Godzilla vs Gigan: Kaiju Movie Review

[@DarkCornersReviews]

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[@robotrix]

So, a choice of who do we hate less...

[@DarkCornersReviews]

​@@robotrix A real Sophie's choice.

[@NinjaNezumi]

Robin, make sure you review the "Pro Japanese Imperialism" Godzilla movie Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991 and 1992). Don't gloss over the weird Pro Imperialist movement message in the movie. It was actually a huge problem in Japan. Very similar to the Neo Nazi movement in Germany during the same period. Toho didn't realize what was going on until the end of shooting, and tried to dial it back. The script writer lost several feature projects after as a result and was mostly relegated to some samurai epic works after. Too many reviewers on youtube gloss over the heavy implications of what the script was aiming for.

[@CashelOConnolly]

Yo strange looking guy, I don’t like Kaiju movies ( strange beast in Japanese) but I do like king Kong movies (except Peter Jackson’s overly long version) the original is brilliant,which Kong movie is your favourite? 🦍🦧 Have you done Russ Meyers bizarre ‘Beneath The Valley of the ultra vixens’?

[@Michelleabela5484]

​@@DarkCornersReviewsplease review destroy all monsters

[@edwardburek1717]

Elsewhere, Brandon Tenold is officially jealous that nowhere in this video has a *FOOTAGE FLAGGED BY TOHO* message.

[@skylx0812]

Toho must have it in for Canada.

[@buzzawuzza3743]

Years ago I also made a tape recording that I thought only monsters could hear but it turned out my landlady could hear it as well.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

…depending on how your landlady was treating you, she could be a monster too 🤣😎 ok bad joke, i’ll see myself out before you toss rotten fruit

[@markiangooley]

Strong evidence that she too was a monster?

[@ScreamingScallop]

Just don't call her Mamagon.

[@rsacchi100]

Somebody had the same problem in Godzilla vs Monster Zero.

[@ashleys9397]

I can empathize on this score because I once had to contend with a cranky-ass old landlady. One day, just to see if I could annoy the piss out of her, I asked her how old she was. Well, she got all offended & retorted that her age was none of my damn business. So I replied: "Hey, no problem. I'll just sneak in one night while you're asleep, cut you in half, & count the rings". The cops didn't think it was funny either.

[@hughjass846]

Their insurance policies are through the roof because that's where Godzilla's foot went.

[@dngillikin]

The insurance rates are through the roof, yet rents are surprisingly reasonable.

[@mgrzx3367]

But the rebuild time is amazingly short.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

They don't cover fire, floods, or acts of Godzilla.

[@mgrzx3367]

@@KasumiKenshirou Its in the policy, does not cover acts of God zilla

[@KarlBunker]

Haruo Nakajima looks like a really nice guy. Hard to believe he stomped the heck out of Tokyo all those times.

[@queenglamazona8789]

He had a few close calls as Godzilla. The Suit Caught On Fire a Few Times and he Almost Drowned Shooting a Scene in a Water Tank.

[@BlastAction]

Toho was deep into the stock footage bin by this point. A lot of the explosions and laser cannon effects were taken from "War of the Gargantuas" and would be used again with much of the Gigan footage from this film in "Godzilla vs. Megalon".

[@TheBestAround131]

And was tailored almost exclusively to kids at that point, that is why the plot was not the best; kids at the time wouldn't care.

[@TheKKVB]

The legendary British Hong Kong voice actor Ted Thomas was the first to be the English voice of Godzilla six years before Ted Cassidy voiced the character in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Sadly he passed away in 2022.

[@Ray-M59]

Being a kung fu movie fan I love Ted’s villain voice.

[@johnkirby8939]

If I recall correctly Chekhov's girlfriend was Irina, the space hippie chick from the Star Trek episode The Way to Eden.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

All things considered, Gigan was a fantastic addition to Godzillas monster roster. So unique & recognizable. Loved his Final Wars redesign too

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

The Godzilla yell has got to be one of the most culturally iconic sounds of all time.

[@BlastAction]

Godzilla mastered the 'Hulk-up' long before hogan did!

[@euansmith3699]

"Can you smell what the atomic breath's cookin'!"

[@corvus1970]

Exactly. This was classic pro-Wrestling psychology. The face gets the tar beaten out of him by the heels, until he's had enough, hulks out, and beats the cowardly heels.

[@mikehunt4986]

Holy shit! I just finished leaving a comment where I compared Godzilla's comeback to Hulk Hogan in the 80s! Nice to see that others see what I see. I doubt Robin does.

[@quesoblanco444]

The Godzilla films at this time did have the monsters doing pro wrestling moves. Wrestling would be pretty big there in the 70s.

[@mikehunt4986]

@@quesoblanco444 The 70s Godzilla movies consisted of one singles main event, two tag team main events, and two handicap main events lol

[@mikeisernie]

Not ashamed to say--this was my favorite Godzilla movie as a kid.....and...really.... it still is. I'm still salty we haven't gotten a Titan-vesse (is that what they are calling the new movies?) versions of more of the classics--like Megalon or Gigan. King Caesar actually works with the lore of the new movies.

[@ScreamingScallop]

At least we have the modern "vs Megalon" and "vs Gigan Rex" shorts on Godzilla Channel. (Their "Operation Jet Jaguar" video is currently set to "private" which sucks, but at least there are several reaction videos available.)

[@playedout148]

Was more of aMegalon kid myself but Gigan was cool looking and that goes a long way.

[@queenglamazona8789]

Those Space Cockroaches were So Mean. An Entire Amusement Park Built Just So They Could Trap and Destroy Godzilla. Who Can Be So Cruel and Evil ?

[@mikehunt4986]

One of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time! Stock footage be damned! And I love it when Godzilla gets "strong again!" Reminds me of Hulk Hogan "hulking up" during his matches in the 80s! Certain characters don't need an explanation as to why they can mount comebacks just when it seems like all hope is lost. Godzilla in the 70s and Hulk Hogan in the 80s were two such characters.

[@queenglamazona8789]

He Got Mad. That's Why He Won.

[@danielgehring7437]

"Chekov's Girlfriend" would be an awesome band name.

[@skylx0812]

The opening band can be T'Pau. 🖖

[@glenmcculla6843]

They could collab with Spock's Beard.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

You are so right.

[@WilliamChico-m6r]

Godzilla vs Gigan is one of my favorite Godzilla movie of 1972.

[@FailSonOfAnarchy]

I like how the bad guys shoot at an obvious drawing of our heroes.

[@paultapner2769]

I think I might have seen this. That scene of the two monsters talking suddenly comes back to me from my subconscious. Heaven knows how long it's been buried for. And yet I don't remember any of the rest. Memory is strange.

[@robotrix]

I remember the theme park and the guy with the corn on the cob. I hope I can find a copy that has subs for the word bubbles.

[@ashleys9397]

Memory certainly IS strange. For instance, I have this vague memory going back (I guess) to when I was only 5. I think I remember waking up real early one Christmas morning, creeping downstairs, and catching my mom French-kissing Santa Claus. But more likely, it was probably just some bad dream like kids so often have.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

RIP Harao Nakajima - thanks for all the childhood home-screening memories.

[@paultapner2769]

Imagine if all Kaiju could talk. Gamera would say 'what? Kids in trouble? Again? Oh, hang on you lot, I'm coming! Honestly, I blame the parents!'

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

If I know KZbin, I better watch this before Toho copyright strikes it in, oh, an hour or so 😄

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We have (touch wood) not had an issue with our Godzilla film reviews so far.

[@robotrix]

Think Toho gets mad at Brandon Tenold because his reviews are longer - more clips. But that they're okay with him putting text over the video and letting the audio stay is good of them.

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

@@DarkCornersReviews Oh good. You're much luckier than Brandon Tenold, at least. I hope for your continued success when it comes to reviewing Toho movies, then... though I'll still try and watch asap because I'm paranoid 😄

[@kingleech16]

If you say Toho three times in the mirror, they copyright strike you from life…

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Brandon is crying in a corner somehwere in Canada if he read this lol ​@@DarkCornersReviews

[@MadJens0]

Love these 'zilla films. I have that massive Criterion blu ray set 😊

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Same here!

[@transformersrevenge9]

One time I edited all the stock footage out of this movie, and it became a much better watch. 7 minutes less action, but it's more coherent and with a lot less day to night switches.

[@queenglamazona8789]

Keep in mind this Movie was Aimed Primarily at Kids. Most of Whom probably hadn't seen Monster Zero, Destroy All Monsters, or Ghidrah -The Three Headed Monster, Where most of the Stock Footage was from. So for them this was practically an all New Movie with Completely Original Footage.

[@davidchurch5932]

I remember my grandmother saying "No matter what they tell you in film school, Godzilla will always get strtonger in the third act!"

[@martinradcliffe4798]

I worked at a theme park one summer- very little of this kind of thing went on.

[@dubuyajay9964]

But it DID happen?

[@martinradcliffe4798]

@@dubuyajay9964 Only twice as I recall.

[@Yig_al_Gaib4242]

In the English dub, I swear that the guy doing Godzilla’s voice sounds like my grandfather with a head cold.

[@ashleys9397]

The Monster of Repressed Oedipal Conflicts.

[@ianmcnulty799]

Gigan could work in the contemporary monsterverse as a cyborg kaiju, but the one they really should revive is the Smog Monster.

[@TheRealNormanBates]

I would have taken "buzz saw in his belly", but that'll do too. I am fine with all of the Showa *Godzilla* films, as they are what they are: monsters wrestling and taking out your dad's train set. Short of the first film (and maybe Hedorah) they were never meant to be taken too seriously. They are silly and fun, and that is all they need to be.

[@jasonpratt5126]

Pretty sure this was the first film I ever watched in a theater. (My first theatrical film ever being a drive-in of Godzilla vs Megalon! All the Gigan all at once!) I was sure my Dad was dubbing the monster conversations on the Island, and chided him for doing so, despite his protests of innocence. Oddly, I don't recall seeing/hearing the English monster language in TV broadcasts of the film (which were pretty rare) -- so I was surprised when the dub was released on DVD to find, ta-da, they really did talk! I immediately apologized to Dad, all those decades later.

[@anthonymunn8633]

This brings back memories of seeing this in a packed 1000-seat theater kiddie matinee back in '78.

[@hankw69]

I love this goofy flick, it's a lot of fun.

[@l.a.gothro3999]

Yay! We ran home from school when WXYZ-Detroit would have "Monster Week" on at 4:00 pm - five days of kaiju before we knew it was called kaiju!

[@PhantomsYetToBe]

I'm glad you didn't call this a "bad movie review" because this movie is awesome!

[@raulcruz716]

This movie was the result of longtime Godzilla producer Tomoyuki Tanaka being upset with the last entry in the series GOJIRA TAI HEDORAH/GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER and demanded a back to basics approach for the next film: evil aliens control monsters from space, Godzilla and a tag team partner put a stop to it. Sadly at the time Japan was going through an economic recession which also affected their movie industry. Newly appointed special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano was forced to make a Godzilla movie which was high in spectacle and short on budget, so they relied on monster suits that were made in the 60s for a movie being made in 1971/1972 so the suits were literally falling apart on screen. Gigan was the only new suit they could build but a proposed laser beam effect he would fire from his head was cancelled due to the minimal budget. Teruyoshi Nakano padded out the monster fights with the stock footage and tried to darken the earlier film clips so they could match with the new fight footage which is supposed to take place at night. Although some fans have often criticized Nakano for the shortcuts other fans applaud him for trying to find creative ways to get around budget limitations and keep the Godzilla franchise going.

[@queenglamazona8789]

There's actually a Glimpse of Mothra in one of the Stock Footage Shots. It was taken from Ghidrah -The Three Headed Monster.

[@johnradovich8809]

All right. That does it. This is my favorite channel!

[@southron_d1349]

Insurance companies would insert a clause "Act of Kaiju" and wriggle out of any obligation.

[@carlwilkerson9722]

To be fair, Tokyo was itself the biggest and fastest-growing _kaiju_ in Japan even in the 1970's. Going at the pace they usually display in films, attacking monsters would have taken months to reduce it all to rubble.

[@rynehall9990]

So, a building has been built as an homage to the giant creatures that have levelled Tokyo more times than I can count?

[@christopherwall2121]

There's more. Once the park is complete, the aliens planned to bomb Monster Island to get rid of the real monsters.

[@KirkWilliamsIsBroken]

Classic 70's Kaiju Action!

[@Havok91]

Still one of the bloodiest Japanese Godzilla films. Starting with this as a Godzilla fan, I was one terrified child.

[@queenglamazona8789]

Didn't really like seeing Godzilla being hurt and bleeding. Very Disturbing.

[@robertkeefer1552]

I was hoping for Godzilla vs. The Giant Claw!!

[@enragedkaiser237]

Gigan's design is just too good. He deserved a better movie.

[@robotrix]

He's in Godzilla Final Wars with a upgrade. He's also in Godzilla vs Megalon.

[@raulcruz716]

Clips of his final appearance in Ryusei Ningen Zone (Zone Fighter unofficial English title given to it by American fans) episode 11 are on KZbin. The Toho produced tv show was meant to compete with the popular Ultraman shows of the era but due again to budget reasons they had to use some of the Godzilla movie suits. Since Toho had decided not to use Gigan in any other movies after Godzilla vs Megalon and the suit was still functional they used Gigan in episode 11.

[@christopherwall2121]

​@@raulcruz716 I like to think thats what really cemented Gigan and his alien cockroach masters as mercenaries. One's an anomaly, two's a trend.

[@JurassicReptile]

Godzilla, Anguirus, Ghidorah and Gigan are four of the coolest monsters. Would've liked a better movie for this epic brawl but it was pretty entertaining at least.

[@PFiction24]

This movie needs Jet Jaguar. “Jet Jaguar, Jet Jaguar, PUNCH PUNC PUNCH!”

[@PFiction24]

The new movies also need Jet Jaguar

[@a.champagne6238]

That should be playing whenever the New York Jets play the Jacksonville Jaguars

[@markditoro8836]

In 1965, King Ghidorah was conceived as the deadliest, most lethal monster in the known universe. By this time he could be driven off with a few kicks to the midriff. Sad.

[@julietfischer5056]

Villain Decay is a trope for a reason.

[@markditoro8836]

I will have to look that one up.

[@reignfire85]

Oh man, I remember I would watch this a bunch as a kid. Pretty sure I taped it off the TV onto a VHS. Even as a kid I thought it was corny as hell but I enjoyed it, although not as much when I recently gave it another viewing. One thing I did like about this was the artist's idea of comic monsters that are based off a kid's dislikes; it could be a wild action-satire series.

[@crazedvole]

6:44 If you look very closely you can see the can of spinach being thrown away by Godzilla. 😁😁

[@AmityvilleFan]

tbh, I loved the design of Gigan

[@MrKaiserdurdenex]

Late "Showa era" movies can get pretty wacky but I still love them. I'm much more a fan of the "Heisei era" of films from the 90's.

[@andrewparsons2391]

"Is there a place for Godzilla's many adversaries in any of the modern re-inventions of the series?" the MUTOs from Godzilla 2014 are notably Gigan-esque in their design, and Godzilla Singular Point modernized and re-used several, including making Godzilla himself expies of them via his constant evolutions.

[@gwem1979]

As a kid for a time this was the only Godzilla movie i was able to watch. It was on channel 4 in the uk for a godzilla season. I don’t think the good ones were shown but beggars can’t be choosers

[@midwestmonster9886]

One positive thing about stock footage -- about the only positive -- is that it shows that the past is still canon. We've seen Minya, Manda, Gorosaurus, and the rest of the kaiju that live on Monster Island for the last time in the Showa series. But the mention of the island paired with the stock footage montage shows that they still exist and are still recognized in the ongoing series.

[@thrashpondopons8348]

I went from Hedora to Megalon when I was a kid... so Gigan REALLY showed up outta left field to me in G vs. M!

[@mikehunt4986]

So you were watching them in the theater? Because in America Megalon was released after Hedorah, followed by either Gigan or Mechagodzilla. (Getting exact dates for American release dates of the Showa Godzilla movies is difficult.)

[@thrashpondopons8348]

@@mikehunt4986 Saw Hedorah in the Theaters as a kid in 74ish... Megalon was shown on TV around the Bicentennial as a 'Major Televised Event'! Didn't sea Gigan until YEARS later!

[@mikehunt4986]

@@thrashpondopons8348 Cool! I was born in 76 so I didn't see any of them in the theater. Saw all 15 Showa films on TV during the 80s, though definitely not in chronological order! I think the last one I saw was Godzilla Raids Again.

[@kingtanichi]

My hat's off to you for dignifying this movie by comparing it to Men in Black! Also, Toho's recent Netflix series Godzilla: Singular Point gave us a fascinating callback to these early 70s movies with its Jet Jaguar vs. Anguirus scene...

[@paulwhiston1836]

There was a clear manga influence on this film hence the speech bubbles

[@musclesforsupes]

“Only Godzillliaaa has a chance.”

[@alphawoolf5981]

I love this movie, warts and stock footage be damned.

[@bensneb360]

Gigan is my favorite giant monster, ever since I was a kid. I just always liked his design and thought he looked cool

[@joerogers9413]

GIIIIIIIIIIGAN!

[@robotrix]

I love Godzilla Final Wars

[@joerogers9413]

@@robotrix 👍

[@matthewsuchomski2593]

RISE!

[@joerogers9413]

@@matthewsuchomski2593 👍

[@orangebunnyproductions]

One of the best kaiju movies out there

[@timtheskeptic1147]

I loved '54 Godzilla. It was a powerful and poignant movie with a message. I have no clue what the point of the sequels were. Yeah, money, but c'mon. So much kid friendly cheese that it's a betrayal of the source. But, I did enjoy Final War. And that movie would not have been possible without decades of loosely connected sequels, reboots, and whatever the hell happened in 1998.

[@Vertabreaker3]

Huge fan of this movie. Not my favorite of the franchise, but one I revist a bunch.

[@Joe_Joe_The_HvacMan]

i saw this in the theater! Love Godzilla!

[@glenmcculla6843]

I'd be up for 'Gigan: Year Zero'.

[@queenglamazona8789]

Loved this Movie. This was called Godzilla On Monster Island when It was first shown Theatrically in the U.S.

[@GreyhawkGrognard]

I'd love to see you do a whole series of kaiju movie reviews.

[@CashelOConnolly]

I don’t like Kaiju movies ( strange beast in Japanese) but I do like king Kong movies (except Peter Jackson’s overly long version) the original is brilliant 🦍🦧

[@tskmaster3837]

Godzilla vs Gigan was not the only Godzilla film to use stock footage. It was, however, the only film to use a stock soundtrack and the composer they pilfered, series regular Akira Ifukube who only worked with director Ishiro Honda, was not amused.

[@my2commonsense476]

And the winner for the best special effects in a foreign film is...............

[@ralphyetmore]

I see why Emmerich felt comfortable tackling a Godzilla movie.

[@TheMadAfrican1]

I really thought I'd be super excited for the new Godzilla and Kong movies. But, I'm just not. I've seen the first ones, and immediately forgot them five minutes after seeing them. Whereas these old ones stuck with me.

[@docthemetalfreak]

it could have been better if Godzilla had done a sliding dropkick into either Gigan or Ghidorah. just saying.

[@andrewparsons2391]

you'll just have to wait for the next godzilla movie after this one...

[@LizardClone2]

This is one of my favorites. Gigan is actually the first kaiju to make Godzilla bleed.

[@johndemeritt3460]

The movie I want to see is _Godzilla versus the Giant Electric Penguins_ . How would _that_ be for a crossover between Godzilla and Monty Python's Flying Circus?

[@Bluesit32]

How good are the speakers in that guy's house if Godzilla could hear that all the way on Monster Island?

[@sampoernaquatrain1710]

Thank you for saying "GEE-dor-ah." I'm painfully aware that Toho wants the International dub pronunciation to be the official one these days, but it's not how it was pronounced in the original dubbed films. Hell, if you watch the original Japanese versions, they say "GEE-dor-ah."

[@RabbiKolakowski]

thank you - I love this movie - I once saw it in a drive-in theater 2 or 3 years ago

[@beanbaka]

Ultra Q is on you tube and worth a watch some really eerie score but most surprising was VW Scirocco about half hour in the decided to film😂

[@erikthewriter]

This is a ‚merges in with all the others‘ Godzilla movie. I know it exists but i can tell you which one it is.

[@john_blues]

So, Plan 6 is Kaiju theme park and Plan 9 is resurrecting the dead.

[@jaczimmerman2734]

Yay a Godzilla review! And it had my boy Anguirus!!!

[@jasonpratt5126]

So, do any of the Showa opponents fit in the Legendary films? ....you mean aside from Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidora, Mechagodzilla, and Kong? {g} Some have been repurposed and upgraded like Manda (trademark) to Tiamat (skid-marked alas). Hedorah the Smog Monster would probably work great.

[@marlasotherchannel9847]

Yay! Godzilla!

[@InghamL99]

Gigan is campy but still cool. An alien cyber-kaiju can’t be all bad. Maybe they could update him successfully I don’t know. The buzzsaw might have to go, though…

[@cpuuk]

A cockroach in a cravat! Oh the horror...

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Hey Brandon, when's the next Godzilla video?! Oh, wait... wrong channel.

[@guillaumebabey4484]

Wait, you need to tell me someone else played Godzilla on the subsequent Showa era movies?! I didn't know!! 0o

[@helenj4902]

Love the buzz saw weapon!! 🤣🤣

[@noahasencio8589]

Hi 👋

[@caktaylor]

Gigan was the first kaiju to make Godzilla bleed.

[@joelnotsure2871]

I want to think you’re joking about the speech bubbles but really fear you’re not. My knowledge of Godzilla movies is limited and before today I was unaware that even at their worst they got quite *that* silly.

[@rynehall9990]

How about a remake of My Fair Lady with Godzilla in the Rex Harrison role?

[@connorbrennan4233]

One additional sad thing about this film is that it was imitating its own competition; i.e. the Showa Gamera films. And it didn't really need to do that because the Gamera films were in the gutter at this point.

[@jasonsantos3037]

Godzilla movies from the 70s are goofy time.

[@GrandOldMovies]

Gotta admit, the film looks dopily entertaining -- almost deliberately so.

[@rogervandusen8361]

I love the way Toho would create thse "on the fly" films using rcycled footag strung together into an incoherent narrative.

[@bpark222]

Godzilla has significant holdings in CB ltd. Maybe the SEC can take him down.

[@euansmith3699]

Due to weight gain, I can no longer see my Belly Buzzsaw. 😭

[@mgrzx3367]

The most important part of any kaiju movie is (drum roll) Naming the monster. Everything else is just window dressing. In this movie, it proves why cockroaches are small and not human sized.

[@chuckmesser2202]

Also known as: GODZILLA GETS IT RIGHT IN THE GROIN.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

And even that shot comes from a different film!