Joe Versus the Volcano

Amazon.com

Joe Versus the Volcano is a true early-1990s cult film. This fantasy-comedy was the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, yet it polarizes viewers like a Blue Velvet or Happiness. As the only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (the Oscar-winning writer of Moonstruck), it is something special, and it's hard to resist the film's feather-light heart tugging. Joe Banks is having the life sucked out of him at a dead-end job. Miserable in his gray surroundings with stark fluorescent lighting, Joe dreams of being brave again. A visit to the doctor reveals that he has a "brain cloud." It's fatal, but he'll be fine for a few more months. An eccentric millionaire, Samuel Harvey Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges), hears of Joe's predicament and comes to him with a proposal: The people of the Pacific island of Waponi Woo need a human sacrifice to appease their gods. Why not live like a king for a few weeks, then throw yourself into a volcano? (Graynamore needs a sacrificial victim to offer in exchange for permission to mine the island for a rare mineral.) Joe accepts Graynamore's lavish proposal and on his journey meets three romantic possibilities (all played by Ryan). Joe embraces life; so does the movie. It's packed with smile-inducing supporting performances by Bridges, Ossie Davis, Robert Stack, and Dan Hedaya; playful songs ("Sixteen Tons," "Ol' Man River," Presley's version of "Blue Moon"); and amusing scenes (such as Joe buying luggage). Add the daring, imaginative production design of Bo Welch (Edward Scissorhands), Hanks and Ryan's chemistry, and Georges Delerue's romantic music and you have a film to fall for. --Doug Thomas

Description

Laughs erupt when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fall in love and fall in lava in Joe Versus the Volcano, a colorful, stylish laughquake written and directed by Moonstruck Oscar winner John Patrick Shanley. As Joe, Hanks adds to his phenomenal string of successes that includes, Splash, Big and Turner & Hooch. And Meg Ryan follows up her starmaking When Harry Met Sally...with three roles, playing each of the women in Joe's life. When we first meet Joe, he has the white-color blues. Every day is Monday, the boss is always in a bad mood and the cumulative stresses convince Joe he has a terminal condition called a "brain cloud." So when a zany jillionaire pops up and offers him a fleeting taste of the good life, Joe leaps at the chance. All he must do in return is leap into a volcano. But funny things happen on the way from the urban isle of Manhattan to the remote tropical isle of Waponi Woo... Out of the corporate frying pan. Into the fire. Is Joes doomed to be the last of the red-hot lovers? Not if the forces of courage, love and comedy have their way.

DVD Features:
Documentary
Filmographies
Interactive Menus
Music Video:Eric Burdon, "Sixteen Tons"
Other
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite movies of all time.......2007-08-29

This is quite simply one of my favorite movies of all time. I have no explanation as to why, it just is.

the best of Tom and Meg!.......2007-05-27

oh. how I love this film! Joe is told by his doctor (a quack I might add) that he has a rare disease that will kill him in 6 months. so he decides (via being bribed) to go toss himself into a volcano in exchange for a vacation, and loads of fun. but what he didn't expect to find along the way was Love! and Meg ryan is Ultra Cute in this film and tom hanks is Hilarious and as always very comical in his acting (I laugh every time i watch him being diagnosed with his "New Disease" and then quitting his job! what hilarity buy this film you will not regret it! great for family friends and anyone else! its also cool seeing meg ryan as a redhead blonde and brunette! this movie is a classic like Big!

My favorite movie.......2007-04-07

This movie has become my favorite movie of all time. I have given it a rating of E, which is the highest that I will give to a movie or book. To receive this rating, there has to be substance, meaning, consistency of story and plot, depth, and it must be unforgettable.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants not just entertainment, but a challenge to find the messages this movie is saying to each viewer. There is a connectivity throughout the movie that makes it well worth viewing several times to pick out. I will not go into details, for that would make it too easy and spoil the fun to be had in searching. They are there, words, moments of insight, pictures, and ideas. They are there, find them, and enjoy.

I think the choice of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan was the best choice for this movie. Both do very creditable acting. There is also a lot of frisson between these two characters which adds immeasurably to this movie.

One of the things that you will find in this movie is what simple love is and how important it is. By simple love I mean the power of the touch of hands, the giving of oneself to keep another safe and well, the look within the eyes that says "I care for you". These are all simple things, but powerful too. Hence, their meaning comes across powerfully within the framework of this movie.

I have seen this movie several times and I am still seeing things that connect throughout the movie. This makes it more fun to watch time and again, because you always will find something new missed before. Spielberg is an excellent director and he knows how to tell a story. The story presented in Joe vs the Volcano is done extremely well in this movie. There is much more to it within the movie than just the interplay of the two main characters. In addition, the music adds a depth to this, a surprising depth. I have tried to find the sound track and it is not available. Only 3500 CD's were made and these are gone to those who likewise found it to be something worth keeping.

There are unforgettable scenes throughout the movie too. One in particular I always see in my mind and thoughts. Tom Hanks (Joe)and Meg Ryan are on a raft after the sail boat that Meg was captain of sunk in a storm. Meg suffered a blow to the head and is unconscious so Joe gives her water to keep her well, denying any for himself because he does not know when they will be rescued. About the third night he sees the moon rise. At one point he struggles to stand and it then appears he is holding the moon up with his hands. It is touching, an unforgettable scene. Joe then says:
"Lord, who's name I do not know,
I Thank you for my life.
I forgot... just how big...
Thank you for my life."

My recommendation is to not miss this movie. It is worth the price, and then some, I believe sincerely. You will not forget it, you will find the movie refreshing everytime you see it. And you will find a smile or two on your face, and maybe a tear or two as you understand all the things this movis is saying to you.

Joe

Just a fun movie.......2007-01-10

I missed it in the movies, but after seeing it it on STARS, I knnew I had to have it in my collection !!

A Wonderful Fairy Tail for Grownups.......2006-12-15

Stuck in the world of the corporate grind ... not sure how to break free ... not sure you can? Well, this wonderful little movie might just inspire you to FIND a way to break out of the "eternal gray" and create a wonderful life for yourself. And even if it doesn't ... it's a lot of fun.

Average customer rating:

Good film, but not spectacular!
a must!
great for a dubbed movie!
More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic...
Pretty crappy movie

Ultimate Versus
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi , Hideo Sakaki , Chieko Misaka , Kenji Matsuda , and Yuichiro Arai
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000JBXP5W
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Description

Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum security jail, he enters the forest believing it will lead him to a safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out against an ever-changing background across multiple temporal planes of existence. His opponent: a mysterious man who seemingly cannot be killed. The battle to be waged: Good versus Evil in the pursuit of a beautiful woman who holds the power to grant eternal life. But what Prisoner KSC2-303 cannot remember is whether he is the personification of good or the very essence of darkness.

Customer Reviews:

Good film, but not spectacular!.......2007-08-09

Well I only bought this film because of the action and Tak Sakaguchi. The action and special effects are phenomenal, however the English voice over actors are horrible actors, which puts a damper on the film itself. I recommend watching it with subtitles.

a must!.......2007-05-13

this is a favorite movie in our houshold! i got it at an amazing price, and i got it on my boyfriends b day! awesome timing as well.

great for a dubbed movie!.......2007-04-02

I began to watch this DVD and up came japanese characters with the translation in subtitles below, and i thought, "this movie better not be all subtitles!"

You see kids, i'd rather have crappy dubbing than subtitles because with subtitles, you spend the whole movie reading it and not getting into the story at all!

More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic..........2007-03-25

I've waited for the official Region 1 release of this 3- disc Ultimate edition ever since I saw the Japanese region-2 release sans English subtitles. There are some wanna-be Ultimate editions made from Taiwan or Malaysia but they are not the Ultimate edition. I know the release date is listed as 3/27/2007, I got lucky and I bought mine a week earlier than this date.

VERSUS is a cult hit from the beginning. Ryuhei Kitamura's film has all the ingredients for stylish mayhem: Zombies, Guns & Gangsters, Samurai Swordplay, Slick humor, a cute chick, anime-like fantasy and mystery.
The story revolves around prisoner escapee KSC2-303(Tak Sakaguchi, from Shinobi, Death Trance, Azumi) stuck in the "Forest of Resurrection" to seek safe haven. Unfortunately, the crime lord supposed to grant him this has his own motives and he finds himself against a mysterious supernatural opponent to whom he is linked. This flick is a stylish relentless, rampaging zombie action-noir-horror hybrid that Hollywood probably wishes it thought of it first.

The difference between the R1 Ultimate Edition and the previous R1 Special edition are(actually the slip sleeve specifies scene by scene):
1) More Blood and gore.
2) It looked like all the fight scenes have been extended.
3)added: a renewal scene- Dark hero encounters zombies(3 scenes)more extended. Back-flips mayhem galore!
4)Zombies holding katana swords in the beginning scene.
5)Ohba extended zombie encounter scene
6)extended action sequence, zombie encounter- 3 Assasins going to the forest meeting a lot of zombies instead of just meeeting up with Matsuda and Ohba.
7) Katayama extended fight scene with assasins.
8) New music/new dialogue on some scenes. Added scenes appear a lot sharper than the film itself. The film itself is remastered, although it still maintains that murky look.
9)Extra CGI and color correction
And a lot more of added 11 minutes of action and mayhem!!
Special/bonus features:
Audio commentary
In the making of: Versus
Stills gallery
First Contact: Down to Hell(original title)
Nervous 1: 7 min, side story about the cop who gets agitated when called"officer"
Nervous 2: side story(not a sequel) features what happens to the little guy with the 2 cops. They suffer from psychogenic amnesia.
Trailers: DOWN TO HELL, DOWN TO HELL 2:THE RETURN(original title)among others.

This 3-DISC ULTIMATE Edition(130 min) is well worth the money, I'm trading in the old 2-disc special edition(119 min). With an added 11 minutes of more action, mayhem and gore, this is a must-have for all Versus fans!! It certainly improved the original unlike stupid "extended releases" of ELEKTRA, AVP and THE PUNISHER.
The only gripe I have is I wish it was possible to have remastered the whole film in High-definition(which is why I only gave it 4 stars), but looking at the original film's budget limitations when it was made, Kitamura managed to put every penny he can into the film.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!(only for fans of the film, if you hated, the first version, this new dvd won't change your mind)

Pretty crappy movie.......2007-03-15

This movie felt long. The special effects and filmwork were pretty bad. The acting was even worse. The voice-over actors were bad and the subtitles were generally too fast to read those and watch in Japanese.

I'm a fan of this genre of movie usually and I thought this would be a good one - but this is one to pass on, especially considering how much it costs.

Versus BBQ Championship Series Volume 1: The Complete Season (3-Disc Set)

Average customer rating:

Versus BBQ Championship Series Volume 1: The Complete Season (3-Disc Set)
Starring: Barbeque Championship Series
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000RGX0I6
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Product Description

Presented by Kingsford® Charcoal, this competitive bracket-series tournament features the world's top BBQ chefs vying for $75,000 in prize money--the biggest in 'que history. The meats have been marinated; the cookers fired and stoked. Watch as the best pit men and women in the country line up ready to do battle, apron to apron. But before they can take home the prize, they must face the gamut of judges--the Taste Makers and Breakers--with a celebrity judge or two to spice things up. Viewers will have an eye-opening experience as they witness survival in the BBQ pits. Six Champions, six Challengers and six Wild Cards battle it out on season one of the Barbeque Championships. Bonuses include: Fan Favorite and Award Winning Recipes, and Kingsford Grilling Tips Booklet

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Versus
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Red Sun-Geneon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AUKVHC

Product Description

Three years after the emergence of Versus director Ryuhei Kitamura, now well-known and financially well padded, planned his world-well-known work again and created thereby The Ultimate Versus. It made the following changes: 1. New extended fights scenes. 2. Color filter corrected. 3. In many scenes the cheap Synthi music replaced by better sound. 4. The Ultimate Versus is now approx. 10 minutes longer than before!

Average customer rating:

Good film, but not spectacular!
a must!
great for a dubbed movie!
More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic...
Pretty crappy movie

Versus (Director's Cut)
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi , Hideo Sakaki , Chieko Misaka , Kenji Matsuda , and Yuichiro Arai
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000095J2Z
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Description

Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum security facility, he enters the forest, believing it will lead him to safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out across multiple temporal planes of existence. His opponent: a mysterious man who seemingly cannot be killed. The battle to be waged: Good versus Evil in the pursuit of a beautiful woman who holds the key to eternal life. What Prisoner KSC2-303 cannot remember is whether or not he is the personification of good or the very essence of darkness

Customer Reviews:

Good film, but not spectacular!.......2007-08-09

a must!.......2007-05-13

this is a favorite movie in our houshold! i got it at an amazing price, and i got it on my boyfriends b day! awesome timing as well.

great for a dubbed movie!.......2007-04-02

More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic..........2007-03-25

Pretty crappy movie.......2007-03-15

Average customer rating:

Good film, but not spectacular!
a must!
great for a dubbed movie!
More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic...
Pretty crappy movie

Versus (Special Edition)
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi , Hideo Sakaki , Chieko Misaka , Kenji Matsuda , and Yuichiro Arai
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000095J2Y
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Description

Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum security facility, he enters the forest, believing it will lead him to safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out across multiple temporal planes of existence. His opponent: a mysterious man who seemingly cannot be killed. The battle to be waged: Good versus Evil in the pursuit of a beautiful woman who holds the key to eternal life. What Prisoner KSC2-303 cannot remember is whether or not he is the personification of good or the very essence of darkness

Customer Reviews:

Good film, but not spectacular!.......2007-08-09

a must!.......2007-05-13

this is a favorite movie in our houshold! i got it at an amazing price, and i got it on my boyfriends b day! awesome timing as well.

great for a dubbed movie!.......2007-04-02

More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic..........2007-03-25

Pretty crappy movie.......2007-03-15

Average customer rating:

Good film, but not spectacular!
a must!
great for a dubbed movie!
More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic...
Pretty crappy movie

Versus
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi , Hideo Sakaki , Chieko Misaka , Kenji Matsuda , and Yuichiro Arai
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009EIRW
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Description

Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum security facility, he enters the forest, believing it will lead him to safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out across multiple temporal planes of existence. His opponent: a mysterious man who seemingly cannot be killed. The battle to be waged: Good versus Evil in the pursuit of a beautiful woman who holds the key to eternal life. What Prisoner KSC2-303 cannot remember is whether or not he is the personification of good or the very essence of darkness

Customer Reviews:

Good film, but not spectacular!.......2007-08-09

a must!.......2007-05-13

this is a favorite movie in our houshold! i got it at an amazing price, and i got it on my boyfriends b day! awesome timing as well.

great for a dubbed movie!.......2007-04-02

More Mayhem, Sly humor in this ultimate version of the cult classic..........2007-03-25

Pretty crappy movie.......2007-03-15

Average customer rating:

very bad edition
So bad it's good

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula
Starring: Roy Barcroft , Marjorie Bennett , Jr. Harry Carey , Olive Carey , and John Carradine
Director: William Beaudine
Manufacturer: Cheezy Flicks Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AYELGK
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

The world deadliest gunfighter! The worlds most diabolical killer! Dracula travels to the American West, intent on making a beautiful ranch owner his next victim. Her fiance, the outlaw Billy the Kid, finds out about it and rushes to save her. A great Cheezy Flick - and one we are sure you will love as much as we did!

Customer Reviews:

very bad edition.......2007-06-16

Regardless of what one may think of this film ,it deserves to be decently presented on dvd .Cheezy Flicks does not help the cause of film restoration with this type of dvd transfer .The one star is for the product not for the film .Cheezy Fick 's edition of Corman's Atlas in Pan and scan was a disaster too.They of course are not alone in that line .

So bad it's good.......2006-10-04

This film is a true "Le Bad Cinema" treasure. My family still uses bits of dialogue from the movie. Watching Dracula lift up and stumble carrying out that larger-than-he-is blond bimbo is at once hilarious and pathetic. You can't help feeling sorry for the poor, elderly actor who probably had to take whatever work he could get at that point. This isn't a film to take seriously at all, but one that invites snide remarks all the way through.

Deathless Devil and Tarkan Versus The Vikings (Turkish Pop Cinema Double Bill)

Average customer rating:

Not all that delightful
Incredibly bizarre fun

Deathless Devil and Tarkan Versus The Vikings (Turkish Pop Cinema Double Bill)
Starring: Abdi Algül , Giray Alpan , Ali Demir , Mustafa Dik , and Tijen Doray
Manufacturer: Mondo Macabro
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000B9E2MC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Not all that delightful.......2007-07-15

Hats off to Mondo Macabro for making these two examples of Turkish Pop Cinema readily available for the masses in the best quality possible with english subtitles. However, these films are not going to be for everyone. They weren't for me.

Noisy, ugly and cheap are the best way to describe both films. Tarkan is based on a Turkish comic-book Conan styled hero. Filmed mostly in already existing locations, the film has a look and feel of an outdoor high school play. The music is constantly blaring the same annoying passage, the editing of the action sequences is terrible and the acting is kind of like that of an old silent movie. There's a goofy fake giant octopus and some really insipid looking costumes, but the unintenional comedy factor wears thin very quickly.

Deathless Devil is more of a spy/superhero action story, and was slightly more enjoyable for me. Again, the acting, direction, sets, photography, and sound are all very low level. Picture something like Monty Python's old TV parody bit The Bishop, but played serious (it sounds like more fun than it is, trust me). There's a huge-haired babe and an incredibly cheesy robot (at the end) in this one.

Image quality is better with Tarkan, Devil looks like it may be from a video tape source, but is still good. Both films are full screen. Sound is horrible and very grating (though probably not a reproduction flaw)- imagine the credit sequence in Borat for 90 minutes.

Also included is a pretty brief but good documentary about Turkish pop movies. An interesting point is brought up therein, that being that Turkey is a very tough country to exist in. This comes through in the film making, as the style, if you can call it that, is almost like an assault on the senses. Loud and frenzied, but with absolutely zero artistry or technical craftmanship. Some of the clips in the doc suggest there are more entertaining Turkish movies out there, but I doubt I'll be seeking them out.

Incredibly bizarre fun.......2007-07-11

Good lord, this is out of print already? Glad I got mine when I did. This is a double feature of Turkish films from the 70's (I guess) and they're both rather astounding examples of...well, action films like you've never seen, I guess. There's an air of humor to them both that was most likely not intended, and there's more strangeness going on here than can be attributed to only a language barrier. Deathless Devil is apparently a remake of Dr. Satan (from the 40's) and features a sort of "strip tease" to "Witchita Lineman", if you can beleive that. It also features the perpetrator who is dressed rather like a Klingon pimp, for want of a better description. Tarkan vs. The Vikings features a hoard of lusty men clothed in what appear to be pastel bath rugs, doing battle and all that sort of stuff, plus it also features an incredibly terrifying (yeah right) octopus which has an inflatable head and whom victims need to assist in coiling its tentacles about them. All in all, these are incredibly fun but jaw-droppingly strange. Highly recommended for fans of strange foreign output when it comes to films.

Average customer rating:

Possibly the best G-movie ever
!!!a classic film!
Come on, folks! Admit it! This movie is horrible ! (But you know what? I like it, too!)
Beautiful!
One of the better written Godzilla films.

Godzilla Versus Monster Zero
Starring: Nick Adams , Akira Takarada , Jun Tazaki , Akira Kubo , and Kumi Mizuno
Director: Ishirô Honda
Manufacturer: Simitar Ent.
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ASIN: 630491170X
Release Date: 1998-05-06

Amazon.com

In the darkness behind Jupiter there lurks a heretofore undiscovered planet, Planet X, boasting beings of superior intelligence. The Planet&nbspX-ers are forced to live underground because of the havoc wreaked on the surface by Ghidra, the three-headed monster. Once discovered by our astronauts, including the ultra-hip Nick Adams (spouting such phrases as "That's right, baby!" with innocent conviction), the Planet X-ers propose that they transport Godzilla and Rodan from Earth to their planet to help rid them of the Ghidra menace. Only, as it turns out, they have a dastardly plan to use the bipedal behemoth and his flighty friend to conquer the Earth, harnessing their destructive force with "magnetic waves." And it almost works, but for the ingenuity... well, you get it. There can be no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than watching monsters battle it out, while Nick Adams speaks in his accustomed English to others speaking dubbed English (really Japanese), like they all know what each other is saying. The DVD gives you a choice of cropped-screen or letterboxed in scrumptious Tohoscope, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or Mono, and some more extras. It is also available in a boxed set with four of the better Godzilla flicks by director Inoshiro Honda. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

Possibly the best G-movie ever.......2006-07-09

Firstly, in this movie, Godzilla and Rodan are shown attacking humans a lot towards the end. They don't do anything 'heroic' except fighting with King Ghidorah, but, King Ghidorah is a planet-killing space dragon, so when Godzilla and Rodan fight him, I think its more because they want to stay alive than because of any 'heroic' motives, and, as anyone who's seen a movie from this series (meaning, not the Heisei or Millenium series) will know, if either of them fought King Ghidorah alone they would probably be killed off very quickly.

This is a movie where King Ghidorah is shown as he should be (well, he was debuted in the last movie for the purpose of being the main villain of the series). From movies like this, its clear that King Ghidorah is a considerably considerably greater threat than the later G-villains, such as Mechagodzilla for example.

Although, there is some corny stuff here, keep in mind that in Japan, G-movies are designed so that a very general audience(in Japan, obviously) can relate to them. Because that means there will always be some kids in the audience they throw corny stuff into G-movies at various points throughout the movies.

Rodan is my favorite kaiju, and I would recommend the movie to most people who are fans of Rodan.

Finally, I've heard random sources saying that about 45 minutes of this movie were editing out and similar things. This is not true because the American version of this movie is 92 minutes long and the Japanese version is 94 minutes long.

!!!a classic film!.......2005-12-14

a pernsonl faveroite of mine, i like nick adams in here he did a great job doing this film the special effets were awsome mostly for the time the alien plot was also good the destruction in here was great and ghidrah was seen more than he was in the last film and the screen qulity was also very good [i have the widescreen edition] a very well made film my faveroite of the showa serise the victory dance was also funny!

Come on, folks! Admit it! This movie is horrible ! (But you know what? I like it, too!).......2005-10-04

No need to go into the plot. Just about every reviewer here has given their take on the fun mess.

The movie is obviously directed toward children. Little kids are more prone to being awed by make-believe monsters and are thrilled by the notion of space flight - and they're more forgiving when the whole of the story does not make sense. All they know (or perhaps care about) is that it's "Good Guys vs. Bad Guys" and the Good Guys always win. Sprinkle a little G-rated butt-kicking by people in rubber suits in the mix, and the tots will love it.

Still, in terms of motion-picture quality, there are plenty of "Good Guy/Bad Guy" children's movies out there that are very well done. I can only surmise that this film's "Dr. Who-like quality of being filmed in some teenager's basement" is the result of having next to no budget to put this movie together.

The usual cast of Japanese contract players have roles, supposedly because they were still under contract when the film was shot! The addition of US actor Nick Adams makes the contract players seem extraordinarily talented. (Adams was also in a movie called "Die, Monster, Die" with Boris Karloff. He was just as wooden and god-awful in that film, too. I read on here that Adams was nominated for an Oscar. All I can say is, if Nicky seemed good enough to get a nod from his peers, then there must have been one heck of a director on that film, with a heavy hand in the editing booth).

Nevertheless, I have to admit that I bought the DVD of this film knowing what I would be getting. It's a cheese-fest, a piece of garbage with no artistic merit; yet, I enjoy watching it. I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic, watching the film and thinking back to a day when life seemed so much simpler and less stressful. The film is fun to watch for that reason alone.

If this movie hasn't hit "cult-classic" status yet, I'd be surprised. It's right up there with "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes."

Beautiful!.......2005-08-15

Campy? Well the dubbed versions usually are, but the original Japanese versions are a bit more serious--a detail worth paying attention to. The dubbing was done in the US by people who clearly didn't understand or respect this kind of Japanese film.

These remastered version are extraordinary. The art direction--even on these later movies when Toho didn't have as much money to spend--is superb. Lots of imagination and real magic--visually this is much more interesting than much of what was being produced elsewhere in the world at this time and I wish we'd start giving Toho, and the Japanese film industry, some credit for this. These are great and highly entertaining films!

Check out the Tokyo Shock releases: "Mysterians" (one of my all time favorites), "Dogora" and more. Also clean and wide-screened. Top notch stuff.

One of the better written Godzilla films........2005-08-13

This film is one of my childhood favs. It is one of the few Godzilla films that I actually do not fast forward through the ridiculous human drama. TOHO has rehashed the story of this one many times the latest being "Godzilla: Final Wars".

Tetsui is a great nerd-like character who saves the world. I also like the two astronauts and the aliens with their mod space outfits and quirky hand signs.

Some have mentioned that they are disappointed that Ghidrah is always referred to as Monster Zero. Actually, if you listen closely, the astronauts call it by its actual Japanese kaiju name of King Ghidorah, something that was never done in the English dubs of the older Godzilla films.

The best thing about this film is Nick Adams as the American astronaut, Glen. His presence adds a nice feeling of universal cooperation (as it did in his other turn for Japan kaiju "Frankenstein Conquers The World") and he even looks good in that white and yellow outfit that looks like an Egghead suit from the TV show Batman. His dialogue is great. When the aliens reveal their evil plan to dominate Earth, he hisses "Those double crossing finks!" When the aliens exterminate his robot girlfriend, he yells "You rats! You stinkin' rats, what did you do to her!"

Priceless! He must have had a ball filming this picture.

The special effects are TOP notch in this. Yeah, they use a lot of footage from previous films, and its three guys in rubber suits, but they make up for it with the transport of Godzilla & Rodan to planet X, the showing of the sound waves and how to counter-act them, and the disintegration of the female robot is a great effect.

The famous Godzilla superiority dance after the defeat of King Ghidorah is VERY silly. You either love it or hate it. Personally, I think it looks a little too much like a winning Popeye moment, but as a child, I remember loving that moment. This was the point when the Godzilla movies were changing direction to appeal more to kids.

As an installment in the famous kaiju franchise, this is one of the more memorable films which has a good story line that is not bogged down by a whining child star. It's a keeper! It ranks up their with "Ghidrah, The Three Headed Monster" and is a great double feature with that movie and/or "Destroy All Monsters", the most ambitious of the earlier Godzilla films.

Akira Ifikube's musical score is a bit repetitious but there are some nice themes, including the films opening theme, which doubles as the alien theme for this film.

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