The War of the Gargantuas (1966) User Reviews

The War of the Gargantuas (1966) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 5 September 2004]

For monster lovers, this has to rank up there as one of Toho Studio's greatest and most satisfying giant monster movies. For those looking for it, there's plenty of nonstop monster mayhem and devastation on tap. However, it's hard for me to decide which of the two versions I prefer; the Japanese original (which calls our creatures "Frankenstein's" and is a direct sequel to Toho's own FRANKENSTEIN VS BARUGON, aka FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD) or the U.S. edition (which christens the beasts "Garganutas" and works better as a separate stand alone story). This may be a rare occasion where the American rendition proves to be more entertaining, for a few reasons...

One grisly sequence shows the evil monster chewing a woman victim up like a piece of meat and spitting something out; in the Japanese version it's a bouquet of flowers, while in America it works more effectively as the girl's clothes.

Another quality I prefer in the U.S. edition is some of the music. Just works better for me during the action sequences of the monsters being fought off by the army as well as when they're beating each other up.

In the American film, Russ Tamblyn is especially funny to hear while looping his own embarrassed voice into English. And no matter which version you settle on, you'll still get the treat of hearing a female nightclub singer belting out that horrendous and long-vilified classic tune with hilarious lyrics that include "the words get stuck in my throat"! Worth watching for this alone! *** out of ****

Not Russ Tamblyn's crowning glory

[irishm · 5/10 · 6 May 2014]

I've never liked Tamblyn much anyway, but he was still below his normal level of performance here. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with the dubbing, but still… some of it was just Tamblyn. He looked bored and self-conscious. I don't think his facial expression changed once in the hour and a half running time. He looked like he was waiting for a bus, and that saying his lines posed something of an inconvenience.

A few outstanding moments: love the scene where the fisherman looks into the water and sees the green gargantua glaring up at him; that was a real nice "jump". I also like the scene where the green one is emerging from the sea at a distance; it's not clear (aside from the title of the film) what exactly that thing is at first since it's so far away, and it gives quite a creepy effect. And, of course, the scene where the green one runs away, leaps off the land and into the sea is just hilarious… that was the scene my little brother and I always waited for and then howled at.

The brown one took longer to show up than I remembered from previous viewings; I almost forgot he was coming. The interaction between the two is nice… not all that subtle, perhaps, but subtle for a Japanese monster movie. The usual big mess is made by the warring creatures, with much destruction of model buildings and vehicles. I got a chuckle out of the female lead's plea not to kill the "good" gargantua… lady, the two of them are rolling all over the entire city locked in mortal combat; if we don't do something pretty darn quick, they're going to level the whole metropolitan area!

The less that is said about the female lounge singer, the better. I'd like to stick something in her throat that would preclude her from ever singing again; she has absolutely no talent whatsoever. Yes, the song was terrible, but that wasn't where the entire fault lay.

I don't know how it would be to watch this for the first time as an adult. As an adult who loved it as a kid, it's a fun way to spend 90 minutes. First time I'd ever seen it with the proper aspect ratio; I was so used to watching it on a small, square analog TV that it really seemed new and fresh on a 32" flat-screen… not to mention that it's much easier to tell the gargantuas apart in living color!

Incredible non-Godzilla kaiju magic!

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 7 October 2019]

As a young kid in the 1970's, WFMJ-TV 21 in Youngstown, Ohio played monster movies every night at 1 AM (or later, if Tom Snyder was on). They only had so many Godzilla films before they'd run out and have to run a secondary Toho franchise.

Yes, this movie is a franchise, the sequel to 1965's Frankenstein Conquers the World. Instead of Nick Adams, this time we have Russ Tamblyn as the American star. This is the third and final film that Toho would collaborate with Henry G. Saperstein on (in addition to the Frankenstein, they also made Invasion of Astro-Monster together).

Saperstein was an interesting guy -- he specialized in licensing, working with Col. Tom Parker as Elvis Presley's licensing agent as well as creating and selling merchandise for Debbie Reynolds, Rosemary Clooney, Chubby Checker and the Three Stooges. He'd go on to syndicate golf and bowling shows in the infancy of TV, as well as buying UPA, the studio that made Mr. Magoo. He led them to syndicating the Dick Tracy TV show, another merchandising goldmine. He also purchased the rights to the Japanese spy spoof Kokusai Himitsu Keisatsu: Kagi no Kagi (International Secret Police: Key of Keys), which became What's Up, Tiger Lily? with help from Woody Allen.

At the end of 1965, Toho informed director Ishiro Honda that his director's contract would not be renewed, despite successes like the original Godzilla, King Kong vs. Godzilla, the unstoppable Destroy All Monsters, Rodan, Mothra and many more. Of course, he kept directing for Toho, but now there was the stress of wondering if each job would be his last.

To add to that stress, it's said that Russ Tamblyn and Honda were often at odds, with the American actor refusing to read his lines. Honda's chief assistant, Seiji Tani (who would go on to be the second unit director for Destroy All Monsters) would tell the authors of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa: "Honda-san had to hold back and bear so much during that one. Russ Tamblyn was such an asshole."

I don't know how much you know of Japanese culture, but for someone to go on record saying such a thing is a major deal. For what it's worth, Saperstein would later say that Tamblyn was "a royal pain in the ass." As all of his lines were dubbed in Japanese, the American actor had to go back and redub the US version. He forgot all of the words, so what's in the film is completely improvised. If only Tab Hunter, the original actor picked for this movie, stuck around.

The film was originally announced as The Frankenstein Brothers, then The Two Frankensteins, Frankenstein vs. Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Decisive Battle and Frankenstein's Fight. Regardless of the title, this is one of my favorite Toho films. I'm not the only one. Brad Pitt has gone on record saying it's the reason why he wanted to become an actor. The battle between Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill: Volume 2 was called the "War of the Blonde Gargantuas," with Tarantino screening the film for Hannah. And bott Tim Burton, Nicholas Cage and Guillermo del Toro cite the film as one of their favorites.

Maybe it's because of the scene where Kipp Hamilton sings "The Words Get Caught In My Throat," which ends with one of the titular beasts grabbed her as she finishes her act. Has any monster movie been this gleefully crazy? I mean, would Devo cover any other monster movie song?

It all begins on a dark and stormy night, as a fishing boat is attacked by a giant octopus, which is then destroyed by a green giant who proceeds to decimate the boat. Only one survivor makes it, telling the authorities that it was Frankenstein.

The press picks up the story and interviews Dr. Paul Stewart (Tamblyn) and his assistant, Dr. Akemi Togawa (Kumi Mizuno, who starred in plenty of kaiju epics), who once had a baby Frankenstein in their possession.

Yes, in the original film, Frankenstein was born in a very strange way. German officers had taken the heart of the original Frankenstein's monster from Dr. Riesendorf and sent it to Hiroshima for further experimentation. Of course, once the bomb dropped, the beast was irradiated and became a feral boy running lose through the streets, eating small animals and becoming immune to radiation. He eventually becomes a giant and battles Baragon, who would go onto appear in many Toho films (you can also see his skull in Pacific Rim Uprising).

There end up being two beasts in this one: Sanda, who is the original from the first film and Gaira, a piece of tissue that was torn off, made its way to the sea and fed off plankton until it grew into giant form. The new creature hates humans and is hurt by daylight, while Sanda attempts to save people.

The final battle, as the two monsters fight into Tokyo Bay, is amazing. Their skirmish is so violent, an underwater volcano ends up taking both of them out. Sadly, there would be no third film in the series, despite rumors that one of them would battle Godzilla in an upcoming film.

There are multiple American versions of this film, with the Saperstein cut removing all references to Frankenstein Conquers the World and the creatures called gargantuas instead of Frankensteins.

Haruo Nakajima, who played Godzilla in 11 of the original 15 movies, has claimed Gaira as his favorite role, as the costume was very easy to move in and his eyes were visible, allowing him to show more emotion.

I have a test as to whether or not I can be friends with someone. If they watch a kaiju movie and make fun of how cheap it is or how fake it looks, they have no imagination. In my mind, this movie looks incredible, with huge sets and intricate monster costumes. I've watched this hundreds of times and it gets better with every single viewing.

Another Classic 60s Kaiju Flick

[Eric-62-2 · 29 March 2001]

"War Of The Gargantuas" comes from my favorite era of Toho's kaiju flicks, the 1960s, when the emphasis was relatively straightforward action and fun, and thankfully no annoying little kids making friends with the monsters. And this time, we have a monster in the Green Gargantua (Gaira) who is really frightening and who eats people to boot (not even Godzilla ever went that far). It left me unnerved the first time I saw it as a kid.

Like most kaiju films, the original Japanese version is much better than the later dubbed American version. Russ Tamblyn (generally okay but clearly bored and resentful of his sudden fall from the heights of "West Side Story" and "The Haunting") might have gotten his own voice back in the U.S version (the Japanese actor who dubs him in the original doesn't sound anything like him at all and in Toho's European market English dub they used another actor), but everything else about it is decidedly inferior. The dubbing is awful, and sections of Akira Ifukube's score are replaced with an endless, monotonous theme for the military that I think was first used in "Earth Versus The Flying Saucers." Cropped and faded, as existing American video prints are now, the film really looks cheap and silly and the flaws are magnified. The original Japanese version in widescreen format, has beautiful color and sound that immediately conjure the image of a stylish late 60s action flick with reasonably good FX for the time, and the results far more entertaining in the end. Also in the Japanese version, we learn that this movie is actually a sequel to "Frankenstein Conquers The World" since the monsters are referred to as "Frankensteins" rather than "Gargantuas" as they are in the dubbed version.

As for the infamous nightclub scene featuring ex-Fox starlet Kipp Hamilton's infamously bad song before she gets attacked (but contrary to what others say here, not eaten), even that somehow comes off better in the Japanese version. When you stop to think of it, the Japanese audiences had it better since they couldn't understand a word of those inane lyrics when they were watching! But what the heck, how many other bad songs did we suffer through in all those James Bond film knockoffs in the late 60s? ("Your Zowie Face" in "In Like Flint" anyone?) I prefer to write that off to the goofy spirit of the times. And "War Of The Gargantuas" is in the best tradition of the goofy spirit of fun 60s kaiju that remains a guilty pleasure to savor again and again in my book.

Lab of the Giants.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 8 January 2021]

This is actually a very entertaining Japanese science fiction film that while sporting some obvious cheap effects becomes all the better for not trying to be anything else but fun. A group of scientists are alarmed by the presence of a Gargantua which they suspect could possibly be a variation of what they created and let loose, stunned by its violent nature (which includes eating pretty ladies) since the one they created was rather docile. After ravaging an airport, this Gargantua goes after a nightclub then plays toss-a-cross with Tonka tanks in a residential area. There's only one way out for this creature, and it proves quickly not to be the only one.

The hairy simian like monsters come in different colors and obviously have different temperaments, yet have feelings of emotions for others of their kind. The nasty green creature gets TLC from the brown version, a rather tender scene considering what a bear the green one was earlier. The cast is mostly Japanese with the exception of Russ Tamblyn, as far from the mean streets of the west side of Manhattan as he can get, and he's still a bit boyish in mannerisms if not intelligence. Some of these international monster movies can be quite dull because they take forever to show off the creature, but not this one. It gets the creature out right at the opening and that pushes it up a notch for me.

Non-stop movie monster fun.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 20 April 2010]

You have to simply take this type of movies for what they are. It's quite hard to say anything serious about them because they are all looking very outdated, features some bad acting and of course also don't have the most clever or original scripts.

What makes this movie very fun and watchable is the fact that it's almost non-stop movie monster action. Halve of the time during this movie you're watching a bunch of guys in suits walking around at a set with miniatures but it's all simply fun and good to watch. Lots of things get destroyed and the army is basically using everything it got to stop the two Gargantuas from reaching Tokyo. At the same time the two Gargantuas 'brothers' are also battling each other, so we have some action coming from basically every angle here.

It means that the 'human' story of the movie gets sort of pushed to the background but this is not necessarily a bad thing. It only means that the movie decided to go for entertainment rather than depth. Also not a bad movie, considering that the acting in this movie isn't exactly the best. Russ Tamblyn's overacting is quite laughable.

The movie is not necessarily a sequel to "Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû Baragon", since this one doesn't even feature any of the original characters from that movie. It means that you don't necessarily need to see the first movie before watching and enjoying this one. The movie is from the same director and pretty much features the same crew as well, who did lots of movies like this together. Honda is also the director of the first original "Gojira" movie.

This movie is simply good and entertaining for what it is.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Brother Against Brother(Not really...More Like Kaiju Against Kaiju)

[BaronBl00d · 7/10 · 23 November 2012]

Well, I have an awfully big spot in my heart for the Toho Godzilla films of the 60's and 70's. I had never seen this one, learned it was a sequel to a film about Frankenstein I also had never seen, and ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I saw the American version where just about every vestige that might relate itself to Frankenstein Vs. Baragon had been eliminated. Here we have two gargantuas - Gaira and Sanda - clearly related yet very different. One is green. The other beige if you will. One, the green one, spends most of its time in the sea, the other on land. One hates bright lights. The other does not mind at all. One eats people. The other is friendly toward people. The list of comparisons and contrast could go on even longer. What does appear to be true is that the green one came from the brown one when it scraped some of itself somewhere or somehow its cell scattered thus creating Gaira. Gaira is the bad one. Sanda is the good one. Anyway, before we get to their "epic" battle we find that the brown one had once been small and studied at a scientific institute led by the blandest, hip-looking scientist alive - Amerian Russ Tamblyn. Tamblyn looks SO bored throughout the picture and utters his lines with absolutely no conviction at all. He is just awful in this. Fortunately for us, his pretty assistant does a good job. Toho regular Kumi Mizumo gives this film some much needed pulse. But lest you believe the living humans are the most important characters in the film - they are really the two monsters and director Ishiro Honda. The opening scene with Gaira and the squid and the ship was very compelling. The miniature sets and those cool tank-like machines that emit electrical currents also were most impressive. Honda was always a very good director. American producer and president of American International Pictures Henry Saperstein barely gives Honda any credit for his name is jumbled with all the other film credits while his name(Saperstein's) is huge - several times. Yeah, he was a big shot! This is a pleasant film with some great scenes and also some funny scenes - not though I am sure they were meant to be. As I said the opening scene is probably the best. But the scene where Gaira is temporarily defeated by those cool machines is another great scene as is the scene where the two monsters meet in the deserted city and finally take their fight to the sea. Gaira also eats a woman on screen - something I never recall seeing in a Godzilla picture. But we also get a ridiculous scene of a beautiful American redhead(the lovely and unfortunately shortly-lived Kipp Hamilton) crooning a ridiculous song("The words get stuck in my throat") when Gaira comes up from behind and attacks. How about the scene with the uber-happy hikers? And there is Russ Tamblyn. He is VERY bad. Notwithstanding all of that, I enjoyed War of the Gargantuas immensely.

A Jerky Turkey--DON'T MISS IT!!!

[Flixer1957 · 4/10 · 23 August 2002]

**May Contain Spoilers**

As originally scripted, this was going to be a sequel to FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD but extensive rewriting turned it into a turkey in it's own right. The two gargantuas look like giant sasquatches. The brown one is benevolent until pushed into violence. The green one, an accidental clone of the other, is lots more fun. He stomps on cars, eats humans raw and spits out their clothing, picks up army tanks and throws them into buildings and in general makes a nuisance of himself. The authorities try to destroy him with rockets fired from toy tanks with obvious model soldiers looking out of the hatches. They also lure him with food–a truck full of squealing pigs–and open up on him with laser rays, destroying most of a lush forest in the process. Taking a cue from the humans in the overkill department, the two gargantuas flatten half a city during their obligatory last battle. The action is frequent, fast and furious and the rare slow spots are redeemed by entertaining dialogue, as when one character asks egghead scientist Russ Tamblyn why the green gargantua takes to the ocean and the hero sagely replies "I dunno–maybe he fell in love with a whale!" If you can only see one post-Godzilla monster flick in your lifetime, this howler should be it.

Great movie from my childhood!

[otto4 · 8/10 · 10 June 2005]

This is one of the more original Toho productions out there, and it's also one of the more frightening. The Green Gartantua is the bad one, and he is only too happy to eat people whole whenever he gets the chance. The classic seen in this movie is when the Green Gargantua comes ashore near a hotel/apartment complex and tears the walls off exposing people inside. Then he grabs one and pops them into this mouth, chewing with gusto! To top off this great scene he *spits out* the chewed clothes of the person he ate, sort of like a person would spit out a cherry pit.

This movie really needs a re-release on DVD!

Silly,Creepy Fun

[scarlton-2 · 7/10 · 11 August 2005]

Having first seen this movie as a young fan of all Japanese monster flicks,I was profoundly affected by the absolute ugliness of the green Gargantua,and his hideous practice of chewing people up and spitting out there well-gnawed clothing.Where I usually kind of rooted for the Tokyo-stomping monstrosities of the genre,I found myself really wanting the green beast dead.Even the atmosphere and shocking trumpet score that played when he showed up was creepy,and you kind of hoped that something really nasty was going to happen to him by movies end.Who can forget the scene at the airport when the green's eating habits are first shown in grim detail?Even though the creatures brown,mountain-dwelling cousin is no better,he still doesn't approach the absolute hideousness of the water-dwelling green.All-in-all,this is definitely one of the more obscure and ugly pictures of the Japanese giant-monster genre,and should give fans a bit of a thrill,and a profound happiness that 300 ft tall abominations aren't stalking the seas devouring hapless victims on boats and at airports.I highly recommend it to the true fan.

The War of the Gargantuas: Disappointing

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 22 February 2019]

Supposedly a sequel to Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) make no mistake that the two movies have zero connection and you won't be seeing Frankenstein joining the fray here.

Another Toho monster film it see's two giant monsters appear and the threat they may pose to mankind.

The monsters are dudes in monster suits and to the films credit actually don't look all too bad. The rest of the sfx are what you'd expect from Toho so lots of miniatures and the usual array of scores.

So the general premise is monster vs monster vs mankind, we've seen it before and it's one of those mixed bag concepts that usually misses more than a beat. Sadly it doesn't really work here, we have our good monster, we have our bad monster, we have the scientific protagonists and we have the gung-ho military but none are exactly engaging.

I actually went into this with fairly high hopes but sadly they weren't met. I like Toho but generally their serious work is considerably better than the likes of this, especially when the monster movie isn't part of the Godzilla universe.

I want to say nice try, but it wasn't.

The Good:

Looks the part

Not the worst of concepts

The Bad:

Manages to be oddly boring

Damn Good

[gigan-92 · 8/10 · 9 April 2009]

I finally bought the collector's edition of "Rodan" and "War of the Gargantuans". Thanks, Classic Media. Damn, what a good way to waste $25 bucks but the movies are so good it was totally worth it. The DVD is of good quality, although lacking the usual special features I was expecting. I was really hoping to hear the G-experts view on the two films but there is a nice hour-long documentary included. "Bringing Godzilla down to size" tells the complex story of Godzilla's rise to fame and tragic fall, yet soon return. "War of the Gargantuans", another Honda-flick, is a real treat, the unofficial sequel to "Frankenstein Conquers the World". With practically the same production team, the film is pretty damn good. Odako ( the giant octopus) is great in this movie. The last time I saw him was what, 62', back in "King Kong vs. Godzilla"? Sanda and Gailah are a nice break from the onslaught of reptilian and insect monsters, both looking nice and thankfully realistic. The "brother's" conflict is an interesting part of the story, and, like "Rodan", the human carnage really gives a more adult feeling while watching. We see some great action sequences, this movie starring the Maser tank, which will star in the exact same scene in "Godzilla vs. Megalon" thanks to horrendous stock-footage. Because of their "human" appearance and characteristics, the gargantuans can interact with the protagonist in a way a giant dinosaur, three-headed dragon, or giant moth just can't. This film is also one of the few to star an American actor, who fits in nicely. The music is dope, Ifukube delivering a nice and dark score. He even includes a spunky JSDF march, as he did in many of Honda's "Golden Age" movies, a nice edition. To be clear this American version was better than "Rodan"'s, but once again the score is heavily edited, not even including the JSDF theme at all! Either way, that annoying song at the nightclub is included, but seeing as Gailah kills the braud I'll let it go. As I watched it, one can't help but feel such disappointment with Godzilla. After "Invasion of Astro-Monster", the series went to total crap thanks to Jun Fukuda and the crappy scores. 1967, "War of the Gargantuans" was released, compared to "Son of Godzilla". Damn...... If Toho had simply let Honda continue doing the films without the sacrifice of the serious tone for a childish one that soon became played out; maybe Godzilla would've never even had to cut his Showa era short. Just a thought that was on my mind. Back to the 2-disc set, damn, good work Classic Media.

The comments get stuck in my throat.

[OllieSuave-007 · 6/10 · 21 December 2004]

This is a rock'em, sock'em monster flick from Toho - pure monster wrestling action. This is the sequel to "Frankenstein Conquers the World" (1965), a story about scientists discovering monster cells in the sea and detect they might be related to the Frankenstein Monster. You would only know this film is a sequel if you saw the original Japanese version. The American version edited out all references to the previous film. I first saw parts of this movie on TV, and didn't see the entire thing until years later. I did remember seeing Gaira, the Green Gargantua, eating a woman, and seeing Sanda, the Brown Gargantua, saving one. The two monster brothers didn't seem to agree on each other much, and take it out on each other in hapless Tokyo.

For the acting, Russ Tamblyn did an absolute poor job. Just the part when he walks (instead of running) to save Kumi Mizuno's character while the monster is attacking a few feet away shows complete lack of emotion and urgency. In addition, there are more of those dumb and defiant reporters. Kumi Mizuno saved the film, as well as Kipp Hamilton (The Words Get Stuck in my Throat). I loved her music scene.

Overall, not much plot to the movie, just the scientists trying to discover the origin of Gaira while he is loose in the city with the military (and later Sanda) trying to stop him. Not much hope and zest either. The human characters generally weren't all that remarkable. Lots of monster and military action though, supported by another great Ifukube score.

Grade C

Gargantuan Franken-Apes Quarrel Over the Ethics of Eating People

[Cineanalyst · 3/10 · 24 September 2019]

Supposedly a sequel to "Frankenstein Conquers the World" (1965), this monster mash, or "kaiju" film, abandons its predecessor's recycling of clever concepts from prior narratives in favor of focusing on two guys in monkey costumes making a mess on miniature sets and being shocked with animated lasers from the Japanese army. Some movie-goers seem to be into that sort of thing, as indicated by this sequel generally being higher rated than the first installment. Admittedly, it features superior action-packed pacing, more elaborate and frequent giant monster attacks and somewhat better visual effects and costumes. The opening scene involves one of the gargantuan brothers wrestling a giant octopus, and, indeed, the Baragon dinosaur that the Frankenstein creature fought in the first picture looked ridiculous. But, all of it is pretty silly. It was the concepts that "Frankenstein Conquers the World" borrowed from "Gojira" (1954), "King Kong" (1933), Universal's Frankenstein films, and even Mary Shelley's book, that lifted that picture a bit beyond mere junk best enjoyed by laughing at it.

I viewed the original Japanese version of this, translated as "Frankenstein's Monsters: Sanda vs. Gaira," in addition to the Americanized "The War of the Gargantuas," because my main interest in it is as part of my quest to see a bunch of Frankenstein-related films (this makes 48 reviewed on my list thus far). Nothing of value is lost in the complete withdrawal of "Frankenstein" references in the English-language-dubbed version, though, which were as pointless as the names made up on the spot, for no apparent reason, for the monsters: "Sanda" and "Gaira" (or the "brown" and "green" ones, as they say in English). They are merely giant yeti-looking creatures on the loose. There's exposition and a flashback informing that one of these monsters originated in the lab, and the supposed scientific importance of the creatures is repeatedly mentioned, but none of this is of interest, nor does it make any sense. (What's the scientific value? Why did they became gargantuan? Etc.) The entire science-y subplot comes off as backstory filler. In the first film, it made sense in the tradition of "Gojira," with the Frankenstein monster being a metaphor for Japan after the devastation of two atomic bombs. His escape from captivity and climactic battle with another monster also echoed themes from "Frankenstein" (1931) and "King Kong." None of that appears in the sequel. Like the people-eating gargantuan clone here, it's an unholy abomination.

Can you say Guilty Pleasure?

[boris-26 · 13 December 2004]

Yep, another monster is menacing Japan. This time it's a large ape-like monster called "Gargantua" After it causes some havoc, the military chases it down in a forest and believes they have killed it. Just then, a larger gargantua comes in, tears the place apart, and rescues it's monster brother.

A visiting American scientist (Russ Tamblyn, who is likable here) deals with the conflict of keeping the military from making hash of the monsters.

The film is fast paced, has the energy of a children's story. From the first moment, there's excitement. Try and catch the original Japanese language version, with the better music score. Another fun building-smashing fest by Inoshira Honda.

If you like giant monster movies, this one is legendary

[FilmExpertWannabe · 7/10 · 25 April 2011]

War of the Gargantuas is a movie that stems from another dark-themed monster movie, 1965's Frankenstein vs Baragon. Even from the beginning it has a sort of dark theme, with a sinister looking Gaira attacking Oodaku (giant octopus). As Gaira thoughtlessly devours people, you're tempted to cringe. But the hero gargantua, Sanda, brings another piece into the story. It becomes a battle of brothers, one dark and evil while the other is for all intents and purposes good and pure.

This isn't your average monster movie, but in a lot of ways that's a good thing. This is one of those dark, near-horror style films that Toho produced in the 50s and 60s, such as 1954's Godzilla or 1958's H-Man. The more human like nature of the gargantuas draws the viewer in and draws out more emotions.

It's worth mentioning that although the film is a direct sequel to Frankenstein vs Baragon, almost all of the relationship between the two films is edited out of the American version, leaving a lone comment on the main protagonist discussing a 'hand' he's been studying. That would be Frankenstein's hand. Another thing mostly edited out of the American version is the more romantic relationship between the doctor and his assistant. You get that kind of vibe even in the edited region one release of the movie nonetheless.

If a lot of the campy 1960s or 1970s Godzilla films don't do it for you and you want something darker, more serious, near-horror, War of the Gargantuas is for you. It's a fantastic film with the only real weak point being lack of character development. You don't really care even when they're in danger, but otherwise there are few faults. I wouldn't even mind if Toho decides against ever creating a remake of the film, because its quality even roughly a half-century later is superb, and they probably wouldn't capture the spirit of the original, much like other classics such as King Kong (1933) or Godzilla (1954).

Looking outside of this specific film, I'm actually glad they elected not to place the gargantuas in a Godzilla movie (Toho originally had written up some loose plans to make a "Godzilla vs Gargantua(s)" for a 1978 theatrical release). In the 60s and especially by the 70s, Godzilla had become campy and "fun". While there's nothing wrong with that in itself, bringing a gargantua would weaken their story much like the campy Godzilla films greatly weakened Godzilla's (1954) reputation as a dark horror movie. Both monsters have their place, just not together.

Fun Japanese Monster Fest

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 9 May 2013]

An experimental lab animal called a gargantua escapes from his captors and is suspected to be the creature that is killing people all over the countryside. But when the gargantua from the lab appears at the same time as the evil gargantua, the two begin to battle across Japan.

I love seeing Russ Tamblyn in any movie, and here he is so young (and yet somehow a respected doctor... well played). He really made the film for me, and distinguishes it from many other monster movies.

I do love the awesome monsters, the effects, the suits. The squid creature in the beginning was excellent and very creepy. The gargantuas are cool... like giant Sasquatches.

My only real complaint was the inclusion of the most terrible singer who ever lived. Apparently this was Kipp Hamilton, who had an otherwise lackluster career and died young (age 45). I hate to be rude, but her "talent" is not missed.

Fun, if somewhat incoherent, monster epic

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 14 March 2018]

Ostensibly a sequel to 1965's "Frankenstein Conquers the World", the connection between "War of the Gargantuas" and that film is pretty tenuous (especially if watching an English-dubbed version* in which the name 'Frankenstein' is never used). Apparently, despite Frankenstein's supposed demise at the end of FCtW, some of his tissue developed into a savage green clone named 'Gaira' AND either the original Frankenstein survived to become the mellow brown giant 'Sanda' OR both 'Gargantuas/Frankensteins' are clones grown from the discarded tissue (this is far from clear). The evil Gaira dispatches a giant octopus, sinks a ship (where he demonstrates an appetite for humans), and then attacks an airport (an amazing miniature set considering its brief screen-time). As usual, the JDF's conventional weapons are useless against the marauding colossus but the new maser cannons carve him up pretty badly. At this point Sanda appears and the two monsters go into hiding. An American professor working in Japan (a non-dancing Russ Tamblyn) points out to the military that, if a fragment of the original Frankenstein's tissue begat the behemoths (one or both), then blowing Gaira to pieces would be ill advised. This complicates anti-Frankenstein strategies, but the gigantic pair begin to fight each other so the JDF is off the hook for saving Japan (yet again). The humanoid 'Gargantuas/Frankensteins' are a bit of a departure for Toho's monster factory but are surprisingly engaging. The miniature cityscapes that they destroy are as good as any in the Showa-era Godzilla films and in general, the optical effects (maser beams, back projections, mattes, etc) are quite effective. The presence of Russ Tamblyn (best known for his energetic choreography in "West Side Story" (1961) or "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954)) adds little to the film (apparently he was a pain in the ass to work with) and the American professor character was likely included to make the film more marketable in the USA. His assistant (Akemi Togawa (Kumi Mizuno)) supposedly worked with a young Sanda (hence the inconsistency with Sanda being a clone of the original Frankenstein), which is all very confusing, as Kumi Mizuno was in FCtW and did interact with the young Frankenstein, but as a character named Dr. Sueko Togami. While definitely a kaiju film not to be thought about too carefully, "War of the Gargantuas" is fast-paced, well-executed, and quite entertaining in a silly sort of way. * there appear to be a number of versions in circulation, I am commenting on the Classic Media subtitled Japanese version on DVD.

Where is the Japanese veriosn

[keithomusic · 3/10 · 8 October 2022]

This would be a decent kaiju movie if it weren't for the fact that the original Japanese version seems unavailable in the U. S. . I re-watched the English language dub of this movie recently (I'm not really sure if I ever saw the Japanese version. Anyway the dub wasn't as bad as usual, it's the sometimes unintentionally ridiculous voices that are used. Why do never get voices that match the pitch of the original characters? The story is sort of novel, at least for a kaiju movie. Two humanoid monsters who are DNA related end up fighting each other and destroy parts of Tokyo. The acting is OK, but I take issue with the woman who was a professor/doctor in the previous film (Frankenstein Conquers the World) is now pretty much reduced to eye candy/damsel in distress. I assume that Russ Tamblyn (and Nick Adams in the previous film) is there to appeal USonian audiences. If you can get past the annoying dubbing then this is a decent kaiju movie.

War of the Gargantuas is a great film!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 18 January 2005]

I am a huge Godzilla fan and Gamera fan I grew up with Godzilla and Gamera. I have a;ways been a big monsters fan to begin with. I just love seeing these awesome monsters just destroy cities and fighting other monsters. I also like other monster films especially Toho's other monster movies!

This monster film is one most exciting giant monster films ever in My opinion! The story is excellent! The Gargantuas are cool looking. I love it when they roar and run. The fights between the two monsters and the army is really good. The special effects are outstanding in My opinion. The acting by the film's human stars are also good. The music is great by Akira Ifukube! I really love this monsters film for many reasons and its arguably the best ever! If you love Godzilla, Gamera, and other giant monster film I strongly recommend that you do what I did and buy War of the Gargantuas today!

American version review

[Adirondack · 6/10 · 12 July 2005]

A good, entertaining film, but only if you like Japanese giant monster movies. The Gargantuas (especially the brown one)reminds me of King Kong in "King Kong vs Godzilla". I wonder if the octopus in the beginning was the same one in that film.

I'd have a hard time believing it if someone told me that actor Nick Adams wasn't considered for the role of the American Doctor. Adams had that role in "Frankenstein Conquers the World", and the role of the American in "Godzilla vs Monster Zero". Perhaps he didn't want to be typecast as a Japanese giant monster movie actor, so he turned down this part! Anyway, Nick and Russ Tamblyn seemed similar in the way they played their roles, but I can't put my finger on how.

There is good destruction here and I loved seeing the efforts of the army fail. What kind of giant monster could be hurt by anything humans did anyway? There was the water electrocution scene though, which was nice. Soon after he got out of that situation, the actual war implied in the title begins. It was funny to see the brown Gargantua pull up a tree and swat the green one with the top of it as he slept! However, it's a long time into the film when the war starts (over an hour into it). For a title that implies that the film is all about their war, the film crew sure takes a long time to build up to it. The buildup has it's nice moments though, and should at least keep you mildly interested to see what happens next.

**Spoiler: The climax is interesting, with both Gargantuas dying in the explosion, although I think I'd rather see one Gargantua kill the other (possibly the green one drowning the brown one, since Greenie lived in the water and could probably hold his breath longer than Brownie), then the surviving Gargantua dies in the explosion. I can live with the way it did end though.

very mediocre monster movie with a message

[r-c-s · 5/10 · 1 November 2005]

this movie is very mediocre. Not unwatchable as "Godzilla vs the smog monster ", yet an extravaganza of mediocrity...from acting ( Russ Tamblyn reminds me of the Willian Shatner-Capt. Kirk out of shape of the 80's ) to the overall package. The plot is not that bad as it shows 2 twin monster Yetis ( or other humanoid big-foots), one evil & the other kind & compassionate (in spite of the fact they are identical). Besides that, lots of miniatures, cartonbox cities and -of course- men in suit jumping here & there wreacking havoc. Many say it was funny... i didn't find it very funny, besides the visible shortcomings of a C, low budget Japanese monster movie. Same as other TOHO movies, it tries to digress from the main focus on the man in suit mashing some cartonbox sky-scraper... in its digression, it fails...Godzilla vs the sea monster is a rare case when such digression is successful, because it's limited in scope. definitely a movie you won't want to watch twice.

I like to call it "War of the West Side Story Gargantuas"

[zenzelmo · 10/10 · 21 December 2005]

I ranked this movie so high because it's a must-see for anyone who likes horrible movies. As Japanese monster movies go, this ones a classic. Russ Tamblyn, five years after his bold and exuberant role as "Riff", the leader of the Jets street gang in West Side Story, has been down-graded as an actor by the time he takes the role of the intense doctor in War of the Gargantuas. His total disgust at having to compromise his earlier aspirations of stardom are clearly reflected in his WOTG performance where every one of his lines seem spoken while trying to stifle projectile vomiting. My guess is that the only reason he doesn't break down in tears in front of the cameras while muttering "Why me? Why me?" is because he didn't cash his paycheck from the Toho producers before filming. For this reason alone, WOTG is an example of Mr. Tamblyn's best acting.

This is just one aspect of why this movie is a gem. I first saw the film during a late night horror show in the 70's. The Green Gargantua (the bad guy in the movie) was perhaps the ugliest thing I had ever seen and the star of many nightmares for months afterward. He looks like a giant hockey player covered in green carpet and scales and sporting a face that's a cross between an angry Frankenstein and a cosmetic surgery addict (you know the ones I mean). Green Gargantua is unstoppable as he teases the unsuspecting citizens by periodically popping out of the ocean only long enough to run across the tarmac of Tokyo International Airport and munch on the occasional lounge singer before jumping back into the safety of Tokyo Bay. Can you imagine how much of an inconvenience this must have been for the air traffic controllers? I mean, it's hard to plan for that kind of thing.

As usual, mankind gets sick of being treated like Crunch'n'Munch and eventually lures G.G. into the countryside where they are hoping to destroy him by performing the gargantuan equivalent of throwing a toaster into a bathtub and carving him up with those handy-dandy masers (those giant flashlights on trailers that shoot lightning). Man, if only the Japanese would have had that technology 20 years earlier. The outcome of WWII would have been mighty different, I tell you. Anyway, G.G. gets torn up and Brown Gargantua (the good guy in the movie)finally shows up to save him. We see Brown Gargantua once earlier in the film as a baby when we discover that Russ Tamblyn's character (along with his assistant, the beautiful Akemi) used to be kind of like his Au Pair when the little bugger was just a Springer Spaniel-sized, milkshake-drinking squirrel monkey. B.G. is much bigger than G.G. (and comparatively more handsome by Gargantua standards) and is able to talk the Japanese army into stopping their assault on G.G. by waving his hand and yelling (B.G. is much more of a diplomat than his green flesh-eating brother).

The last act of the movie has B.G. breaking his leg while saving Akemi from a fall, then giving G.G. his walking papers (a tree to the face) after discovering all his new room-mate does is lay around the forest apartment all day eating up everything in the frig (aka, hikers and boaters). G.G. tears back to Tokyo (and I don't mean that slow, cocky saunter we get from other Japanese monsters, but an all-out sprint the likes you have never seen) while a limping B.G. pursues him (I don't know if it's to talk some sense into G.G. -- "Hey, eating people is BAD" -- or what, but it's a needed plot point for a dramatic ending). B.G. catches up to G.G. in Tokyo and they duke it out to a standstill (and you can't tell me B.G. wouldn't have mopped the floor with G.G. if his leg weren't broken). Russ Tamblyn's character and Akemi do their best to keep the armed forces of Tokyo from killing B.G. in the chaos, but are unsuccessful. Obviously, the military has caught wind that Russ Tamblyn is no longer the leader of the Jets street gang and has no authority over them. The two gargantuas continue to fight through the city and into the bay where, low-and-behold, a volcano has just decided to erupt and boil the two monsters as they flail away at each other. The ending shot is of the erupting volcano and the boiling bay accompanied by very sad music. I'm sure the music is designed to keep the audience from following their instinct to say "Yea, the Green Gargantua is getting boiled!", but instead, motivate them to say "Darn, the Brown Gargantua is getting boiled!". My eyes are getting misty just thinking about it.

So, there you go. Enjoy it for what it's worth -- a testament to the importance of more enlightened Gargantua conservation laws.

Solid creature entertainment

[gulchu · 7/10 · 14 February 2022]

Solid creature entertainment. The story is fairly solid, there's no special effects with this one. Just a good way to kill a couple hours for any monster aficionado.

Still Bizarre & Awful.

[AaronCapenBanner · 1/10 · 30 April 2014]

Needless sequel to "Frankenstein Conquers The World/Vs. Baragon" sees the emergence of a giant and evil Gargantua that has been attacking the Japanese countryside and waters, murdering people and worse, before it sets its sights on the city. Meanwhile, the Frankenstein boy from the first film re-emerges, only now has changed into a gargantuan itself(though a good one) that tries to stop the killing and destruction, though there is revealed to be a most unexpected connection between them. Equally tacky and preposterous film has a higher degree of violence than usual, but is still difficult to sit through. At least there wasn't a part III!