KAIJUOLOGY: MAGUMA

Subject: Maguma

Documentation: Gorath (1962)

History: In 1982 our world faced one of the gravest perils in history. A star hurtling through space was discovered by a brave team of astronauts. Through as yet unknown circumstances this star, code named: Gorath, was dislodged from whatever orbit it once held and now streaked through space on a collision course with Earth.

The world united to combat this threat. Many plans were enacted, one such plan was to move our planet out of its own orbit and thereby moving it out of Gorath's path. The plan commenced, construction of massive nuclear powered thrusters upon the earth's poles had begun. An equal number of thrusters were constructed on both poles, one set to move us out of range and the other to move us back into position once the threat of Gorath had passed.

An unforeseen problem occurred during a test of the south pole thrusters. The intense heat produced by the construction as well as the thrusters themselves resulted in massive ice melts, literally changing the face and terrain of Antarctica. Many prehistoric fossils  and unique land formations were discovered beneath the snow and ice.

Odobenus Rosmarus Magumadon, a.k.a. Maguma. A colossal prehistoric ancestor to the modern day walrus. The melting of the ice revealed a massive subterranean cavern in which the great beast emerged. The beast, sensing the severe climate changes to it's environment, acted to preserve its habitat and attacked the thrusters. Maguma succeeded in disabling several thrusters.

The great creature, although only acting on instinct to save its home, threatened the success of Earth's survival. An aircraft equip with high yield laser tools, used in constructing the thrusters in extreme temperatures, was used against Maguma. Initially Maguma survived the attack, having been buried under a mountain of rubble. The kaiju began climbing it's way out. It moved on the rockets once again. Nothing seemed to dissuade the beast from attacking. The men piloting the aircraft were forced to fire the laser until this rare, long thought extinct creature was killed.

Art by Yasushi Torisawa

Once the threat to Earth was over and Gorath had passed the Earth by, scientists returned to Antarctica to investigate more on this prehistoric animal. What they discovered was that the cavern from which Maguma emerged opened up into the sea at another end. They also discovered fossils of multiple Odobenus Rosmarus Magumadon and evidence suggesting more might yet exist... alive. These claims cannot be substantiated due to the collapse of the cavern before any evidence could be recovered.

Art by Yasushi Torisawa

Maguma, in addition to its enormous size, is different from its Walrus descendants. The animal is a far greater developed quadruped, possessing two far longer and stronger back legs and front legs, to allow for a greater movement and of course necessary to move such a large body. The gigantic tusks are believed to be the kaiju's primary weapons along with incredibly sharp claws on its front two feet. Since the encounter was so brief it is not known if Maguma possesses any other means of attack or special abilities. Should we encounter another of its kind greater care will be taken to study this unique kaiju.

Review: It's a walrus. But it's more than that too. It's a kaiju from the golden age of Tokusatsu (Japanese special effects genre), portrayed by the legendary suit actor himself, Haruo Nakajima (the man who played Godzilla and just about every kaiju from the original films). And Maguma is a kaiju from director Ishiro Honda (the Stan Lee of kaiju films). True, not every creation of Stan Lee's is a gem, but they're still deserving of note.

Maguma was the kaiju that almost wasn't. Ishiro Honda didn't intend to have a kaiju in the film GORATH, but producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (another of the men responsible for Godzilla and kaiju in general) insisted upon Maguma's inclusion. He's a rare kaiju and a very briefly seen kaiju. He falls into the category of kaiju designs that are in keeping with real life animals and prehistoric creatures. And his origins are very reminiscent of the Rhedosaurus from The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (a classic origin for sure).

There's not much to be said about this kaiju other than he's as big as Godzilla and probably has a ton of strength (like a real walrus) so a smackdown with him would be pretty tough. Although he's probably greatly susceptible to energy attacks. All in all it would be cool to see him return in a new movie and expanded upon. He was considered as another kaiju to be included in Destroy All Monsters but ultimately didn't make it into the film. So close...

Threat Level: 4 out of 10

Early draft art for Destroy All Monsters featuring Maguma, Ebirah, and Odako

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS ~ PART 19: GODZILLA VS MOTHRA

I have nothing against remakes. Hell that seems to be all Hollywood is doing nowadays, remakes or sequels. I enjoy both in fact. But I must admit to feeling a little disappointed when I get a remake versus a sequel. If I had to choose between the two I'd choose sequel 9 times out of 10. For one I'd rather see the story move forward instead of backwards. Thus my beef with GODZILLA VS MOTHRA, part 19.

It's virtually the exact same story as Mothra Vs Godzilla (1964) and the original Mothra (1961). Both are great movies, but they have never been my favorites. Both films represent two of the high points of the genre and are highly regarded amongst fans and critics alike. I guess Mothra just doesn't resonate with me like the other kaiju do. She's still a wonderful character and classic kaiju but not the one for me.

In case you've forgotten, the basic plot is the discovery of Infant Island. A small group of people travel to the island at the behest of a corporate giant with nefarious interests. What they find are some cave paintings depicting an ancient battle between two primeval gods, twin women the size of Barbie dolls calling themselves the Cosmos, and a giant egg. Both Cosmos and the egg are loaded up and transported across the ocean back to Japan.

Godzilla rises from the sea and attacks the egg. The egg hatches and a young Mothra still in larvae form emerges. During the attack Battra shows up too. All three monsters disappear and the ship escapes. The Cosmos are taken to said nefarious company and are held captive. Mothra crashes through the city to find them. Godzilla descends on the city in the final act and both Mothra and Battra are needed to stop him.

The aspect of this movie that I really enjoy is the new stuff it brings to the table, namely new kaiju BATTRA, the anti-Mothra. Godzilla's battle with Battra is clearly the highlight of this film and why I continue to watch it. The special effects are still good and the monster throwdowns are as epic as ever! Battra's design is like a Goth version of Mothra. More like a beetle than a moth, equip with an exoskeleton and longer insectoid legs. Curiously the larvae form of Battra seems bigger and more powerful than the adult. It's definitely one cool design and cool concept having an anti-Mothra. So sad Battra didn't see a return in the 90's Mothra trilogy.

Godzilla too gets a little revamp in his look. He looks a little bigger, a little less trim. And he looks angrier. The Heisei designs for Godzilla have always been my favorite and to me they feel like the definitive look for the king of the monsters. Another cool little part of the film is Godzilla and Battra's first fight. The battle rages along the bottom of the ocean. The two monsters fight their way into an active lava tube. Godzilla is swallowed up and disappears. When he reemerges later it is out of the mouth of a volcano. Godzilla swam his way from the ocean through a lava tube all the way to the mouth of the volcano. How wicked cool is that?!

The reason this film and the previous movie went back to familiar territory instead of forging ahead into the unknown was because the general audience wasn't as receptive to Godzilla VS Biollante as the studio had hoped. TOHO studios got cold feet and decided to play the following three films safely. And that's the reason why these three aren't among my top favorites in the franchise. Yet all three seem to garner high praise from fans and critics of the series. It's moments like these where I wonder if I'm the only one who knows what's really good and what's just so so. Then I wonder if maybe it's me and I simply have no taste. Odds are stronger I have little to no tast.

All in all there is a lot in this movie that's good. Godzilla is represented very well and Battra is a welcomed addition to the kaiju roster. The special effects are very good and the monster fights are well done. Like I said, most fans really like this movie. It is a worthy entry in the franchise, but it isn't one that I continually return to.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Category: Transcendence 

SUSPENDED ANIMATION: BLOOD-C (2011)

I love my horror movies. Similarly I love my horror animes too. It's been a while since I've seen a truly blood and guts anime. I take that back, ATTACK ON TITAN I saw for the first time last year and holy cow did that show set the new standard for intensity! BERSERK, NINJA SCROLL, and DEVILMAN along with a few others make up the foundation for my extreme anime standards. I'm sure there's a ton of other titles I need to see. One such title was recommended to me by a friend who shares in my tastes for monsters and mayhem.

BLOOD-C is a horror/action anime from 2011 from Production I.G. and CLAMP. I was aware of the BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE anime film and only peripherally aware of the BLOOD+ anime series from a decade ago. I hadn't watched any of the aforementioned Blood features. Blood-C was described to me and I was shown a clip. As far as I was concerned this was something else entirely. I would later discover how wrong I was.

Saya Kisaragi is your typical bubbly cute anime girl attending high school in a tiny remote Japanese town. She has many friends at school and is well liked among her classmates. She's incredibly athletic despite a tendency to be clumsy. Her father is the priest at the local shrine temple and after school she learns from her father all the rituals required to maintain the shrine. One day she will inherit the duties and become the Shrine Priestess.

At night however the true purpose for the shrine is revealed. The shrine guards a gateway between our world and a dark world filled with monsters and beasts called Elder Bairns. All these things want is to feast on human flesh. Saya learns that her mother was the Shrine Priestess before her and was the only person who could wield the sacred sword and slay the monsters. Saya has that same power and it is her legacy and inheritance to kill these vile creatures. Sounds vaguely like Kikiyo from Inuyasha...

The monsters don't go down easily. They push Saya to her limits, cutting her body, spilling her blood. Once pushed to a point Saya's eyes glow red and her strength and speed become superhuman. Once in this mode she can hack the monsters to pieces. How is she able to fight on the same level as the monsters? Why does something feel wrong every time she slays them? And why does it become increasingly more difficult to save the people she loves?

SPOILER ALERT
The show takes a dramatic twist about halfway through. The first several episodes the show seem completely unrelated to the older Blood series. Then the story shifts, you find out everything is a lie and the entire world you've been immersed in is all a facade. Who is behind it and why are revealed and Saya learns who she really is what foul things have been done to her.

The anime goes from being one show to transforming into another. Having not been familiar with the previous series I didn't see it coming at all. Honestly I preferred the divergent world from the beginning of the show rather than the show it eventually became. I'm sure the feeling is opposite for those intimately familiar with the original series. So I guess I have a somewhat unique perspective about this show.

I really liked the idea of a lone shrine maiden charged with protecting our world against the monsters that would consume us. The idea of the one sacred blade being the only weapon that can kill these things and the unique power that is unlocked when shrine maiden and sword come together. It's a simple core concept and one that has a ton of potential. I preferred the first half of the series to the last half greatly.

Instead of ramping up towards the end the show slows down. I was left turning my to the side thinking, "What the hell is going on? No. No! I liked the way it was going! Stop, damn you!" They slow WAY down at the end only to jam a huge massacre into the last 5 minutes and then she gets shot in the head! WTF?! Oh wait, there's a movie I have to watch to tie it all up. Okay, whatever. Ti the show's credit I had me hooked enough to where I binge-watched most of it in a day. That's pretty darn good if you ask me.

The animation is excellent! I really like Saya and her friends characterizations. Everything is done very well until the turn. I suppose I should watch the previous series and may very well do that. Perhaps I will see this show in a completely different light and the twist won't hurt as much. Regardless, nothing will be quite like my first impression with the series. After watching the movie the story has a great big finale and sort of ends with the possibility of a sequel if they want. Although I'm not a fan of the "real" Saya as I was with the happy carefree Saya. Normally I like my strong silent badass heroes, but in this case I prefer the other.

All in all it's not a bad series. The action is really good and the blood quota is pretty high. The monsters are fairly unique and vicious. The "C" in the title I assume is for CLAMP's involvement. The alternate version of the characters I assume is CLAMP's doing and I like it. Visually the show is stunning and high quality. If you're looking for something new and different to sink your fangs into I would recommend this. It's not the greatest, but its far from the worst. Monsters and cute sword wielding girls, what more could a guy ask for?

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10

SUSPENDED ANIMATION: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0079 (1979)

If you're like me and you were raised on such films as Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla (1974), Aliens (1986), and cartoons like Robotech and Inhumanoids you probably have a disposition for liking giant robots and exo-suits. When I was in high school Cartoon Network started airing a show called MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING for the first time. It didn't take me long to fall in love with this exciting space opera and become a life long fan of these particular mobile suits. Then I watched the show MOBILE SUIT GUNDMAN 08TH MS TEAM (probably the best Gundam series of them all), then MOBILE FIGHTER G GUNDAM and so on. Yeah, I like me some Gundam.

When the original MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0079 made its way over to the states I started collecting it on DVD as I had with the others. I stopped collecting it after the second disc. I wasn't mature enough at the time to appreciate this series nor did I have the mindset for the context. Forgive me for saying this, but I couldn't get past the dated animation of 1979, not when I had already been exposed to Gundam series from the 1990's on up (not to mention I couldn't afford $20 a pop for the DVD's).

Fast-forward 15 years later in my life from 2001 to 2015. I'm a little older. I'm a little wiser. I'm a little more focused with a historical and contextual mindset. My imagination can now fill in the technical and special effect failings of older films and enjoy them all the more. Then I discovered that the old Gundam DVD's were going out of print. My interest in Gundam was rekindled and I decided to finally finish a collection I had started a decade and a half ago. I went back to used DVD stores and tracked down all the volumes of the original Gundam series that I was missing. It only took 15 years, but at last I had the complete original series. Time to watch.

SPOILERS AHEAD
The basic premise of the show is that humankind has now built giant space stations called Sides, colonies of people living in space, self-sufficient and self-sustaining. 79 years after the first Side was created the Principality of Zeon led by the Zabi Family declared independence from the Earth Federation. This secession ignites a war between the Earth Federation and the Zeon with many Sides caught in the middle. The war is fought on Earth, in Space, and within the giant space stations themselves. Millions of lives are lost including entire Sides themselves.

The war is fought with giant humanoid mechs called Mobile Suits as well as conventional tanks, warships, air-crafts and missiles. The Mobile Suits run on nuclear engines, the destruction of which results in a massive nuclear explosion. The Earth Federation is behind the Zeon in production of mobile suits, the Zeon and their Zakus taking the war by storm. The war seems almost won when the Zeon invade Side 7. There they discover the Federation's new secret weapon, a mobile suit far more advanced than any before, its code name: GUNDAM.

15 year old Amuro Ray, brilliant son of the Gundam's inventor, is forced into the mobile suit, manages to get it to move, and by some miracle defeats the invading Zaku troops. The word is out and traveling fast among the stars that the Federation now have a weapon that could turn the tide of war. The Zeon decide to send their best pilot, Char Aznable "the Red Comet," to seek and destroy this new Feddy weapon. Amuro learns better how to pilot Gundam and the war heats up.

Just to give you some perspective, Gundam is the Star Wars of Japan. I never realized before just how much all the other Gundam series borrow from the original until now. From characters to plotlines, the original series has fueled all that followed, not just as the predecessor, but also as the source of inspiration and emulation. Even the arcs that the story follows are repeated almost exactly in other series. Characters wear the same clothes despite being in completely different universes and follow the same paths. Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed are the most glaring offenders of this.

Looking at Gundam 0079 now is almost like watching the original Star Wars from 1977 (the original untouched by George Lucas version). Special effects wise it is the worst of the 7 films. Story wise it is perhaps the least engaging and least fun of them all (the original trilogy at least). But without it we wouldn't have the others and the face of cinema would not be changed like it has. We owe a lot to Star Wars: A New Hope and likewise we owe a lot to Gundam 0079.

 It's slow in parts and takes a while to pick up steam here and there. Amuro's character goes through changes during the show, as to be expected from a 15 year old boy experiencing the horrors of war first hand. His progression from volatile adolescent to skilled soldier is thoroughly explored resulting in some really exciting set pieces and moments of deep introspection. His battles with Char, Ramba Ral, and Admiral Dozle and encountering greater and greater enemy mobile suits is executed very well. By the end the series the story really picks up the pace and becomes something truly magnificent. There's lots of excitement and action throughout.

It's not the first giant robot series to be sure. But Mobile Suit Gundam was the first giant robot series to take the concept seriously and realistically. The human violence in this show is quite shocking too at times, from people being blown apart to straight up point blank head shots. I'm well aware of how extreme anime can get, but even this was a surprise to me. The genre would be forever changed after this series. Now that I'm older and can appreciate context and have a sense of time I can more clearly see how this series changed the landscape of science fiction and film.

Mobile Suit Gundam has endured and continued for nearly 40 years. It has transcended from being a simple piece of genre fair to a moment in time where the world of sci-fi changed forever. If you're like me, and I'm guessing you are if you're reading this, and you love tracing the origins of your favorite subjects or simply are curious to see how far we've come, Mobile Suit Gundam is still a powerful and potent story even with the dated animation. If you consider yourself a sci-fi buff this series is essential viewing.

Oh yeah, the series doesn't end with episode 42. You also need to watch the film Char's Counterattack to finish it off ;) That's what I did.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: MAD MAX ~ FURY ROAD

Best damn movie of the year. Done.

I suppose I should back-up that statement with a little more... but what else do you need to know? Already this year we've had a few highly anticipated sequels with the likes of FURIOUS 7 and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and with more to follow (JURASSIC WORLD and STAR WARS 7). Sometimes the hype can be a detriment to these movies. Avengers I feel shot itself in the leg somewhat by Marvel Studios releasing to the world their plans for PHASE 3. As a result Ultron felt more like a necessary stepping stone to get where we need to go and not an event itself (which is actually in keeping with the comic book event of the same name. The Age of Ultron comic was immensely disappointing FYI).

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD has the great benefit of having little hype in comparison and rather low expectations. Some of the best movies are total surprises. Films you never thought would be good or films that seemingly came out of nowhere. The Mad Max franchise has been dead for 30 years. THIRTY YEARS!! And with Mel Gibson's growing popularity... in being unpopular, the likelihood of another film in the series seemed slim and possibly just a bad idea altogether. Add to that director George Miller's last several films were either kids movies like HAPPY FEET and BABE: PIG IN THE CITY  or dramas like LORENZO'S OIL and he hasn't directed an action film since 1985. All this doesn't exactly give one a lot of hope.

Holy shit, this movie is AMAZING! George Miller, I salute you for giving us one of the most creative action films since CRANK and one of the most visually enthralling films I've ever seen. And that's saying a ton! The movie is set in a desert wasteland... lots of dirt and more dirt and dirt colored sand and more dirt. And yet this film beats the pants off of all those CGI heavy visual spectacles with no soul and no substance. The action in this movie is either insane physical feats you've never or seldom seen or reminiscent of an era of filmmaking long thought dead.

The movie is an even 2 hours long. Once it starts it doesn't stop. There's maybe two moments in the film where things even vaguely slowdown. At moments the film is sped up giving it a rushed adrenaline fueled feel. It's noticeable, but not distracting, instead it adds to the tension. Having said that, the camera work in this movie is nigh incredible! The camera knows when to zoom in and when to take in the full scope of the action. It moves fast, but not jerky or erratic to where you can't tell what's going on. It's the perfect balance of fast camera motion without losing the audience (for a bad example of this watch THE BOURNE SUPREMACY). Many movies have tried this approach and finally one film has perfected it.

The acting and character designs are a feast for the eyes. The movie is SPOILER ALERT post apocalyptic. The remaining human beings have degenerated into tribal factions. Immortan Joe and his Warboys  all have a distinct skeleton appearance (through makeup and costume) and a wild and furious disposition. These dudes are crazy! Charlize Theron's character Imperator Furiosa is practically bald, one armed, and half her head painted in black grease. Miss Theron's acting is incredible, reaching an emotional level that pulls you in and makes you feel all the more for these people. Her eyes alone are stunning. She does an exceptional job and so does everyone else in the film.

The vehicles in this movie are characters all their own too, from Max's classic Interceptor to Furiosa's War Rig to Immortal Joe's monster truck and even Nux's little dune buggy. They aren't just cars and trucks, they're Frankensteined vehicles loaded to the teeth and ready for war! In many ways they're extensions of the characters themselves. The vehicles either represent the character's own physicality or are a physical manifestation of their spirits. The different tribes of this desert wasteland all have distinct looks for their vehicles that are totally alien from one another. These vehicles alone are a wonder to behold. And I haven't even told you about the best one, the car that makes this movie absolutely metal!

Max. I'm a fan of the original trilogy. THE ROAD WARRIOR is one of my top ten films of all time (there's another one for those keeping track ;). Personally I would've preferred seeing Mel Gibson in the role once again or at least his character passing the torch and moniker to another character. As it is Tom Hardy channels Gibson's essence and character from those earlier films, the Road Warrior in particular. The way he delivers his lines (what few he actually has) and his mannerisms are spot on exact to Mel's performance in The Road Warrior. I miss Mel and wish he had been a part of this film, but I'm pleased with Mr. Hardy's performance.

That's brings me to my last point. The Road Warrior is the high point of the original trilogy, one of the finest action movies of all time. Fury Road learns from the past and utilizes many of the set pieces from Road Warrior. It strives to turn the final twelve minutes of Road Warrior into a full movie all its own and does it wonderfully. That being said, this movie is not a remake by any means. It is a full on sequel, another chapter in the life of Max. I much prefer another chapter than a remake. Good call, Mr. Miller and bravo.

All that being said, this movie isn't for everyone. It's fairly niche in its subject matter, fanbase, and presentation, but perhaps this film will be the gateway for many others to fall in love with these kinds of movies, expanding the fanbase. Let's also not forget how amazingly metal this film is. If you're not a fan of this type of fair, after watching it you will be.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10