Love & Rockets: Post Modernity on Planet Zero
This is my favorite Godzilla film, although the portrayal of classic mad genius arch-villain Dr. Mafune makes The Terror of Mechagodzilla (not to be confused with Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla) a near second. Legendary American B-movie film star Nick Adam's heroic portrayal of a human astronaut torn between his love of an alien robot woman and his duty to his country is sheer genius. His performance can be summed up in these words: "In defense of the Earth, we're gonna fight to the last man - baby!!" The alien androids are at their best in this film, complete with rubber DEVO-esque bodysuits and a proto-postmodern ideal of emotionless efficiency. But this stoicism is only a thin veil for the blurring of man and machine that lies at the heart of the film's romantic story of human and "Robot Machine" in love....a love that in the end is fated for ultimate tragedy. This film preceded Blade-Runner by about 20 years and yet it has the very same central themes that made Ridley Scott's film legendary. For true lovers of classy kitsch, this film is perhaps one of the finest films ever made.
Rating: A+ (So bad it's good)
Reviewed by Kenji Baugham