A new Godzilla causes the JSDF to construct a cyborg countermeasure from the original monster’s remains. The beast’s restless soul is discovered to inhabit the machine as the pilot must learn to find value in her own life.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (ゴジラ×メカゴジラ, Gojira x Mekagojira, released in Japan as Godzilla × Mechagodzilla) is a 2002 Japanese kaiju film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the Godzilla franchise and the fourth film in the franchise’s Millennium period, and is also the 26th Godzilla film produced by Toho. The film features the fictional giant monster character Godzilla, along with an updated version of the mecha character Mechagodzilla, who is referred to in the film as Kiryu. The film stars Yumiko Shaku, Shin Takuma, Kou Takasugi, Yuusuke Tomoi, Kumi Mizuno, and Akira Nakao, with Tsutomu Kitagawa as Godzilla and Hirofumi Ishigaki as Kiryu.
Like the previous films in the franchise’s Millennium era, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a reboot that ignores the events of every installment in the Godzilla film series aside from the original 1954 Godzilla, although Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla also acknowledges the events of both Mothra and The War of the Gargantuas. The film was followed by a direct sequel, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the following year.