I was cleaning out a drawer the other day and found this lying amid a bunch of old videos that I don’t think I have ever watched. What an oddity this version is! It is basically the Japanese version with some very slight edits that aren’t even worth mentioning and runs a minute or two under the original Japanese film. I was excited at first thinking the Chinese were going attempt to recreate the same type of opening credits as Gigantis the Fire Monster or Varan the Unbelievable by inserting clips from later on in the movie of people fleeing, buildings burning, etc., but they just used that single shot with the main title inserted over it.
The oddest thing is that almost all of Ifukube’s music is gone, and replaced by music from other films, including portions of John William’s score to Jaws! The music when Chrissie is attacked at the beginning of Jaws is used at least three times throughout the movie such as when meganuron first makes its appearance, when the honeymooners are whisked away, and when the cavern begins to collapse. The music when Brody is trying to blow the shark up is used in the scene where the authorities are chasing after the meganuron after it kills two policemen! I think I even noticed some Wagner that was used in Excalibur as well…
The meganuron has also been given a new roar. Instead of the squeaking and ringing-bells noise it made, it now sounds like a demonic lion. Rodan’s supersonic high speed now sounds sometimes like a hurricane or strong storm instead of always being high pitched.
Anyone else see any foreign versions of any kaiju films with new soundtracks like the German version of Legend of the Dinosaurs?
