Customer Reviews

Rodan

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Rodan" is frequently compared to studio-mate Godzilla in many ways. I think that "Rodan" is at least as well made and in some ways superior to any of the Godzilla films. For starters it is in color, which was a bit rare for a film made in 1956; furthermore, the color is vibrant and well preserved in this modern print. The acting is better than most of the Toho films, as is the script. The biggest difference is the sets, with the "Rodan" sets far and away more realistic looking than the Godzilla counterparts. The blending of real shots and miniatures is far above average for a film of this age as well. The 'bridge' set featured near the end of the film is probably the best miniature set in the history of Toho productions.

Rodan is a message movie, and, of course, cautions us about the use of nuclear weapons. The use of these weapons causes first the release of some just plain wacky looking caterpillar monsters, followed by two Rodans. The Rodans terrorize Japan until eventually they are engulfed by a man made volcanic eruption, in one of the best endings in any of the films of this genre.

Of all the Toho monster films, I think that "Rodan" is my favorite. Buy it today and see what monster movies are supposed to look like!

Following the release of Gojira (Godzilla, King of the Monsters, before Raymond Burr was cut in) and it's sequel, Toho made their first color giant monster movie: Rodan(aka Radon, and Rodan ,The Flying Monster).Unlike most creature features of the time Rodan doesn't make you wait 2/3's of the movie for a monster to show up .Meganurons, giant prehistoric dragonfly larva make their appearance rather early in the film.It's this part of the film that's often compared to "Them".However,in Rodan the giant insects are only the set up.In the most memorable scene, when the character comes out of shock, he not only remembers being trapped underground with the Meganurons but also the hatching of a Rodan chick from it's egg.Having the audience already in on the size of the larva provides instant scale, as the hatchling devours the Meganurons.To add to the excitement of the rest of the picture we learn that in fact two Rodans have hatched.

The film is played straight, unlike later entries in what's become known as the Godzilla series.

Although Rodan has appeared in other films, Gidorah,the Three Headed Monster,Godzilla vs Monster Zero(Invasion of the Astro Monsters),and Destroy All Monsters, the look of Rodan was never as good as in this, the original.

Following the success of the "Godzilla" monster movies, Toho Productions of Japan created another giant nuclear-age menace in the form of a giant pterodactyl known as "Rodan". However, in this early color film from 1956, there wasn't just one Rodan terrorizing Japan, there were two! Beginning in the quiet mining village of Kitamatsu on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, the miners who are digging very deeply inadvertently open a passage into a cavern where frightening giant insects dwell. After several miners are mutilated, one of the giant insects enters the village and frightens mining engineer Shigeru Kawamura (Kenji Sahara) and his girlfriend Kiyo (Yumi Shirakawa). Determined to stop the giant insects, Shigeru, Police Chief Nishimura (Akio Kobori) and several miners go down into the mine; but a cave-in traps Shigeru in the cavern. When the nearby volcano suddenly becomes active, several giant sinkholes form around the mine. Unsure if Shigeru is still alive, he is found wandering in one of the sinkholes but is suffering from amnesia. While recovering from his ordeal, UFO's begin to terrorize the skies over Japan and several nearby countries. Finally, Shigeru remembers having witnessed the hatching of a Rodan in the cavern; but when the military tries to take them out, they discover that there are two them! Will Japan (and the rest of the world) be saved from these giant supersonic pterodactyls? You'll just have to watch this fun Japanese monster movie to find out!

"Rodan", a.k.a. "Sora no daikaijū Radon" in transliterated Japanese, has been one of my favorite Japanese monster movies since I was young. Though the color quality has aged and was not restored for the DVD, it is still a very entertaining film to watch. Other memorable characters in "Rodan" include the honeymooners (Kiyoharu Onaka and Yasuko Nakata), Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (Akihiko Hirata, 1927-1984) and Professor Isokawa (Mitsuo Matsumoto). Overall, for being a wonderfully campy and very entertaining film, I rate "Rodan" with a resounding 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it any monster movie aficionado.

This is the classic style of the old Godzilla movies I loved as a kid and still enjoy now. I am not too fond of the ending but other than that, this flick rocks!! If you are looking for a big reptilious bird monster for some laughs and entertainment, this is it. If you are expecting quality graphics, special effects and that lot, you aren't going to get it here. I just wish I could find all the Rodan movies...this was not the only one with Rodan in it. Have fun with this!! I have for many years!!

Rodan is a complete story. It includes people elements and the state of the arts special effects for the times. I have been looking for a clear copy of this film and this is it.

FIRST THOUGHTS: HERE'S A FILM THAT WILL STAY WITH YOU -- FOREVER

I saw this film on an evening Late Show with my dad, around 1960 and was scared out of my wits when during one of the opening scenes, the mine workers were grabbed by something under the water deep within the coal mine. Though I have seen this film countless times over the past 5 decades, it has been those feelings of uneasy dread that I felt 46 years ago, during that fateful scene in the mine that stand out in my thoughts of Rodan!

IN A NUTSHELL: RODAN TAKES ITSELF VERY SERIOUSLY & SO DO I

'Rodan' is a film very much like the original 'Godzilla'. A true melodrama that offers a larger-than-life prehistoric monster that has suddenly and mysteriously been reawakened, probably by human activity. This film offers more than most of the genre and era and is in color to boot, unlike the original Godzilla. But most of all 'Rodan' makes pretty good sense as far as a plot and story goes, especially for nonsense.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: RODAN MAKES PRETTY GOOD SENSE OUT OF NONSENSE

Of course nothing that is happening as we watch Rodan could actually happen, but one would never know judging by the seriousness and urgency that every scene is played.

RODAN & GODZILLA - A MATCH MADE IN HELL FOR ALL TO ENJOY

Like the original 'Godzilla - King of the Monsters', Rodan brings us a truely unbelievable tale and tries very hard to make it seem real. Both films do succeed in this, but Rodan is in color and actually has more action sequences with the monster than Godzilla does. Also, though Godzilla does look a bit like a man wearing a monster costume [which is what it is], Rodan does avoid looking the part of a man in a monster suit, which is a huge aid in keeping our disbelief suspended. Also, the Rodans do use their flying abilities [2 Rodans] to cause new kinds of havoc compared to Godzilla. This makes for entertainment and a sense that something new and different is happening. In 1956, this low-budget Japanese import made quite an impression on creature feature fans and fifty years later it still is.

RODAN IS A KIND OF 'CREATURE-FEATURE FAMILY FILM -- NO PROFANITY or GORE!

Rodan for all its horrific glory restrains itself from the gratuitous gore, profanity and violence that has dominated the more recent releases in this genre. In short, this is a film you can watch with your ten year old without feeling awkward or that certain scenes are inappropriate for him to see. A kind of creature-feature family film!

BOTTOM LINE: RODAN NEEDS A REMASTERED DVD RELEASE DESPERATELY

I have seen and enjoyed this film countless times with my children now and as a child with my father nearly 50 years ago. If any film of this genre is worthy of a Criterion release, like 'The Fiend Without A Face' or 'The Blob' has gotten, Rodan and the original Godzilla certainly rate this honor. I say this because after comparing the new DVD with my ten year old 'Vestron Video' edition, I see no improvement here on the DVD and there are parts where the sound and color are of variable quality. This is sad, as this fine example of a 1950s schlock creature feature needs restoration. Some nostalgic anecdotes, incorporated into a featurette, would be nice too.

Rodan is one of the very best films released by Toho Studios(that's saying a lot). The story, though still very much influenced by American sci-fi, is very well done and exciting. Director Ishiro actually evokes sympathy for the Rodans in the film's climatic scenes, something that distinguishes Rodan from say "The Blob" or "The Deadly Mantis." Eiji Tsubaraya's spfx work is top-notch and easily shames many other sci-fi efforts of that time. The great Kenji Sahara heads up a good cast. He would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular people in Toho's stable of actors. Unfortunately, Akira Ifukube's score is not up to par with his previous work on Godzilla. Only at the firey climax do we experience Ifukube's trademark mournfully stirring music. That aside, this film is a classic that will continue to endure!

This movie, along with the original Godzilla, is the undisputed king of the Japanese monster movies. It actually has a moral concerning atmoic bomb testing and what Nature does to retalitate. Touching finale where the surviving Pteranodan creature dives into the lava to die with its mate, the last of their once mighty species. None of the later, dumbed down Toho films compare to this. Japanese Monster Movies Rule! P.S. Obviously, they had time to reproduce because later on in Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II , another Rodan is discovered. I use that as an example because I just don't buy the way it was revived in the 60's and 70's Toho films.

OK, we all know how cool this classic is. The 1st Kaiju filmed in color.

I am just going to comment on the quality of the DVD itself. It is not widescreen. It is fullscreen. I wish that was in [the product's] description. Also the source material was not the most clean print. There are countless dots and light scratches throughout the film. And my last observation, dubbed in english.

What this DVD should have been is a nice clean widescreen print in the original language.

I should have kept my VHS copy and saved my funds for something else.

Rodan is one of the better giant monster films from toho. exelent special efects, a solid plot, and the men in the suits for rodan do an exelent job.

the story focuses on a mining town were people are being slaughtered by unknown means. it turns out to be mansized silverfish (the insect of course) with scorpion claws. 2 are killed but the main character is cut off form the rest of his group by an earthquake. he is later found with amniesia, when he recovers his memory hge tells them of what he saw, a giant teradactyl hatching in the mine and eating the giant insects! Rodan apears - along with its mate, andf atack a nearby sity - not tokyo!. the monsters then return to the mines - and an active volcano. the military planes to bury them in mount aso. while doing so the volcano erupts and killes one of the Rodans, the other, unable to live with out its mate, dives into the lava beside it. all in all a good film