Okay, even though there are some flaws with this one it remains one of my favorite of the sixties and I'll tell you why. Gabara is one of the coolest designs in the sixties since Ghidorah. Plus, I like seeing little Minya human size, I always suspected there was a child in that suit and watching this movie confirms that theory. The story is good and the effects are great. Now I really wish it was more then just his imagination, that's complaint one, and complaint two is all the stock footage they used from Son Of Godzilla and Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monsters. True Godzilla fans will recognize these scenes. Since the movie is kind of short at around 70 minutes, the stock footage felt like unneeded padding. As big of a genius Honda was he could have done better, but that is small. I like this movie even with it's flaws and I give it a big eight Stars.

Often vilified as one of the all-time lowest points in the popular ongoing series, this film is no where near as awful as its notoriously lousy reputation would suggest. In fact, it's actually quite good and done with a great deal of heart. Lonely and neglected latchkey kid Ichiro (a likable performance by Tomonori Yazaki) is usually left alone at home by his well-meaning, but hard-working parents. Ichiro escapes from his dismal lot in life by dreaming of Monster Island. Ichiro befriend's Godzilla's nice, yet timid son Minilla, who's having problems with big bully monster Gabara. Meanwhile, Ichiro has trouble with a real-life neighborhood bully and runs afoul of two bumbling bank robbers. Director Ishiro Honda brings a certain goofy charm and surprising sensitivity to the oddball plot. Although basically a silly kiddie flick, Ichiro's sad plight is nonetheless still very touching. Moreover, this film certainly delivers wall-to-wall monsters and plenty of lively beast bashes (the big fight between Minilla and Gabara is hilarious). Granted, said footage is culled from previous Godzilla pictures, but it's still cool stuff just the same. Sokei Tomioka's cinematography boasts such neat stylish flourishes as freeze frames and several scenes printed in double negative. Kunio Miyauchi's cutesy score hits the groovy-swinging spot. The funky rockin' theme song likewise smokes. This film even comes complete with a relevant message about the need to be both courageous and assertive so one can effectively deal with life's hardships. An unjustly maligned movie.

Latchkey kid Ichiro Miki lives in an industrial town. He has few friends and gets bullied by other kids. He dreams of visiting Monster Island. On the island, he befriends Minilla. In the real world, there are gangsters who take Ichiro hostage.

This is aimed straight for the young boys market. That is often the case for these types of movies. The bigger issue is placing most of the movie inside of a young boy's dreams. It essentially means that most of it is not real and doesn't matters. It takes away any sense of tension or stakes. Nevertheless, the camp value is high and it's fun in that sense. It isn't fun in any other sense. The two gangsters aren't fun or realistic. It would more compelling for him to slowly gather his courage to stand up to his bullies. It's only seventy minutes and it's fine for little boys but not much for anybody else.