Godzilla vs. Gigan

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) aka. Godzilla on Monster Island

Synopsis of Godzilla vs. Gigan

Godzilla vs. Gigan, aka. Godzilla on Monster Island, this slight but fun 1972 entry in the Godzilla franchise pits the King of the Monsters and four-legged cohort Angilas against aliens bent on world domination, as well as their old nemesis, the space dragon King Ghidorah, and a new creature, the birdlike cyborg Gigan.

Editorial review of Godzilla vs. Gigan courtesy of Amazon.com

Diehard G-fans may be disappointed by the film’s kid-friendly tone (a shift in direction signaled several years earlier by Godzilla’s Revenge) and its over-reliance on stock footage from other Godzilla films to depict the monsters’ orgy of destruction, as well as an unfortunate decision to make Godzilla “talk”; however, children (Gigan’s real audience) will undoubtedly enjoy the frantic action.

Parents should know that there are two brief moments of blood-letting (Godzilla and Angilas both suffer wounds from a buzzsaw that juts from Gigan’s torso), but otherwise, the film is free of objectionable material. —Paul Gaita

Product Description 

When alien invaders, plans for a children’s theme park and four giant monsters with six heads between them all collide, the result is the inevitable battle for the fate of the Earth. At least, that’s how it is for Godzilla, who teams up with his former spiky foe Anguirus for a tag team match against two of his greatest adversaries: the legendary three headed King Ghidorah and Gigan, the cyborg hench-monster for insidious insect aliens whose plot to wipe out all human life is cleverly disguised as plans for the construction of a new children’s theme park.

Unfortunately for the bug’s diabolical designs, their secret monster control codes are accidentally discovered by comic book artist Gengo Kotaka, who broadcasts the master tape and brings Team Godzilla into play. It’s not going to be an easy fight, though, as the odds are four heads to two, and King Ghidorah’s one of Godzilla’s toughest opponents. With his cybernetic weaponry Gigan is equally ruthless, and his alien masters are as hard to kill as the cockroaches they resemble. Will Earth’s biggest defenders finally fall? Or will Godzillar, and insecticide, triumph over all? Find out in GODZILLA VS. GIGAN!

Cast of characters

• Hiroshi Ishikawa … Gengo Kotaka
• Tomoko Umeda … Machiko Shima
• Yuriko Hishimi … Tomoko Tomoe
• Minoru Takashima … Shosaku Takasugi
• Zan Fujita … Fumio Sudo, the Chairman of World Children’s Land
• Toshiaki Nishizawa … Kubota, Secretary of World Children’s Land
• Kunio Murai … Takashi Shima
• Gen Shimizu … the Commander of Defense Forces
• Kuniko Ashihara … Mrs. Fudo
• Zeko Nakamura … Priest
• Akio Muto … Kadohisa
• Haruo Nakajima (Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster) as Godzilla
• Kenpachiro Satsuma (Godzilla vs the Smog Monster) as Gigan
• Koetsu Omiya as Anguirus
• Kanta Ina as King Ghidorah