Genre:
Science Fiction
Release Date: 09/17/2002
The most unashamedly childish entry in the
Godzilla franchise is basically a vehicle for recycled footage from previous
Toho productions. The framing story involves a precocious little boy (
Tomonori Yakazi) whose real-life traumas include harassment by bullies and kidnapping by a gang of bank robbers. He escapes these dilemmas mainly by taking frequent naps, during which he dreams of journeys to Monster Island to partake in
Godzilla's exploits. He also befriends
Godzilla's son,
Minya, offering him some advice on how to defeat the monsters which have been pushing him around. Apparently the boy draws some kind of inspiration from these dreams and finds the bravery to outwit the kidnappers and make peace with the bullies. There is little worthwhile for
Godzilla fans here, and all others will be completely confounded by the incoherent story. Highlights include the monster
Gabara (who has the head of a cat!) and
Minya's hilariously dubbed voice.
~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide