Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan (1972)

Director:

Jun Fukuda

Writers:

Takeshi Kimura (story)
Shinichi Sekizawa (writer)

Release Date:

August 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Space Monsters War With Godzilla For The Earth!

Plot:

A man begins to suspect that something is wrong about his employers; meanwhile, Godzilla and Anguirus are alerted to something strange going on.

Plot Keywords:

Godzilla | Alien | Monster | Gigan | Cigarette Smoking

Cast

Hiroshi Ishikawa	...	Gengo Kotaka
Yuriko Hishimi	...	Tomoko Tomoe
Minoru Takashima	...	Shosaku Takasugi
Tomoko Umeda	...	Machiko Shima
Toshiaki Nishizawa	...	Kubota, Head of Children's Land
Zan Fujita	...	Fumio Sudo
Kunio Murai	...	Takashi Shima
Gen Shimizu	...	Commander of Defense Forces
Kurayoshi Nakamura	...	Priest (as Zeko Nakamura)
Kuniko Ashihara	...	Middle-Aged Woman
Akio Murata	...	Editor of Comics Magazine
Noritake Saito	...	Henchman
Yasuhiko Saijo	...	Henchman
Naoya Kusakawa	...	Henchman
Wataru Ômae	...	Henchman

Also Known As:

Earth Assault Order: Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla on Monster Island
Godzilla vs. Gigan
The Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan
War of the Monsters

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi monster violence and some language.

Runtime:

89 min | Germany:80 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:G (original rating) | Australia:PG | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:PG

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

The original script for this film was entitled "King Ghidorah's Great Counterattack" (Kingu Gidora no Daigyakushû), which featured Godzilla, Rodan and Varan fighting Ghidorah, Gigan, and a new monster named Mogu. It was then reworked into the more appealing "Godzilla Vs. The Space Monsters: The Earth Defense Command" (Gojira tai Uchû Kaijû: Chikyû Bôei Meirei). The script pitted Godzilla, Angilas, and Majin Tuol (a giant stone idol, similar to Daimajin) against King Ghidorah, Gigan, and Megalon, all three recruited by an evil alien brain called Miko. This second script was ultimately reworked into the film it is today. The Godzilla Tower, originally from the script, was part of a world fair amusement park, and was not made for an evil purpose like in the final film (in one scene, Gigan actually mistook it for the real Godzilla!). Megalon finally made his debut in Gojira tai Megaro (1973), and Majin Tuol was reworked into King Shisar in Gojira tai Mekagojira (1974).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The main human characters, when they descend to the ground on a cable, it is obvious that they are mere miniatures in reality. For one, they don't have the proportions of a human being, nor do their clothes look like the ones the actual humans were wearing.

Quotes:

Tomoko Tomoe: [after giving Gengo a new job location] Now what's the matter?
Gengo Kotaka: [mutters] You're hard, bitch.
Tomoko Tomoe: What was that? Can you please say that again?
Gengo Kotaka: Oh no I won't. Not with you being a black belt in karate.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Team America: World Police (2004)

Soundtrack:

Yuke! Yuke! Gojira

One of my personal favorite Godzilla movies

I like this movie. Many people have reviled it, but I think it's probably one of the most underrated Godzilla movies around. I like the fact that Gigan and Angillus are in it, bringing two of my favorite monsters face to face. In this movie Godzilla talks, which is hilarious and adds to the camp value. I especially like the ending where Godzilla and Angillus team up on Ghidora and give him the biggest whipping of his life! Personally, i miss the older Godzilla films of the late 60s and the 70s, when he was a hero and not a brainless monster. But I'm sure many of you disagree with me. I just enjoy the campy feel these good old movies brought to the Godzilla saga. (With the exceptions of Godzillas Revenge and Godzilla vs. Megalon, but those are a different story!) I also liked the song at the end. Sure this movie had stock footage, but it was GOOD stock footage. Still, I wish they came up with original material for it. Oh well, I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 asterisks anyway. (Not for the acting but the fighting.)