The year is 1967. Flower power is in full swing. In Japan, Daiei Film is releasing the third entry in their giant monster franchise. It is arguably the best: Gamera vs. Gyaos (released in the US as Return of the Giant Monsters). This film cemented the flying turtle’s status as the ultimate “friend to all children.” It introduced an iconic, blood-drinking villain with a very sharp haircut!
The Star-Crossed Foes: A Kaiju Dracula is Born
- Gamera, The Flying Turtle: Our favorite benevolent beast makes his return, this time solidifying his role as a genuine hero. He’s less “accidental destroyer” and more “protective dad,” especially toward his new biggest fan, a plucky young boy named Eiichi. Gamera still flies by tucking into his shell. He shoots flames out of his leg holes. This special effect remains gloriously bonkers.
- Gyaos, The Supersonic Vampire Bat: Stealing the show is the new monster on the block, Gyaos! Legend has it, director Noriaki Yuasa pitched the creature as “Count Dracula turned into a kaiju,” and it shows. Gyaos is a giant, nocturnal, bat-like fiend with a strange, mortarboard-shaped head. Its most terrifying feature? A devastating supersonic ray is its weapon. It is a thin, yellow beam that it shoots from its forked mouth. This beam is capable of slicing jet planes, helicopters, and even cars clean in half! Gyaos also bleeds pink, a fun and visually striking contrast to Gamera’s own emerald green blood!
The Plot: A Kid, a Kaiju, and a Really Bizarre Plan
Volcanic eruptions near Mount Fuji awaken Gyaos, who immediately begin wreaking havoc, slicing up a research helicopter and later making an appetizer out of a pesky reporter (a rare moment of kaiju-on-human violence for the Gamera series!).
Caught in the middle of the monster mayhem and a local land dispute (the humans are arguing about an expressway while a bat-vampire slices up the world!), is Eiichi. Our young hero is the only one who truly trusts Gamera. Through his sharp observation (that Gyaos is nocturnal), he essentially becomes the military’s chief consultant.
The humans’ big plan to stop the monster is where the film achieves its peak, magnificent absurdity:
- The Bait: Lure the blood-hungry Gyaos with a massive container of artificial blood pumped into the air.
- The Trap: Get Gyaos onto the roof of the Hotel Hi-Land. The hotel just so happens to have a giant rotating platform. It is a revolving restaurant, in fact.
- The Kill: Spin the restaurant platform incredibly fast. This will make Gyaos too dizzy to fly away. Wait until the sun rises. It will fry the nocturnal beast!
Yes, they attempt to kill a giant vampire-bat with a dizzying, blood-scented merry-go-round. It’s 100% ridiculous, and 100% why this film is a beloved classic.
🔥 The Grand Finale: A Volcanic Victory! 🌋
Naturally, the spinning blood-trap fails, and only one creature can truly stop Gyaos. Gamera arrives for a spectacular final showdown. In an iconic sequence, he throws a massive boulder into Gyaos’s gaping mouth. This blocks the supersonic ray!
After a brutal fight—complete with Gamera biting off one of Gyaos’s toes (a moment of fierce genius)—the heroic turtle secures his victory by dragging Gyaos all the way up to the smoking crater of Mount Fuji and dumping him inside! A truly fiery burial for a chilly creature of the night.
Gamera vs. Gyaos is a vibrant, fast-paced, and utterly charming monster mash. It embraced its identity as an over-the-top children’s adventure. It gives us one of kaiju cinema’s most memorable heroes and one of its most wicked, stylish villains.
Make sure to read my other entries in my KAIJU KONNECTION series. If you would like to own this film, click on the Blu-ray cover below.
