The original "Godzilla," "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," "The Giant Behemoth"--heck, even "The Giant Gila Monster" or "Reptilicus"--all managed to make us feel something for both the titular monsters AND their human victims. "Gorgo" has nothing at all, and lots of it.
Out of a cast of only six major human characters (if you count the teleporting London announcer)--and hordes of walk-ons by grumpy fishermen, elderly scientists, and British military commanders--only problem-child Sean leaves any impression, and it is not a pleasant one; the movie wants him to seem angelic and precocious, but his apparent delight in every moment of the monsters' carnage--even after witnessing scores of people dying before his eyes--renders him as annoying as his worst Japanese counterpart from the "Gamera" movies.
Our "heroes" Joe and Sam, played by Bill Travers and William Sylvester, have all the usual moral debates and action scenes, yet somehow remain so utterly indistinct and bland that it is often difficult to tell them apart or remember who is who. That leaves circus manager Dorkin, who plays his spiel for the cameras then stands around, and the harbor-master-slash-archaeologist-slash-treasure-hoarder whose hostility is as inexplicable as his role.
Even as threadbare as the story is, it frequently makes no sense; Sean ups and runs off with a truckful of soldiers for no discernible reason during the bigger monster's rampage, and Joe and Sam drop everything to chase after him. One of them--I couldn't tell you which one and I just watched the thing--finds Sean sitting alone, quietly enjoying the death and destruction, and drags him straight into the stream of evacuating Londoners. They are herded into a subway station which promptly collapses under the monster's weight, killing everyone except Sean and Sam/Joe, who somehow had the presence of mind to run into the tunnel. The pair emerge in the next station almost immediately (the two stations must be no more than a single block apart) yet this station is completely empty, ignored by the panicking mobs directly upstairs. AND THEN, with the child in tow, Sam/Joe somehow manages to hoof it back to the circus ahead of the big monster that is making a beeline for same.
The entire onus of entertaining us is left squarely on the monsters and the special effects, and they just aren't up to the task. The Gorgos' wiggly "ears" and blinking eyes only draw attention to the lack of mobility throughout the rest of the suits. Some miniatures are impressive--until they break up--but the mattes and superimposition effects are frequent and dreadful.
If you want giant monsters trashing London, stick with "Giant Behemoth" or "Konga." Neither serious nor goofy nor unusual enough to merit attention, "Gorgo" fails miserably in every respect.
Out of a cast of only six major human characters (if you count the teleporting London announcer)--and hordes of walk-ons by grumpy fishermen, elderly scientists, and British military commanders--only problem-child Sean leaves any impression, and it is not a pleasant one; the movie wants him to seem angelic and precocious, but his apparent delight in every moment of the monsters' carnage--even after witnessing scores of people dying before his eyes--renders him as annoying as his worst Japanese counterpart from the "Gamera" movies.
Our "heroes" Joe and Sam, played by Bill Travers and William Sylvester, have all the usual moral debates and action scenes, yet somehow remain so utterly indistinct and bland that it is often difficult to tell them apart or remember who is who. That leaves circus manager Dorkin, who plays his spiel for the cameras then stands around, and the harbor-master-slash-archaeologist-slash-treasure-hoarder whose hostility is as inexplicable as his role.
Even as threadbare as the story is, it frequently makes no sense; Sean ups and runs off with a truckful of soldiers for no discernible reason during the bigger monster's rampage, and Joe and Sam drop everything to chase after him. One of them--I couldn't tell you which one and I just watched the thing--finds Sean sitting alone, quietly enjoying the death and destruction, and drags him straight into the stream of evacuating Londoners. They are herded into a subway station which promptly collapses under the monster's weight, killing everyone except Sean and Sam/Joe, who somehow had the presence of mind to run into the tunnel. The pair emerge in the next station almost immediately (the two stations must be no more than a single block apart) yet this station is completely empty, ignored by the panicking mobs directly upstairs. AND THEN, with the child in tow, Sam/Joe somehow manages to hoof it back to the circus ahead of the big monster that is making a beeline for same.
The entire onus of entertaining us is left squarely on the monsters and the special effects, and they just aren't up to the task. The Gorgos' wiggly "ears" and blinking eyes only draw attention to the lack of mobility throughout the rest of the suits. Some miniatures are impressive--until they break up--but the mattes and superimposition effects are frequent and dreadful.
If you want giant monsters trashing London, stick with "Giant Behemoth" or "Konga." Neither serious nor goofy nor unusual enough to merit attention, "Gorgo" fails miserably in every respect.
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