is a fictional dinosaur, or ''
kaiju
is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...
'', who first appeared in
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produc ...
's 1967 film ''
King Kong Escapes
is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese–American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, ...
''. It was an opponent of
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
in the film, and it later had a prominent role in 1968's ''
Destroy All Monsters
is a 1968 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchi ...
''. Gorosaurus is a typical giant dinosaur, having no special powers like beams or energy weapons, relying on its strength and athleticism to fight. Gorosaurus' most identifiable fighting move is a leaping kick similar to that of a kangaroo. Gorosaurus is an
allosaurid, an abrupt descendant of ''
Allosaurus
''Allosaurus'' () is a genus of large carnosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic epoch ( Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian). The name "''Allosaurus''" means "different lizard" alludi ...
'' itself.
[The Godzilla Movie Studio Tour]
Overview
In the film ''
King Kong Escapes
is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese–American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, ...
'', Mondo Island inhabitant Gorosaurus attacks and attempts to devour Susan Watson. However,
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
arrives to save her and fights the dinosaur, breaking Gorosaurus' jaw in the process.
Gorosaurus returns in the film ''
Destroy All Monsters
is a 1968 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchi ...
'', as an inhabitant of
Monsterland
Monsterland and Monster Island are fictional locations in Toho Studios' ''Godzilla'' film franchise, both serving as nature reserves or homes for several giant monsters.
Monsterland
Monsterland was introduced in the 1968 film ''Destroy All Mon ...
, an artificially created environment for Earth's
monsters
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
located on the
Ogasawara Islands
The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...
. However, a race of aliens called the Kilaaks invade Earth, capturing and brainwashing the monsters before sending them around the world to attack Earth's cities, with Gorosaurus attacking
Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, before being recalled to defend their Earth outpost. After a group of humans destroy the Kilaaks' control device, the aliens send
King Ghidorah to kill the Earth monsters, who join forces to kill the space dragon. Following this, Earth's monsters return to Monsterland to live in peace.
Appearances
Films
* ''
King Kong Escapes
is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese–American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, ...
'' (1967)
* ''
Destroy All Monsters
is a 1968 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchi ...
'' (1968)
* ''
All Monsters Attack
is a 1969 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the tenth film in the ''Godzilla'' series, and featu ...
'' (1969, stock footage cameo)
* ''
Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972, stock footage cameo)
Television
* ''
Ike! Godman'' (1972)
* ''
Godzilla Island'' (1997-1998)
Video games
* ''
Kaijū-ō Godzilla
is a 1993 action adventure game by Bandai for the Game Boy. It was released exclusively in Japan. The game is notable for featuring nearly every monster in the ''Godzilla'' franchise up until the time of its release.
Story
While the game does ...
'' / ''King of the Monsters, Godzilla'' (
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
- 1993)
* ''
Godzilla Trading Battle'' (
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
- 1998)
* ''Godzilla Defense Force'' (2019)
Literature
* ''
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth'' (comic - 2013-2015)
* ''Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse'' (novel - 2017)
* ''Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla'' (novel - 2018)
References
{{KingKong
Fantasy film characters
Film characters introduced in 1967
Fictional dinosaurs
Fictional giants
Fictional monsters
Godzilla characters
Horror film villains
Kaiju
King Kong (franchise) characters
Science fiction film characters
Toho monsters