​Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)/(2019)

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (GODZILLA 星を喰う者 Gojira: Hoshi o Kuu Mono, also known as Godzilla Part 3: The Planet Eater) is a 2018 Japanese computer-animated science fiction kaiju film featuring Godzilla, produced by Toho Animation and animated by Polygon Pictures, in association with Netflix. It is the 34th film in the Godzilla franchise, the 32nd Godzilla film produced by Toho, and the third and final entry in the anime trilogy. It is a sequel to Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and is co-directed by Kōbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita. The film was released theatrically in Japan on November 9, 2018, and released worldwide on Netflix on January 9, 2019.

Plot
Following the destruction of Mechagodzilla City, the remaining Bilusaludo on the Aratrum demand justice for Haruo destroying what they saw as necessary to defeat Godzilla. But the humans disagree, believing Haruo exposed the Bilusaludos' true intentions of assimilating Earth. The Bilusaludos revolt and shut down the Aratrum's engine room, forcing the ship to run on secondary batteries for the next two days. On Earth, Haruo learns from Dr. Martin that Yuko is rendered brain-dead with the Nanometal in her body keeping her alive. He also learned that those treated by the Houtua survived the nanometal's attempt to absorb them, with Methphies deceiving the survivors into believing their survival was divine intervention. Dr. Martin advises Haruo to hide until tensions ease.

When confronted by Haruo over him converting the remaining humans, Methphies reveals his plan to bring the Exifs' god to Earth and needs Haruo's help to make it possible. 

​Haruo is taken to a remote area by Miana, explaining her people have no concept of hatred and that their concept of life revolves around "winning" (surviving and making life) or "losing" (dying and disappearing). She tells Haruo that he is "losing", and offers to sleep with him before he turns her down in her attempt to undress him. While Haruo assumed Miana was the one who treated his wounds, he learns it was actually her twin sister Maina and ends up sleeping with her. Meanwhile, Miana discovers Metphies telepathically communicating with Endurph, the Exif briefly reveals his plans before capturing her as she telepathically contacts Haruo and Maina.

​Metphies later conducts a ritual with his followers in conjunction with Endurph to summon their god, Ghidorah, to defeat Godzilla. Ghidorah manifests as a shadow on Earth and partially through singularities, devouring Metphies's followers and destroying the Aratrum. Ghidorah then proceeds to attack Godzilla, who is helpless against the intangible monster as its heads bite Godzilla and drain his energy. Dr. Martin concludes that Ghidorah's true form exists in another plane of existence and is being guided by someone in their universe, Haruo finding it to be Metphies who had replaced his right eye with the amulet he repaired with the nanometal. Metphies proceeds to reveal that his people devoted themselves to Ghidorah since learning the absolute truth that their universe is finite and fated to destruction, having worked to offer the monster planets to feed on. Proceeding to telepathically assault Haruo, Metphies explains that the human's hatred towards Godzilla made him an ideal offering and tells Haruo that he must submit himself to Ghidorah as its witness to enable its full manifestation.

Maina and Dr. Martin use the Houtuan god's egg to psychically reach Haruo and reveal how to stop Ghidorah, Haruo learning that Metphies orchestrated the deaths of the Tau Ceti e exploration party so they can be "saved". At the same time, Haruo recalls the charm he lost the day he fled from Earth as a boy. Its image of flowers reminds him of his namesake, meaning "Spring", and the power of hope to overcome despair. Haruo then breaks free and cracks Metphies' amulet, causing Ghidorah to become affected by Earth's physics and be ultimately defeated by Godzilla. Metphies dies telling Haruo that Ghidorah will always be watching him as long as he lives.

Time passes as survivors bury their weapons and integrate into Houtua society, with Maina pregnant with Haruo's child. Dr. Martin tells Haruo that he got the last remaining Vulture mech working, having discovered how to use Mechagodzilla's Nanometal in Yuko's body as a tool to rebuild civilization as it was. Haruo's right eye stings, hearing Metphies's voice that this turn of events would ensure Ghidorah's eventual return to their reality. Taking Yuko with him, telling Miana that there are times when people face a day where they choose to fight a losing battle, Haruo provokes Godzilla into destroying him and all traces of the nanometal for the good of Houtua.

In a post-credits scene, one of the twins watches a group of children conduct a ritual honoring Haruo, placing their prayers under an effigy.

Voice cast
(Characters - Japanese - English)

• Haruo Sakaki - Mamoru Miyano - Chris Niosi
• Metphies - Takahiro Sakurai - Lucien Dodge
• Yuko Tani - Kana Hanazawa - Cristina Vee
• Martin Lazzari - Tomokazu Sugita - Edward Bosco
• Adam Bindewald - Yuki Kaji - Robbie Daymond
• Maina - Reina Ueda - Kendall Gimbi
• Miana - Ari Ozawa - Rachelle Heger
• Eliott Leland - Daisuke Ono - Danny Boston
• Unberto Mori - Kenyu Horiuchi - Keith Silverstein
• Halu-Elu Dolu-do - Kazuya Nakai - Doug Stone
• Endurph - Kazuhiro Yamaji - Joe Ochman
• Haruka Sakaki - Saori Hayami - Laura Post
• Akira Sakaki - Kenichi Suzumura - Danny Boston
• Josh Emerson - - Bill Rogers
• Takeshi J. Hamamoto - - Paul St. Peter
• Mulu-Elu Galu-Gu - - Taylor Henry
• Rilu-Elu Belu-be - - Rich Brown

Production
The English dubbed version was produced by Post Haste Digital.

Music
Takayuki Hattori returned to compose the soundtrack, marking it his fifth Godzilla film score. XAI also returned to perform the film's theme song Live and Die.

Marketing
In May 2018, a teaser poster revealed the film's title, release date, and potential appearance of King Ghidorah. In July 2018, the film's first teaser trailer was released. In September 2018, the film's theatrical poster was released. In October 2018, the full trailer was released.

Release
Godzilla: The Planet Eater premiered as the closing film at the Tokyo International Film Festival on November 3, 2018, and was given a theatrical release in Japan on November 9, 2018. The film was released worldwide on Netflix on January 9, 2019.

Trivia

• Metphies carrying the body of Haruo, also seen on the movie's poster, was inspired by Michelangelo's famous Pieta sculpture, depicting the Biblical Mary carrying the dead body of Jesus Christ.
• Full nude character models were designed and published for the Hotua twins, for the intimate scenes one of them shares with the main character Haruo. This also constitutes one of the extremely rare instances in all of the Godzilla movies where a sexual relationship between characters is implied.
• During Haruto's "dream" sequence, the WWII aircraft that was destroyed by Mothra, is the Enola Gey. The B29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945.
• During the final battle, you can see "speckles" flickering on screen. Giving Godzilla the planet eater part 3 (2018) the effect of being filmed with actual film.
• The minimal focus on monster battles was due to Toho Studios specifically asking the film's creators to take the franchise into a new direction, and cater more to female audiences with a human-focused plot. Director Kôbun Shizuno likewise admitted that he never had an interest in Godzilla, and embraced the opportunity to do away with the old traditions of the franchise.
• Ghidorah's full body was revealed through a Bandai plastic figure released alongside the movie. In the film, he never appears in his full form, but his body can be briefly glimpsed in the visions seen by his victims as he kills them.
• Mothra, the giant benevolent moth goddess appears in the film only as a silhouette seen in a vision. Despite being one of Toho's most popular monster characters, this brief appearance was not publicized prior to the film's release.