By the time this Godzilla movie was made, Toho was having its own budget problem. Several scenes in the movie are stock footage taken from earlier Toho movies, and Akira Ifukube's music is merely a reused soundtrack from music taken from no less than nine other Toho movies. But, a lighthearted story here: *possible spoilers* A cartoonist named Gengo stumbles upon a plot by the invading Cockroach Aliens to overtake Earth, trying to find "perfect peace." Their own planet (which for some reason looks exactly like Earth),was being polluted (echoing the pollution theme from Godzilla vs Hedorah). They employ chicken-like monster Gigan and Godzilla's old fiend King Ghidorah to lay waste to Tokyo. But, Godzilla and Anguirus are awakened on Monster Island, and, sensing that something is wrong from a mysterious tape that Gengo played, goes to Tokyo to do battle with the invading monsters.

The human characters are funny and enjoyable to watch, and they cheer for Godzilla (making him look like the hero in him). Gengo has a humorous, "black-belt and karate" girlfriend, and a hippie-looking friend. Bell-bottoms are worn, making this look like a real '70s Godzilla film. Lots of city destruction (even though some are stock footage) and monster fights (though Godzilla is pretty weak and some of the fight sequences really dragged on and on). A little intriguing part is where Gengo and friends go to investigate the backgrounds of his mysterious employers. *another possible spoiler* Why one of the aliens (disguised as a human) give Gengo a job at his "Godzilla Tower" and tip him off about his Earth-conquest plot is beyond me.

Overall, a pretty fun Godzilla flick to watch, if you don't mind all the stock footage and stock music. A good directing job by Jun Fukuda. But, I think the alien-invasion plot that Toho has been using is a little over-used by the time this movie was made. Just to note, this movie is the first (and only) time we get to see and hear Godzilla talk (at least in the US version).

Grade B-

I'm a massive fan of kaiju movies so I come to these films predisposed to like them. I've seen most of the original GODZILLA series and am attempting to fill in a few blanks; one of those is GODZILLA VS. GIGAN, a late-entry instalment that pits Godzilla and his old foe Anguirus against new space-monster Gigan and an old enemy, King Ghidorah.

GODZILLA VS. GIGAN is plenty of fun from beginning to end, and the formula for that success lies in having a human interest story that's just as entertaining as the monster stuff. This time around, a group of environmentalists and employees investigate the mysterious owners of a new Godzilla theme park, soon uncovering some dark secrets which inevitably throw Japan into peril.

Godzilla is on good form in what is one of the grisliest of the series (who knew you'd end up seeing a Japanese blood spray in a children's film?). Anguirus is my favourite kaiju monster, purely because he isn't capable of much and it's kind of sweet to watch him getting beaten on so much, so seeing him here was a delight. Gigan proves a deadly foe - especially with that saw! - and King Ghidorah is, well, King Ghidorah. You can't go wrong with that combo, and inevitably GODZILLA VS. GIGAN turns out to be a colourful, action-packed romp.

Hiroshi Ishikawa is a comic-book artist who needs the work, so he goes to work for a children's park, dominated by a building in the shape of Godzilla. After he is knocked out by hippies with a piece of corn, he goes to work with them, and discovers the people in charge of the park are space aliens who have loused up their own planet. They intend to take over the planet using evil monsters like Ghidrah and Gigan. Fortunately, the good monsters, led by Godzilla break out of Monster Island to defend the Earth.

The Godzilla franchise has certainly shifted its symbolic message. Originally a Japanese take on King Kong, with Godzilla representing the A-Bomb dropped on an innocent, peaceful Japan, decades of peace had transformed the image of the US/Godzilla into a strong and terrifyingly powerful monster who was nonetheless on the side of Japan when it could be bothered. There was also an increasing ecological message, at least since GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER..

All of that is besides the real appeal of the franchise and this movie, which is about guys in rubber suits stomping on models of Tokyo like a mean kid kicking over a sand castle, and fighting other guys in rubber suits and the occasional puppet monsters. Although the green lightning bolts that Gidrah shoots out of its mouths at the good guys (so to speak) look pretty cheesy, the rest of it looks up to par.