Monster Discussion #19: Giant Condor

[edgaguirus]

That's also the condor's weak point. It's just a big bird, while the more popular foes have richer backstories.

[Ookondru99]

I love that concept ^^^

[edgaguirus]

If the condor looked like that, that idea might fly.

[three]

that actually doesn't look that bad. AT ALL. now if only they'd try to pull it off...

[Shadow]

I still am left wonder what kind of screeches that thing was making.

I still am left wondering how much poo is on the ground because Godzilla is being freaking attacked by the GIANT freakin CONDOR!
They should put it in LPG.

[Shadow]

You now, that scene might not've been so random if a big white turd plopped on Godzilla's shoulder to signal the condor's attack.

What is that? Is it a plane? No it's a bird. No... it's the Giant F*cking Condor! Run!
I haven't seen the movie for many years, but I liked the Condor for some reason.

[Lain Of The Wired]

That condor was going through some major withdraws, must have thought Godzilla was holding…

[Plexton]

I was watching Godzilla vs the Sea Monster years ago with my dad, and we got to the scene where the bad guys say "our air force will handle Godzilla". The very next scene in the movie is the Giant Condor showing up, which led my dad to remark "Is that the air force?"

I will always remember this monster with fondness for that reason.

[S9y]

Was it necessary to have the condor in All monsters attack?

[eabaker]

Was it necessary to have the condor in All monsters attack?

Well, they needed to scrape together as much footage as they could of Godzilla engaging in fights in tropical settings with no other monsters on his side, so, yeah, they couldn't very well just let that sequence go to waste.

[Godzillian]

He was really random. He comes out of no where with no set up or hint that he lives on the island before. I think they just threw him in for some more Godzilla action. Did he ever get a name?

[akanes_kiryu]

He was really random. He comes out of no where with no set up or hint that he lives on the island before. I think they just threw him in for some more Godzilla action. Did he ever get a name?

I've always thought it was Ookondoru, or something similar. Don't know if that's official or not, though.

[H-Man]

I guess it's because this was my first Godzilla movie, but I took offense when I read a book (or review) that referred Godzilla's fight with the condor as being a cheap imitation of the Godzilla/Rodan fight in Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster.

[akanes_kiryu]

I guess it's because this was my first Godzilla movie, but I took offense when I read a book (or review) that referred Godzilla's fight with the condor as being a cheap imitation of the Godzilla/Rodan fight in Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster.

I thought it was a neat little special effects scene to serve as filler, myself, but I would have never thought it was trying to imitate that fight. The only similarities are Godzilla and a flying opponent. How do you come to that conclusion?

[H-Man]

I guess it's because this was my first Godzilla movie, but I took offense when I read a book (or review) that referred Godzilla's fight with the condor as being a cheap imitation of the Godzilla/Rodan fight in Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster.

I thought it was a neat little special effects scene to serve as filler, myself, but I would have never thought it was trying to imitate that fight. The only similarities are Godzilla and a flying opponent. How do you come to that conclusion?

You'd have to ask the author/reviewer in question (I *think* it was Steve Ryfle--I know he accused Godzilla's 10-second skirmish with Mothra in that film of being a cheap imitation of the fight from Godzilla vs. Mothra, as if it were trying to be just that).

[eabaker]

He was really random. He comes out of no where with no set up or hint that he lives on the island before. I think they just threw him in for some more Godzilla action. Did he ever get a name?

I've always thought it was Ookondoru, or something similar. Don't know if that's official or not, though.

Yeah, Japanese books refer to him with the same character read as "dai" in "daikaiju," followed by a katakana spelling of the word "condor." The "dai" character can also be pronounced as a long "o" sound, and English-language texts differ on which pronunciation is correct. If I think about it later, I'll send some of my friends who live in Japan Facebook messages to see if they can get any clarification on the matter. (I can just hear my friend Bryan telling is wife, "Oh, Noriko, Baker-san wants us to clarify the pronunciation of the giant condor's name in Nankai no daiketto. She'll think it's ridiculous." Hmmm... I wonder if she still refers to me as "Evan-gelion.")

[Rody]

Hmmm... I wonder if she still refers to me as "Evan-gelion.")

Hey, that's a pretty fun nickname there!

On topic, I think there might have been a time when I thought Giant Condor was Rodan, but even then that didn't actually make much sense. Someone drawing comparisons between isn't hard to imagine, though; at the time, Godzilla didn't have many flying opponents, and Giant Condor does look vaguely like Rodan at the speed which the fight takes place.

[akanes_kiryu]

Prior to Ebirah, he had more flying opponents than regular opponents. There was Anguirus, King Kong, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. There's more flyers than non-flyers (though admittedly, if you count Mothra as both, it's equal, but still...)

[edgaguirus]

The Condor does qualify as his only bird opponent, though. Godzilla has faced insects, reptiles, and mammals, but bird kaiju, in Godzilla or elsewhere, are few and far between. Besides the Condor and Litra, I can't think of any others.

[H-Man]

The Condor does qualify as his only bird opponent, though. Godzilla has faced insects, reptiles, and mammals, but bird kaiju, in Godzilla or elsewhere, are few and far between. Besides the Condor and Litra, I can't think of any others.

There's a bird kaiju who makes a limited appearance in The Magic Serpent.