Customer Reviews

Orochi: Eight-Headed Dragon [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Toho, Inc. is probably best known currently for its character Godzilla. But Godzilla was a last minute project for the studios when a larger project was canceled well into production. I just watched a wonderful piece of Japanese mythology which is marketed in this country under the name of Orochi the Eight-Headed Dragon.

Steeped in Japanese mythology and legend, Orochi begins with the Japanese story of creation. Millions of years later a Japanese emperor has twin sons. A powerful shaman warns that the second twin is evil and should be put to death. But the child is rescued by the White Bird of Heaven and raised in a shrine dedicated to the goddess of the Earth. The young prince grows to manhood under the shadow of a prophesy that says he will be a warrior of the gods.

The plot continues to thicken as the Shaman continues to speak against the young prince and the Shaman's motives begin to become suspect. The shaman was spawned by an evil god who tried to destroy the world eons ago. That god was exiled by the father of the gods but was soon to return. Prince Yamato Takeru is charged with stopping the Earth's destruction. Aided by the White Bird of Heaven and by his lady love, the prince confronts the newly-returned god. The god transforms into a giant dragon and begins his reign of destruction and enters the final battle.

This tale is one of Japan's greatest legends and is a superb movie. The marketing was obviously aimed at fans of monster movies but that is not the thrust of the film. Instead the viewer is immersed in the fascinatingly rich mythology and legends of Japan. Beautiful cinematography and acting that is superior to any monster movie add to the story line to tell a rich and fascinating tale. This is definitely one to watch.

This is a GREAT movie, not just a "monster movie"!
It has great action with (laser)swords and walking and fighting in the air and against walls! There's also a lot of magic present in this movie and there is more than only the 8-headed dragon! (I would call this movie: Magic,Monsters and Orochi-the 8-headed Dragon). A nice reference to the (new)Gamera movies is the amulet of the prince, it's the same as the girl who can talk to Gamera. In conclusion: good story, great action/monsters and magic, good colours, good acting.

Wonderful fantasy film featuring terrific FX by Kochi Kawakita, the man behind the 1990s godzilla films. Based on legends of Shinto, this film is a fast paced adventure that will be sure to entertain. If you like the fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen, check this movie out.! The Lava Giant and 8 headed dragon are real highlights! so go buy this NOW!!

Orochi The Eight Headed Dragon, was a good Japanese fantasy film, rooted in Japanese mythology.

The film beigns by giving the history of the Gods of ancient Japan, which becomes a central point later in the film. After the intro, twin sons are born to an emperor. The second son, Yanto, is believed to be evil by his father and is ordered to be killed. Tsuokinowa (the emperpor's priest/advisor) attempts to throw Yanto over a cliff. However, Yanto is saved by a golden bird which carries him to the priestess of Amerterasu. She raises him as her own until he returns to his father as a young man, at the request of his birth mother.

While back at his fathers palace, Yanto's birth mother becomes ill, and Yanto is believed to be the source of her death, due to his curse.(it includes him turning into a demon like creature with magical powers when he is in danger) Yanto is also accused of killing his bother in a scuffle they have over their mother's death. Yanto's father finally decides to send him away on a quest to quell a Barbaric King (Kumaso)to the west. Along the way, Yanto meets Oto, a young woman who is a keeper at a shrine for the bird goddess Amerterasu. She devots herself to Yanto and believes that she will die for him one day. They defeat the king, as well as his god,(a creature made of rock and lava) who Oto is alsmost sacrificed too. Eventually, Yanto's seregate mother, reveals that Tsukuyami will return to the earth in order to get his revenge on his sister,(the goddess Amerterasu) and his father, Izanagi. Apparently Tsukuyami had been kicked off the Earth by his father, and wonders around space trapped in a giant ice prison.(whcih looks a lttle like a spacecraft)He had been kicked off for his evil ways which is when he became the Orochi the first time on earth.

Before they take on Tsukuyumi, they must battle a sea creature in order to gain a sword from it. During the encounter, Yanto is almost killed, and Oto sacrifices herself to save him. Later however, she is resurrected. Her death transforms her, and gives her the power of the goddess Amerterasu. After this, they are ready to take on Tsukuyami. In order to defeat Tsukuyami, Yanto and Oto must team up and become one with the help of the goddess Amerterasu.(the flying bird) After a human battle the two sides resort to giant monster type forms where they battle it out. Tsukuyami becomes the 8 headed dragon again, and Yanto and Oto become a figure which reminded me a lot of the anime version of Voltron.

Orochi, was a decent film, and included a lot of action to keep the stroy moving. In fact, it reminded me of a Sinbad film at times until the end. Yanto and Oto do a good job with their roles as did Tsukuyomi. Yanto uses both sowrds and magic to aid him, and Oto uses magic most of the time while battling the foes. The sets and costuming were well made, and the special effects, for the most part, were good.

The down side, is the creatures, which were the weakest of the special effects in the film. All resembled models, or men in rubber suits from the early Kaiju monster movie days of Godzilla and the like. And the Voltron-like being that is used at the end is very chezzy. A hint of the Power Rangers crossed my mind when I saw it. Had it not been for him, I might have given another star. The two exceptions on the creatures were the flying bird, which looked passable, and the Orochi with its fire spewing breath. I think that all the creatures would have benefitted from being in an anime format, where outlandishness goes well.

The release company on this film is ADV and they include both a Japanese and English dubbed version of the film.(the dub is done fairly well). They also include some trailers of other films.

This film will probally not peek the interest of everyone unless you fit into one of these catergoires. 1 You like Kaiju films like Godzilla. 2 You are interested in Japanese cinema. 3 You like anime films. 4 You have seen and enjoyed the Sinbad movies or films like Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts. This is not a martial arts film in anyway, so if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. Other than that, try to rent it if you can, it's good for a change of venue outside of Hollywood. I doubt it's really a keeper, so only buy it if it's a really good deal.

I'm sorry, but it just was bad. I'm a long time Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman fan, so I'm not saying this because of the kaiju. First off, the characters were uninteresting. They really focused on individuals that only had one title. "Kind and Smart". "Nimble and Quick", "Evil and Powerful". They just had little to make themselves memorable from. The biggest problem is Orochi. I waited the entire film for the monster. Then, when he came, he was just a plothole creature that could have been just as easily taken away. They could have added so much more. So yes, it was a major disappointment in my opinion. Stick with the recent Godzilla and Gamera films.

orochi is probably one of toho's best tokatsu movies in the last twenty years.If you like ancient japan,mystic arts and rubber monsters this one is for you.

OROCHI blends the ancient Shinto legends of the Yamata no Orochi and the discarded prince Yamato Takeru into a thrilling fantasy adventure from the makers of the GODZILLA series! A daring young prince must set out to fulfill his destiny by destroying the evil god Orochi, an eight-headed dragon that he must battle by transforming into a powerful metal warrior. Although the special effects date the film badly, the ornate sets, impressive action sequences, and incredible costuming make for a grand production on a modest budget. Eastern tradition meets Western influence by adapting elements from CONAN THE BARBARIAN and DRAGONSLAYER into the look and feel of the film. OROCHI contains many of the necessary ingredients for a successful fantasy film, including arcane magic, mythical creatures, sword fighting, and an array of giant monsters, but the light tone and often silly acting do not do the legends justice. It is still an exciting adventure that is sure to appeal to Kaiju fans!

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

If you want to take "Orochi" seriously, and immerse yourself in ancient Japanese mythology brought to life by quirky Japanese special effects, and thrill to the action, drama and romance of the story, then you'll be sorely disappointed. I can't speak for the English dub because I haven't watched it yet, but even in the Japanese version it's pretty obvious how poorly this film was handled. The acting is stale and the characters are walking stereotypes (no one realizes that the bad guy is the one with the fu manchu wearing black until it's too late); the special effects are clunky (especially the flying ones); the music is childish; and the swordplay is not very exciting at all. The story is a blending of several elements from the 1959 Toho film "The Three Treasures," which has not yet been released on R1 DVD, and is subject to non-sequitur jump cuts that move the story forward in ways that leave you wondering, "Wait, what happened to so-and-so?" The best acting comes from Hiroshi Abe ("Godzilla 2000") as the "final boss," and he only gets about ten minutes of screen time before he turns into a giant overweight dragon.

HOWEVER...

If you just want to have a good time with friends watching a cheesy movie and riffing on it a la Mystery Science Theater 3000 or RiffTrax, then this film wants you. It may even be worth your time to make your own puppets beforehand (a la MST3K). It's like watching a lame RPG game come to life on the screen, and if you can laugh at it, the time will pass a little more smoothly. One of my favorite parts is after they slay the fire demon and an artifact drifts down from the sky, twirls in midair, and settles in the hero's open hands. Cue the Zelda chime! "Orochi" will cater most prominently to the die-hard gaming nerd crowd. They'll get a kick out of it, but only if they watch it with some buddies who won't take it seriously.

and the rest of me thought it was better than 'okay,' too. HEAVY with mythology and relevance to japanese culture, this is more than just another godzilla knockoff. creature effects were above average for a movie of this kind (except maybe for the 'medieval ultraman' moment at the end, though i can understand the filmmakers' and/or studio's decision to film and include it that way), and i have to salute whoever thought to mount eight real flamethrowers inside a highly combustible foam and latex beast like the dragon. i don't understand the cover's rating of "15+," though - this movie's tailor-made for any kid with a love of anime, godzilla, power rangers, or whatever _otaku_ thing best fits. silly fun, yet somehow educational, too!

Saw this movie afew years back. Not all that bad. Great effects, and the story was easy to follow. You get a little of defferent monsters. For those of you who love Godzilla, don't pass this up.