Director: Jun Fukuda
Year: 1972
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Chikyû kôgeki meirei Gojira tai Gaigan; Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan; Godzilla on Monster Island; Godzilla: War of the Monsters
Genre: Kaiju
Plot:
Trying to gain employment, a struggling artist accepts a job at the newly-constructed Children's Land amusement park, dedicated to the world's monsters. As he spends more time there, he begins to grow suspicious of the mysterious owners, and meeting up with the distraught sister of a missing coworker doesn't quell his curiosity. Claiming that her brother is held captive inside and providing a weird tape she snatched as proof, they launch a private investigation into the company but are soon captured. Revealing themselves as aliens intent on world domination, they summon Gigan and King Ghidorah to attack Tokyo. The stolen tape is revealed to have summoned Godzilla and Anguirus from Monster Island, and the two race to Japan to save it from being destroyed by the space monsters.
Review:
One of the most fun entries in the series, this has a lot to really like about it. One of the better elements of this one iss a strong setup that puts a familiar if still worthwhile take on the alien invasion effort. While the central idea of using aliens controlling monsters to take over the world is a familiar one, there’s a lot to like with how thisone goes for a mystery build-uup to the actual reveal. As the initial failure in the job search leads to him getting the job at the site which is what leads him into the mystery surrounding the owners after meeting the strange woman and her friends, that starts the film off on a fun journey looking into the history of everything. From the group taking the secret tape which is later revealed as the calling card for the monsters, the discovery of the secret identity of the owners behind the park, the eventual discovery about the invaders, and how it all ties together with them bringing the monsters into the equation all provides the solid enough framework for the monster action.
That leads into the fun of the final half where this one works far more on getting a lot of fun with the monsters. All the monsters here look good with the three returning monsters looking enjoyable enough. Anguirus is the same as last time, and he was impressive there and remains so here. Godzilla looks good, with slightly more serious eyes but still like himself. King Ghidorah looks a little smaller, but the movement of the necks on the ground makes this a winner. Gigan is the most impressive one here, with hooked claws, bird-like beak and mandibles, a series of fans on his back, and a buzzsaw in his chest that is used to effectively damage others throughout the film. The special effects aren’t that bad, with Gigan and Ghidorah smashing a well-detailed set of Tokyo in an extended sequence and a battle with armed forces in a forest is a great site while the scenes involving the military also confronting Anguirus give this some fun scenes bringing everything together.
The last half hour of this film is an unabashed free-for-all, containing some of the best action in the entire series. It mostly consists of the monster battling with Godzilla and Anguirus appearing and squaring off against Gigan and King Ghidorah inside a blazing chemical plant as fire, smoke, and explosions dominate the screen with the monsters fighting in the background. It’s one of the most impressive scenes around, and the choreography of the monsters amidst this is a major achievement going from the city to the remote countryside location for the park, continuing in it, and finally culminating in a long and quite spectacular series of events that is breathtaking to see. The Godzilla Tower is also one of the most impressive aspects, being a clever addition to the norm and posing a serious threat to the proceedings, the mini-battles between the four contestants are exciting breaking up the monotony, and there are some great tactics used, making for a generally fun film at times.
There isn’t that much wrong with this one. One of the big mistakes is that the beginning is on the boring side being almost half-over before we find out what’s going on, and while it is nice to keep suspense in the air it also leaves a lot to be desired. The alien invasion theme is by now starting to wear out its welcome, as once again aliens use monsters to pave over mankind to install a new civilization. It’s a little tiring, and while there is a valid excuse given here in general this is a well-worn path. It’s almost all acceptable, though, had the most embarrassing trait of the series not being here, as several times during the fight, Godzilla and Anguirus converse with each other in distorted English. Starting with a screeching chill, followed by the voice, it’s an incredibly shocking state of affairs and doesn’t do much beyond providing hysterical laughing fits. The reused footage isn’t that bad and adds to the action, but hardly anything is more comical than the sight of the monsters talking with each other. Overall, taking the one grief into context, this is still an entertaining entry.
Overview: ***.5/5
While there are some problems with it, it’s one of the most entertaining and fun entries in the genre. It’s kiddie-ish and serious in the right amounts and manages to fit them together quite nicely unlike before, leaving this a solid entry that is enjoyable for most and is at least worthy of a viewing for fans of the genre as only those turned off by the style should heed caution.
Comments
Post a Comment