Gappa: Monster From A Prehistoric Planet (1967)

[Scott]

GAPPA: MONSTER FROM A PREHISTORIC PLANET (1967) - Wow, how did I miss seeing this movie growing up with all the other Japanese Monster films during the 70's? This was a lot of fun and I found it very entertaining. It's Jurrassic Park with a human touch. An egg from some kind of reptile bird hatches in an island cave populated by natives. A group of Japanese take it back to make it part of a magazine owners wildlife island. Well, it isn't long before the parents of the creature comes looking the little Gappa. These large flying creatures (Gappa's) have some kind of laser breath as they take on the Air Force and destroy parts of Japan. Those who made this film put alot of effort into it. Again a very fun entertaining film that really surprised me as being strangely enjoyable. At the end the baby Gappa learns to fly at the airport. Then they show Japan getting back to normal and the creatures flying off into the sunset. Well done !







Also I bought a DVD copy of it that has both 2D and 3D versions. Hoping to locate some 3D glasses to watch parts of it again.

[Dave Munger]

Does anything in the movie have to do with Frankenstien or a prehistoric planet? Maybe this is one of those ones where the English version is way different.

[Scott]

I think the "Frankenstein" title on the European poster is referring to "Monster" and there is no mention of a Pre-Historic Planet in the whole film. I suppose it just adds to the wonder of this strange film. : ) It's an enjoyably weird looking monster film.

[Chris K.]

This particular monster flick that Scott has mentioned was made by Nikkatsu Corporation, a Japanese film company that specialized in crime-thrillers and dramas. The film, titled DAIKAIJU GAPPA, was made in conjunction with an American finance/distribution outfit called Manson Corporation. The film was titled by Manson Corporation as GAPPA: THE TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER (which is, in my opinion, the more correct title) in 1968 for it's English-Language release in the United States and Great Britian. Later in 1972, the film was picked up for American television by American International Pictures-TV and re-titled under the awful MONSTER FROM A PREHISTORIC PLANETand horrendously panned-and-scanned.

As for the connection of Frankenstein in the European publicity photos, the film was released in Germany and re-titled by the German distributors as GAPPA: FRANKENSTEIN'S FLIEGENDE MONSTER (which, when translated in English, means "Gappa: Frankenstein's Flying Monsters").

[ED]

I have seen it as "Gappa: the Triphibian Monster" The problem is that I don't know when I saw it.   A few years ago AMC did a lot of kaiju films  on Halloween, but I don't think this was one of them.  
-Ed

[Flangepart]

Get the Tokyo Shock dvd of this.
It has the original Japanese soundtrack, and the title theme song is very snazzy!

[daveblackeye15]

I've always thought that the title "Prehistoric Planet" meant that they were from when Planet Earth was Prehistoric" so I never thought of the title being dumb.

[Scott]

Imagine having a sound track version with both 2D and 3D and commentary with trailer and stills. That would be a nice package.