Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II stands out as the one Godzilla movie where the human characters are the true antagonists of the story. Godzilla's roles in his movies tend to vary, but the same doesn’t really apply to the humans. Whether Godzilla is their enemy or not, they're generally portrayed as the protagonists.
In most Godzilla movies, the goals of the human characters are largely consistent. Regardless of who the threat is, their focus is on averting destruction. Sometimes, that involves thwarting Godzilla, investigating mysterious activities, or foiling a plot masterminded by aliens. In some situations, such as Godzilla: King of the Monsters, rogue groups of humans are at the heart of the problem, forcing the movie's main characters to rise up and stop them. One movie that quietly deviates from the formula is Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. Released in 1993, the fifth installment in the Heisei series saw Godzilla and Rodan fight Mechagodzilla over a stolen Godzilla egg.
Why The Humans Are Really The Villains In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Like other entries in the Godzilla franchise, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II presents its human characters as its heroes, but as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that they’re the real instigators of the movie’s central conflict. What begins Godzilla’s fight with Japan in the movie is a research team’s expedition to his home, where they proceed to steal what was believed to be a Rodan egg. What the humans (and Rodan) didn’t know is that it was actually laid by Godzilla. This started as a mistake on their part, but grew into something more when they found out the truth but continued to hide his offspring from Godzilla.
Mechagodzilla and the humans may have been the heroes of movies like Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., but in this case, they were obstacles standing in the way of Godzilla finding his baby, who was knowingly kept out of his reach by the humans. They even went as far as to deploy Mechagodzilla against him and equip the villain with a weapon capable of killing Godzilla. They solidified their status as antagonists when their plan left Godzilla at death’s door. Who the heroes of the movie were became increasingly obvious when Rodan gave up what was left of his life essence to revive Godzilla, just to ensure that Baby Godzilla was kept safe from the humans.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II’s Human Twist Made Godzilla’s Story Better
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II was better for making the military and the scientists the real villains of Godzilla’s story. This unorthodox approach hurt its human characters, but the direction it took allowed the monsters to be seen in a rare, sympathetic light. Deeply emotional moments like Godzilla nearly dying at Mechagodzilla’s hands and Rodan making the ultimate sacrifice for Baby Godzilla’s sake sent a message that the monsters of the Godzilla franchise aren’t one-dimensional killing machines and that they can be relatable too.
