Godzilla vs. Megalon

Japan Release: 1973
Running Time:
81 minutes

Godzilla vs. Megalon


Japanese Title

ゴジラ対メガロ
[Gojira tai Megaro]

Distributor: Production:

Toho
Toho

Jet Jaguar, a humanoid robot developed by a civilian named Goro living in the countryside of Japan, is seized by an undersea race called the Seatopians that are looking for vengeance after nuclear tests have caused devastation on their society. Using the robot, the underworld species send Jet Jaguar as a guide for their instrument of revenge: a giant, beetle-like monster called Megalon. However, Goro manages to take back control of his robot and sends him off to bring Godzilla back for help, prompting the Seatopians to ask the alien race from Space Hunter Nebula M to send the monster Gigan so that he can do battle with Godzilla...

Live Action Science Fiction KaijuGodzilla

Box Office - Stock Footage - DVDs - CDs - Pictures - Background - Concept Art - Cut Scenes - Reviews

Titles

International Title

Godzilla vs. Megalon

Initial US Title

Godzilla vs. Megalon
US Distributor: Cinema Shares (1976) / Time: 78 Minutes

Alternate Titles

Godzilla vs. Megalon
[Literal Translation]

 


Monsters

Rodan
Rodan (stock footage)
Gaira
Gaira (stock footage mistake)

Aliens, SDF & Misc.

Type 66 Maser Beam Tank
Type 70 Maser Beam Tank
Type 61 Tank
Type 61 Tank (stock footage)
Rocket Launcher Truck
Rocket Launcher Truck (stock footage)
Missile Launcher Truck
Missile Launcher Truck (stock footage)
Hybrid Tank
Hybrid Tank (stock footage)
Type M3A1
Type M3A1 (stock footage)
SAR-1
SAR-1 (stock footage)
Support Helicopter
Support Helicopter (stock footage)
M24 Chaffee Tank
M24 Chaffee Tank (stock footage)
M4A3E8 Sherman Tank
M4A3E8 Sherman Tank (stock footage)
Red Bamboo Fighter Plane
Red Bamboo Fighter Plane (stock footage mistake)

Staff

Cast

Directed by Jun Fukuda
Writing credits Jun Fukuda, Takeshi Kimura, Shinichi Sekizawa
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka
Music by Riichiro Manabe, Masato Shimon
Cinematography by Yuzuru Aizawa
Film Editing by Michiko Ikeda
Production Design by Yoshifumi Honda
Assistant Director Tsunesaburo Nishikawa
Director of Special Effects Teruyoshi Nakano
Goro Ibuki Katsuhiko Sasaki
Hiroshi Jinkawa Yutaka Hayashi
Rokuro Ibuki Hiroyuki Kawase
Antonio, Emperor of Seatopia Robert Dunham
Head Seatopian Agent Kotaro Tomita
Seatopian Agent Wolf Otsuki
Truck Driver Gentaro Nakajima
Truck Driver's Assistant Sakyo Mikami
Japan Self Defense Force Commander Kanta Mori

Posters


Box Office

Release Date: March 17th, 1973 (Japan)
Attendance: 980,000 (Japan)

Toho Stock Footage


DVDs and Blu-rays

United States Region 1 Godzilla vs. Megalon Alpha Video (2001) [Unlicensed]
United States Region 1 Godzilla vs. Megalon Passion Products (2002) [Unlicensed]
United States Region 1 Godzilla vs. Megalon Age Video (2003) [Unlicensed]
United States Region 1 Godzilla vs. Megalon Tokyo Shock (2012) Order
United States Region 1 Godzilla Stomp Box Tokyo Shock (2014) Order
Japan Region 2 Godzilla vs. Megalon Toho (2004)
Australia Region 4 Godzilla vs. Megalon Madman (2006)
United States Blu-Ray Godzilla vs. Megalon Tokyo Shock (2014) Order
United States Blu-ray Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films Criterion (2019) Order
Japan Blu-Ray Godzilla vs. Megalon Toho (2014)

CD Soundtracks


Background and Trivia

  • Toho submitted the movie to the US copyright office on April 22nd, 1988. The titles used were Godzilla vs. Megalon, the international title, and Godzilla tai Megaro, a hybrid of the Romaji title.
  • Played at the Toho Champion Festival in Spring of 1973. It was featured alongside Prominent Youth! (1973) and Panda Go Panda: The Rainy Day Circus (1973).
  • Director Jun Fukuda wrote the screenplay, created based on Shinichi Sekizawa's treatment. This was because, due to the tight schedule, Sekizawa did not have enough time to write a full script, requiring Fukuda to step in. Mentioned in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
  • The entire production, from planning to its completion, took about six months. Cited in Age of the Gods (self-published).
  • Special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano has been quoted saying he feels the entire shoot for the movie was "probably three weeks." Noted in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
  • The first screenplay, submitted in 1972, featured a longer title of Godzilla vs. Megalon: Operation to Destroy the Undersea Kingdom (ゴジラ対メガロ兄弟 海底王国全滅作戦). A second script, drafted on September 5th of 1972, had an even longer title of Insect Monster Megalon vs. Godzilla: Operation to Destroy the Undersea Kingdom (昆虫怪獣メガロ対ゴジラ 海底王国全滅作戦). This name is noteworthy for giving Godzilla second billing after Megalon, something that hadn't happened since Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). While this name stayed for the third draft, ultimately a more streamlined title of Godzilla vs. Megalon was selected.
  • The characters Goro Ibuki and Rokuro "Rokkuchan" Ibuki belong to a big family, noted as the 5th and 6th brothers respectively with Rokkuchan being the youngest of his siblings. Brought up in Age of the Gods (self-published).
  • Actor Katsuhiko Sasaki, who plays Goro Ibuki, notes that the scene of Rokuro Ibuki using his dolphin pedal boat was filmed at Lake Motosu. He recounts this being December of 1972, and as a result was quite cold. To mask this, director Jun Fukuda had the older actors Sasaki and Yutaka Hayashi drink whisky to help minimize the visibility of their breathing in the cold. This is brought up in the DVD commentary on Toho's release.

Reviews

Anthony Romero Star Rating
April 18, 2003
Alexander Smith Star Rating
December 10, 2011