Frankenstein Conquers the World or War of the Gargantuas?

[Haulport]

I am very surprised that it is so even. I have always preferred WOTG by miles.

[ProfessorBeats]

As a child I HATED War of the Gargantuas. It's freakin scary! Opening with all those people getting chomped... or when they're in the boat and they look down into the water and see him staring back up at them... hated it. But nowadays I would put it in my top 10 giant monster movies any day.

[LiquidG]

I love them both, but I give the slight edge to WOTG, I love Sanda and Gaira both as characters and designs.

[Pkmatrix]

I've always preferred Frankenstein Conquers the World. While I really enjoy the FX sequences in WotG, I feel the writing and acting is MUCH stronger in FCTW.

[LiquidG]

I've always preferred Frankenstein Conquers the World. While I really enjoy the FX sequences in WotG, I feel the writing and acting is MUCH stronger in FCTW.

One point I give FCTW over WOTG is that it has Nick Adams, anything he's in is gold

[Godzillian]

WotG hands down. Great music, great effects, great acting. A great kaiju film all around. FCTW is still good too though

[Godzilla628]

I picked FCTW, because Adams>Tamblyn.

[The One and Only]

While Adams always will be more preferred over Tamblyn in the long run. Although I've heard in the last few years Russ Tamblyn's opinion has mellowed to WOTG since it first came out, especially watching it with an audience, I still think the Brothers Frankenstein is the superior flick. Frankenstein Conquers The World ! is well done, and I love the opening. But it seems to drag a little bit in some places, and the horse and wild boar "effects" are rather sad. But Baragon is a cool opponent for him as well. And despite his puppy-like appearance, one of Toho's nastier members of its kaiju menagerie. War of the Gargantuas works for me a bit better because of better pacing, and some terrific scoring by the Maestro himself, Akire Ifukibe. I'm still surprised in the course of the Heisei or Millennium Series, that Sanda or Gaira weren't brought back for a slobberknocker with Godzilla considering they're quite well known along with Godzilla.

[Godzillian]

While Adams always will be more preferred over Tamblyn in the long run. Although I've heard in the last few years Russ Tamblyn's opinion has mellowed to WOTG since it first came out, especially watching it with an audience, I still think the Brothers Frankenstein is the superior flick. Frankenstein Conquers The World ! is well done, and I love the opening. But it seems to drag a little bit in some places, and the horse and wild boar "effects" are rather sad. But Baragon is a cool opponent for him as well. And despite his puppy-like appearance, one of Toho's nastier members of its kaiju menagerie. War of the Gargantuas works for me a bit better because of better pacing, and some terrific scoring by the Maestro himself, Akire Ifukibe. I'm still surprised in the course of the Heisei or Millennium Series, that Sanda or Gaira weren't brought back for a slobberknocker with Godzilla considering they're quite well known along with Godzilla.

There were actually plans for a Showa film where Godzilla fought a Gargantua but it was scrapped

[eabaker]

While Adams always will be more preferred over Tamblyn in the long run. Although I've heard in the last few years Russ Tamblyn's opinion has mellowed to WOTG since it first came out, especially watching it with an audience, I still think the Brothers Frankenstein is the superior flick. Frankenstein Conquers The World ! is well done, and I love the opening. But it seems to drag a little bit in some places, and the horse and wild boar "effects" are rather sad. But Baragon is a cool opponent for him as well. And despite his puppy-like appearance, one of Toho's nastier members of its kaiju menagerie. War of the Gargantuas works for me a bit better because of better pacing, and some terrific scoring by the Maestro himself, Akire Ifukibe. I'm still surprised in the course of the Heisei or Millennium Series, that Sanda or Gaira weren't brought back for a slobberknocker with Godzilla considering they're quite well known along with Godzilla.

Interesting. Of the two, I'd definitely consider WotG to have the weaker pacing, with more moments that drag.

[Pkmatrix]

Interesting. Of the two, I'd definitely consider WotG to have the weaker pacing, with more moments that drag.

I agree. IMO, FCTW is just the better written, better paced, and better acted movie of the two. WotG has its charms, but FCTW is a better made and more enjoyable film (in my opinion, at least).

[DoctorMafune]

I love them both, but I'd have to go with WOTG, which is probably my favorite non-Godzilla Showa film. WOTG opens with a nightmarish scene that only gets more horrifying and otherworldly, beyond the ability of the already disbelievingly terrified smuggler to imagine...and it never lets go. Russ Tamblyn sleepwalking through the film is a major downside, but even he couldn't deaden the impact of the flashback scene, Gailah's early appearances, Sanda's jaw-dropping entrance, the terrific battles (maser cannons and hoisted cargo ships forever!), or Ifukube's irresistible score.

FCTW is almost unbelievably atmospheric, and features (IMO) some of the most inventive screenwriting Toho produced during that period. Even to attempt exporting the Frankenstein legend to Japan and weaving horror elements into a giant monster film, much less succeeding as well as they did...my hat 's off to them. But it is true that Baragon just comes out of nowhere, and Tsuburaya couldn't seem to decide whether he wanted a monster that was terrifying...or cute.

Gotta love that scene with the gas bombs, though...

[GodzillaBurgh]

Oh man. Both are REALLY good. Can't pick which one.

[edgaguirus]

Well, both have Kumi Mizuno, which works for both movies.