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Archive for the tag “Kaiju”

31 Mar 2013

Know Your Monster: 31

ZEDUS

Last but certainly not least in our Know Your Monster series is Zedus, arch-foe of Gamera. Zedus is a powerful monster, a sea beast who bears a strong resemblance to Godzilla but has a few different embellishing traits.

For instance, Zedus has a forked, serpent-like tongue that he often uses to impale his enemies. Frilly dorsal fins run the length of his body from his head to his tail. His extremely long tail is second only to his tongue in his arsenal of weapons. He can whip it around at a fast clip, knocking down buildings and bowling over opponents. Zedus’ other notable feature is his titanic size. He towers over 200 feet tall, making him one of the largest of the Kaiju.

Zedus made his screen debut in Gamera The Brave, the most recent Gamera film, released in 2006. He doesn’t actually battle the original Gamera but instead the big turtle’s offspring, Toto, who hatches from a mysterious egg and is raised by a young boy named Toru. Yes,  the filmmakers return to familiar territory, giving us a Gamera who is a protector of kids and a force for good. But before dismissing the film as sugarcoated pablum, watch this scene of the bad-ass Zedus, munching on some villagers. Many Kaiju are fierce, but how many do you recall who are carnivorous?

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And for a double-dose of Zedus, here’s his showdown against Toto.

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Hope you’ve enjoyed our Know Your Monster series and learned a thing or two about the Kaiju, the Japanese movie monsters. The next time one of your friends try to stump you with a Godzilla trivia question, bring up Zedus or Biollante, and test who’s really the expert on the subject!

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25 Mar 2013

Know Your Monster: 25

RODAN

By any name, Rodan is a survivor. Let me explain. The monster we in the United States call “Rodan” was originally christened “Radon” in his debut Japanese screen appearance in 1956. The name was a contraction of the dinosaur this beast most closely resembles — the Pterandon. The name also hinted at the word “radiation,” although radiation didn’t produce Rodan. Instead, he was said to be a prehistoric creature unearthed by miners. And just to confuse matters further, there were actually two Rodans in that original 1956 movie, both of whom died. But by the time Rodan resurfaced as one of Godzilla’s Kaiju cronies, the pair had miraculously morphed into one lone survivor. Got that? Good!

Harking back to his discovery by miners, Rodan is often associated with erupting volcanoes and volcanic lairs. Being nurtured around magma has its advantages. Rodan not only seems impervious to Godzilla’s atomic breath, but also shrugs off King Ghidorah’s gravity beams. Sometimes, he’s depicted as being as big as Godzilla, although usually he’s smaller, though no less durable or deadly.

Rodan’s lightning-fast speed and enormous wingspan allow him to swoop down, like a bird of prey, on hapless victims. In that sense, he mirrors the monster Gyaos, although Rodan is more birdlike and has less in common with the bat. Rodan doesn’t even have to make contact to be effective. Flying at supersonic speeds, hugging the horizon, he can generate hurricane-force gales and building-shattering sonic booms. In the heat of battle, he will peck at enemies with his beak or rip them with his talons.

Here’s the trailer for the English-dubbed version of Sora No Daikaiaju Radon, as the original Japanese film was titled.

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Flash forward nearly a half-century later, to the film Godzilla: Final Wars, commemorating Godzilla’s 50th anniversary in 2004. Here, Rodan teams with Anguirus and King Caesar to fight the Big G.

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Tomorrow we won’t have a featured monster but instead will introduce a pair of monster’s sidekicks, the Shobijin, the miniature fairies who summon Mothra.

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21 Mar 2013

Know Your Monster: 21

MONSTER X

Monster X is a new Godzilla foe that Toho Studios introduced for Godzilla: Final Wars, the 2004 film released to commemorate the 50th-year anniversary of the franchise. Monster X is one sinister looking monster — a skeletal wraith who can levitate and shoot gravity beams from his eyes.  His beam blast is roughly equivalent in strength to Godzilla’s nuclear ray. What’s more, Monster X deflects  the ray with ease, making him one of the most formidable opponents Godzilla has ever had to face. As if that weren’t enough, Monster X can transform into the three-headed Keizer Ghidorah, each head firing the gravity beam.

Godzilla travels around the world vanquishing monsters in Final Wars, but none of them give him a tougher match than Monster X. Besides being Godzilla’s physical equal, Monster X is as wily and resourceful. He’s a space monster, controlled by a race known as the Xiliens, a villainous group first introduced in Invasion of Astro-Monster. In something of a sop to The Matrix, the Xiliens wear black coats and sunglasses. They’re said to hail from Planet X, explaining how Monster X acquired his name.

Monster X hasn’t been seen since 2004 in any new movies, but has shown up in various DC Comics.

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Tomorrow’s featured monster: Mothra

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16 Mar 2013

Know Your Monster: 16

KING GHIDORAH

Of all the monsters that Godzilla fights, none is more powerful and fearsome than the golden, three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. While it’s difficult to imagine Godzilla quaking in his boots, notice that he never does battle alone against this archenemy. Godzilla always faces this creature with one or more allied monsters to provide some extra muscle and support.

Eiji Tsuburaya, the special effects genius who created Godzilla, also envisioned King Ghidorah. A stunt actor plays the creature but it takes an entire team of puppeteers to control its three heads, two tails and bat-like wings. Next time you watch a movie featuring King Ghidorah, take note of its well-orchestrated moves, and imagine how difficult they are to coordinate. The attention to detail on the part of the puppeteers is remarkable, each Ghidorah head even has its own distinct, piercing shriek. King Ghidorah is so complicated it’s one of the few monsters in the Godzilla franchise that not only has been realized through suitmation but also CGI.

Originally, King Ghidorah was presented as a conquering beast from Outer Space, sent to devastate Earth by the Xilians, a civilization inhabiting an unknown planet close to Jupiter. In later movies, it was alternatively suggested that he was created by time travelers — a mutant freak of nature generated through radiation and genetic engineering. The back-stories don’t matter so much as King Ghidorah’s swooping power and nightmarish appearance.

He has a large and dedicated fan base, so he has appeared many times since his debut in the 1964 film Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster. Besides joining a pack of Kaiju in the all-out Destroy All Monsters, he was the star attraction in Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah, and made a memorable cameo appearance in Godzilla Vs. Gigan.

Here, WatchMojo explains the origins of King Ghidorah.

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Tomorrow’s featured monster: Kumonga

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01 Mar 2013

Know Your Monster: 1

ANGUIRUS

Welcome to Know Your Monster. Every day through the month of March, we’ll introduce a different movie monster, mostly from Japan, although we’ve added a couple of ringers from Denmark and South Korea just to give the series a little more international breadth. The Japanese call these monsters “Kaiju,” which translates into English as “strange beasts.” Follow this series daily through March, and by the end of the month, you’ll be well on your way toward becoming a Kaiju expert. At the minimum, you’ll be able to recognize these creatures, and know the difference between Guilala and, say, Gyaos.

First up out the chutes, by virtue of coming first in alphabetical order: Anguirus. Here are the Anguirus vitals.

Looks: Mutant Ankylosaur, essentially a spiked turtle but also embodying features from the rhinoceros and crocodile.
Distinguishing characteristics: Originally an arch-enemy of Godzilla, later an ally. Bleating roar to express anger. Uses spikes and horns as primary weapons, and also has a nasty bite. Boasts a good “fake” move, hurling himself backwards against his foes.
Origins: First appeared in the second Godzilla movie, Godzilla Raids Again (1955), released in the US four years later as Gigantis, the Fire Monster. Anguirus has returned many times not only to battle Godzilla, but also Mechagodzilla, King Ghidorah and other Kaiju.

Here’s Anguirus’ distinct roar.

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Now, let’s watch the big guy in action, pairing with Godzilla in a tag-team match against Gigan and King Ghidorah. This Battle Royale is from Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972).

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Tomorrow: Meet Atragon

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