GORGO (the name given to the monster is supposedly because it has the power to turn men to stone with fright, like the gorgon, but I suspect it's merely a derivative of GODZILLA) is simply a British version of the typical monster on the rampage in a city theme, done to death in films like THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and all the others. The British aspect has both good and bad points; unfortunately the budget is slightly hampered, but there is the endearingly British aspect to things.
As monster movies go it's not a bad rip-off, hardly original, but it passes the time. All of the traditional things are in the film, including bad acting, the army fighting the monster (including the typical stock army footage of aircraft taking off, etc.), the monster trashing the city only for the world to be saved at the end. I was going to comment on the bad back projection in this film, however after recently viewing AT THE EARTH'S CORE it doesn't seem as bad. But then I don't think anything would. The actors are all bland, sailor types, and you won't give two hoots about any of them, apart from an endearing little boy who runs about in peril. Bill Travers is particularly wooden which is a surprise given the charismatic performances he gave in his later 'animal' films like BORN FREE.
There are some effective moments in the film, including the arrival of the red-eyed monster and a hilarious moment involving some giant rubber fish, but these are few and far between. The trouble is that we've been here a million times already and the film doesn't offer up much that's new. Is the final destructive climax worth waiting for? All I'll say is that the smashing buildings are slightly more realistic than those in the Japanese equivalents, that's not really saying much though. The monsters in the film are strictly of the man in a rubber suit variety, and not realistic at all, and pretty generic really.
Also, there isn't that intentional/unintentional humour aspect which makes films like these so enjoyable, for instance it's nowhere near as much fun as the kaiju DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. However, there is a good ending to the film, something of an anticlimax but good nonetheless. This time around, the monsters survive and return back to the ocean. It's a happy film to watch for those of us who root for the monsters in these things and it really brings a smile to the face when the brunt of the military force just can't defeat mother nature. It's certainly a first for me anywhere, more endings to monster on the rampage films should be like this, after all Gorgo is only defending her young. All together, GORGO is a typical monster on the rampage film, with nothing to distinguish it from all the others apart from the British setting. In which instance it gets an extra star. It passes the time, but there's no need to go out of your way to see it.
As monster movies go it's not a bad rip-off, hardly original, but it passes the time. All of the traditional things are in the film, including bad acting, the army fighting the monster (including the typical stock army footage of aircraft taking off, etc.), the monster trashing the city only for the world to be saved at the end. I was going to comment on the bad back projection in this film, however after recently viewing AT THE EARTH'S CORE it doesn't seem as bad. But then I don't think anything would. The actors are all bland, sailor types, and you won't give two hoots about any of them, apart from an endearing little boy who runs about in peril. Bill Travers is particularly wooden which is a surprise given the charismatic performances he gave in his later 'animal' films like BORN FREE.
There are some effective moments in the film, including the arrival of the red-eyed monster and a hilarious moment involving some giant rubber fish, but these are few and far between. The trouble is that we've been here a million times already and the film doesn't offer up much that's new. Is the final destructive climax worth waiting for? All I'll say is that the smashing buildings are slightly more realistic than those in the Japanese equivalents, that's not really saying much though. The monsters in the film are strictly of the man in a rubber suit variety, and not realistic at all, and pretty generic really.
Also, there isn't that intentional/unintentional humour aspect which makes films like these so enjoyable, for instance it's nowhere near as much fun as the kaiju DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. However, there is a good ending to the film, something of an anticlimax but good nonetheless. This time around, the monsters survive and return back to the ocean. It's a happy film to watch for those of us who root for the monsters in these things and it really brings a smile to the face when the brunt of the military force just can't defeat mother nature. It's certainly a first for me anywhere, more endings to monster on the rampage films should be like this, after all Gorgo is only defending her young. All together, GORGO is a typical monster on the rampage film, with nothing to distinguish it from all the others apart from the British setting. In which instance it gets an extra star. It passes the time, but there's no need to go out of your way to see it.