Monster From a Prehistoric Planet

The sole foray into the giant-monster arena from Nikkatsu Studios (producers of the classic The Burmese Harp) presents a cutesy clone of Toho's Rodan with a plot lifted from British city-stomper Gorgo. Unfortunately for monster fans, there is little of the earlier films' creativity on display. An infant version of the title creature (only one of an apparent species) is found on Obelisk Island by a group of Japanese reporters, caged and spirited away to Japan to become a media attraction. Naturally, this incurs not only the ire of the island natives, but the wrath of Baby Gappa's full-grown parents, who storm off to Tokyo to inflict rubber-suited mayhem on some particularly cheap-looking model buildings. Nikkatsu's lack of experience with the genre shows in the goofy-looking monster suits, shoddy effects and exaggerated cuteness. It's also evident from the film's tongue-in-cheek approach that the producers had no illusions about the inherent silliness of this project -- an attitude somewhat less prevalent in Toho's monster series. Also known as Monster from the Prehistoric Planet.