Yonggary (released in the U.S. as Reptilian) is a 1999 South Korean Kaiju film. It is a contemporary reimagining of the original 1967 film Yonggary. The film was released in Korea in 1999 as Yonggary but released in the United States under the new title Reptilian in 2001. The film was met with generally unfavorable reviews. The film's acting, soundtrack, and (possibly unfinished) CGI were the targets of such criticism. Though despite receiving a negative reception, the film did manage to gain a Cult following over the years.
Plot[]
An archaeological party explore some caverns underground. Dr. Campbell and Dr. Hughes are the two leaders of the archaeological expedition, and get separated. While Dr. Hughes finds an alien corpse with a fossilized diamond, Dr. Campbell finds hieroglyphics at the cost of the party except for Hughes and himself. Two years later, Campbell and his assistant Holly are digging up the bones of Yonggary, a gargantuan dinosaur 50 times the size of a tyrannosaurus rex. Out of nowhere, people slowly are being killed around the site. While Holly is working, Dr. Hughes, who has been legally dead for 2 years, goes to Holly and tells her to stop the dig. Dr. Campbell comes into the tent and sends Dr. Hughes off. Holly quits the expedition when another "Accident" occurs.
In the town bar, Dr. Hughes finds Holly and takes her back to her Hotel room to tell her why he thinks the bones of the Dinosaur, which he calls Yonggary, are going to bring the end of the world. After explaining, Holly and Hughes go to the site to stop Campbell but it is too late and Aliens resurrect Yonggary. After Yonggary's first appearance, the Army comes in and takes Holly and Campbell to an army base when Yonggary is dispatched by the aliens again. The army sends choppers after Yonggary, but he destroys them. Yonggary is then sent to the city (which was thought to be New York by fans, but is actually an all CGI Los Angeles near Korea Town) and does some damage, where some jets attack him. Then Yonggary is transported to a power plant where he is attacked by rocket pack soldiers. During the fight, Hughes and Holly find out that the diamond on Yonggary's forehead is the device giving the aliens control of Yonggary.
Yonggary is transported back into the city, where the remainder of the soldiers destroy the diamond on his head. Enraged, the aliens send down their own monster, Cycor. Yonggary and Cycor battle, with Yonggary winning. The following morning, Yonggary is sent to an uninhabited island where Yonggary can adjust to normal life.