Leofwine_draca Review of Atragon

Atragon (1963)

A few issues in an otherwise enjoyable Toho sci-fi flick

[6/10 · 25 August 2020]

This non-GODZILLA Toho flick seemingly retains the same kind of dramatic monster music as familiar from kaiju films and even throws a half-hearted giant water serpent into the proceedings at the climax. Otherwise it's a slightly dated production about the undersea kingdom of Mu waging war on mankind, and the only possible hope for the salvation of mankind lying in a super supermarine with the power to fly (!). There's lots of interesting things to say about politics and Japan's place in a post-WW2 world, but the plot is slightly dragged out and the pacing flags in the middle. Still, the cast are game and the special effects are inventive and impressive, things building to a lavish climax with an epic feel.