2011 College Football Preview: Week 2

Notice any resemblance?

College Football is most definitely underway and, with the first week now in the history books, it's time to take a look at Week 2! Week 1 was full of upsets and horrible uniforms. Just to name a few, there was Oklahoma State's confusing choice of silver, Georgia's God-awful Power Ranger costumes with a facemask stripe, and Maryland's uniforms that looked like the state flag vomitted all over them. To be honest, I really didn't hate Maryland's uniforms as everyone else in the Nation seemed to. I thought the concept was a good idea and the jerseys and pants were done well. But those helmets.... I shudder. Way too much going on. Anyway, as is per usual in week 1, upsets seemed to rule the weekend with my beloved Horned Frogs being just one of the teams to fall victim. As far as my predictions are concerned, I was an underwhelming 4-4 last week, but part of the beauty of College Football is it's unpredictability. We'll see if I can do any better this week.

Featured Teams:


1. #25 TCU Horned Frogs @ Air Force Falcons
-Last Week: A young and inexperienced TCU team hit their first pitfall last week in a 50-48 loss to their in-state rivals on the Brazos. The defense has a lot of work to do, particularly in the secondary, and was not typical of Coach Patterson's defenses. I said the matchup to watch would be Robert Griffin against the TCU secondary... I was right, and Robert Griffin won. The one positive that can be taken away from the loss is that the offense looked great. Despite his game ending interception, QB Casey Pachall had an outstanding debut and really stepped into a leadership role for this team. The young WRs and O-line were also particularly impressive. If the defense can't improve quickly, the Frogs may have to rely on simply outscoring opponents in the coming weeks, and they could be in good hands.
-Preview: In almost every year of TCU's membership in the MWC, Air Force has been one of the toughest opponents, and most overlooked by fans, that the Frogs have consistently faced. They are always a very scrappy team, have a complicated offense, and a great head coach. This year, TCU travels to Colorado Springs for this tough conference opener and it will no doubt be a hard fought game. The defense has a lot to prove and the triple option will present a stiff test. LB leadership from Tank Carder will be key. A win for the Frogs will alter the course of their season and put them in prime position to compete for the MWC title. A loss could turn this into a forgettable season. This will be a very tough game, but I predict a close victory for a hungry TCU.
-Matchup to watch: TCU front 7 vs. Air Force option attack
-My Pick: TCU wins, 31-28.

2. Southern Illinois Salukis @ Ole Miss Rebels
-Last Week: Ole Miss became yet another team to fall victim to an upset in their opening game of the season. What stings even more is that it was at home. BYU, which has a much improved team since last year, particularly on defense, stunned the Rebels and scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to win 14-13. As I suggested in my Matchup to watch, the BYU front 7 really stepped up and made many key stops throughout the game. In fact it was the defense that scored the winning TD on a recovered fumble. The Rebs have a little improving to do to get to where they can be and this is a good week to start.
-Preview: A home game against a mediocre FCS team is just what this team needs to get their feet under them. Southern Illinois won't have much of a realistic chance at an upset and unless the Rebels just lay down, they will win. This game will be about working out the kinks, getting reps for backups, and finding some more rhythm on offense, which Ole Miss desperately needs.
-Matchup to Watch: Ole Miss RBs vs. USI Defense. They've got to get things going the worst.
-My Pick: Ole Miss wins, 48-10

Games to Watch


1. BYU Cougars @ #24 Texas Longhorns
-Last Week: While BYU rolled to an impressive comeback victory in a defensive game against Ole Miss, the Longhorns won most unimpressively against Rice.
-Preview: BYU is primed for another road upset as they roll into Austin with arguably their best team since '06. BYU's defense has made leaps and bounds of improvement over the last few years while Texas has only regressed. UT will have better athletes, speed, and a hostile crowd, but it would be most unwise to write off the Cougs from the start. One interesting fun fact is that Texas is actually 0-2 against BYU all-time. QB Jake Heaps looks good for BYU and as I already mentioned, the defense is pretty stout. I know it won't be a popular pick in most circles, but I liked what I saw out of BYU last week and I can definitely see them upsetting this Longhorn team that is short on leadership.
-Matchup to Watch: Texas RBs vs BYU front 7
-My Pick: BYU wins, 28-24.

2. #16 Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers
-Last Week: Mississippi State rolled past an inferior Memphis team while Auburn struggled and had to comeback to beat Utah State, 42-38. By all rights, Auburn should have lost that game.
-Preview: This is a pretty juicy matchup between two top 25 teams, depending on which rankings you're reading. There's no question that Auburn is down this year. Conversely, Mississippi State is on their way up, behind a solid defense and a pretty good offense. If last week was any indication, expect the Bulldogs to storm into Auburn and take this one from the Tigers in both teams' conference openers. This could be the start of a pretty memorable season for the cowbell-jinglers.
-Matchup to Watch: MSU offense vs. Auburn Defense
-My Pick: MSU wins, 35-17

3. Utah Utes @ USC Trojans
-Last Week: Utah sleep-walked through their game with Montana State and were no doubt looking forward to this week 2 matchup as they only won 27-10. USC also had a narrow escape, winning 19-17 against arguably the Big Ten's worst team, Minnesota.
-Preview: After years of BCS-buster status, this is Utah's first game in the Pac-12 and as a BCS school. And what better way to start things off than in LA Coliseum? I feel like a lot of experts are grossly underestimating Utah this season. While I didn't pick them as my Pac-12 South favorite, I would not be the least bit surprised if they won it and found their way into the first ever Pac-12 championship. On the other hand, I haven't been impressed with USC in years. This seems like the perfect scenario for a Utah upset. Keep your eyes open.
-Matchup to Watch: Utah QB Jordan Wynn (pictured right) vs. USC Secondary
-My Pick: Utah wins, 21-17.

4. Arizona Wildcats @ #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys
-Last Week: OK State's offense was on display as they beat UL-Lafayette convincingly, 61-34. Arizona's offense also looked good in a 41-10 victory over Northern Arizona.
-Preview: By all rights, this game should be a shootout. Two good offenses are led by two great QBs: Arizona's Nick Foles and OSU's Brandon Weeden. Does it really make any since though to pick against a top 10 team at home? This one could be exciting, but look for the Cowboy win and a fun night in Stillwater.
-Matchup to Watch: The QB battle: Weeden vs. Foles
-My Pick: OSU wins, 45-38.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines
-Last Week: USF scored the upset against Notre Dame in South Bend, 23-20. Michigan won a snore-fest against Western Michigan, 34-10.
-Preview: We've all heard the hype. It's already a historic rivalry, and now it's going to be played in the first ever Michigan night game with both teams wearing some snazzy throwback uniforms. Realistically, this game doesn't have all that much impact on the national stage, but it should be a fun one to watch. Notre Dame will likely start QB Tommy Rees over Dayne Crist, which should give the offense a boost. I'm very leery to predict an Irish victory though. Michigan will be fired up beyond belief and they've got a pretty good thing going with their new coach and a lot of talent. I'm expecting Michigan to have a fast start this year, fading out late in the season, and Notre Dame should be another victim of that fast start.
-Matchup to Watch: Michigan QB Denard Robinson vs. Irish Defense
-My Pick: Michigan wins, 31-28.

*Game of the Week*

#3 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #23 Penn State Nittany Lions
-Last Week: 'Bama and PSU both put away inferior opponents with ease. The Tide beat Kent State, 48-7, while PSU beat Indiana State, 41-7.
-Preview: This is a pretty well documented rivalry with some history, and it only adds to the fun that both teams are nationally ranked and competing for their respective conference titles this year. Although LSU has a better team than Penn State, I wouldn't be surprised if (in retrospective) this turns out to be Alabama's toughest game of the season. PSU will have a hostile crowd and the defense is always stiff. I still think 'Bama will leave Happy Valley with a W, but it will be a slug-fest and a great game to watch.
-Matchup to Watch: Alabama's RB Trent Richardson vs. PSU front 7.
-My Pick: Alabama wins, 24-21.

Godzillapalooza #18: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Monster Profiles:

DORATS

-HEIGHT: 1 foot
-MASS: 28 ounces
-SPECIAL POWERS: Dorats are by no means fighting creatures; they are peaceful and fun-loving. They have the power of flight and can sense people's emotions through microwave impulses.
-BACKGROUND: Dorats are genetically engineered animals from 23rd century earth. In the future they are no more than great pets, but visitors from the future with bad intentions leave three of them on Godzilla's home island of Lagos to be hit with radiation from H-bomb tests instead of the King of the Monsters.

KING GHIDORAH (HEISEI)


-HEIGHT: 492 feet, 574 foot wingspan
-MASS: 77,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Same as in Showa series. Flight at Mach 3, hurricane winds from wings, and lightning gravity beams from mouths.
-BACKGROUND: If you read my review of "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster", you might remember that I said I would need to write an updated profile for King Ghidorah in the Heisei series. Well here it is! For the first time in the series, Ghidorah does not originate from space. Instead Ghidorah is created by malevolent westerners from the future who wish to destroy Japan so that it does not become the world's most powerful country in the 23rd century. The futurians replace Godzillasaurus with three Dorats, who are then mutated by H-bomb tests instead of Godzilla's former self. The resulting radiation mutates the Dorats and creates King Ghidorah, who is then free to destroy Japan in the 1990's under futurian control.
-BATTLE RECORD: 0-1

MECHA-KING GHIDORAH


-HEIGHT: 492 feet, 574 foot wingspan
-MASS: 88,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: As you can imagine, this version of Ghidorah is much improved with 23rd century technology. While two of its heads still shoot gravity beams, the center head (now robotic) shoots a powerful laser triple beam. It has an improved, anti-gravity flight speed of Mach 4 and is protected by metallic body armor. One final addition is capture cables and a mechanic claw that is used to immobilize Godzilla.
-BACKGROUND: After King Ghidorah is destroyed, good people from the future salvage its remains from the bottom of the ocean and revive it to now defend Japan from destruction by Godzilla. Mech-King Ghidorah is actually piloted by humans. It essentially fights Godzilla to a draw, but the two fall into the ocean, which will save Japan for a little while.
-BATTLE RECORD: 0-0-1

GODZILLASAURUS


-HEIGHT: 39 feet
-MASS: 66 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Godzillasaurus has no special powers. He is simply a therapod dinosaur with physical weapons.
-BACKGROUND: Godzillasaurus was a surviving dinosaur that lived on Lagos Island. During World War II, he saved an overmatched Japanese garrison on the island from an American attack. After the war, it was H-bomb tests that mutated the dinosaur and made it into the original 1954 Godzilla. However, when the people from the future teleported him to the Bering Sea, he ironically was involved in a nuclear submarine accident which mutated him to twice the size of the original Godzilla.

Synopsis:

A UFO lands on Mount Fuji carrying seemingly friendly visitors from Earth's future. The visitors, from the year 2204, warn the Japanese that Godzilla will soon destroy Japan completely if they do not allow them to remove him from history completely. The Japanese agree and they send three people (Terasawa the author, Miki Saegusa the psychic, and Professor Mazaki the dinosaur expert), with a Japanese futurian named Emmy and a highly advance android named M11, to Lagos Island in the 1940's. The time travelers witness the US attack on the Island and Godzillasaurus' defense of the Japanese troops. Godzillasaurus is left gravely wounded though as the Japanese troops are forced to leave and bid him a tearful farewell. The time-travelers take this opportunity to teleport him far from Lagos into the middle of the Bering Sea, where they are sure he will not encounter any radioactivity. However, before they leave, they release three Dorats on the Island. They return to 1992, to find Japan under attack by King Ghidorah... oops. This upsets Emmy because she had no idea her fellow Western time-travelers had been lying to everyone and hoping to destroy Japan all along. Just when things are looking bleakest, everyone learns that Godzilla was created after all by a nuclear sub accident, and this time he is bigger and meaner than ever. Godzilla kicks Ghidorah's ass, even blowing of its middle head, and then destroys the bad futurian's spaceship. So Godzilla saves Japan, but oh crap, now he's going on a rampage through Japan! Something must be done or else Japan will surely be destroyed forever, just as the evil futurians wanted. Emmy and M11 return to the future to salvage and revive Ghidorah and try to save Japan. Emmy returns to the 90's piloting Mech-King Ghidorah to fight Godzilla. The battle is a standstill, but Godzilla is dropped in the ocean to save Japan, if only temporarily. Before Emmy returns to the future, she reveals that she is one of Terazawa's direct descendants.

This was the first Godzilla movie to not be released in the US at all until the advent of DVD. In fact, none of the subsequent Heisei films saw US releases until the 2000's. When I finally got to buy and watch this film though, it blew my mind! It's an absolute blast of a Godzilla film and one of my all-time favorites. The music is great by Ifukube yet again, the action and battle scenes are top-notch, the special effects are awesome (especially for the early 90's),and the plot is very interesting while not too hard to follow. I can understand on some level why it wasn't released in the US at first. Japan-US relations weren't all that great at the time and the scene where Godzillasaurus kills all the US troops could be a touchy subject. But in my opinion, you have to remember you're watching a Godzilla movie, so if you get offended you're a moron. Besides, millions more Japanese military and innocent people have theoretically died throughout the series so there's no reason to get butt-hurt.

No doubt, one of the biggest factors in this films success is not only the return of Ghidorah, but also his execution. He looks so much better and more fearsome than ever before and is much more active in the battle scenes. Not to mention his original annoying giggle has been replaced with a more intimidating screech/roar. Mecha-King Ghidorah is also very creative and looks good. Another interesting factor, is how Godzilla in some ways is restored to his savior role, especially in the WWII scenes. It's almost a nod to the old Godzilla image by giving it to Godzilla's "original" form. But then we still get to see Godzilla be a badass when he raids Tokyo. When you throw it all together and add in some really entertaining time-travel/flashback scenes, this is an awesome Godzilla movie. I would recommend this to anyone! Definitely a must-see for anyone who has ever liked Godzilla.

Best Part:

I have so many favorite parts of this movie, it's impossible to pick just one. Godzilla's rampage on Tokyo is one of the best of the series and both battles with Ghidorah are absolutely awesome. My personal favorite is the first battle with Ghidorah, especially when Godzilla blows off Ghidorah's head. Probably the biggest display of ass-kicking in the whole series. Throughout the whole movie, the surviving Japanese commander from Lagos talks about Godzilla as his savior and how they have a close relationship. The part when he sees Godzilla again is pretty awesome; you can watch the video below. There are plenty of great one liners and funny parts too. Proly the best little joke is when two US officers see the UFO time-machine in the sky. Check it out below too, along with some other funny parts.

My Ranking: #3


Up next, yet another one of Godzilla's most famous and popular foes returns with an update and a twist... "Godzilla vs Mothra: The Battle for Earth" 

Godzillapalooza #17: Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

"Godzilla vs. Biollante" (1989)

Monster Profile:

BIOLLANTE

-HEIGHT: 394 feet
-MASS: 220,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Besides being covered in thorns and having a fearsome, crocodilian mouth, Biollante also has multiple tentacle-like vines with Venus fly traps on the ends. Biollante can also spray a sort of acidic, radioactive sap from its mouth.
-BACKGROUND: Biollante is the result of a science project gone wrong. A geneticist, named Dr. Shiragami, combined the DNA of his dead daughter, her favorite rose, and Godzilla in order to ensure the eternal life of his beloved child. You can guess how that turned out. Biollante goes through two forms, including the fanged monster that fights Godzilla and eventually dissolves into millions of spores.
-BATTLE RECORD: 0-1-1

Synopsis:

The film begins following Godzilla's 1984 attack on Japan. A biological team recovering Godzilla's cells and tissue from the wreckage is attacked by a group of mercenaries (from an evil cmpany called Biomajor) who are then attacked by a lone secret agent (who looks mysteriously like one of the gang leaders from the "Beat It" music video) from a Middle Eastern country who takes the cells. Long story short, the cells are eventually given to Dr. Shiragami by a Middle Eastern government in the hope that he can engineer a grain plant that can grow in the dessert. But the plans fall through and Shiragami's beloved daughter gets killed. 5 years pass and Shiragami grafts some of his daughter's DNA to a rosebush so that her soul can live on in the plant. When psychics warn that Godzilla will soon arise from the volcano he is incased in, the Japanese government enlists Shiragami to help create an anti-nuclear bio weapon to defend against Godzilla. He agrees so that he can have access to Godzilla cells, which he can combine with his daughter's dying rose bush to make sure it lives forever (because Godzilla's cells are self-regenerative, hence his basic invincibility). Complicated, I know. Well, as you might guess, involving G-cells creates a monster, which actually defends Shiragami's lab from the Biomajor employees and the lone gunman we met earlier (actually named SSS9) who break in trying to steal G-cells. The plant continues to grow until it becomes a monstrously sized rose thing in the middle of Lake Ashino.  Since Biomajor still hasn't gotten their hands on any G-cells, they threaten to blow up the volcano holding Godzilla captive, thus releasing him from his prison, if no one gives them any cells. But then good ole' SSS9 disrupts the trade and the volcano blows up anyway, releasing Godzilla. After a short rampage, Godzilla is attracted to Biollante. He torches the towering rose and then leaves. But later in Osaka, Biollante's pollen falls and creates the fearsome, fanged stage of the monster. Godzilla is defeated by a combination of Biollante and anti-nuclear bacteria that the military infects him with. SSS9 shows up one more time to try and kill Shiragami and take the cells for his country, but he gets killed. Godzilla retreats and Biollante dissolves into pollen that floats into space, freeing Shiragami's daughter's soul.

Biollante is a very unique and interesting foe, making this a very entertaining Godzilla movie combined with some good special effects and great Godzilla scenes. The whole topic of cells and cell division is also new and interesting. The plot for this movie and idea for Biollante were actually the result of a sweepstakes and thus were written by a random fan. This is the first G-movie featuring a heavy influence of characters with ESP. One psychic character in particular appears in every movie in the 90's, in addition to this one, and is played by Megumi Odaka. This movie also receives big points from me for including pieces of Ifukube's original score as well as some new numbers, including an updated and VERY 80's sounding version of the original "Godzilla March".

The Godzilla suit looks absolutely awesome and is a fan favorite design. As a result, the suit barely changes throughout the next four movies. Close-ups and animatronics of the face are also top-notch. The tail is also longer and more whip-like which is a nice feature. Thanks to modern technology, this is the first movie were the special effects really start to get good. It's a great Godzilla movie, and while I can't say it's one of my favorites, I definitely enjoy watching it. It's almost poetic in its delivery and in so many ways is very different than any other movie in the series. Heck, there's even some good action scenes involving the people. I would certainly recommend it to any Godzilla fan.

Best Part:

I have a few favorite parts. First, I totally love Godzilla's first appearance out of the volcano. He just walks out slowly in front of an innumerable amount of explosions set to Ifukube's classic score. Simply awesome. I also really love the tidbit right after Godzilla gets tagged with the anti-nuclear bacteria. One of the gunmen is feeling all good about himself and Godzilla walks up to his window looking pissed. Then when the gunman makes sum snide comment, Godzilla knocks the whole building down. Finally, of course I love the final battle. It starts out very serenely, with everyone (including Godzilla) watching Biollante's spores fall slowly from the sky. Then the monster appears and the ass-kicking begins. Biollante shows off its full arsenal and Godzilla fights hard until he is too weakened. Overall, it's a pretty sweet and unique fight.

My Ranking: #18


Up next, the series revisits Godzilla's most classic and famous foe with a bit of a twist. It's one of my all-time favorites of the series... "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah"

Godzillapalooza #16: Godzilla 1985 (1984)

Godzilla 1985 (1984)

Monster Profile:

GODZILLA (HEISEI SERIES)

-HEIGHT: For the first two films of the Heisei series, Godzilla is 262 feet tall. For the remainder of this era his size is increased to 328 feet, due to a plot twist in "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah."
-MASS: 55,000 tons in the first two films, 66,000 tons for the rest of Heisei.
-SPECIAL POWERS: Godzilla's powers remain the same in the Heisei era. Super regenerative healing power and a thermonuclear atomic ray. Godzilla also has a nuclear pulse in this era, meaning he can emit atomic energy from his body which is in some ways similar to a force field.
-BACKGROUND: The Godzilla of the Heisei series has two different backgrounds. "Godzilla 1985" is supposed to be a direct sequel to the original Godzilla movie, thus this Godzilla is simply the second of his kind and slightly larger than the first. This is the same Godzilla in "Godzilla vs. Biollante". However, the Godzilla for the rest of Heisei is created as a result of time travelers from the future moving the Godzillasaurus (1954's Godzilla before he was mutated) to a different location and inadvertently created a stronger and bigger Godzilla. I'll explain this in more detail later. When in doubt, I think it's always fun to feign ignorance and pretend that it's the same Godzilla in every film, continuing his many adventures.
-BATTLE RECORD: 7-5-4

Synopsis:
A shipwreck is found in which only one crew member survived. The rest of the sailors were killed by Godzilla and his... sea lice... eww. Anyway, with the Cold War being in full swing, everyone blames the Russians, but only the Japanese really know what's up. Cold War tensions get even worse when Godzilla destroys a Russian sub. Since everybody's freaking out, the Japanese tell the world that Godzilla is to blame. Steve Martin, who survived Godzilla's first attack on Tokyo, is summoned to the Pentagon to advise the US military. Godzilla comes to Tokyo and is met by the Japanese military and their new weapon, the Super X, which is a sort of flying tank that kind of looks like a minivan. The Super X actually knocks out Godzilla with cadmium missiles, but the fight's not over. The Russians launch a missile to destroy Godzilla, which is misconstrued as Cold War aggression, oh geez. Americans intercept the missile and destroy it, but the radiation over Tokyo revives Godzilla. Silly Russians and their flagrant use of nuclear energy. So Godzilla destroys the Super X, but a bright scientist manages to lure Godzilla to a volcano with the sound of birds and trap Godzilla inside. So Godzilla's raid is over for now, but he is not gone forever.

I have mixed emotions about this film. For the 30th anniversary of the original film, a big to-do was made that another movie would join the sereis, echoing the tone of the first film. In fact, Akihiko Hirata, who played Dr. Serizawa in 1954, even announced the film at a press conference wearing his character's trademark eyepatch. While the film is met to mirror the original, I fell in some ways it succeeds and in others it falls short. This movie pays homage to the first film in many ways that would be clear to any Godzilla fan, which is great. However, the Cold War theme is so irritating to me and drags the film down.

Ifukube was not available to do the score, but Reijiro Koroku actually does a fairly good job in his place. The special effects, however, are somewhat lacking in my opinion and the Godzilla suit and puppet don't look very good at all in most shots. Most scenes in which the army battles Godzilla do look pretty good though. Godzilla's shift from savior of the earth back to bad guy is nicely done and I especially like how the film emphasizes that he is a force of nature and not necessarily a vengeful creature. Including Raymond Burr as Steve Martin, or Mr. Martin in this film, was also a great touch for the American version of the film. It's not one of the best Godzilla movies, but it's not one of the worst either. A must-see for true G-fans, but missable otherwise. Unless you just love watching world leaders sitting in underground lairs, staring at maps, and sweating over Cold War tension.

Best Part: 

The scene in which Godzilla comes ashore to start his true attack on Tokyo is a pretty good one. The army is ready for him, but can't make much of a dent as he just slowly wades up to the shore. This is when a lot of tributes are paid to the first movie as well, like when Godzilla picks up a train and throws it down again and when he walks through power lines. I also love all of the scenes with Raymond Burr, playing the wise old Godzilla veteran. It seems like he's always got something really profound to say to the US military commanders who have no clue what's going on. He also gives a nice little epilogue at the movie's end about mankind trying to control nature. It's no where near as good of an ending as the '54 movie, but it's still pretty great. Here's Mr. Martin's monologue after Godzilla falls into the volcano to end the movie. Check it out.

My Ranking: #21


Up next, Godzilla gets back to fighting other monsters. This one just so happens to be reminiscent of "Little Shop of Horrors"... "Godzilla vs. Biollante"

Godzillapalooza #15: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Monster Profile:

TITANOSAURUS

-HEIGHT: 197 feet
-MASS: 33,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Titanosaurus is essentially an aquatic dinosaur that can fight like a boxer. Besides physical weapons, he can also create cyclones and extremely strong winds by waving his fish-like tail.
-BACKGROUND: Titanosaurus is by nature a shy and gentle creature that escaped extinction by isolating itself deep in the ocean. However, when controlled by his vengeful discoverer, Dr. Mafune, Titanosaurus takes on the personality of the scientist. Under Dr. Mafune's control, Titanosaurus was allied with Mechagodzilla and the Simeons and was ultimately defeated by the combined might of Godzilla and the Japanese military.
-BATTLE RECORD: 1-1-1

OTHER MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• MECHAGODZILLA 1 (see movie #14)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

A research submarine looking for the scattered remains of Mechagodzilla is attacked and destroyed by a strange monster, Titanosaurus. Whenever a small naval craft is destroyed without warning, you know the shit's about to hit the fan. Titanosaurus is under the control of his discoverer: a mad scientist named Dr. Mafune who is bitter for being shunned by society because he claimed to have found this dinosaur years ago. Like any rational person, Dr. Mafune decides the best way to get back at the world is to not only take control of this dinosaur, but also ally himself with the Simeons, who have rebounded for a second invasion attempt, and help them to rebuild Mechagodzilla. To cut a long story short, Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus are set loose on Tokyo, but Godzilla shows up to stop them. Godzilla is almost defeated, but alien control over Mechagodzilla is severed. Titanosaurus is immobilized by a sonar weapon and Godzilla proves victorious over two powerful monsters, saving the world yet again. 

With a much grittier and darker look than the first Mechagodzilla movie and the return of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube, this movie was the perfect ending to the Showa series and an extremely good Godzilla movie overall. The opening credits are awesome by themselves, showing highlights of the final battle from "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" with Ifukube's chilling score in the background. As you're watching you just think, "Oh snap, time for the rematch!" Every time Ifukube and his original score are involved in a Godzilla movie it ups the quality of the film so much it's incredible. In true Honda style, this movie is full of drama and plot twists, mostly revolving around Dr. Mafune's beloved daughter. 

This movie contains some of the best footage of city destruction of the entire Showa series. There are plenty of explosions and good special effects. Continuing with the last movie's theme, Godzilla is a savior of the earth, but a badass one. He is treated with awe rather than a little boy yelling: "Hooray Godzilla!" This is an awesome entry in the series and just barely misses my top 10. A fitting end to the Showa series and there's still a lot more to come. Definitely a must see for any Godzilla fan! Seeing the first Mechagodzilla movie isn't entirely necessary to watch this one, but it adds to the story a lot. See it, you'll love it!

Best Part:

As I mentioned above, the opening credits are an outstanding addition to this film. That being said, I absolutely love the part in which Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus destroy Tokyo together. The slow destruction and big explosions coupled with Ifukube's masterful score is Godzilla-perfection. This scene goes directly into my favorite battle of the movie, which Godzilla actually loses, but it's a great and creative fight. Having said all this though, my favorite part of the whole movie has got to be Godzilla's first appearance. Titanosaurus is alone attacking Tokyo and the big guy shows up to straighten him out. Again I'm mentioning the score, but it creates a masterpiece of mood as you look at the smoking city and the silhouette of the King of the Monsters appears. Check it out.

My Ranking: #13

Up next, the Heisei series kicks off and Godzilla is restored as Tokyo's nemesis... "Godzilla 1985"

Godzillapalooza #14: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Monster Profiles:

MECHAGODZILLA 1 (SHOWA SERIES) 

-HEIGHT: 164 feet
-MASS: 44,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: You want special powers? I'll show you some special powers! The first, and might I add alien controlled, version of Mechagodzilla sports a vast array of weapons: an oral flamethrower (to mimic Godzilla's trademark breath), laser beams from the eyes, a close-range beam from the chest, and rockets from fingers, toes, knees, and throat. For defense, Mechagodzilla employs its "space titanium" armor and a projectable force field. And oh by the way, Mechagodzilla can also fly using rockets from its feet. It is literally armed to the teeth and Godzilla's most dangerous foe up to this point.
-BACKGROUND: The first (Showa) Mechagodzilla was created by the Simeon aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole, really creative name for a planet. Mechagodzilla's purpose was for what else, but world domination. The Simeons at first disguised Mecha-G as the King of the Monsters himself, but the real Godzilla quickly showed up and revealed its true identity. An extremely powerful weapon, Mechagodzilla 1 was destroyed in two consecutive Earth invasion attempts, but would have succeeded had it not been for Godzilla.
-BATTLE RECORD: 2-2-1

KING CAESAR


-HEIGHT: 164 feet (328 feet in Millennium)
-MASS: 33,000 tons (55,000 tons in Millennium)
-SPECIAL POWERS: Think of King Caesar as a Japanese lion that also knows karate. He can also reflect energy beams from his eyes.
-BACKGROUND: King Caesar is an ancient, mythological lion god who is the protector of the Azumi royal family in Okinawa. He sleeps in a mountain by a sacred temple in Okinawa and can be awakened in times of extreme crisis through a very elaborate process. If you reflect the rising sun's rays from the eyes of an ancient statue onto the cliffside of his mountain and then you sing his theme song dramatically, he'll wake up and help you out for your trouble.
-BATTLE RECORD: 1-1

OTHER MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• ANGUIRUS (see movie #2)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

In Okinawa, a descendant of the Azumi royal family has a prophetic vision that monsters are going to soon show up and destroy the world. It's not long before she is proven right, as Godzilla shows up and in a really bad mood and with a screwed up roar. Things get stranger when he finds Anguirus and beats the crap out of him, ripping his jaw open reminiscent of King Kong in his battle with the T-Rex. What's up with Godzilla, why's he beating up his friends? Then the real Godzilla shows up and in a sweet night battle in an oil refinery, Godzilla burns off the imposter's disguise to reveal Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla is one ass-kicking machine and is being controlled by some ape-like aliens trying to take over the world. Godzilla is forced to retreat from this battle and Mechagodzilla goes back to base for repairs. Throughout all the chaos there is a small group of humans aware of the invasion and trying to keep an ancient statue safe that is the key to awaking King Caesar who can help protect the planet. Just before Mechagodzilla shows up, they complete the ritual, the prophetess sings King Caesar's dramatic, 4 minute theme song and Caesar wakes up with an explosion. He proves to be a lackluster savior though, as Mechagodzilla kicks his butt. But then Godzilla shows up, more powerful having been struck by lightning. An epic battle ensues and Godzilla and King Caesar prove victorious when Godzilla rips off Mechagodzilla's head. The Simeons retreat for now and the world is once again saved.

This film marked the 20th anniversary of the original Godzilla movie and Toho cut the crap and really did things right. They created arguably Godzilla's coolest enemy and and although they recycled the alien invasion theme, they added some cool new twists. The movie is full of action and the plot moves quickly. There are enough explosions in this movie to satisfy any pyro-junkie and there are plenty of monster battles (they're all awesome).

It's also a nice touch to have Mechagodzilla in the Godzilla disguise at first, that way we still see Godzilla's destructive power while preserving the real Godzilla's good guy image. Might I also add, that Godzilla saves the earth like a boss in this movie, not like in the last few crappy films of the series. Godzilla's just a total badass. He's especially awesome when he bleeds in this one. Overall this movie is such a vast improvement and breath of fresh air after the last 4 entries to the series. It's such a cut above on all levels from the other G-movies of the 70's. The special effects are awesome and as I said before, the battles are so great. This is definitely the best of the Jon Fukuda directed G-movies. If you like Godzilla at all, you simply have to see this one.    

Best Part:

Since I usually at least mention moments of comic relief in this section, I have to touch on the old grandfather character of the Azumi family (pictured right). The dude's just so goofy and dramatic; you've got to see it for yourself and I'm sure you'll get a good chuckle. In all honesty though, I would list all of the monster battles as the best part. Mechagodzilla's reveal battle in the fiery oil refinery is awesome. It really doesn't get any better than the final battle scene though. We see Mechagodzilla's


My Ranking: #6


Up next, it doesn't take long for Mechagodzilla and the Simeons to launch a counter attack... "Terror of Mechagodzilla"

Godzillapalooza #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Monster Profiles:

MEGALON

-HEIGHT: 180 feet
-MASS: 44,000 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Megalon has a wealth of special powers. Besides its drill hands, which can be used for burrowing at extreme speeds, Megalon also can fly at Mach 3 and leap great distances. It emits lightning from its horn and can fire napalm bombs from its mouth.
-BACKGROUND: Megalon is the ancient protector and Deity of the undersea kingdom of Seatopia. Strange that a beetle-like monster would have anything to do with the ocean, I know, but that about sums up Megalon. It's odd to me that this movie is Megalon's only appearance in the series though, because he is a very unique and cool monster.
-BATTLE RECORD: 1-1

JET JAGUAR


-HEIGHT: 164 feet (when it grows to monster size)
-MASS: 27,500 tons
-SPECIAL POWERS: Jet Jaguar fights like a ninja robot, employing various karate moves. He can also fly at Mach 3.5 and communicate with monsters.
-BACKGROUND: Jet Jaguar was one of the many inventions of one of the main characters of this movie, Goro Ibuki. It was not specifically designed to be a fighting robot, but its self-programming function allowed it to grow to monster size in order to defend the earth from destruction. By the way, if you want a great laugh, check out the Jet Jaguar song below from the end of this movie.
-BATTLE RECORD: 1-1

OTHER MONSTERS APPEARING IN THIS FILM:

• GIGAN (see movie #12)
• GODZILLA

Synopsis:

"Godzilla vs. Megalon" centers around an undersea kingdom called Seatopia that gets really pissed off by all of the under-ground nuclear tests being done by the above-ground people, so they send their god, Megalon, to throw a fit and destroy earth. How nice of them, considering nobody on the surface even knew their civilization existed. The movie's protagonists are an Inventor named Goro, his friend Hiroshi, and his little brother Rokuro. Goro's prize invention is a humanoid robot named Jet Jaguar. The Seatopians decide it would be a great idea to hijack Jet Jaguar and use him as Megalon's guide to destroy Tokyo. The plan works at first until Goro regains control of his invention and tells him to go get Godzilla for help. At this point, Jet Jaguar's self programming takes over. It warns Godzilla, who begins swimming for Tokyo, and promptly flies back to fight Megalon. Realizing that their plans have gone south, the Seatopians call on their buddies from the Spacehunter M Nebula who let them borrow Gigan to help. Megalon and Gigan give Jet Jaguar a beat-down, but Godzilla shows up just in time, trotting up to the fight like a boxer about to enter the ring. This typifies Godzilla's fighting style in this movie, as has acts more like a street fighter than Godzilla for most of the battle. Godzilla and Jet Jaguar together easily dispatch Gigan and Megalon, who beat a hasty retreat and Godzilla and Jet Jaguar return to their peaceful lives.

I have very few gripes about this movie. Overall it's a very fun and unique addition to the series. The use of stock footage is still present, but nowhere near as bad as in "Godzilla vs. Gigan", and is easy to get over. The incredibly awful music of Riichiro Manabe (last heard in "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) returns, but it's much more brief and bearable. However, on the positive side, this is the first movie featuring one of my favorite Godzilla suits of the Showa series, so that's a plus. Jet Jaguar is extremely goofy and gets his ass kicked by himself, but the monster battles are so entertaining in this movie, albeit occasionally ridiculous.

This movie is very campy and silly, but I absolutely love it. This is the Godzilla of my childhood, so it makes it into my top 20 of the series. I've always viewed this movie as a benchmark in the series because, in my opinion, it marks the end of the string of Godzilla movies that were just incredibly bad. And after this movie came one of the best Godzilla movies of all time, when he fought MechaGodzilla for the first time. I'd definitely recommend this movie to anyone remotely interested in Godzilla or campy monster movies. It's so dang entertaining and funny. A must see! Just don't take it too seriously.

Best Part:

All of my favorite parts of this movie are centered around the monster battles, as it should be. There are so many great moments. The first time Jet Jaguar runs up to fight Megalon, Megalon gives him this look like "WTF are you supposed to be?" Subtle, but so funny, since Jet Jaguar is so random to begin with. Godzilla fights more like Muhammad Ali than himself, but it's very entertaining. Another part I love is when Jet Jaguar throws Gigan in the air and Godzilla nails him with his atomic breath. But the very best part has to be the ultimate in campy Godzilla moments. You just have to watch this inexplicable clip below. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... the dropkick!

My Ranking: #17


Up next, you ain't never seen seen an alien invasion like this one! It's one of Godzilla's most famous foes and the 6th best movie on my list... "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla"