Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

I've gone up and down on this movie over the years. I think that objectively, it's one of the worst in the series, though I still think it's substantially better than Godzilla vs. Megalon. However, I agree that many of the flaws on display here "foreshadowed" what was to come in the following film, where these flaws were dialed up to eleven.

But I also enjoy the hell out of this movie. The manga-esq visual style is consistently fun, Gigan is one of the best kaiju of the series, the final battle has a lot of cool (and bloody) moments, and I enjoy the protagonists overall. Plus, the stock Ifukube score is pretty excellent. I've tried to move away from just giving things a numbered score but, rated critically, GvG is like a 3/10 movie. Rated for enjoyment, it gets an 8/10 from me.

[Follinollante]

Re-watched the film, this time in Japanese, subbed. Man, was it a far more enjoyable experience. Honestly, the only times my interest wasn't totally locked on were around when Godzilla was getting pummeled repeatedly while writhing on the ground (which I hate in any film).
But, anyway, the actors were really enjoyable, and the humor was very chuckle-worthy, and I do mean that in a good way.

[edgaguirus]

the humor was very chuckle-worthy, and I do mean that in a good way.

You've got to love the scene where Gengo's girlfriend notices the similarity between her shirt and Momagon. His reaction is priceless.

[G.H.B]

I unironically love this film more than a lot of the “objectively” better ones in this franchise. The cast are some of the most likable goofballs ever put in a Tokusatsu movie, and it gave us one of the coolest villains in film history. I don’t give a shit that it’s cheep, lacking in originality, or riddled with stock footage and shoddy effects, this little pos sci-fi children’s movie will forever be one of my favorite things to come out of the toku genre.

[Follinollante]

the humor was very chuckle-worthy, and I do mean that in a good way.

You've got to love the scene where Gengo's girlfriend notices the similarity between her shirt and Momagon. His reaction is priceless.

Yeah, my sister loved that part. Gengo's just got some great reactions overall.

[Gojira-Fan]

Watched this again recently.

While I did enjoy the human plot and a lot of other things in this movie, my interest started to waiver when we got to the relentless monster action. I think the stock footage didn't help. I used to really like this one too, but I think Megalon actually takes over it in my esteem now.

[Cyberdra_1]

Yeah, I have echo those saying they prefer vs Megalon over this one. I grew to enjoy the latter a lot more over time, while my enjoyment of this one soured a bit, though I watched it quite a bit as a kid. Still has some quality aspects to it like the lovably goony human cast, and Gigan himself is a top tier addition to the Godzilla cannon.

[Gojira-Fan]

Yeah, I have echo those saying they prefer vs Megalon over this one. I grew to enjoy the latter a lot more over time, while my enjoyment of this one soured a bit, though I watched it quite a bit as a kid. Still has some quality aspects to it like the lovably goony human cast, and Gigan himself is a top tier addition to the Godzilla cannon.

Gigan has a more developed plot and characters which is nice, but it seems less fresh to me than say just a few years ago when I really started to admire it. There is a pretty good message in Godzilla vs. Gigan that is much more eerie than the morale of Megalon, but it just didn't land for me as well with this most recent viewing.

[LegendZilla]

Just to clarify once and for all, what is Toho's prefered english pronounciation for Gigan's name? Is it with a hard or soft "G"? Also, I know most artwork of Gigan depicts his skin as dark forest green, but he's always seemd pretty blue to me. Was it just the lighting that made him look blue?

[edgaguirus]

Gigan looks a dark green to me.

[StreamOfKaijuness]

Just to clarify once and for all, what is Toho's prefered english pronounciation for Gigan's name? Is it with a hard or soft "G"? Also, I know most artwork of Gigan depicts his skin as dark forest green, but he's always seemd pretty blue to me. Was it just the lighting that made him look blue?

Both of the "G"s in Gigan's name are hard "G"s. His name is pronounced consistently in the English dubs for Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon and Godzilla: Final Wars and that's how his name is pronounced in the original Japanese dialogue.

The non-scaled skin of the original Gigan suit is teal in color, as shown in still photographs. Teal is a tertiary color between blue and green, so it's like a green that leans more blue than yellow. Gigan also has those metal plates lining his arm and leg sockets and curved across his chest, and those metal plates are indeed blue. Of course, the original Japanese theatrical poster and later American VHS box art altered Gigan's skin to look like it's the same blue color as his metal plates, but they also made that Godzilla suit's skin look green and that wasn't accurate either.

[Follinollante]

Watched this again recently.

While I did enjoy the human plot and a lot of other things in this movie, my interest started to waiver when we got to the relentless monster action. I think the stock footage didn't help. I used to really like this one too, but I think Megalon actually takes over it in my esteem now.

Agree 100%.
I feel like this is just one of those Godzilla films in which viewer mood plays a much bigger role in the enjoyment of individual viewings.

[king_ghidorah]

Watched this again recently.

While I did enjoy the human plot and a lot of other things in this movie, my interest started to waiver when we got to the relentless monster action. I think the stock footage didn't help. I used to really like this one too, but I think Megalon actually takes over it in my esteem now.

Agree 100%.
I feel like this is just one of those Godzilla films in which viewer mood plays a much bigger role in the enjoyment of individual viewings.

I’m conflicted. It has some of my favorite human characters in the entire series. They’re just so fun. But the monster stuff becomes kind of monotonous….easy to just check out at times.

That being said, the human cast carries it for me and it’s ultimately a top 10 g film. But I get the complaints.

[Gojira18]

The pacing once the monster fights start reduces to an absolute crawl. Idk whose idea was it to slow everything down that wasn't stock footage but it REALLY didn't help.

[Legion1979]

I wouldn't be shocked if they HAD to slow down the new footage because it was the only way King Ghidorah wouldn't look like ass. Ghidorah's episodes of Zone Fighter the following year are filmed at normal speed, and King Ghidorah suffers for it.

[Gojira18]

Small price to pay for maintaining good pacing

[Legion1979]

Small price to pay for maintaining good pacing

Have you seen how bad Ghidorah looks and moves in Zone Fighter?

[king_ghidorah]

Wow. I never realized how slow the fight is but you’re absolutely right.

And I’m also conflicted. It really slows down the pacing of the film a lot. The first half of the movie is amazing but the monster stuff is kind of sleep inducing. So it’s similar to how I feel about Monster Zero in that way….great human cast, pretty lackluster kaiju stuff.

I don’t think the Zone Fighter approach would work. The Kg suit was just too tattered.

They probably should have just had less kaiju action if I’m being honest.

[Legion1979]

I don't think the fights need to be fast, just shorter. Honestly, cutting out all the stock footage would make the fights play better.

[king_ghidorah]

I don't think the fights need to be fast, just shorter. Honestly, cutting out all the stock footage would make the fights play better.

Yep. I still adore the movie. But the stock footage doesn’t need to be there. If they would have cut it out it would feel less padded.