Today’s quick review: Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle. After the destruction of his attack force by Godzilla, Captain Haruo Sakaki (Mamoru Miyano) must rally the few survivors and come up with another plan to kill the invincible monster. Guided by a tribe of post-humans who have adapted to survive on Godzilla’s Earth, Haruo and the survivors seek out the facility that created Mechagodzilla, humanity’s last attempt to stop the beast.
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle is a Japanese animated sci-fi movie that picks up immediately after the events of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters. Set twenty thousand years in the future, the movie chronicles the attempts of the last survivors of humanity to reclaim the Earth from Godzilla. Decent action and far-flung science fiction give the movie some appeal, but its weak characters and abstruse plot make it a dry watch.
Like Planet of the Monsters, City on the Edge of Battle is clearly part of a trilogy. The film is a direct sequel with an open-ended finale, making the previous film required viewing. With that in mind, City on the Edge of Battle is a fitting continuation of the story. The plot concerns Haruo’s efforts to weaponize a bizarre, adaptive substance against Godzilla in the face of growing doubts among his soldiers about whether to risk using it.
Also like its predecessor, City on the Edge of the Battle holds mixed appeal as a sci-fi movie. On the one hand, it offers a suitably alien glimpse of the future, a world overrun by dangerous lifeforms where humanity’s only chance is heavy weaponry and careful planning. On the other hand, it lacks the spark needed to make its story compelling. The conflict is impersonal, the characters are forgettable, and Godzilla is merely a big target.
Watch Godzilla: City on the Edge of the Battle if you enjoyed Planet of the Monsters and are interested in seeing more of the same. The series’ remote setting, tactics-oriented plot, and stiff CGI will be enough to turn off a large portion of its intended audience. The series is worth a shot for those interested in its unusual blend of far-future speculation, explosion-heavy action, and cerebral arguments on the nature of humanity.
For a somewhat more entertaining CGI anime movie, try Expelled from Paradise or Vexille. For a more imaginative sci-fi movie from the same creators, try Blame!. For a more grounded take on Godzilla, try Gozilla: King of the Monsters and the remake of Godzilla preceding it.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for dry sci-fi with some interesting ideas and middling action.