Rodan

Starring: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata, Akio Kobori
Directed by: Ishiro Honda
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
1956

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After a mining accident unleashes strange monsters, a mysterious force emerges in the skies, destroying everything that comes in contact with it. As the Japanese mobilize their defense, they learn the flying object is a giant pterosaur named Rodan.

Review:

Tim: Rodan is an interesting movie, coming out shortly after Gojira. Like its more famous counterpart, Rodan is a story about the dangers of nuclear weapons. However, the allegory isn't as powerfully told here. This is a decent movie, but it still leaves a good bit to be desired. I should specify that I watched the American dubbed version of the film.

I liked that this movie was in color, which wasn't done too often in the mid 1950s. The special effects are done well. Rodan looks quite good, and the scenes of destruction are memorable. I loved the scenes where Rodan's wind blew over buses, demolished buildings, and caused other havoc in Japan. These scenes were filmed extremely well, and the use of miniatures was excellent. There were only a few moments when it was obvious we were watching miniatures. Most of the time, it was easy to get caught up in the action on screen. I also really enjoyed the aerial battle against Rodan. Many climactic battle scenes are disappointing, but this was a lengthy, exciting battle. It was definitely a strength of the film. I will also admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of the film. Typically, this is something that I wouldn't like, but it was done very well. It made the film seem more credible, and more important. I liked that quite a bit.

The film definitely has some flaws as well. The beginning of the film spends far too much time on the giant caterpillar things in the mine. There are some very cool and frightening moments with these giant insects, but I wanted to get to the main action quicker. There is also about four minutes near the end of the movie where we watch rocket after rocket launch at the countryside. This was way, way too long- it became comical. I was completely taken out of the movie because I couldn't believe how much time was spent on the rocket launches. We get it, and the movie needed to move on. I also thought the film did a relatively poor job of developing the story of its main characters. Everyone was completely forgettable- I don't know any of the backstories stuck with me, as I viewed everyone simply as potential Rodan victims. I didn't care about a single person in the film.

While Rodan wasn't a very good movie, it was still fun to watch. It was interesting to see a "Godzilla" type movie without the famous reptile. Rodan makes a number of appearances in future Godzilla movies, so I really enjoyed seeing his initial film appearance. While this film is flawed, director Ishiro Honda still puts together an entertaining spectacle. I wish I could have liked this movie more, but I still appreciate Honda's effort.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Gojira, Godzilla Raids Again, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro-Monster