For this installment of Kaiju Korner, we tackle the screen debut of Rodan, Godzilla’s best and worst frenemy in a number of kaiju sequels, as he takes to the skies in his film debut over an erupting Mount Aso and wreaks all sorts of havoc for the4 civilians below thanks to his massive wingspan and his faster-than-light speed. The film, appearing in 1956, is Toho’s second Eastman color feature, but the first for the Kaiju Kingdom. The creature’s brilliant hues would prove to be memorable, thanks to the team behind the initial launch of this kaiju.
The design for Rodan (thanks to returning special effects maestro Eiji Tsuburaya) has always been incredible, but the monster’s character - often becoming silly in some of the later films - severely undercuts that threatening look. He’s no knucklehead - although the later films would have you think otherwise - and with the original film in 1956 we have a very thrilling experience with the creature, which descends into sympathetic territory as we watch this couple perish on Mount Aso.
Although that monstrous wingspan is damned impressive, bursting him to speeds no fighter pilot could ever safely come back from, there still seems to be some lingering doubts on the creature’s true persona. For the clarity needed, we must return to the original 1956 entry which sees director Ishirō Honda returning to the kaiju stomping grounds after being too busy to direct Godzilla Raids Again.
To be clear, the model work here for both the creature and the military response to their presence is absolutely stunning. There are quite a few nice details in the monsters, which includes ugly-looking larvae called Meganuron (thanks to the influence of 1954’s Them!) and then later as the egg-hatching, sky-soaring titular characters who bring fear and panic wherever they zoom.
Appearing in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964), Invasion of Astro-Monster/Monster Zero (1965), Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), and in Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019), Rodan is a kaiju staple. It wasn’t always that way, though. The pteranodon has appeared in only one solo film, which is weird considering that film is a strong entry for Toho, and there are two monsters: a male and a female, who seemingly perish in a sympathetic way while the military watches as Mount Aso erupts.
Obviously, one lives on, but - for the purposes of this article - we will grant the couple their much deserved rest. Starring Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa, Rodan is directed by Godzilla’s Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, and features some truly top shelf model work as Rodan speeds by army jeep after jeep, knocking them over with each passing.
Written by Ken Kuronuma, novelist, science fiction, and mystery writer in Shōwa period Japan and inspired by a UFO incident in Kentucky in which a fighter pilot reportedly crashed while in pursuit of something otherworldly, Rodan, the first over-sized creature in color from Toho, remains a classic of kaiju cinema. The message in this film is clear to all of mankind about the consequences of its continued abuse of the earth as Mount Aso on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu becomes the birthplace for a mutated prehistoric Pteranodon known as Rodan, the Giant Monster of the Sky.
But it begins with a slow burn as a few mining workers become food for the carrion crow. Something is killing them, it seems. But the mining down in the tunnels must continue! With a team of scientists and miners alike leading the searches down in the mines, pools of water become terrifying entrapments as something is locking onto the men and taking them down. These scenes are truly terrifying and work to create a strong elixir of panic and suspense before the creatures are revealed.
But what is it?! Before seen, the only noise heard from these hungry critters are a series of hums and clicks, something borrowed from Them!, too. It’s an effective use of horror for Toho and makes for some pretty unsettling sequences, all of which are unexpected for a movie with yet a bigger and badder monster yet to make an appearance.
But they will appear soon because the prehistoric monsters feed on these giant bugs! As one of the missing miners (Shigeru Kawamura) is discovered, Rodan takes to the skies and harrasses everyone from Japan, China, and the Philippines. This couple is upset about something and it seems to be how man is dealing with the earth.
Oddly emotional for a kaiju film and full of some strong scares, Rodan - both the monster and the film - deserve better treatment from the film community. Currently, there are no plans to release the film in 1080p, sticking with a streaming platform availability only. Even though the movie’s release is behind handled by Criterion Collection, either Toho is being very protective of their titles or there’s no further plans to release this classic on blu-ray. Bummer.
MPAA Rating: Approved.
Runtime: 74 mins
Director: Ishirô Honda
Writer: David Duncan; Takeshi Kimura; Ken Kuronuma
Cast: Kenji Sahara; Yumi Shirakawa; Akihiko Hirata
Genre: Advenure | Fantasy | Horror
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Judging from a piece of its eggshell that we discovered, this one, which we've named Rodan, has a wingspan of 270 feet and weights over 100 tons."
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: 1957
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A mining engineer investigates the deaths of his colleagues, discovering prehistoric nymphs and a creature capable of flying - and wrecking havoc - at supersonic speeds.
