Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

Figured I might as well make a thread about Varan since it has just been released on DVD. As for the DVD itself it's very nicely done, it had 2 versions of the movie (I haven't watched the TV Broadcast version yet), trailers, commentary and then a part about the suit of Varan. All nice extras from Media Blasters...as for picture quality/sound/etc everything appeared good to me however I should state I was watching this on a portable dvd player (and it was an APEX ) so things could be different once I watch this at home. But that's enough about the dvd...

As for the movie itself, like I said in another thread...this movie sucks. I wasn't expecting too much from the movie BUT I expected it to be along the lines of average. This movie is well below average...the movie is very slow paced. I mean Varan walks like he's suffering from some very bad leg sprains or something, I don't understand how humans can out run Varan at all. In fact I don't understand how the Self-Defense Force could suck so bad either...when they attack Varan it's like all the bombs/missiles/gunfire missed him and hit the area around him but yet they say their weapons have no effect on him?! And can someone tell me why Varan eats flares?? I can only assume he mistakes it for food but I don't like to make assumputions. And why does Varan start heading towards Tokyo?? Better yet, how do the 2nd research team even know that Varan is a Varan as soon as they see him. The ending was ok, not great but not bad (like the rest of the movie). The slow pacing, the plotholes, the fact Varan flies only once and other things I don't care to get into just makes me want to throw this movie in my "Bin of Forgotten Movies". But Kudos to Media Blasters for making a little something out of nothing.

The Japanese version is an average kaiju flick.

The American version is one of the worst things I've ever seen.

"As for the movie itself, like I said in another thread...this movie sucks. I wasn't expecting too much from the movie BUT I expected it to be along the lines of average. This movie is well below average... the movie is very slow paced."

While that is a matter of opinion, and you are entitled to that, IMHO I think that the film is far more fast-paced than the original GODZILLA or RAIDS AGAIN...

"In fact I don't understand how the Self-Defense Force could suck so bad either... when they attack Varan it's like all the bombs/missiles/gunfire missed him and hit the area around him but yet they say their weapons have no effect on him?!"

That's the difference between the screenplay and the way the effects were done... even in the original American version, they added superimposed explosions hitting Varan (ala the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), to give the effect that he was being hit... although, I see no difference between these scenes in VARAN and those with Mogera in THE MYSTERIANS... I just take it in stride.

"And can someone tell me why Varan eats flares?? I can only assume he mistakes it for food but I don't like to make assumputions."

Godzilla was attracted by light in both GODZILLA and RAIDS AGAIN, so one can assume that Varan, like a cat or dog that will chase a flashlight beam, goes after them and bites the flares. One must therefore assume that Varan must be iinvunerable to these relatively low-heat incendiaries. But, that could all be baloney. Since we know that the screenwriter and directors were intelligent people (Sekizawa, Honda and Tsuburaya), we cannot dismiss such things as "stupid" -- knowing the way that these films were made, we can be assured that the filmmakers discussed the logic of such things. But, as with many Japanese films, the filmmakers generally do not feel the need to hammer the logic of minor/major points over the audiences' heads.

"And why does Varan start heading towards Tokyo??"

Why does Godzilla do the same thing? Or any other Japanese monster?

"Better yet, how do the 2nd research team even know that Varan is a Varan as soon as they see him."

That was a mistake in the subtitling... Biologist, Kenji Uozaki (Kozo Nomura) identifies the creature as a species of dinosaur named "Varanus podder" (meaning "Father of Dragons" in Latin) which is quickly shortened to "Varan".

"The ending was ok, not great but not bad (like the rest of the movie). The slow pacing, the plotholes, the fact Varan flies only once and other things I don't care to get into just makes me want to throw this movie in my "Bin of Forgotten Movies"."

C'mon, it's not that bad... I really like the long stretch of Naval Self Defense Forces versus Varan, coupled with Ifukube's great score... it's not THE X FROM OUTER SPACE or GAPPA... in fact, IMHO, I think it's an important bridge between the 1950s films and the 1960s films; Sekizawa lays out the pattern for a trio of main characters that would dominate the 1960s films, and a lot of the atmosphere and story contours that would be perfected in films like MOTHRA and MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA. VARAN is not the best film of the period, but it is superior to RAIDS AGAIN and HALF HUMAN (Japanese Version).

But, I am not saying that you are wrong for thinking that it's a minor film, nor that you should be impressed in any way, shape or form, by VARAN. I simply find pleasure in the film itself, based on its own merits. Plus, I think that even two years ago, we would never have dreamed of a release such as this in North America... who knows what else Media Blasters is licensing the rights to (besides DOGORA, a minor film, to be sure, but I'm happy to have them keep discs like VARAN coming).

"But Kudos to Media Blasters for making a little something out of nothing."

All Media Blasters had to do was port the Toho Video R2 DVD...

I enjoyed Varan, some parts where boring but the movie is very fast pace. IMO it's a lot better than it's American counterpart which for some reason I can't sit all the way through.

Things I like about Varan
-Unique Kaiju Design
-Excellent Score one of Ifkube's<sp> best(he did the score right?)
-Interesting Plot
-Good SPFX for a low budget kaiju flick(See Keith's review at Henshin)

Sure it's no Godzilla, Rodan or Mothra but it's not the worse either.

@August:

> [...] "Varanus podder" (meaning "Father of Dragons" in Latin) [...]

I don't know where this information comes from, but it can not be correct. "Varanus" is not a "Dragon" (that's "Draco"), but a "Lizard". It's also not genitive plural, and "Podder" is not even a Latin word. "Father of (the) Lizards" in Latin would rather be something like "Pater Varanorum".

the mosasaurus, an ancient marine going reptile is a member of the Varanus family, just an FYI.

David

I love this film...

The only thing I would do differently, would be to add scenes of terror more like in Gojira where humans are directly being affected, instead of just standing back at a distance. But in all, the film is good! I love Varan's design...sort of a giant Iguana with gliding abilities.

Well I watched it, and its not to bad. Some of the shots of Varan are outstanding, but some of the fx are outright awful. None of the characters are very engaging, the main scientist looks and acts like he could fall asleep at any moment. I also thought the plot was a little silly...the fence the natives wouldn't open to get the little boy...Varn willingly gobbling up the flares....are a few examples. I thought the score was awesome, but I wish Varan didn't basically roar just like Goji. Oh...and the explosion at the end that does poor Varan in...shouldn't all the characters up on shore have been fleeing in terror as Varan chunks fell out of the sky on top of them....