I'm starting a new forum series where we vent our honest opinions on the Monsters present within the Godzilla universe. Kicking things off, let's talk Megalon...
Megalon appeared in the 1973 Toho film Godzilla vs. Megalon. Little description is necessary I feel as everyone here should be more than familiar with who Megalon is.
Personally, I always felt like Megalon was a knock-off Gigan - an underpowered Kaiju compared to the rest of Godzilla's foes and one that never really stole the hearts or interest of fans. Gigan came on the scene with a unique look, interesting backstory and actually kicked some ass. Megalon felt like a forced addition and a cheap reworking of the Gigan formula.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know your honest opinions below!
I'm rather fond of that big bug, but completely non-objectively because I stumbled over this movie on late night TV as a kid in the 70s, and that's a happy memory I've carried with me.
I could never get into this guy. Or Godzilla vs. Megalon in general, for that matter.
A true fan can acknowledge the bad while still appreciating and cherishing the good.
Absurd design, absurd drill, absurd movie. A robot that can grow in size because ... whatever, Gigan appearing for who knows why. The tail drag attack, so weird. Saw it as a kid and loved every minute of it, absolutely wore it out on VHS.
Megalon was a product of the times. The Ultraman and Kamen Rider franchises had taken kaiju well beyond the designs seen in the 1960s. Now they were purposefully bizarre, but ultimately hyper-creative designs. In fact, by comparison, Megalon looks somewhat tame. But he's still a lot of fun.
Given Godzilla vs. Megalon was designed to emulate kaiju/tokusatsu elements on television, and was practically made on a TV budget, it's no shock Megalon had such an over-the-top, yet sterile design.
I for one love the design itself--Even if the movie is fairly void of anything substantial.
Love the seatopian beetle god. I love the design, but his movie was...deplorable to say the least.
Zwei Wing is the best singing duo. Change my mind.
I've always liked Megalon. The grasshopper-based design and drill hands stuck out as very unique and cool to young me, and he was a blast to play in Destroy All Monsters Melee. I think Godzilla vs Megalon was also my fourth or fifth Godzilla movie, and the one my younger brother always wanted to watch when we got it on VHS. Admittedly I was never super fond of the actual execution of Megalon's various abilities, especially the digging(how do drill hands work again?), but that's just me being persnickety about giant monster biology, a field that's already too ridiculous to question.
I think he's kinda cool. I prefer Gigan, though.
He's not bug enough imo. He doesn't have six limbs, I think it would be cool if they found out some imaginative way for him having four arms, two with drills, and two whatever, but again I'm aware they did movie on a tiny budget. Anyway I think he's unfortunately one of more forgettable monsters.
Comparing him to Gigan seems... Odd. Apt, but off. What else could really be asked for? The best bug design imo, Gamera's Legion, wouldn't come out for another 23 years.
Looking at Megalon as its own thing, not comparable to Gigan (remember Godzilla vs Megalon didn't initially include Godzilal), I like the design. It manages to feel familiar without rehashing elements. Drill hands create enough difference from Gigan, plus Megalon actually has ranged abilities in the movies beyond posters. It's solid, stands up better than many, many Ultra Kaiju anyway.
I honestly don’t hate any Kaiju introduced at any time. (That’s a lie, Zilla and Gabara fill me with rage.) Megalon, I’ve never thought of him as uncreative or a knock off. I just don’t have an opinion.
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” -Peppermint Patty
KingGojira1982 #TeamGodzilla
I found this VHS in a local dollar store as a kid and fell in love with this movie. Admittedly this movie is much weaker than most of the others still has a charm to it, kinda reminds me of a longer Zone Fighter episode. Megalon's design while a little goofy is still better than Gabara, though I still wonder how he manages with out hands of any sort, at least Gigan has hooks to grab with.
I’ve only seen”Godzilla vs Megalon” on Xfinity and I thought that it was a cool Showa movie but I wasn’t that...into it. I think they could’ve done better on Megalons design.
I’m actually pretty excited that you posted this topic and I can’t wait for more.
"They found his body laying where it fell on that day, preserved in time"
goji85 #TeamGodzilla
i hate godzilla vs megalon, i hate megalon, i hate erything to do with this film
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