Frankenstein Conquers the World

Frankenstein Conquers The World, known in Japan as Frankenstein vs. Subterranian Monster Baragon, is a kaiju film released in 1965 by Toho. It stars Kumi Mizuno, Nick Adams, and Tadao Takashima (who played Sakurai in King Kong vs. Godzilla). It was directed by Ishiro Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, and music by Akira Ifukube. It was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Henry G. Saperstein, and was written by Takeshi Kimura and Reuben Bercovitch. It was distributed in the United States by American International Pictures, and was recently released on DVD in the US by Media Blasters, under their Tokyo Shock label, as a two-disc set containing three versions of the film.

Tropes used in Frankenstein Conquers the World include:

• Breath Weapon: Baragon can shoot fire out of his mouth.
• Everything's Better with Dinosaurs: Baragon is a dinosaur who's species has somehow survived into modern times, much like Godzilla and other kaiju.
• From a Single Cell: In conjunction with the nuclear example below, Frankenstein grew from a heart into a whole person after being exposed to radioactivity, and this ability would later be passed onto his successors, Sanda and Gaira.
• Gentle Giant: Frankentsein counts after he's grown to the size of a house.
• Giant Equals Invincible: Averted. Baragon is never successfully attacked by the military, so no one really knows how impervious he may or may not be. Frankenstein, however, is vulnerable to tank fire, but he posesses a regenerative healing ability.
• Hey, It's That Voice!: Baragon's roar is the same as Varan.
• Radiation Can Do Anything: It can cause the hearts of Swiss scientists to grow into mutant children, for one.
• Recycled Soundtrack: Varan vs. the Patrol Boat Uranami, from Varan, was reused and modified here as the piece that plays when Frankenstein's heart is being transported from Germany to Japan. Additionally, Varan vs. the Fighter Bomber Neptune was reused as the Tank Corps' march.
• Tragic Monster: Frankenstein certainly counts, although he seems more like a John Steinbeck character than anything.