Much better than the first one. The design is the same, so beautiful, and the bigger godzilla looks better than the first one, well, less weird let's say.

Everything else is greatly improved.

The story, first with the discovery of an humanoid race having survived on the planet. I expect more interactions in the next one, as they seem to have a curious religion. Then with Mechagodzilla that has become a whole city.

The fight plan is better, and the way we follow its execution much more interesting than in the first one. I'm a little doubtful on how Haruo is able to pilot the vulture though. WIth absolutely no training, on a machine that is so over whatever mankind was ever able to produce that its speed and more importantly acceleration look physically impossible. And they also manage coordinated manoeuvrers.

The characters, well, there aren't that many real characters either, but at least there are also the Houtouas and the two Bilusaludos. Still not clear about Yuko, but maybe it's just that she's the only woman on the ship ? The only we see anyway.

And the most interesting part comes in the form of a philosophical conflict between the way the different species think. They seem to have managed cohabitation, but in critical moment, their way of thinking is so different that they can't work together or understand each other or even communicate peacefully. It is part of who they are, and it can't be reasoned with.

Nice final detail in post credits when Metphies reveals that his civilization was destroyed by [spoiler]Ghidorah.[/spoiler]
Is there a link with the Houtouas' religion ? [spoiler]It's about an egg. And Godzilla is the enemy of their god.[/spoiler]