A.K.A.
British Godzilla.
Some British treasure hunters, headed by Captain Joe Ryan (Bill Travers) and first officer, Sam Slade (William Sylvester), are salvaging around
Nara Island off the coast of Ireland when the region is rocked by an underwater volcanic eruption. Their ship is forced to dock for repairs. Ryan and Slade meet with the harbour master and learn that two divers in his employ have disappeared. One such diver is then found having died from fright. That night, the epononymous Gorgo emerges from the sea and trashes the harbour. Ryan offers to capture the creature, and succeeds in doing so. Gorgo is taken to London where he is put on display in a circus, against the wishes of the scientists who insist this could be dangerous. And yes, sure enough, said scientists are right. For it turns out the 65-foot tall Gorgo is just a baby. His fully-grown mommy then emerges, and she wants her darling boy back...
Was featured on
the ninth episode of the ninth season of
Mystery Science Theater 3000, being one of the better films on the show.
Also had a
Comic Book Adaptation published by
Charlton Comics, some of which had art done by
Steve Ditko.
This film contains examples of:
- Bring It Back Alive
- Contemplate Our Navels: A reporter repeatedly gives speeches of this nature during the film's climax, much to Mike and the Bots' annoyance.
Crow: WOULD YOU DIE?!
- Gigantic Adults Tiny Babies: Gorgo is about a tenth the size of his mommy. That said, he's still over 20ft tall.
- Empathy Doll Shot: Complete with people trampling it during the mad mob rush in London.
- Kaiju
- Mama Bear
- Monster Has A Mommy
- Monumental Damage: London Bri... errr, the Tower Bridge and Big Ben get totalled by Gorgo's mom.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: One of the scientists insists the ship's crew continually hose down Gorgo while transporting him to London. We find out later that this creates a trail, which Mama Gorgo follows.
- Also, one of the rockets fired at Gorgo goes astray and hits Big Ben through the clock face. Although it could be justified that this may be a low bugdet moment in the film.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Literally defines the climax of the film involving Gorgo's mom.
- Shout Out: Nara Island is named after a city in southern Honshu, Japan, in honor of Godzilla.
- Too Dumb to Live: Several bystanders get roasted alive when they decide to go down to the dock and watch as the military fills the river with petrol and lights it in an attempt to burn Gorgo.
- The military isn't much better: It doesn't occur to any of them to give Gorgo back until Mama Gorgo has trashed most of the Royal Navy and a good chunk of London.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Gorgo gets trapped in a net, drugged with tranquilizers and paraded around London, and then put on display in a grimy, gray pool. Also, his mommy loses her son. She just wants him back. Wouldn't you be angry if someone did this to your son?
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