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This review is for the Blu-Ray edition of Godzilla vs. Gigan (also known as Godzilla on Monster Island!) released by Kraken Releasing.
WHERE DOES THIS MOVIE FIT IN THE GODZILLA TIMELINE?: This is the 12th of 15 movies from the 'Showa' Era of Godzilla (1954-1975). After 2020's 'Godzilla vs. Kong', there will be a total of 33 live action and 3 animated Godzilla movies overall. This is the 12th Godzilla overall .All 11 previous movies fit into the same timeline as this movie.
BLU-RAY & EXTRA'S: I was not that impressed with the picture. This picture was not as nice as some of the other releases by Kraken Releasing. There are imperfections, such as speckling, if you look for it. The picture is not always sharp. The colors don't 'pop' as much as they do in some other Toho movies, 'Ebirah, Horror of the Deep', for example. The movie is shown with a widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio. You can watch the movie in Japanese or English. Either way there are English subtitles. You get a trailer as the sole extra.
WHAT MONSTERS ARE IN THIS MOVIE?: There are a total of four that are significant. A few others are briefly shown via stock footage. The feature monsters are Godzilla, Gigan, Anguirus and King Ghidorah.
OTHER THAN GODZILLA, WHAT ARE THE MONSTERS ABILITIES?:
Anguirus: Anguirus' design was initially based on the dinosaur, Ankylosaurus. Other than Godzilla, he appears in more Godzilla movies than any other monster in the Toho universe. Anguirus has been Godzilla's ally in many movies but started out as an opponent. The original Anguirus was killed in the second Godzilla movie, 'Godzilla Raids Again'. Anguirus is more effective as a 'sidekick'. Anatomically, he is a defensive monster but he has 3 main ways to attack his opponent. He has a powerful bite with sharp teeth. A more powerful attack would be when he swings his spiked tail at his opponent. Finally, if given enough time, he can throw himself backward at an opponent using his spiked back. This attack is more effective when another monster is holding his opponent in place. Later versions of Anguirus show him rolling himself into a ball and steamrolling ihis opponent.
Gigan: Gigan is a cyborg. It is part living creature and part machine. Gigan comes from outer space. It has a circular saw that runs down the middle of his entire body. It also has sharp metallic arms that end in a point. Additionally, it has a laser that shoots out of it's eye.
King Ghidorah: If you are a Godzilla fan then you are very familiar with King Ghidorah. You know the routine... 3 heads, 2 tails, 2 legs, 2 wings. King Ghidorah flies and comes from outer space. It shoots powerful lightning bolts from each of it's mouths. King Ghidorah is very large and in many of the Godzilla movies it requires multiple monsters to take it down.
*****WARNING - LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT*****
SYNOPSIS: Gengo is a comic book artist trying to sell his ideas to a publisher. He has created two monsters, Shukra, the homework monster, and Mamagon, the Mother monster. He is failing to impress any publishers. His girlfriend, who wants him to get a construction job, sends him to Children's Land, where a Godzilla tower has been built. Gengo speaks to an executive who likes his ideas and asks him to return the next day. The next day, Gengo returns. On his way into the building, he bumps into a young woman running out of the entrance. She drops a tape which he retrieves. When the executive who hired him asks him where the girl went, Gengo points him in the wrong direction. Gengo enters the building. Inside he sees a map on the wall of Nebula M Space Hunter orbit. He then meets the very young CEO. The CEO mistakes him for a current employee and complains to him about a stolen tape. Gengo leaves and later that evening, Gengo is abducted by Machiko, the girl who dropped the tape, and her hippie boyfriend, Shosaku. Gengo, being the real man that he is, passes out. Once Gengo revives, Machiko tells Gengo that her brother, Takashi, has disappeared and that he has been working for Children's Land. In his notes, he mentions tapes that were the "enemy of peace". Back at Godzilla Tower, a computer alert tells Takashi that somebody is at that very moment playing the missing tape. The tape apparently sends a signal in 'monster language' (Don't say anything!). Godzilla tells Anguirus to go see what's up (Yes, he actually speaks to him). Anguirus goes to Japan but is driven away by the JSDF. Apparently, the JSDF didn't get the memo that Anguirus is a friend.
Back at Godzilla tower, Gengo finds Takashi's lighter, verifying that he is there. Gengo, Machiko and Shosaku have done some research on the chairman of Children's Land. They discover that he has assumed the identity of another person. Gengo gets a cigarette from the Chairman. This enables him to track Gengo to the apartment. The Chairman is an alien and the tapes are being used to call for monsters to come and attack earth. You see, we need to kill everybody so there can be peace! Back at the apartment, the aliens are dispatched by Gengo's Kung Fu girlfriend. Gengo and his girlfriend head to Godzilla tower to rescue Takashi. They get themselves captured. This enables the chairman to give us the "bad guy tells all" speech. The chairman elaborates. He and his fellow aliens come from Nebula Space Hunter. Their planet became polluted and the 'dominant species' died out. Shortly thereafter, the planet died. The less dominant species, themselves, took over the bodies of others and flew to Earth with the intention of taking over the planet.
Godzilla and Anguirus head to Japan. Gigan and King Ghidorah travel through space and arrive at Earth. Once they land, Gigan and King Ghidorah go to town on Japan and the JSDF. Godzilla and Gigan show up to challenge them. Machiko and Shosaku show up at Godzilla tower to rescue Gengo, Takashi and Gengo's girlfriend. They trick the aliens into believing they have all died and help Gengo and his girlfriend escape.
It's time for the battle.
THE BATTLE: Godzilla squares off with King Ghidorah and Anguirus attacks Gigan. Anguirus gets pummeled by Gigan. Gigan slices open Godzilla's shoulder and blood comes spurting out. Godzilla spots the tower made in his image. The tower fires a laser from it's mouth and cuts open Godzilla's face. Godzilla goes down. Anguirus attacks Gigan...
THE BATTLE:(HE WANTED A CLOSE SHAVE): Anguiurus has never been the most intelligent of monsters. He manages to run straight into Gigan's buzz saw and slices open his face. This looks utterly ridiculous and is one of the dumbest things a 'kaiju' has ever done in a Toho movie. It actually looks like he is trying to slice open his face.
King Ghidorah seems to be just hanging around and enjoying the action. Meanwhile, Gengo, with the help of the JSDF, gets some TNT and loads it into the tower elevator. Gengo has cleverly drawn an image of himself and friends and put it in the elevator. Once the elevator door opens, the aliens shoot at the drawing and blow up the tower. The aliens turn back into cockroaches. Apparently their human bodies have died.
THE BATTLE (CONT): Now that the aliens and their tower have been destroyed, they are no longer controlling Gigan and King Ghidorah. Of course, they decide to keep fighting anyway. Godzilla gets up and gets knocked into the tower He seems to be down for the count. It looks as if the King of the Monsters is done for. But the tower blows up and Godzilla comes back to life. Perhaps he was taking a nap? Godzilla attacks Gigan. They each swing at each other. As King Ghidorah takes flight, Anguirus bites into one of it's necks. Anguirus falls to the ground. Godzilla pounds Gigan and then attacks King Ghidorah. Gigan accidentally hits King Ghidorah and the two start arguing. Gigan flies at Godzilla and is struck down. Godzilla blasts Gigan. Gigan flies at Godzilla again and is again struck down. Anguirus battles King Ghidorah. Godzilla grabs King Ghidorah and this allows Anguirus to do his flying backward leap into King Ghidorah multiple times. Godzilla then body slams King Ghidorah twice. King Ghidorah has had enough and heads for outer space. Gigan decides to join him for the trip home.
The Decision: Godzilla and Anguirus by TKO after King Ghidorah and Gigan fail to answer the bell.
The movie ends with the good guys waving good bye and Godzilla and Anguirus heading for Monster Island.
WHAT DO GODZILLA AND ANGUIRUS TALK ABOUT? There are no subtitles on my DVD for this and it is very difficult to make out what they are saying. In the Japanese version, they use word balloons, just like what you see in comic strips. Here is what I was able to make out:
Godzilla: Hey Anguirus...
Anguirus: What?
Godzilla: Something funny is going on. You better check...
Anguiurus: Oh yeah?
Godzilla: Anguirus...
Then later on...
Godzilla: Hey Anguirus, come on!
"There's ??????"
"?????"
That's all I was able to figure out.
PRODUCTION: This movie was released in Japan by Toho in 1972. The American release, titled 'Godzilla on Monster Island', was released in 1977. Even though this movie is the 12th Godzilla movie, it did not receive a theatrical release until after the 13th (Godzilla vs. Megalon) movie had been released.
-The director Jun Fukuda did not like making Godzilla movies, mainly because he was never given the budget he needed to make them the right way.
-This would be the final time, Haruo Nakajima, suited up as Godzilla.
-The models used for King Ghidorah and Gigan when they are flying, are obviously toys. These scenes look extremely 'amateurish'.
-It was decided to use blood for the first time in a Godzilla movie. This probably has a lot to do with the competition. At the time this movie was made, the 'Gamera' series of movies had for years been depicting the flying turtle receiving gruesome injuries. Audiences seemed to enjoy this sort of thing.
-Despite producer Tanaka's supposed displeasure with 'Godzilla vs. Hedorah', he kept the pollution theme for this movie. Yoshimitsu Banno, the director of 'Godzilla vs. Hedorah', had written a sequel to that movie. Pollution of the environment was again the main theme in that script.
-The stock footage from previous Godzilla movies is poorly incorporated into this movie. The problem is that the monster costumes are inconsistent with the stock footage. Therefore, the appearance of the monsters changes from scene to scene.
-At the time this movie was made, the movie industry in Japan was in a major recession. Toho kept the Godzilla franchise alive mainly due to the fact that they sold lots of Godzilla merchandise.
COMMENTS:
WHAT I LIKE:
-The elevator scene was one of the most creative things in the movie. Sure it isn't realistic but I thought it looked good and was a nice touch.
-The musical score is excellent. It's serious and it's unfortunate that such a good score was wasted on a campy movie like this.
-I like the miniature set of Children's Land. I know it isn't that great. I'll take what I can get after all of the stock footage that has been used for the sets in previous and subsequent movies. What's here isn't bad. I think the 'Godzilla tower' is a good idea.
-I liked the bloodletting. This is part of what makes 'Gamera' movies so entertaining and it adds to the entertainment value in this movie.
-I actually liked the tag team approach even if it was juvenile. At this point, I have to say, I have given up on the 'Showa' series as being serious. Toho got the franchise on track with 'Godzilla vs. Hedorah', even if it was unintentional, but then the wheels come off starting with this movie.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
-Machiko couldn't possibly have seen Gengo pick up the tape. She was too busy running away from the bad guys. She was already around the corner when Gengo picked it up. She probably wasn't even aware that she had dropped it. How could she possibly know where to find him? I suppose you can say she followed him if she had seen him get the tape, but it is extremely unlikely that she would have stuck around to see who picked it up even if she knew she dropped it.
-I guess they got started early with the 'strong female protagonist' stuff in Japan. Gengo's girlfriend does the Kung Fu thing. Gengo not only passes out when abducted, but his girlfriend can kick his butt. Talk about 'soy boy'! Alien's that get beat up by a girl. Real terrifying alien's, huh?
-Our heroes are locked in a room at the top of Godzilla tower. These aliens obviously aren't all that bright. They left them a window to climb out of?
-King Ghidorah looks awful at times. He just seems to sit around and do nothing for long stretches. Toho obviously didn't have the personnel to operate him.
-Anguirus shows no signs of damage after his face has been split open.
-A balloon is used to rescue Gengo and company at the top of Godzilla tower. Never mind... I don't feel like explaining...
-Godzilla is revitalized by... well... nothing...
I GUESS NOT EVERYBODY LIKES ANGUIRUS: Anguirus comes ashore and is attacked by the JSDF. Don't they know he is a friend? I know the real answer but I'm trying not to be overly cynical. They had stock footage and they used it. In a way, this is an embarrassment for Anguirus. How many times does the Japanese military win a battle against a monster using conventional weapons? Gigan and King Ghidorah easily dispatch the JDSF later on which adds insult to injury for Anguirus.
THAT CRAZY TOHO STUFF:
A PLANET'S GOT FEELINGS TOO YOU KNOW: The Chairman makes a point that the planet that the aliens came from not only became polluted but died. This is because planet's have life spans!
THEY MISSED SCIENCE CLASS: When Gigan and King Ghidorah are approaching earth, we are told that they are approaching at Mach 4. Uh guys... Mach 4 really isn't that fast. It's only around 2500 miles per hour. If they were travelling at Mach 40 they would only be going as fast as Earth's rockets. Our very own rocket ships, including those that went to the moon 50 years ago travel between 20,000 and 30,000 miles per hour. Being that the closest star is over 3 light years away (For those who don't know, that's 186,000 miles PER SECOND!), at Mach 4, it would take a mere 800,000 years to get there. Of course none of this makes any sense unless these creatures either found a portal through space or were travelling many times the speed of light. None of this is even taking into account that 'Mach' is a measurement of sound and the speed of sound differs depending upon your altitude. When you are in space, sound is a different matter altogether. I don't know anything about sound in space but from what I hear, sound doesn't even travel in space. For the record, I have no science background.
AND THE COCKROACHES SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH... :
-The dominant species died out on the alien's home planet. Yet somehow, the less dominant species were able to not only save themselves but fly to earth. If the less dominant species are that advanced then why wasn't the dominant species able to save themselves? It's not as if war caused this. They clearly state it was due to pollution. Nobody saw this coming? Everybody died of pollution on the same day?
-How exactly do cockroaches take over the bodies of others? For that matter, how do they learn how to fly?
-When the lights go out inside Godzilla tower, the shadows of the aliens are shown to be cockroaches. This is not how it works! If a Toho actor is in a monster suit, his shadow will be that of the monster, not of his normal self!!!
OTHER COMMENTS:
-This movie features a battle in which Godzilla gets into big trouble. This happens from time to time in his movies but not as often as you would think. He was basically down and out in this movie. Godzilla is revived without much of an explanation. I'm guessing that there is an answer somewhere in the original script. Most likely, budgetary restrictions are probably the culprit for no explanation being given.
-The American title, 'Godzilla on Monster Island', is a reach. They stuck in stock footage of a bunch of monsters on Monster Island and that's it as far as Monster Island goes.
-King Ghidorah's paint job is much brighter gold than in previous movies. The suit obviously got a makeover.
CONCLUSIONS: The Blu-Ray picture could be better. This movie was made during the lowest point in the Godzilla franchise's history. The franchise would hit rock bottom with the next installment, 'Godzilla vs. Megalon'. The plot itself wasn't terrible. It was no more zany than many of the other chapters in Godzilla history. The problem wasn't the plot, it was the budget. There is way too much stock footage in this movie and the monsters, when flying, are too obviously toys.
DOES GODZILLA WIN?: Yes he does, along with his teammate Anguirus. Things weren't looking good for the 'King of the Monsters' and he actually went down for the count. It was almost for good but he caught a break and made a comeback.
DID I LIKE THIS MOVIE?: There are some things about it that I like. Overall, I can't say it's a good movie. What really kills it for me are the special effects, stock footage and monster costumes.
WHAT HAPPENS TO GIGAN AFTER THIS MOVIE? DOES HE RETURN IN ANY SEQUELS?: Gigan returns in the very next movie, 'Godzilla vs. Megalon'. it shows up in the 'Millennium' series in 'Godzilla: Final Wars'. Unfortunately, it also shows up in the 'Zone Fighter' series of television shows. Toho has made the 'Zone Fighter' series part of the Godzilla canon, if you will. Gigan is not treated well and suffers humiliating defeats. This is unfortunate. Gigan is a Godzilla 'fan favorite' and it is treated with massive disrespect. It is killed by Zone Fighter in that series after Godzilla had boatloads of trouble with him in two movies. Does this mean Zone Fighter is the real 'King of the Monsters?' It is then dispatched in another humiliating way in 'Godzilla: Final Wars' (twice actually, but who's counting?). Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as the ultimate indignity that Ebirah suffers in that very same movie. It actually loses a fight to people!
RATINGS:
The Plot: 5/10
Special Effects: 2/10
Monster Action or The Fight: 8/10
Godzilla Suit: 4/10
Overall: I'm giving this release 2 1/2 stars which I'm rounding up to 3 stars. I think that's fair.
NOT SO FAST: In the sequel that was the prequel in the United States, 'Godzilla vs. Megalon', the Seatopians 'borrow' Gigan from Nebula Space Hunter. How can this be, if the planet from which it comes was declared dead in the previous movie?
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2014
Hippies, hotties, manga artists, buzzsaw belly cyborgs & sneaky space roaches. It's wall-to-wall Godzilla weirdness!!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2017Top reviews from other countries
Darth Maciek
A good old Godzilla movie, with a very tough battle against King Ghidorah and Gigan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2007
Andrea Franco
Great quality and REGION FREE
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2014Mr. T. A. Elliott
This is not an official product and I would not recommend buying it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2017
