Gamera vs. Gyaos is a 1967 Japanese kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa, with special effects by Yuasa. Produced by Daiei Film, it is the third entry in the Gamera franchise and stars Kojiro Hongo, Kichijiro Ueda, Tatsuemon Kanamura, Reiko Kasahara, and Naoyuki Abe, with Teruo Aragaki as Gamera. In the film, Gamera and authorities must deal with the sudden appearance of a carnivorous winged creature awakened by volcanic eruptions.
Plans for a third film were made immediately after the release of Gamera vs. Barugon, with the film financed by the UniJapan Film Association. Due to the underperformance of the previous film, Yuasa was brought back as the director and special effects director, who decided to aim the film towards children. Gyaos was created as a response to Toho's Frankenstein Conquers the World and The War of the Gargantuas, with Yuasa pitching to writer Niisan Takahashi his idea to turn Count Dracula into a kaiju.
Gamera vs. Gyaos was theatrically released in Japan on March 15, 1967, on a double bill with Chiisai Tôbôsha. That same year, it was released directly to television in the United States as Return of the Giant Monsters by American International Television.
The film was followed by Gamera vs. Viras, released on March 20, 1968.
Plot[]
A series of mysterious volcanic eruptions in Japan impact shipping and aircraft flights. An eruption at Mount Fuji attracts the giant turtle kaiju Gamera, whose arrival is witnessed by a young boy named Eiichi. A research team of geologists is sent to investigate the phenomenon in Shizuoka Prefecture, but are killed by a supersonic ray emitted from a cave which slices their helicopter in two. A reporter, Okabe, travels to a village nearby to investigate. The Chuo Expressway Corporation's plans for a roadway face challenges when the local villagers refuse to leave. The resistance is a ploy to increase the bid on the land. The foreman, Shiro Tsutsumi, and his crew are turned away by the locals as Okabe sneaks past.
Eiichi finds Okabe in the woods and leads him to a cave where Gamera might be. Okabe abandons Eiichi as the cave collapses and is devoured by a winged creature. Gamera emerges and saves Eiichi from the winged beast but is wounded in the process by its supersonic ray. While interviewed by Dr. Aoki and authorities, Eiichi names the winged monster "Gyaos". Dr. Aoki deduces it was awakened by the volcanic eruptions, can produced a supersonic ray due to a forked tongue, and cannot turn its head due to having two spines. A daytime airstrike fails to neutralize Gyaos due to its ray. Meanwhile, Gamera recovers from its wounds beneath the sea.
During a meeting, the villagers become divided on whether to sell their land or not due to Gyaos. Shiro's crew, save two, quit because of Gyaos. Despite Eiichi's claims that Gyaos is nocturnal, Gyaos ignores military flares and attacks Nagoya. Gamera appears and battles Gyaos once more, biting off its toes in the process. Dr. Aoki discovers that exposure to ultraviolet light, like the sun, causes the toes to shrink. A plan is formed to disorient Gyaos with a rotating platform for long enough for the sun to rise and kill it, using artificial blood as bait. Gyaos is lured out but the plan fails when the power station supplying electricity to the platform overheats and explodes.
After learning that the expressway would be rerouted due to Gyaos, the villagers blame the headmaster, who ordered them to hold out. The headmaster regales a plan to Shiro, inspired by Eiichi, to start a forest fire to kill Gyaos. Gyaos depletes the fire with a yellow vapor, however, the fire attracts Gamera and engages Gyaos in a final showdown. Gamera kills Gyaos by dragging it into Mt. Fuji's crater. As the authorities celebrate, Shiro affirms to the villagers that work on the expressway will resume. Eiichi bids farewell to Gamera as it flies away.