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Furankenshutain no kaiju: Sanda tai Gaira is a coproduction of Toho and Henry G. Saperstein and was planned as a sequel to Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû. However, the monster design by Tôru Narita was disapproved by Saperstein because, in his opinion, the difference to the first one was to big.
Here a comparison between the Frankensteins.
Saperstein had every allusion to Frankenstein removed from the US version of the movie and called Gaira and Sanda the green und den brown Gargantua. The title was changed to The War of the Gargantuas. Funnily though, in an additional scene in the US version the only direct allusion to the first movie is contained. This is when Prof. Stewart mentions a mysterious hand he once examined. This probably refers to Frankenstein's severed hand from the original movie. Besides the removed hints at Frankenstein, there is more focus on Russ Tamblyn (Prof. Stewart) in the US version. For example, the police asks him for help at the beginning of the movie and he is present when the injured sailor is interrogated. The viewer has the impression that he is very important. Additionally, there are some scene extensions and, unfortunately, a differenct score. The music by Akira Ifukube is being used, but this happens at different times and some pieces of music from other music were used, too. Some sound effects, e.g. little Sanda's sounds in the laboratory, were removed. On the DVD from which both versions were taken for this comparison, the Japanese version is remarkably darker than the one from the US.
Formalities: Comparison between the japanese Version and the US version, both taken from the US DVD by Classic Media. Running times: Running time JP = 01:27:53 Running time US = 01:32:09 JP: 0:00:00
US: 0:00:00 At the beginning of the US version the TOHO logo has been replaced by the ones of the american renting company and the producer. The opening credits are missing as well.
JP: 0:05:09 US: 0:03:53 The opening credits of the US version begin after Gaira's attack on the ship. Then there is a small camera pan over Kyoto. In the Japanese version the police man visits the rescued sailor. The attending physician thinks an interrogation is a bad idea, but Yoshifumi Tajima wants to try it anyways. The sailor only stambles „Frankenstein“.
JP: 0:06:20 US: 0:05:39 The chat between the two policemen ends (in the Japanese version) with the statement that it only were 300 foot to the beach and usually every child should be able to swim that far. In the US version there already is a hint that a monster was involved, which is why Dr. Stewart (Russ Tamblyn) is already being asked for help. Izumida (Hisaya Ito) asks him via telephone if he didn't study giant creatures and had not even once imprisoned one. Stewart then answers that this "Gargantua like Creature“ had escaped after one year. The phone call with stewart is also included in the Japanese version, but there both the shots and the content are different and it doesn't happen before the diving to the ship wreck.
Stewart and Yoshifumi drive to the hospital to interrogate the sailor. In the elevator Yoshifumi asks Professor, if he hadn't studied a giant species. Stewart answers that this was 5 years ago and that the creature was able to flee before his research was completed. Then they mention the mysterious hand Dr. Kita found. In the corridoor they talk about a press article stating that students had seen giant footprints in the mountains. Stewart suspects them to have had a bad LSD trip.
Now there's the visit, basically it's the same as in the other version, but here Stewart incorporates Yoshifumi's role and the sailor stambles "Giant". total cut length US: 169 sec
JP: 0:06:45 US: 0:08:52 In the US version Dr. Stewart is on board when they examine the ship wreck. He asks the diver whether the ship was damaged. He denies and Yoshifumi tells Stewart that this wouldn't look like the work of a monster. The rest of the talk on deck is similar in both versions. The Japanese version features an additional shot of the found and the diver.
Then there is another talk with the injured sailor. Here, Stewart replaces Yoshifumi's boss, Izumida. The chat is basically the same, but Yoshifumi is more aggressive in the Japanese version, because he says the sailor was lying and that there was no thing like a gargantua. The sailor tells him how they couldn't find any damage at the boar and, once again, how his colleagues were killed by Gaira.
JP: 0:09:12 US: 0:11:00 After the remains of the other sailors have been found, Izumida calls Dr. Stewart (only in the JP version, of course). Izumida here decisively wants to talk to the Frankenstein expert Stewart, Sanda's flight isn't mentioned at all. Stewart says that Sanda had died at Mt. Fuji and he wasn't to be found at the bottom of the ocean. After the call, Akemi asks what the matter was and Stewart answers that someone believes Frankenstein to still be alive and eat humans. Akemi can't believe it. When Dr. Mamiya (Kenji Sahara) and the reporters enter the two versions are the same again. JP: 62,5 sec
JP: 0:12:51 US: 0:13:37 The press overlays are different when the two fishermen see Gaira at the bottom and go from board.
JP: 0:13:14 US: 0:14:00 When the fishermen at the beach pull their nets in, there is an additional shot of the arising Gaira. US: 4 sec
JP: 0:13:24 US: 0:14:14 Gaira (Haruo Nakajima) only gets his head put of the water in the US version, in the JP version he gets up completely and tries to get free from the fisher net. Then there are different press overlays and the chat between Mamiya, Stewart and Akemi is different. Because in the US version only the head was visible they assume it could be another creature. This is logically missing in the JP version. When Stewart shows the pictures of the footprints, the US version shows those made by the students and therefore suggests there could be two monsters. They decide to look deeper into it.
JP: 0:16:32 US: 0:18:12 The group gets closer to the footprints and the scientist asks the mountainerr if they were sure that this was the place where they made the pictures. They affirm and the mountaineer says that, in his pinion, the two were surely related. US: 26,5 sec
JP: 0:19:45 US: 0:21:52 At the airpot, the remains of the woman who was eaten and spit out by Gaira can be seen. The shot of the sun is a bit different.
JP: 0:19:57 US: 0:22:07 The light of the sun rising is more distinct in the JP version (when Gaira walks over the airstrip.)
JP: 0:21:41 US: 0:23:51 Before the building of the ministry of defense can be seen, the US version of Tokyo shows some pictures from Tokyo. The flag on the roof can be seen earlier in the JP version. JP: 1 sec US: 8 sec
JP: 0:24:48 US: 0:27:05 When Kipp Hamilton sings the two versions are minimally different. Kipp makes a full turn in the Japanese version.
JP: 0:25:38 US: 0:27:54 During the show there are different shots of the audience.
JP: 0:26:04 US: 0:28:21 Kipp says longer thanks, Gaira can be seen in the background. Here, in the US version there is some music. US: 1 sec
JP: 0:26:58 US: 0:29:15 Dr. Stewart can be seen earlier after the sirens start to roar. US: 5 sec
JP: 0:27:15 US: 0:29:37 Stewart listens to the radio broadcast and drinks a glass of water. US: 17,5 sec
JP: 0:46:32 US: 0:49:11 After the soldiers point to the hill after the monster scream, Sanda (Hiroshi Sekita) runs through the picture. US: 3 sec
JP: 0:46:36 US: 0:49:19 The US version shortens the sight of the soldiers taking cover and shoes Sanda's legs again instead.
JP: 0:52:58 US: 0:55:41 Before Mamiya tells the military that using bombs on the monsters could lead to their multiplication, the US version features a chat between the scientists in which Akemi asks why the two Gargantuas are so different. Prof. Kita (Nobuo Nakamura) answers with a comparison to Cain and Abel. Stewart comments that he hopes the more harmless of the two wins and then, slightly inadequate, adds "Ha, Ha“. US: 27 sec
JP: 0:59:12 US: 1:02:21 After Akemi's rescue, both versions differ. The US version directly cuts to the mobile HQ, in which Akemi tells the general (Jun Tazaki) about Sanda's benevolence before one can see the deserted boat. The Japanese version shows these things in reverse order.
JP: 1:01:28 US: 1:04:37 Mamiya asks the general if there were any news. The general nods and shows him something on the map. They then receive a call from a soldier saying he just saw the monsters. US: 22 sec
JP: 1:02:35 US: 1:06:06 Side view of the fleeing Gaira before there is a cut back to the mobile HQ. US: 7 sec
JP: 1:03:16 US: 1:06:53 After the order to move the troops to the coast, the US version shows more of just that. US: 11 sec
JP: 1:03:33 US: 1:07:21 Additional shot of fleeing people. US: 7 sec
JP: 1:05:20 US: 1:09:15 The US version lacks Stewart's demand to bring Sanda to a save place in order to be able to examine it. JP: 15,5 sec
JP: 1:08:22 US: 1:12:03 More tanks and laser cannons are positioned in Tokyo. US: 4 sec
JP: 1:15:38 US: 1:19:22 View of a colliding house after Gaira pushed Sanda over. US: 3 sec
JP: 1:16:41 US: 1:20:28 Shortly before the army attacks, the US version shows driving tanks once more. US: 7,5 sec
JP: 1:17:43 US: 1:21:36 Before Stewart tells Akemi that the military wants to kill both monsters we see more houses tumbling down. US: 4 sec
JP: 1:18:20 US: 1:22:18 After Gaira throws something at the tanks, another house collapses. US: 5 sec
JP: 1:21:53 US: 1:25:56 A house in the harbor is being smashed (shortly after the laser cannons start firing). US: 2,5 sec
JP: 1:22:22 US: 1:26:27 Again buildings are collapsing because of the fight. US: 8,5 sec
JP: 1:24:48 US: 1:29:02 In the US version Akemi says she prayed for Sanda's life when she gets the message that he was not found in the bay. In the Japanese version she is silent.
JP: 1:26:45 US: 1:31:01 When the volcano is erupting, different footage was used. The US versíon shows more smoke.
JP: 1:27:41 US: 1:31:58 The overlay at the end has been changed.
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