Gappa: The Triphibian Monster
	Japanese Release Date: 1967
	Japanese Title: Giant Beast Gappa
	Japanese Running Time: 90 minutes
	U.S. Release Date: 1967
	U.S. Title: Monster from a Prehistoric Planet
	U.S. Distributor: AIP
	U.S. Running Time: 90 minutes
	Monsters: Mother Gappa, Father Gappa, Baby Gappa
	My Rating:
My Comments
Not the greatest, but not the worst either seems to sum up this film best. This film was made in 1967 by the Nikkatsu Corporation to try and capitalize on the “Kaiju Boom” in Japan at the time that was created by Toho and Daiei Studios with their Godzilla and Gamera franchises. This would be the Nikkatsu Corporation’s only kaiju film and it turned out to be more of a satire of the other films of that time. Despite this and its obviously low-budget effects, Gappa has stood the test of time and remained in the hearts of fans of kaiju films. So I recommend checking it out, onto the synopsis...
Synopsis
In 1967, an expedition from Tokyo heads to Obelisk Island in the South Pacific, which a greedy Mr. Funazu, the President of Playmate Magazine, wants to turn into an island resort. The natives of Obelisk welcome the expedition, but two members, Hiroshi and Itoko, venture into the forbidden part of the land, despite pleas not to by a native boy named Saki. They enter a cavern which was blocked by a statue that had collapsed and find a giant egg, out of which hatches a baby monster, a "bird-lizard", referred to as a "Gappa" by the natives, who plead with the scientists not to take the baby away, lest they anger the baby's parents. However, the scientists ignore this warning and take the baby back with them to Japan, but soon its two kaiju-sized parents rise from beneath the island volcano and destroy everything in their path on the island, with Saki being the only survivor and taken back to Japan. Upon arriving in Japan, the baby Gappa makes world headlines and is experimented on by scientists, but soon Mother and Father Gappa arrive over Sagami Bay and attack city after city looking for their child. The JSDF tries to stop the creatures, but their weapons are useless against them and soon members of the expedition, along with Saki, plead with Mr. Funazu to release the baby Gappa and return it to its parents. Funazu eventually agrees and the baby Gappa is returned to his parents. Now reunited, the family of Gappas fly off, returning to their island home in the South Pacific.
Other Features: None

Cast & Crew
Hiroshi Kurosaki Tamio Kawaji	Director Haruyasu Noguchi
Itoko Koyanagi Yoko Yamamoto	Producer Hideo Koi
Daize Tonooka Yuji Okada	Screenplay Ryuzo Nakanishi & Gan Yamazaki
Mashida Koji Wada	Cinematography Muneo Ueda
George Inoue Tatsuya Fuji	Editing Masanori Tsujii
Mr. Funazu Keisuke Inoue	Music Seitaro Omori