Rodan: Ishirō Honda

Chances are that the original Japanese release of Radon, Giant Monster of the Sky was a decent film as far as kaijueiga go. The story of a race of giant dragonflies and two Pteranodon-esque survivors from million of years ago, the film seems like the spiritual successor of director Ishirō Honda's earlier masterpiece Godzilla (1954). Both films revolve around giant monsters disturbed by nuclear tests which then go on destructive rampages throughout Japan. However, the American version of the film is absolutely atrocious. Overbearing narration drowns the entire film. It was almost as if the American censors were worried that audiences wouldn't be able to accept the spectacle of murderous, giant monsters. Pointless plot cul-de-sacs about different characters proliferate the narrative, grinding it to a screeching halt. This was Toho Studios first kaijueiga shot in color and the special effects suffer for it. Godzilla benefited from the dark, black-and-white photography which obscured the costume effects for the eponymous monster. In Rodan, the use of color makes the monsters look cheap and plastic, an unfortunate trait that kaijueiga wouldn't shake for decades. Watching Rodan is a frustrating experience. You want the story to get moving, but it keeps tripping over its own shoelaces.

5/10