Gappa the Triphibian Monster

This is basically an average, run-of-the-mill, standard-formula, by-the-numbers film. No more, no less. It has its good parts and its bad parts and plenty of clichés. The only things lacking are three-dimensional characters and a real love story. The plot deals with an expedition that goes to a South Pacific island looking for plants and animals with which to stock a new amusement park back in Japan. Instead, they discover a baby Gappa, a prehistoric lizard. Scientists see a valuable study opportunity. The businessmen aboard see a prime attraction for their park and so, against the wishes of the islanders, they take the baby away. Of course, baby has parents. Parents wreck the island and then Japan looking for baby. Nasty humans finally wise up and return baby. Unfortunately for this movie, which was released in 1967, the theme was done much better the previous year with the British classic "Gorgo." It was also done much better in Japan in the early 60's in "Mothra" and "Godzilla vs. The Thing." The best thing about the film is the special effects and that's saying a lot. Sadly, the special effects were directed by Akira Watanabe, who did the groundbreaking work in "Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monsters." In this movie, the creative-looking monsters stomp things and walk around in real time (to imply immenseness, Watanabe had the actor in the Godzilla suit walk slower and also slowed the film down a little), so it doesn't achieve the desired result. The monsters mysteriously shoot heat beams and are impervious to modern weapons (whereas in "Gojira," Watanabe could explain the atomic breath and hardened skin are fallout from the hydrogen bomb). Still, the military action is fast-paced and exciting, although I wonder still where they got all those missiles from. Ironically, scientists come up with a way to use sound waves to drive the monsters nuts and get them out of a lake so that missiles can be used, yet no one thinks to use the sound waves to drive the monsters away for good. One thing that was unintentionally funny. When the Gappas fly, it looks really cheesy. You'll instantly think of the flying monkeys from "The Wizard of Oz," only the Gappas look far worse. If anything, even a Grade B movie needs decent, fleshed-out characters. This movie has none. The main scientist is two-dimensional. His female assistant has a heart of ice. A reporter is one in name only (you never even see the guy reporting or writing). The love story between the reporter and the female scientist goes nowhere, even at the end. The little boy from the island who wants Gappa to be freed is so annoying you want the Gappas to step on him. All in all, this is an enjoyable film for the action. But, don't go expecting "Gojira." By 1967, those days were long gone. Interestingly, the film had some weird satirical elements, most of which failed. The expedition is welcomed to the island by natives who have been waiting for the promised return of the Japanese. It seems the island was occupied during WWII by the Japs and the islanders think that the Japanese were kind and gentle. Also, the financier of the expedition runs a magazine called "Playmate" and wants to call his theme park "Playmateland." The magazine is supposed to cater to kids, but my first though was that it was a play on "Playboy." The worst satire had to be the ending. The female scientist laments her actions in helping bring the baby Gappa back. So, she decides to give up her career and be a "normal" girl. In Japan, where the feminist movement didn't catch on for another 20 years, it was okay. But, seeing that the movie was released in 1967, I don't think that would have garnered many laughs in America.

source: Gappa the Triphibian Monster

Wow. Sexism, racism, monsterism, ridiculism, this movie has it all. I've seen many Japanese "man-in-a-rubber-suit" monster movies. Yup, got hooked as a kid. And this is the worst I've seen. To be fair, I saw it on one of the late night Monster, Horror, Chiller Theater showings, and it was the English dubbed version that had been edited down to just over an hour, so I could be missing some of the more subtle points and nuance. But here are the parts I DID see- The little Japanese boy, playing a "native" that went through the entire movie in black face (a subtle touch I managed to catch). The female scientist, who spent the whole movie cold-shouldering her suitor in order to pursue her career, only to decide at the end to give it all up to go home, become a woman, and wash diapers (a wholesome family message I was happy to see). Monsters that can't decide how large they are. Are they 10 feet tall, 100 feet tall, 1000 feet tall? The answer is YES! The version I saw did not explain how these flying, swimming, fire breathing lizard-birds (called Gappa) came to be. It also made no mention how a scientist with no prior knowledge of Gappa's immediately knew they were hypersensitive to certain sounds. But I'm sure that was all explained in the unedited version of the movie. Oh, and at the end of the movie, as the monsters flew off into the sunset, they blew up (huh?). This is not the worst movie ever made (Can you say "Monster a-Go Go"?), but it IS a really bad movie. I'm not sure how MST3K missed it.

source: Gappa the Triphibian Monster

Oh, how sweet. A monster movie with the touching moral; monsters are people too. When watching a monster movie, one should always be prepared for it to be very bad indeed. This one is no exception: the story stinks, the effects are poor (it is a 1967 movie after all) and the acting funny ("funny wierd" and "funny ha-ha") There is one curious aspect to this movie I would like to mention. I have always found the Japanese Gappa's squeal or "roar" very annoying. Much like fingernails on a chalk-board. However, in the movie it is stated that the Gappa is sensitive to high pitched noise. They use amplified high pitched noise to drive the submerged Gappa on to land so they can blast them with missiles. If the Gappa are so susceptable to such screaches then why don't they just shut up - or at least develop a more throaty method of communication.

Daikyoju Gappa introduces us to another of those Japanese monsters who delight in wrecking the urban areas of Japan. A great country apparently to be in the construction business. He's not the most fearsome of monsters. Imagine Godzilla with wings and a chicken head and you have Gappa. Scientists from Japan on another expedition to a south sea island come back with the recently hatched Gappa as the natives call him. They also don't take it away from them, but the scientists know better. Quite frankly the monster looks so ridiculous I can't imagine it scaring anybody above the age of 4. Still these Japanese monster films do have a goofy enjoyment factor in them no matter how bad they are. And they made tons of money back in the day.

A new entry will have to be created in the dumb-looking dinosaur/monster book of fame. Place this discovery under G for "Gappa" and log in its defining features as a prehistoric bird-lizard, complete with the biggest pair of stumpy feathered thighs any bird ever had and be sure to note its amazing ability to sustain flight for its mega-ton body merely by opening its wings. For his grand idea of a tropical theme park, Japanese magazine publisher has his minions abduct a baby "Gappa" for use as a prop but Mom and Pop Monster take exception. Copying a few clips from Godzirra's famous expose on how to trash puny humans and their equally lame weapons with hot Japanese wasabi breath, Mr. and Mrs. Gappa alternatively "fly" over and laboriously stomp through a thicket of Japanese toy villages on their way to retrieve junior. Do the desperate but determined Mom and Pop make it through the toy tank and firecracker gauntlet to rescue their homesick toddler? Bring a hankie for the grand finale reunion. It will touch your heartstrings as well as your funny bone.

Easily one of the worst Japanese Giant Monster movies ever made this turkey really dull. Essentially a remake of Gorgo, with an expedition finding a baby monster on and island and taking it home. There it grows rapidly. Its also there that the parents arrive to get it. After 45 or 50 minutes of painfully slow and painfully stupid south sea island stuff the parents show up and we get painfully bad special effects and moments that that are really dumb-for example it take awhile before anyone realizes they big ones want the baby, then the stupid humans won't give it up. The faces (like the rest of the suits) are rigid and the eyes are clearly on pivots (This movie has nothing on the monster in that awful North Korean workers allegory who's name I've forgotten) The breath weapon more often then not seems to have been included as an after thought. I was howling at the adult gappa wandering around destroying the city with an octopus in its mouth. Its horrible.And racist, with the all of the islanders smeared with a brown or black shoe polish, I guess its the Japanese version of a minstrel show. I really hate this movie--- well mostly- the destruction scenes are goofy fun, but its a horror to watch from the start- which I did. Serves me right for wanting to see the films cheesy special effects in high def.

I found this movie incredibly funny. There is nothing more fun than watching a man in a rubber suit smash over plastic buildings, while tiny plastic tanks attempt to stop it. The best part of the movie is where a flying animal appears out of the jungle on the island and you can see the strings attached to it's wings. You don't get effects like that these days. I recommend this movie if you want a good laugh, but if you want somthing serious, go elsewhere. It's Great!

An expedition in the South Sea are on an outing to capture exotic creatures to bring back. Which they do when they find a newly hatched reptile. But the creature's parents are less then thrilled with the baby being stolen. And start terrorizing Tokyo looking for it. What we get here is a fairly silly little "Gorgo" clone. This will definitely appeal to youngsters more more than older people, or even people past the age of puberty, but it's agreeable and non-offensive. Taking you back to a more innocent time of Satureday afternoon matinées. My Grade: C- DVD Extras: Nada, Zilch, one big goose egg while unless you consider Elish and Subtitled versions and/or production notes as extras (and I don't)