War of the Monsters (1966)

The title War of the Monsters (1966) is the American release name for the Japanese kaiju film Gamera vs. Barugon, the second entry in the original Gamera series produced by Daiei Film. It was released in Japan as Daikaijū Kettō: Gamera tai Barugon and later distributed in the U.S. by American International Pictures (AIP) under the alternate title War of the Monsters.

Plot Summary
After being launched into space in the first film, Gamera returns to Earth when a meteor collides with his rocket. Meanwhile, a group of treasure hunters in New Guinea uncover a mysterious opal that turns out to be the egg of Barugon, a deadly lizard-like kaiju with a freezing tongue and rainbow death ray.

Barugon hatches and begins destroying cities, freezing everything in its path. Gamera, now Earthbound again, must battle Barugon to save humanity. The film features epic monster fights, military intervention, and a tragic human subplot involving greed and betrayal.

Cast Highlights

• Kojiro Hongo as Keisuke Hirata
• Kyoko Enami as Karen
• Yuzo Hayakawa, Taro Marui, and Koji Fujiyama in supporting roles
• Haruo Nakajima, famed for playing Godzilla, did not appear in this film—but the monster suits were still impressively crafted

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• This was the first Gamera film shot in color, setting a new visual tone for the series
• Director Shigeo Tanaka took over from Noriaki Yuasa, who had directed the original Gamera (1965); Yuasa returned for later entries
• The film was more serious in tone than later Gamera movies, which leaned heavily into child-friendly themes
• The rainbow ray used by Barugon was a unique visual effect, created with layered optical printing and colored filters