Plot (For Gigantis, the Fire Monster): WARNING!: I Tell the Endings!

Two pilots named Tsukioka and Kobayashi are hunting for schools of fish for their company in Osaka. Kobayashi's plane malfunctions and is forced to land near Iwato Island, an uninhabited strip of rocks formed by volcanic eruptions. Tsukioka then looks for Kobayashi and finds him safe, with only a wrist sprain. While talking, the two men hear some strange sounds and find two monsters duking it out. Finally, the two monsters fall into the ocean. Both Tsukioka and Kobayashi report the incident to the authorities to see if they can identify what creatures they were. It ends up, the monsters fighting are called "Angilasaurus," commonly known as "Angilas," and "Gigantis." Dr. Yamane, who experienced Godzilla's first attack, shows a film of Godzilla attacking Tokyo and says that both Angilas and Gigantis are part of the same family of "Fire Creatures." So Godzilla actually did die in the last movie, this is just another one. One of the authorities asks how did he destroy Godzilla. Dr. Yamane explained that he used the "Oxygen Destroyer," but the inventor, Dr. Serizawa, died and burned the formula, but then he explains that fire attracts these sort of creatures and that may be able to help them.

One day unexpectedly, Gigantis shows up near the shore of Osaka. Jets are sent to shoot up flares from their planes to lead Gigantis away from the shore. Gigantis sees the flames and starts to walk away. Meanwhile, a prison truck were transporting dangerous criminals to another part of the country. All of the criminals, using body language, decided that this would be a great opportunity to escape from prison and be let free. The prisoners beat up the two policemen guarding the back door of the truck and run away. A few of them see a gas truck to speed away from other policemen chasing them and crash into an industrial building of some sort and starts a massive fire. Gigantis oversees this and heads for the shore of Osaka again. A few minutes later, Anglilas walks on the shore and attacks Gigantis. The two creatures duke it out for a long time, and destroy Tsukioka and Kobayashi's tuna cannery. Gigantis finally bites Angilas's neck and throws him on a moat near Osaka Castle. Gigantis spurts out his fire breath and Angilas dies.

Tsukioka and Kobayashi are transferred to a Hokkaido plant. During a party, Tsukioka and Kobayashi are notified that Gigantis destroyed one of the fishing boats. All of Japan then began a massive search for Gigantis. Tsukioka then spots Gigantis walk up on an iceberg. He notifies the cannery and Kobayashi comes in his plane to take his place on keeping track where Gigantis is. Tsukioka is then transferred to the air force and travels on one of his buddies' jets. They drop bombs on Gigantis but are unsuccessful. Kobayashi sees that Gigantis is heading for the shore and tries to distract him from traveling there. Gigantis spews his fire breath and hits Kobayashi's plane. Kobayashi then crashes into an ice mountain and dies.

Tskioka, and the rest of the cannery grieve, but then Tsukioka come up with the idea of shooting missiles on the mountain and creating an avalanche. Tsukioka demands his own plane so he can settle a score with his dead friend Kobayashi. The planes shoot missiles at the mountain, and it buries Gigantis up to his head. Tsukioka then shoots his missiles and it buries Gigantis for many years. In King Kong vs. Godzilla, he will pop up out of the same iceberg.

Released in Japanese theaters only five months after the original "Gojira," "Godzilla Raids Again (in Japan as "Godzilla's Counterattack)" contained Godzilla's first sequel, and Godzilla's first monster fight. Out of the whole series, this is my personal favorite. It's one of those movies where you feel like as if you are one of the characters. Some of you may be thinking to yourself, "So in every movie up to Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla is actually Gigantis?!?!" and "Why is Godzilla called Gigantis?" For the first question, the answer is no. Gigantis and Godzilla are the same exact creatures. Don't worry. Besides, all of our Godzilla facts come from the Japanese movies, not the butchered American ones (Amazing how much our country spoiled some great movies back then!) Actually, Godzilla was called Godzilla in this movie in Japan, but the U.S. distributors, Warner Brothers, could not get the name rights for Godzilla! So they had to make up their own name and fool around with Godzilla's roar. Godzilla's roar in this movie is the same one as the last film, but it is also Angilas's roar too! In some parts, the two roars are combined and it sounds very odd. A lot of parts feature Godzilla's head as a puppet. The eyes look kind of buggy and goofy from some angles. In the U.S, this movie originally contained cheesy Americans and switched around parts. The title was "Volcano Monsters," but that was shelved quickly (and THANK GOD TOO!!!). Please don't let this movie confuse you on your Godzilla facts. Besides the whole "Gigantis factor," this movie you'll find very enjoyable. You'll also get the same sense of terror as in the first film. If you somehow missed that link I gave you above to where you can find this very rare movie, here it is again.

Photos above are from my own video capture.