宇宙から現れた発光体が怪獣に変異、さらに軍事攻撃によって巨大化した！未知の宇宙怪獣ギララの脅威を描く、松竹による初の特撮怪獣映画。大船撮影所に特殊ステージを設け、フィルム合成、色彩テストなど慎重な準備をすすめてきていた。演出には、アメリカのエール大学で映画演劇を研究、「恋人よ」、「いたずらの天才」を発表した新鋭二本松嘉瑞があたり、また特撮監督として俊英池田博監督が起用されている。多彩なキャストで描く超娯楽大作。当時最高のSF作家光瀬龍氏が監修にあたるのも大きな話題だった。
監督: 二本松嘉瑞
脚本: Eibi Motomochi / 二本松嘉瑞 / Moriyoshi Ishida
音楽: いずみたく
撮影監督: Shizuo Hirase / Chitora Okoshi
制作会社: Shochiku
Reports of unidentified flying objects near Mars intrigues the Japanese based "FAFC" which decides to send a ship to investigate. The American and Japanese crew do, indeed, encounter what one describes as a "giant fried egg" before landing on the planet and discovering what looks like a breakfast roll. Rudimentary tests suggests it's inert, and they decide to bring it home for further investigation. Now there's their first mistake... Once back home and in the lab, our baking starts to, well, hatch - and what emerges is a monster that feeds on energy. It doesn't care how it gets it, or who or what gets in the way and so is soon rampaging through the obviously cardboard sets of cities and industrial complexes growing ever larger by the charge. Can the boffins find a way to stop it before it reaches an huge nuclear power plant and consumes the entire nation? The beastie itself has something of Egyptian mythology to it - the head of a snail, then some chicken, then some lizard - with bulging eyes and it can breathe fire! The acting and dialogue? Well both are bland and forgettable, but they don't really matter. This is all about the perfectly acceptable gizmo/gadget effects, some warplanes and missiles on piano wire, plenty of mini-pyrotechnics and, of course, a creation straight out of "Dr. Who". No, it's not good. It's far too long and you will never remember watching it, but if you like this kind of cheap and cheerful sci-fi horror, then you ought to enjoy it - just aim low.
