All Monsters Attack
(1968 film)

All Monsters Attack is a 1969 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho, and the tenth installment in the Godzilla series as well as the Showa series. The film was released to Japanese theaters on December 20, 1969.

Released just one year after the Godzilla series' intended finale, Destroy All Monsters, and with monster scenes consisting mostly of stock footage culled from Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack was the franchise's first entry to be aimed primarily at children, setting off a new campaign of films under the "Toho Champion Festival" banner. It follows Ichiro Miki, a latchkey kid living in Tokyo who daydreams about visiting Monster Island, the home of Godzilla, his son Minilla, and other famous kaiju. Ichiro befriends Minilla and learns that just like him, he deals with bullying, specifically from the giant toad monster Gabara. Ichiro helps Minilla face his tormentor and triumph, while the lessons in bravery Ichiro learns from Minilla inspire him to escape when he finds himself kidnapped by two bank robbers.

A young boy named Ichiro Miki walks home from school alongside his friend Sachiko. After a brief run-in with his father, a train driver, the two come across an abandoned factory. Despite Sachiko�s warning, he crawls under the fence to investigate. Immediately, a group of bullies surround him, led by a boy named Sanko, whom Ichiro refers to as "Gabara." Sachiko leaves with her mother, leaving Ichiro alone. Gabara takes a vacuum tube he found earlier in his walk, and then tells him he can have it back if he honks the horn on a bike belonging to a sign-painter nearby. Ichiro refuses and runs away as the bullies jeer.

At his apartment, Ichiro visits his neighbor Shinpei Minami, a toymaker, who is working on a miniature computer for children. When he turns it on, a voice begins talking about the moon. Ichiro is unimpressed, saying that he would prefer visiting Monster Island instead, where monsters like Godzilla, Rodan, and Minilla live. He then begins telling Shinpei about the bully Gabara. Shinpei encourages him to stand up for himself. Ichiro, realizing it's getting late, heads to his home. He prepares his own supper, per his mother�s instructions, and watches a news report of a bank robbery with disinterest. To entertain himself, he pretends to contact Monster Island through a toy radio. He imagines himself traveling to the island on a passenger jet.

Upon arrival, he immediately witnesses Godzilla fighting three Kamacuras, killing two of them as one escapes. Climbing up a tree, he spots Gorosaurus, Manda, Anguirus, and a Giant Eagle, who engages Godzilla. After a scuffle, Godzilla sends the monster plummeting into the sea with a blast of his atomic ray. The surviving Kamacuras then takes notice of Ichiro, and he falls down a hole while trying to run away. The Kamacuras peers into the hole, but moves on. As he struggles to climb out, someone lowers a vine and lifts him out. When he gets to the surface, he is surprised to see a cheerful, human-sized Minilla, Godzilla's son. Their conversation is interrupted by the warble of another giant toad monster, who also happens to be named Gabara. Like Ichiro, Minilla is bullied by Gabara and is too afraid to fight him.

Ichiro, now asleep, is awakened by Shinpei, who tells the boy that his mother will be home late. Wandering around outside, Ichiro encounters Gabara's gang again and runs away after they call him over. His escape leads him into the same abandoned factory. The bullies follow him, but are distracted by a passing police car. A locker door behind Ichiro then falls to the ground, drawing his attention. He finds a pair of dusty headphones inside, and a driver's license nearby. Above the license, he spots a hole in the ceiling. Before he can go upstairs, loud sirens send him running out of the factory.

As soon as he leaves, the two bank robbers, Senbayashi and Okuda, emerge from hiding. Senbayashi berates Okuda for letting his license fall down the hole, and sends him after Ichiro to get it back. Back at his apartment building, Ichiro eats dinner with Shinpei, and asks not to be awakened the next time he falls asleep, as he plans to visit Godzilla and Minilla again. Unfortunately, the first monster he comes upon is Gabara, who chases him for a time. Upon escaping, he encounters Minilla again, who laments his distant relationship with Godzilla. They watch with admiration as Godzilla defeats Ebirah and Kumonga in successive battles. Minilla decides to confront Gabara, growing to giant size - though he is still only half the beast's height. His smoke rings have no effect on Gabara, who pummels him mercilessly. Reverting to his human-sized form, Minilla retreats alongside Ichiro. They watch Godzilla destroy a squadron of fighter jets, the latest human incursion on Monster Island. Godzilla calls Minilla over and attempts to teach him to generate an atomic ray; he is unable to until Godzilla steps on his tail. As Ichiro cheers his success, a plant monster seizes him from behind. He awakens to the sight of the two robbers, who kidnap him at knifepoint and take him to the factory.

As Senbayashi keeps an eye on Ichiro, Okuda breaks into Shinpei�s car. Ichiro quietly covers the hole in the floor with newspapers and begins to daydream about Monster Island again. There, Minilla is fighting another losing battle against Gabara. Ichiro helps by pushing a boulder onto Minilla�s tail, allowing him to fire an atomic ray into Gabara's face. A newly confident Minilla easily evades the monster's attempts to grab him. Godzilla arrives on the scene, but refuses to enter the fight himself. Minilla tries to attack Gabara head-on again, but is overpowered and retreats. Ichiro suggests that Minilla use a fallen tree as a see-saw, jumping down on one end after he taunts Gabara into standing on the other. The plan is a success, and Gabara goes flying through the air. Godzilla congratulates Minilla on his victory, only to be bitten on the leg by Gabara. The resulting fight is one-sided, with Gabara running away after Godzilla flips him over his shoulder.

Ichiro reacts with fear as Godzilla reaches for him, only to be shaken awake by Senbayashi. Okuda returns with the car, and they plan to leave with Ichiro. Inspired by Minilla's example, he breaks free of the handkerchiefs they used to tie his hands, running back inside the factory. The robbers, thoroughly on edge, split up to find him. Outside, Shinpei happens upon his car. Stunned by the stolen money inside, he calls the police.

Ichiro tricks Okuda into falling through the hole on the second floor and wards off Senbayashi with a fire extinguisher, buying enough time for the police to arrive and arrest them both. The next morning, Ichiro�s mother vows not to work at night anymore. Reporters surround him as he leaves for school; he surprises them by saying that Minilla was with him as he fought the robbers. Shinpei explains that Minilla is a type of god to children.

Ichiro and Sachiko encounter Gabara and his gang again, but this time Ichiro rushes into a fight with the bully. He then runs over to the sign-painter and honks his motorcycle's horn. He falls from his ladder, getting paint on his face, and chases after Ichiro. He runs into his father driving a train and asks him to stall the painter with an apology. Now accepted by the gang, he continues on his way to school with them.

U.S. release