Daikyojû Gappa (1967)

Director:

Haruyasu Noguchi

Writers:

Ryuzo Nakanishi (writer)
Gan Yamazaki (writer)

Release Date:

9 June 1975 (Spain)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Even mightier than 'King Kong'!

Plot:

An expedition in the South Pacific lands on a tropical island where the natives worship the mysterious deity Gappa...

Plot Keywords:

Island | Earthquake | Tropical Island | Japan | Island Native

Cast

Tamio Kawaji	...	Hiroshi Kurosaki
Yôko Yamamoto	...	Itoko Koyanagi
Yuji Okada	...	Daize Tonooka
Koji Wada	...	Mashida
Tatsuya Fuji	...	George Inoue
Keisuke Inoue	...	President Funazu
Zenji Yamada	...	Captain of the Kamome-maru
Bumon Koto	...	Chieftain
Hiroshi Sugie	...	Reporter #1
Saburo Hiromatsu	...	Hosoda
Binnosuke Nagao	...	Cmdr. Riku
Masaru Kamiyama	...	The Professor
Kokan Katsura	...	Saburo Hayashi
Shirô Oshimi	...	Oyama
Yoko Oyagi	...	Aihara

Also Known As:

Gappa the Triphibian Monsters (USA) (video title)
Gappa, the Triphibian Monster
Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (USA) (dubbed version)
The Giant Beast Gappa
The Triphibian Monster (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

90 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Argentina:13

Company:

Manson Corporation

Trivia:

There was an urban legend that Nikkatsu's international English prints originally had a racist line, "The monsters are attacking Tokyo. Fortunately they are attacking the Negro section of town." (and that the line was changed). This was untrue.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Monster from a Prehistoric Planet" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Ganbare Ko Gappa

OK semi-remake of Gorgo{1961},good monster fun for fans of the more juvenile Godzilla movies

If you like the Japanese Godzilla movies of the 60s and {especially}the 70s made by Toho Studios, than you're probably like this effort, a not totally successful but fun attempt by Shockiku Studios to get in on the act.

King Kong obviously inspired the early section of the film,but oddly enough the film mostly bases it's plot on the British 1961 monster movie Gorgo {itself a Godzilla imitation},with a baby monster captured by humans and it's angry parent wrecking havoc to get him back. However,unlike Gorgo's one vengeful parent,here we have both mum and dad monsters attacking poor Japan {one wonders why anyone still bothers to live there in these films,since it's always being destroyed by giant monster year after year}.

The film lacks the polish of the Toho films,with the miniatures lacking in detail and some rather drab photography and poor editing. Music is mediocre although the two songs {only in the subtitled version}are memorable for the wrong reasons. However,the family Gappa are uniquely weird monsters,the action is pretty continuous after the first half an hour and the final reunion scene involving the monsters is touching. There are some amusing touches which gently mock the genre. Feminists be warned though-the end scene where the human heroine realises her role in life will probably offend you greatly!

Hardly a classic of monster movies but silly and entertaining anyway. A good one to introduce young kids to the genre.