Gorgo

Yes, Yes, I know...this movie could be viewed as simply a ripoff of Godzilla. But really, the Brits took the concept and did a "Good show, old chap." Unlike most of the 'Zilla movies, it actually has an interesting plot. It's theme has a decidedly "pro environment" message...and the guy in the monster suit doesn't camp it up, but makes the monster seem remarkably real. Now there are some weaknesses...despite a journeyman cast of capable folks, many still turn in one-note performances, as if they're a little embarrassed about being in a monster movie. Also, some of the plot mechanisms are a little creaky. For all that, though, this is a monster movie that's at least a small cut above most. It held my attention as an adult (I'd first seen it as a child and didn't see it again for twenty years), the special effects are mostly quite good, and the ending, despite being hokey, still works! It rarely shows up on tv for some reason...so if you get a chance, rent it (there are copies available in independent shops that specialize in rare movies.)

GORGO is hardly a perfect film but it does have several things working in its favor which make it more entertaining than many other giant monster films. One is director Eugene Lourie, certainly no stranger to giant monster films directing THE BEAST FROM 20000 FATHOMS, THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK, THE GIANT BEHEMOTH as well as GORGO. In terms of Special FX and Ending, only the first film named above is better than GORGO. The FX work(done by Tom Howard) in GORGO is truly well-accomplished and for the time and era was rather ground breaking. The Ending is also truly unique amongst giant monster films which usually all end the same way but this one certainly doesn't.

The problems lie mostly with lack of character development and some serious leaps of logic. Still there are times this film can be quite suspenseful particularly once Mama Gorgo comes on the scene. The huge red-eyed Mama rising out of the water is certainly memorable stuff.

Bill Travers and William Sylvester (the latter having played Heywood Floyd in 2001 and also starring in *UGH* Devil Doll) are a group of fishermen/pirates who scour the ocean floor for gold and such. Well, one day, a volcano erupts while they are searching "some old rustbucket", and the next day, when they are repairing the boat, a prehistoric dinosaur (well, what other age did they come from?) attacks the island and is captured by the crew. Rather than donating it to the Irish government, they do the *cough* right thing and take it to London to sell to a circus for half of the profit to a Mr. Dorkin, one of the most tastelessly dressed men in the business. But then the monster escapes, right? No siree. Another dinosaur appears, except this one is MANY times taller. In other words, Dear old mum checks in to see how our babysitter friends are doing with her kid, and she won't be happy . . .

Despite some rather boring moments, this one, like Phantom Planet or Jack Frost, isn't too bad without the help of MST3K. It helps that the guy who directed The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is the director. The one thing that bothers me: where's the female character? Maybe it could've been more interesting with a female point of view. But this is a kid's film, and I guess they could care less. But the one kid in this movie, although like Kenny from Gamera in that he likes the monster, is not annoyingly cute; he's much more a dramatic character than a comedy relief. And one more thing that strikes me funny: Joseph O'Connor, who is a veteran of British film, three years later starred in a film called "The Gorgon"!

The British must have been really jealous of the legendary Japanese monster Godzilla destroying the city of Tokyo, as they insisted on having their very one mega-giant critter destroying the city of London. The result is Gorgo, a charming and easily aggravated sea lizard of Irish descent with adorable bright red eyes. The film opens with a diving expedition witnessing an underwater volcano eruption in the middle of the ocean. The impressive ecological phenomenon brings a lot of fake and inexistent species of rubber fish to the surface, but also awakens the bad-tempered sea monster Gorgo. See, Gorgo is a really cool monstrosity that doesn't waste any time and that's something horror fans will definitely always appreciate. Unlike most monsters in the film industry, Gorgo doesn't start by picking off sole victims somewhere in the middle of the sea; it promptly attacks entire seaside villages at one. That way, there are witnesses aplenty and the few hysterical survivors don't have to waste half of the script trying to convince the authorities about what they saw. Greedy fishermen catch the prehistoric critter and sell him/her/it to a sleazy circus owner in London. But then, and inevitably, it turns out that they only just captured Gorgo Junior, and mommy obviously doesn't like that her baby is downgraded to being a circus freak. "Gorgo" isn't a great or even highly memorable monster classic, but at least it's never boring. The titular monster is pretty cool, the special effects are reasonably astonishing considering the time of release and there are a few admirable attempts to generate sequences of mass hysteria and mayhem. The majority of miniature sets are delightful and let's not forget the various and hilarious use of stock footage! Military battleships and U-boats are firing off artillery into the open water and Gorgo isn't anywhere near the point of impact. The rampage through London itself is not as overwhelming as the aforementioned Godzilla crushing down Tokyo, but it's nice and exhilarating to look at nonetheless. Recommended if you have a soft spot for late 50's/early 60's ecological monster movies.

A retelling of the Godzilla story in a British setting, Gorgo is a lot of fun to watch. As other reviewers have said, two fisherman come across a monster ("Gorgo") off the coast of Ireland and decide to put it on display in London. Trouble begins when Gorgo's mother shows up and wants her child back! The scenes of terrified crowds rushing the streets and attacks by the military are all well filmed (obviously the British military helped out a great deal in producing the movie), and it's neat to see a monster destroy a city besides Tokyo for once. Gorgo is obviously someone in a rubber suit, but the monster itself comes across as totally believable. Takes a while to get moving, but well worth seeing.