In a bid to conquer Earth, an apelike race of aliens have constructed a giant mecha disguised as Godzilla. When the plot is discovered, the king of the monsters struggles to defeat his robotic look-alike, and humanity’s only hope lies in the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. Arise, King Caesar!

Directing five Shōwa-era entries, Jun Fukuda brought a distinct sensibility to the Godzilla franchise. From its resplendent widescreen compositions to its action-forward approach to pacing, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla exemplifies the up-tempo buoyancy of this overlooked filmmaker’s peppy style.