Wonderfully offbeat film!

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Right behind the 1956 monster epic "Gojira" (Godzilla) came this tale of huge flying monsters called "Rodan". The back story explains that Rodans were a carnivorous prehistoric species and members of the snake family. Over twenty million years old, they have the destructive power of a typhoon, but even though the Rodan in the movie managed to topple over a bridge with the force of it's wind shear, it had no similar effect on the Japanese Air Force planes sent to intercept it. As Spock would say - "Fascinating".Well look, there was a time and a place for these kinds of flicks back in the Fifties when movie monsters took center stage and kids of all ages would marvel at their exploits. Watching today, the dated effects and miniature toy props lend a comically surreal aura to this tale of reawakened monsters from the depths of their underground home. The first of these to make their appearance, the wide-eyed gigantic caterpillars, have a certain pre-Star Trek sensibility to them. I was reminded of that Horta episode where the rock creature was defending it's eggs against the intruding humans.Part of this story is told in flash back style with narrator Shigeru (Kenji Sahara) explaining how the caterpillar monsters were originally discovered. Later on he relates how he came across a gigantic egg in an underground coal mine, precisely at the moment one of the Rodans was hatching. I thought it rather creative that when examined by scientists, the egg shell proved to be a good half foot thick. Obviously, there was some thought put into this at just the right spots.I guess it would be pretty easy to come down hard on this picture for it's cheesy special effects and goofy looking monsters, but you have to keep in mind this was put together almost sixty years ago with no technology to speak of. The film makers managed to tie the monster angle in with the world's fascination with UFO's at one point by describing the yet unseen creature as traveling at supersonic speed with immense destructive power. If you've got a little over an hour to kill, this trip back in time might be worth your while to check out the origins of the Japanese monster genre (along with Godzilla), leaving me with only one question - how does Rodan manage to leave a vapor trail?

I must admit up front that I am not a huge fan of Japanese giant monster films. After all, they consist of guys in monster costumes stomping on miniature cities and military vehicles--and not much more. They also feature strings holding the 'flying creatures' and there is a certain sameness to most of these films. So why did I watch "Rodan"? Well, I really don't know....perhaps I am a glutton for punishment or there wasn't anything else on TV.The film begins with some horrible stock footage of the US military. After reading that this was added to the American version of the film and was NOT in the original Japanese film, I realize that you cannot blame the Japanese production company for this low-point in the movie (the footage is so grainy and crappy looking). Regardless, the narrator announces that there has been some testing of a new, stronger nuclear bomb--and you can only assume this bomb somehow created or awakened Rodan (Radon in the original Japanese version). Or, should I say 'RodanS', as it turns out there are two and some baby Rodans that are hatching.So, is this Japan versus the flying monsters film any good? Well, it's decent--about as good as the original "Godzilla" (also hacked to pieces and changed by the American company that bought rights to the film). And, it's MUCH better than the later, very dreadful, giant monster films like "Godzilla Versus the Smog Monster" and "King Kong Versus Godzilla". A decent time-passer.

A great monster movie, this time in color. A similar plot to Godzilla sees nuclear testing wake up an over sized Pteranodon. In a sleepy mining village a series of mysterious attacks lead to the discovery of giant killer caterpillar. Greater darkness soon arrives in the form of an extinct beast that can flip jeeps with the swoosh of its wings. The model work is once again astounding from Toho. Even in color this looks great. It mixes live action, puppets, models, for some truly exciting aerial combat. It has less human drama than the first 2 Godzilla movies, but there is still some from the wife of a man believed to be committing the initial attacks. Rodan is great in his swooping and screaming, and the aerial footage means we aren't just getting a repeat of his more famous cousin.

While mining further under the earth, a giant Prehistoric insect is unearthed from the deep, going on a brief rampage through the Japanese village nearby. A giant earthquake capsizes the earth on top of the humongous insect—which certainly reduces the Japanese populace before its demise—but a much scarier creature is released from a very large egg, a massive Prehistoric bird called Rodan. A miner, missing for a period of time, returns with amnesia, soon reliving that horrific event where he watched Rodan hatching from its egg, actually eating those giant insects, like snack treats to the beast (remember, just one of the insects sent the decent-sized Japanese village into a panic, imagine the scale of terror and population decimation when Rodan is free to fly about, sweeping down to snatch humans for tasty treats).Even worse there's a *second* Rodan to contend with. Rodan have a wingspan, while in flight, that causes a shockwave with the deadly force of a Tsunami; even their breath can topple buildings! If you love Toho Studios, rubber monsters destroying toy tanks and army trucks, along with a giant model city full of buildings to wipe out, then RODAN is ideal for you.The story once again condemns the Americans for the H-bomb disaster by including in the storyline an experimental bomb, its effects tested in the ocean, responsible for the earthquakes which free the Rodan from captivity."Operation Rodan", where missile explosions into a mountain cause an avalanche, that trap the Prehistoric birds into their resting places, may be the Japanese only hope for survival. The film also has the military conducting strategy sessions with scientists and those associated with the mining disaster; fighter squadrons are sent on missions of flight to combat the Rodan. The film was narrated in a very serious tone throughout by Star Trek's George Takei! RODAN was directed by kaiju eiga specialist, Toho legend, Ishirô Honda. Future Toho monster movies are more concerned with mayhem and destruction than stories (which is why so many of the story lines are so preposterous, childish, and juvenile).