Search - Michiru Ôshima :: Godzilla X Mecha-Godzilla

The Best Godzilla Film Score of the Millennium Series

James Tortorelli | Murray, KY USA | 10/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Take it from a Godzilla fan with over 20 movies stacked up in his closet. I own all 6 of the Millennium Godzilla films, and my award for best music goes to "Godzilla X Mechagodzilla". (The film was released on TriStar DVD in the US as "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla".) The music is composed by Michiru Oshima, who previously scored "Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus", whose soundtrack is more easily available from GNP Crescendo Records. For those who have heard that wonderful effort, you should know that the only theme Oshima brings back is Godzilla's theme, and it is heard in at least 7 tracks on this album. None of Akira Ifukube's original Godzilla themes are put to use either here or in the film. The rest is new, but in the same vein as "Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus": Director Masaaki Tezuka pays tribute to those old black and white sci-fi serials with his Godzilla films, and Oshima's music puts a fresh spin on those hurried marches and grand fanfare-like themes.

This album is a complete soundtrack: all the music from the film (and even some not in the film) is included here, in the order it is heard in the film. Out of the 29 tracks, 27 are the score, and the remaining two are sound effects tracks, one for Godzilla and one for Mechagodzilla, called "Kiryu" in the film. The sound effects tracks contain roars, foot falls, and the sounds of their energy beams being charged and fired. In 6 instances among the score tracks, 2 or more cues from the film are placed together in the same track, with a few seconds of silence between them. This means that sometimes the music you're looking for doesn't have its own track, but makes up the second half of another track.

The track names are as follows:



1. Opening

2. G's Theme I

3. Title

4. The Prime Minister's Reminiscence

5. The Defense Department's Technology Building (2 cues)

6. G's Theme II

7. "Welcome"

8. Akane's Theme I

9. Kiryu Squad's Theme I (2 cues)

10. Akane and Sara

11. MG's Theme I

12. Kiryu Squad's Theme II

13. Confrontation

14. Running Berserk (2 cues)

15. MG's Theme II (2 cues)

16. Sara (2 Cues)

17. G's Theme III

18. Kiryu Squad's Theme III

19. MG's Theme III

20. Fierce Fighting I

21. Fierce Fighting II

22. Akane's Theme II (2 cues)

23. MG's Theme IV

24. Fierce Fighting III

25. Surfacing

26. Ending

27. Salute!!

28. SE: Godzilla

29. SE: Mechagodzilla



As you can see, the track names are a little repetitive. That does not, however, mean that the exact same Mechagodzilla theme occurs four times. Rather, the theme comes in different tempos and mildly different orchestrations, depending on the situation in the film. Akane's Theme II runs a little longer than the first version, with the same orchestration and at a slightly faster tempo. One is near the beginning of the CD and one is near the end so it isn't likely to irritate anyone. Same goes for the other music: most of the "base" themes in the score retain their original orchestration, but are scattered around other incidental pieces, so as not to get monotonous.

Godzilla's Theme here is much more powerful than in "Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus", due to a larger orchestra and an interesting "concert hall" feel to the recording. For those who haven't heard it, I can only describe it as...well, as if Jerry Goldsmith and Richard Wagner were trapped on a South Seas island and saw Godzilla during a thunderstorm (he first appears during a typhoon in the film). I would highly encourage anyone who hasn't heard this theme yet to do so; it is a terrific piece that really brings out the darker side of Godzilla. It is best heard in tracks 2 and 17, and makes up most of the "Ending" track (it plays under the credits).

Kiryu-Mechagodzilla's theme is a fanfare along the lines of the Griffon's theme from "Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus", but more complex. It starts with the trumpets establishing the theme, then the low instruments and the strings take over, weaving a simplistic, beautifully Asian bridge. Then the brass and strings are combined, making the Kiryu theme sound more complete. (The theme is brought back, with a few improvements, in the sequel "Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS".) It is best heard in tracks 11 and 21.

Akane is the lead human character in the film, a female soldier haunted by an accident shown during the prologue: the maser cannon she was driving knocked a jeep of soldiers off the road and, most unfortunately, under Godzilla's foot. While there are pieces of incidental music cropping up around the CD that highlight her downcast spirit, her actual "theme" is one of the most uplifting motifs this side of Superman. It has a hopeful air to it, and indeed Akane redeems herself during the course of the movie. It is only heard in tracks 8 and 22. Track 22's trumpet doesn't sound as good as track 8, but track 22 also has a string accompaniment not heard in 8.

The "Fierce Fighting" Theme, heard only in tracks 20 and 21 ("Fierce Fighting III" is the climax of the final battle), is a rather short piece with three parts, each repeating the same driving melody in different orchestrations. I thought it was very catchy the first time I heard it, and it is definitely one of the best battle themes in the Godzilla series, despite it's miniscule runtime.

The second cue of track 16, not the first cue, is the reason the track is named "Sara". In the film, Sara is a girl whose mother died giving birth to a second child, and has isolated herself from others and grown attached to a little plant she carries with her everywhere. This cue plays when her widower father tells Akane the story of her mother, and it is a tearjerker. This is quite possibly the most beautiful theme in the entire Godzilla series (again, this is coming from a die-hard Godzilla fan). The theme returns, with a more triumphant feel, in tracks 18 and 24.

"Godzilla X Mechagodzilla" was the first Godzilla film with music recorded outside Japan. The score is performed by the Moscow International Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Konstantin D. Kremits. The reason I place this soundtrack above its "sister" score "Tokyo SOS" is because of the awesome performing talent of this ensemble. While the material is not as groundbreaking or complex as, say, John Williams, the Russian performers give it a quality that places it on equal ground.

Consumers should take note that the CD case for this soundtrack this a little bit thicker than usual...owing to the fact that the booklet has 42 pages...seriously...there's a lot of Japanese that I couldn't tell you what it meant, but it has storyboards from the film and photos of the orchestra and the composer, descriptions of the film, the film's cast and crew, and the album staff. The pictures are all in black and white.

The film itself is one of my personal favorites, and if you're like me and you have a good imagination (and aren't afraid of some sub-par effects), I suggest you rent the TriStar DVD sometime and watch it, preferably with the Japanese audio turned ON.

"

Almost Perfect

James Tortorelli | 09/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Big G fan since i was very little and ever since I was old enough to comprehend these things, I thought the music was great. Since GXMG is my favorite G movie, I bought the soundtrack. It was grat and just what I imagined it would be:wonderful. It goes right up there with Akira Ifukube's composition of the original Godzilla soundtrack. The reason it is not perfect is just because Michiru Oshima repeats herself too often. But taking all that in to consideration, it is still a great soundtrack."