Mothra 2: The Battle Under The Deep Sea (1997)/Rebirth Of Mothra II (2000)

​Rebirth of Mothra II (モスラ2 海底の大決戦 Mosura Tsū Kaitei no Daikessen, released in Japan as Mothra 2: The Battle Under the Deep Sea) is a 1997 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film featuring Mothra, produced and distributed by Toho. The film is directed by Kunio Miyoshi and is the second film in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. It was the last tokusatsu film in which Koichi Kawakita served as director of special effects. The film was released in Japan on December 13, 1997.

Plot
Off the coast of Japan, the environment has been ravaged with poisonous starfish-like creatures called Barem. Meanwhile, the Elias sisters, Moll and Lora, survey the destruction and enlist the help of three children, who had just discovered and befriended a strange little creature dubbed "Ghogo" to help find the mysterious treasure of Ninai Kanai, an ancient lost civilization, to save the Earth from the declining environment.

The Elias then tell the children that the people of Ninai Kanai created a monster called Dagahra as a method of pollution management gone wrong and only Mothra Leo can stop it; however, he will need the help of the lost castle of Ninai Kanai itself and the mysterious treasure within. Belvera, the evil Elias sister, manipulates two fishermen and wants the treasure of her own. They all journey to the lost castle, hidden beneath the ocean waters and it magically rises out of the water after the travelers discover it.

​Dagahra, awakened after a sudden increase in pollution levels, then releases a swarm of Barem into the sea, killing many types of sea life. 

Moll and Lora calls Mothra Leo, who nearly succeeded in defeating Dagahra, until the sea monster took the battle underwater where it was in its element. Dagahra incapacitated Leo by covering him with Barem. Leo landed on the newly raised Ninai Kanai temple, but before Dagahra could give the killing blow, the structure activated and defended Leo. With Leo covered in Barem and powerless, Dagahra goes on a destructive rampage.

​Inside the temple, Moll, Lora and the three kids attempt to find the treasure, while Belvera and the two controlled fishermen try to thwart their mission. After stealing some jewels they've found, the fishermen inadvertently unlock a gateway and awaken the Princess of Ninai Kanai. The Princess tells the three Elias sisters that Earth must be protected and saved, that the children are the hope of future generations and reveals that Ghogo is the lost treasure.

Moll and Lora then use Ghogo's energy to revive Mothra Leo and, as a result, turn the hero into Rainbow Mothra. Leo was then able to destroy the Barem covering his body. After taking a severe beating, Dagahra once again retreated into the water, where Rainbow Mothra turned into Aqua Mothra. This time Rainbow Mothra's new form allowed him to overpower the sea monster. He finally finishes his battle with Dagahra by splitting into thousands of miniature Aqua Mothras; entering Dagahra's body and destroying the Barem producing there, and without the Barem, Dagahra self-destructs. Meanwhile, the temple begins to collapse. With the building crumbling over them, Moll and Lora ride onto Fairy to safety, while Belvera releases control of the fishermen, who helps the children escape. The Princess raises Dagahra's body and drops it onto the temple, reducing everything into a wave of water. Aqua Mothra then returns to his single form, and then back into Rainbow Mothra; saving the world once again.

Cast

• Lora as Sayaka Yamaguchi
• Moll as Megumi Kobayashi
• Aki Hano as Belvera
• Shiori Uchiura as Hikari Mitsushima
• Kohei Toguchi as Masaki Otake
• Yoji Miyagi as Shimada Maganao
• Fisherman #1 as Atsushi Okuno
• Fisherman #2 as Hajime Okayama
• Yuna as Nonami Maho

Home media releases
Blu-ray Sony (Toho Godzilla Collection)

• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (1080p) [AVC]
• Soundtrack(s): Japanese and English (DTS-HD 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English, English SDH and French

Extras:

• Theatrical Trailer (1080i, 1:55)
• Teaser 1 (1080i, 0:31)
• Teaser 2 (1080i, 0:39)
• Teaser 3 (1080i, 1:05)
• Notes: Comes with Rebirth of Mothra and Rebirth of Mothra III. This film shares a disc with the third film, while the first has its own.

Sony Pictures - DVD

• Released: February 1, 2000

Production

• Directed by Kunio Miyoshi
• Written by Masumi Suetani, Tomoyuki Tanaka
• Produced by Hiroaki Kitayama, Shogo Tomiyama
• Music by Toshiyuki Watanabe
• Cinematography by Yoshinori Sekiguchi
• Edited by Miho Yone
• Production Design by Tsuyoshi Shimizu
• Assistant Directing by Masaaki Tezuka
• Special Effects by Koichi Kawakita, Kenji Suzuki