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Starring Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Takashi Shimura.
Directed by Ishiro Honda.
While “Gorath” would make a great name for a monster, it isn’t the name of the monster that has a small role in this science fiction thriller from Toho.
Scientists spot Gorath, a planet many times the size of the Earth, heading straight for a collision with our world. The authorities come up with a plan for survival that is surprisingly logical: Because Earth is much smaller than Gorath, they decide to move Earth out of the way rather than try to destroy or divert Gorath! Giant engines are built at the South Pole and our planet is mobile.
A complication arises when a giant animal destroys the base that controls the engines. The increased temperature thawed a huge walrus, which has the unlikely name of Magma according to Japanese sources. Our heroes fly to the site in a futuristic plane and blast the wayward beast from the air with ray guns, killing it.
The American version of the film cut all shots of Magma, yet included most of the shots of the main characters flying to the area and shooting at it. What the American producers wanted viewers to think they were shooting at remains a mystery.
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