The earth is slowly dying from pollution - which is good news for Dr
Gori (Takanobu Toya), your typical apeman villain from outer space who
knows how to use the humans' waste to build giant monsters to help him
conquer earth. His latest creation is Hedron, a tentacled monster that
emerges from Fuji Bay to spill all sorts of toxic liguids and gases and
that kills everyone in its vicinity. Doctor Kurata (Toru Ohira), who
leads the institute for ecological researches, is mighty concerned about
the sore state our earth is in ... and then, even before Hedron has
emerged, Joji (Tetsuo Narikawa), a stranger with a premonition, shows up,
and somehow convinces Kurata and his team to go to Fuji Bay - where they
witness the appearance of the monster first hand. But who is this Joji,
and where did he get his knowledge from? Joji was actually sent from
planet Nebula 7 to act as earth's champion and defender in his other, of
course secret, identity, the fighter robot Spectreman (Koji Uenishi). When
nobody's looking, Joji turns into Spectreman and manages to gravely injure
Hedron, but he is shot out or the skies by Dr Gori's UFO's raygun.
Fortunately, Joji is saved by a little boy, and while Dr Gori recreates
Hedron from toxic waste, Joji comes back to health, and in round two, he
destroys Hedron for good ... Of course, this kiddie-series
about robots fighting giant monsters falls several feet short of
greatness, no doubt about it - but then again you didn't expect greatness
from the concept as such, did you? And on a story level, the whole thing
is of course only remotely sophisticated ... but then again, it's always
fun to see men in not quite convincing monstersuits fighting men in silly
looking robot suits in only remotely realistic miniature sets, isn't it?
|