Space Monster Wangmagwi

Space Monster Wangmagwi (Ujugoe-In Wangmagwai) (1967)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Hyeok-Jinn Gwon

Starring: Random Korean actors from this era, none of whom you’ll know anyhow

From: Century Company

Even stranger than what I expected from “late 60’s Korean kaiju movie.” Like with most people around the world, the movie was entirely unknown until SRS Cinema released it on disc in the United States. Social media chatter back then made me aware of the movie; finally there was the opportunity to stream it and it is different from all the other genre efforts I’ve experienced.

It’s a bog-standard alien invasion plotline where a giant monster was used in an attempt to take over the world by invaders resembling Dr. Who’s Cybermen, to steal a quote. The effects are—well, “incredibly quaint” is a charitable description. The human factor-what an interesting direction they chose. Think “comic vignettes.” This includes the woman whose wedding day is ruined because her beau is in the air force combating the monster (isn’t it ironic?), two buffoons agreeing to a competition where the prize is either one’s life savings or the other’s wife-don’t ask-a rambunctious little boy and an adult male who couldn’t control his bowel movement so he went in a corner as if he was a cat pooping in a litter box!

I wasn’t sure what to think at first; after awhile, it all became oddly endearing once they focus on a few characters. The plot going in different, unexpected directions yet still maintaining a fun spirit that entertained me; this made it easier to swallow the shoddy nature of the movie compared to the Japanese efforts that are far more polished. Presumably the monster was designed to be hideously ugly; if not… the movie is not filled with destruction yet what we do get is passable. Thus, genre fans shouldn’t feel trepidation about ever giving it a shot.