Takahashi) takes over the films first half, mixing his daughters DNA with a rose and Godzilla cells, creating the title creature. Young Colonel Kuroki (Masanobu Takashima) leads the military in their never-ending quest to defeat the beasts in the second half, his age and inexperience adding weight to his already burdened shoulders.
Numerous other actors, some returning to the Godzilla series, including Katsuhiko Sasaki (from Megalon and Terror of Mechagodzilla), weigh down the human drama at times, convoluting the story and confusing viewers. The sheer volume of characters never lets any one of them truly become a part of the story. Gondo's (Toru Minegishi) heroic shot of the ANB into Godzilla's mouth should be a moving moment, but since his character never really gets a chance to build up like it should, his death does not evoke the proper response. Once the giants began their battle however, none of this truly matters, as it seems the story is simply unnecessary until the final act.
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