Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet but they must first destroy Gamera.

Director:

Noriaki Yuasa

Writer:

Niisan Takahashi (as Fumi Takahashi)

Stars:

Kôji Fujiyama, Daigo Inoue, Reiko Kasahara

Cast

Credited cast:
Kôji Fujiyama	...	Dr. Tom Wallace
Daigo Inoue
Reiko Kasahara	...	Kiyoko Ishikawa
Daihachi Kita
Goro Kumon
Shin Minatsu
Akira Natsuki	...	Doctor
Kei'ichi Noda	...	Jigura (Japanese version) (voice)
Isamu Saeki	...	Dr. Yosuke Ishikawa
Yasushi Sakagami	...	Kenichi Ishikawa
Mikiko Tsubouchi	...	Mrs. Ishikawa
Eiko Yanami	...	Woman X / Chikako Sugawara
Yoshio Yoshida
Arlene Zoellner	...	Margie Wallace
Gloria Zoellner	...	Helen Wallace

Storyline

A moon base is destroyed by a spaceship with a cluster of gumballs on its head. Later, at Sea World, dolphins are dying mysteriously. Zigra kidnaps two men and two children (one of whom is a Coke addict - Coca-Cola that is) and starts causing earthquakes. The two six year olds somehow outwit Zigra and help their incapacitated fathers escape. The Zigra Woman, who can use her eyes to put people into comas, then chases them all over Sea World like an extended Benny Hill skit. Somewhere in this movie Gamera finally shows up, fights Zigra, who turns into a giant swordfish.

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Plot Keywords:

gamera | spaceship | alien | coca cola | seal the animal | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gamera vs. Zigra was the only classic Gamera film not released in the U.S. until the advent of home video. All the previous films had been picked up for theatrical distribution or for television. Gamera vs. Zigra first appeared in the U.S. in 1987 via video tape, long after it's Japanese release.

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Quotes

Jigura (Japanese version): Once again Zigra will prove to the other planets of the world that Zigra is all powerful.

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Connections

Follows Gamera: The Giant Monster (1965)

User Reviews

ZIGRA is Z-grade.

My Take: Toho could make art compared to this.

The giant rubber monster movies, or Kaiju as they called it in Japan, has been on the spotlight for many a year. From the fame of "Gojira" or "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", the same studio tried to top themselves with creating more and more of this monstrosities battling each other. "Godzilla", the most famous of these, also spawned rip-offs (They happen here to you know). One of these was Gamera. from the original "Gammera the Invincible", this also spawned sequels, which features our giant rubber terrapin pits fire against other giant monsters, and always impresses the kiddies, who look up to Gamera as their hero. While the other Gamera films maybe are entertaining (haven't seen them yet), "Gamera vs. Zigra", the last in the series is what I'd include in the category "Bottom-of-the-barrel". LAughable rubber monster movie. They would have learned from the start that this was silly. But no, they made it anyway.

The plot is mainly the basis of hundred previous Kaiju films. Alien entities try to take over the world. Led by Zigra, an alien lord resembling the Goblin shark, which can be found commonly near Japanese waters, the alien enemy (well, only one) cause massive earthquakes to prove their powers. Then the kids point at the skies as their hero approaches. Is it Superman? No, it's Gamera!!! Yes Gamera to the rescue once again. And Gamera does more than fight Zigra, he does many other silly things like breath fire...underwater(?!)and so much more. If you think that would be silly, wait 'till you see it.

This is admittedly one of the silliest movies I've seen in a while (although I have a hunch saying I'll be seeing more of this silliness with these rubber monster Kaiju), but some movies have reached a certain amount of ineptness, being Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer Space" as a good example, that they can be entertaining, mostly for preposterous reasons. Camp buffs can rest their eyes on preposterous situations like fire-breathing underwater, an alien woman walking about wearing only a bathing suit as a disguise, silly dialog and, well, so much more than you can possibly laugh at, unintentionally.

Although this was indeed silly, at least it didn't bore me, I mean, with all the silliness going on. I give the film, at least, a *, for being completely hilarious on the parts that it shouldn't.

Rating: * out of 5.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

17 July 1971 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Gamera vs. Zigra

Filming Locations:

Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Daieicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1