TALKBACK #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan

[lhb412]

[G2KMaster]

[kent]

[kiryugoji04]

[Xenorama]

[metal_bryan]

This film, along with Megalon, is all about serious quotability... There are SO MANY hilariously memorable lines of dialogue. By far one of the best to watch with a drunken group of friends.

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

[Garasharp K7]

[kiryugoji04]

[Elliot Gay]

[Tyler E. Martin]

[Zombiezilla]

[INVINCIBLE HASTUR]

[jellydonut25]

[zekend01]

[Rodanex]

[zekend01]

[Benjamin Haines]

[walshiam]

[Benjamin Haines]

I'm watching this right now. This is one of my favorite Godzilla films, and it's one of the best movies to put on in the middle of the night as background atmosphere in the room, especially with this delectably nostalgic English dub. I remember the first time I watched this at nine years old, one afternoon after returning from the local swimming pool with the family and putting the rented VHS tape on in the living room. What an awe-inspiring and unforgettable experience that was, seeing the heroic Godzilla and Anguirus go through riveting dangers to thwart the evil monsters. Pure awesome.

The cast of characters here are are downright fun to watch. Even as a kid, the first 45 minutes or so that focus largely on the people before the attack on Tokyo even begins didn't bore me for a minute, and that wouldn't have been the case if the characters weren't so likable and their story so interesting. We've got a goofy cartoonist, his ass-kicking girlfriend/sister/whatever, a corncob-toting hippie, his daring friend, and her you-know-he's-cool-because-he-smokes brother as the heroes, and a couple of methodical, orange jumpsuit-clad, rather polite aliens as the villains. The people here are just as colorful and entertaining as the monsters, and that makes the whole movie fun to watch from beginning to end.

I've always loved how when it cuts from the monster battle to Machiko and Shosaku preparing the escape balloon, the stock Ifukube music continues to play faintly in the background along with the monster roars, as though the music is actually part of the monster battle off in the distance. Genius.

Fukuda had a penchant for depicting the monsters as characters in a dramatic fashion. Godzilla is getting blasted by the tower's rays and Gigan blocks Anguirus from helping him. The way Fukuda set up the shots characterizes the monsters and tells the story of the scene without a single word or bit of dialogue. Godzilla is on the ground getting roasted, crying out in pain. Anguirus looks on helplessly, seeing Godzilla in danger, but Gigan and his spinning buzzsaw are standing between him and his friend. Finally Anguirus can't stand watching anymore and just charges forward, getting his face sliced open quite nastily as a result. Anguirus became one of my favorite monsters as soon as I first saw this movie and that hasn't changed. He's Godzilla's loyal sidekick, you've just gotta love him!

This is about the coolest Godzilla has ever been in any movie. Seeing him as an unstoppable, unbeatable force in other films is cool and all, but the mortal, persevering Godzilla in this flick is so much more memorable. Here he's a compelling hero in the vein of Indiana Jones and John McClane. He heads voluntarily into battle, taunts the bad guys, shows how tough he is, gets his ass kicked something fierce but ultimately comes back and prevails thanks to his own strength and wits. He's a hero that it just feels right to root for. Making him indestructible and uber-powerful prevents the battles in some of the other films from achieving the same sense of peril and payoff that Godzilla vs. Gigan pulls off marvelously. Watching Godzilla come close to losing makes it all the more satisfying to see him send the bad guys running and roar heroically in the sunrise. Godzilla really earns his status as the king of the monsters here.

[heroforhirerob]

Now here's a tough one. Godzilla vs. Gigan is my favorite Godzilla movie of the 70's. The hard part is explaining why. I'll admit to a bit of nostalgia on this one(I saw it as Godzilla on Monster Island in its original run), but honestly I think it's simply a matter or it not being as bad as its detractors always claim.

-In fairness, the FX on this one are wildly uneven. You have loads of stock footage, a less impressive King Ghidorah(the costume appears smaller), and really out of proportion flying miniatures, among other things. On the other hand, Gigan look great and the shots of him during the attack on Tokyo make him look very impressive. The pyrotechnic work is also very good....somewhat making up for the lack of detailed cityscapes.

-I'll second(third..fourth?) the human cast. While there isn't a top name among them, they do come off as rather likable "everyman" types we can all identify with...and I think the english dub actually enhances this effect.

-This is Godzilla and friends in full blown "superhero" mode. Either you like that or you don't. If you don't, you'll probably never like this movie. If you do, then this movie is a hell of a lot of fun.

-I find this one to be more entertaining that the two MechG movies that followed it(which to be honest take themselves just a tad too seriously). People make light of the insectoid aliens, but how is it more or less ludicrous then the obvious Planet of the Apes rip offs in the following movie? Again...either you can suspend disbelief and have fun with it or you can't.

-I am a big fan of Ifukube's music...and this film is a prime example of how it can raise the level of any film in which it is present. Despite being all stock music(and yes...I mean ALL of it), it works wonderfully in this film. The editors deserve a big round of applause for mixing the music with the movie so well.

Not much more to say on this one. Easily my favorite film of the 70's. This one I think is much maligned due to the stock footage, but if you take away that complaint, you're left with a competent, entertaining(though not overwhelming) period sci-fi film. Is it Mothra vs. Godzilla or Gojira(1954)? No, but then again neither is any other film. I say...give it another look, it may surprise you.

[The Dark Uniter]

This also tough for me to say. Like I've found the story corny [aliens that are cockroaches], the stock footage was also a negative, I also felt that the later monster fights are kinda slow and boring but at the same time, I love Gigan as a monster and yes the score was also good but I still think its one of the weakest entries in the 70's Godzilla era.

[kiryugoji04]

[Legion]