Godzilla vs. Gigan, or Godzilla on Monster Island, has to be one of my favorite Showa entries. It could be the odd humor put in this film, it could be the good ol� tooth and claw style battles, or it could be the fact that Gigan and Angilas (two of my favorite Kaiju) are in the same film. Whatever the reason, this movie is pretty much the definition of B-Movie fun.
Godzilla movies have a certain charm about them, a charm that appeals much more to one enthusiast than the other. There are even some (like myself) who bite their tongue when calling a Godzilla movie a B-Movie. To a true fan, they really aren�t. It�s all about your own individual perception of the genre. I have never interpreted the majority of these movies as cheesy, but rather as a fun and inventive way to get across a political message (Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Gigan) or just to have some old fashion Sci-Fi fun (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs. Megalon). Either way, this movie is a stand out in the series.
Some unusual things to the Godzilla genre are present in this film. Some of the more obvious ones being the overly campy humor (the best kind!), or the more serious sight of Kaiju blood. Other standout factors in this movie aren�t so new, like the concept of Alien Invaders (not to mention they are controlling Ghidorah AGAIN!). But the one thing about Toho is, even if they reuse a blatantly obvious plot device, they still manage to put originality in it, and make it fun. Were the Aliens wearing cycloptic visors and skintight black spandex? No, they sure weren�t! These humanoid cockroaches were wearing loose, bright Orange button-ups. Not to mention�They were cockroaches.
If you can�t tell by now, this movie is original and entertaining. Everything from the 4-way Kaiju battles, to the corncob mistaken for a gun, just reeks of entertainment! Having said that, I have fallen asleep during this movie before. Probably because I have seen it so many times, but anyway�It is definitely an average (or slightly above) Showa film. The effects aren�t too dandy. Something that becomes too painingly obvious in scenes like Ghidorah and Gigan�s flying entrance�Either way, Godzilla fans aren�t in it for the special effects, or their probably wouldn�t be any Godzilla fans�precisely another reason why you just know, the very instant you watch this movie, if you are a Godzilla fan or not.
This movie is good, but not the best... Most definitely an entertaining little venture. I recommend seeing it, but of course if you�re at this site, you have probably seen it before� |
