Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

The seventeenth film is a direct sequel to the previous one, The Return of Godzilla (1984). It begins with a group scouring the wreckage of the city for a plot device, which is promptly put to use in more than one way.
It has the same dark tone but holds the attention in a different manner.
I can't go into detail here, but it's fascinating to me that Godzilla exists because we split the atom, whereas, in contrast, Biolante exists because two things are fused. There's more to the relationship than that. To Biolante, too; the creature is one of the most bizarre the series has ever birthed. It's also one of the most memorable. The final fight between the two giants is quite possibly the best action scene in any of the films so far! It's outstanding.
Oh, and tentacles without CGI? You betcha! That's how it should be done.

3½ alarms triggered out of 5