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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As Good As Godzilla, June 28, 2004
"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!
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Toho's best!, September 15, 2002
By A Customer
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.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the Depths of the Earth Lurk Terrible Monsters!, December 29, 2004
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.
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