Rodan1956

71/100 The first and third act of this film are absolutely phenomenal and some of the best the Kaiju genre has to offer. However, the film doesn't quite get there when connecting these together, bringing the film down on the whole. The opening is certainly atmospheric enough, combining the aspects of a crime drama and a monster film quite well. The Meganulon also make for quite a good antagonist, which makes it even more chilling when it's revealed they're just Rodan's food later on in the film. However, right after the Meganulon exit the narrative, up until Rodan establishes himself (or rather, themselves), the film slows down and somewhat loses its appeal. Large stretches of this portion are dedicated to exposition and the search for Rodan, executed in a formulaic and mechanical way that makes for a dull experience. Luckily, it picks right back up when Rodan is fully revealed for the first time, and from there the film enters its best section yet. The last half-hour of this movie is basically nonstop in terms of Kaiju action, and its all great. The aerial battle/chase with Rodan against the fighter jets, as well as his subsequent attack on the city, is all executed well. Eiji Tsuburaya displays some impressive set design and direction as usual, and the greatness of his effects helps make these already entertaining scenes even better. The movie already has a "twist" in place with it being revealed that the Meganulon are merely the beginning and Rodan is much worse, but as the audience is already primed to predict this, the filmmakers here have cleverly inserted a second twist, and the reveal of the second Rodan is even more effective, if possible. The finale is also great here, with tons of great pyrotechnics, as well as the deaths of the two Rodans, one of the most widely discussed aspects of this film, and an element which successfully creates sympathy for the monsters. The final shot of this movie is haunting, with our two leads watching as the surviving Rodan chooses to go back and die with its mate, a love not too dissimilar from their own, wondering if the Rodan were monstrous, or merely trying to survive, just as the people trying to kill them were. The direction in this film is also great. This is one of the first Kaiju films in colour, and yet it's used so well you'd think Honda and Tsuburaya had years of practice, with the vivid colours all popping and helping make every shot look great, especially aftermath shots such as a burning Tokyo, ravaged by the Rodans, yet with a single neon sign still flickering. This movie is no masterpiece, but it has a lot of great moments and when it hits, it really hits. It might have some lows to go along with them, but its still a perfectly good Kaiju movie.