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Myron Healey, Tsuruko Kobayashi, Clifford Kawada, Jerry A. Baerwitz, Akihiko Hirata ... see more see more... , Koreya Senda , Ayumi Sonoda , Derick Shimatsu , Kozo Nomura , George Sasaki , Yoneo Iguchi , Hideo Imamura , Roy Ogata , Katsumi Tezuka , Fumito Matsuo , Hideo Inamura , Hiroshi Hisasume

Better known as Varan the Unbelievable, this bug-eyed-monster opus was originally released in Japan in 1958 as Daikaju Baran. The English-language version prepared in 1962 was cut from 87 to 70 minute... read more read more...s, with scenes rearranged out of chronological order and new footage added featuring Myron Healey as an American military officer. Daikaju Baran is about a scientific party which discovers a prehistoric creature called Varan (opinions vary, but to some it looks like a flying, horned rodent). The monster naturally gravitates to Tokyo, wreaking plenty of havoc. Varan is destroyed by airborne explosives, which it voraciously -- and foolishly -- swallows. The American version grafts on a subplot about an experimental attempt to remove salt from sea water. The climax is virtually the only sequence that was left untouched in the American adaptation. Hardly in the same league as Rodan or Mothra, Varan the Unbelievable was a loser no matter where it was released (this "flying" beast never even gets off the ground in the U.S. prints). This is one sci-fier that looks far better in the 8-millimeter cutdown made available for home-movie trade than it does in its original form. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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34% liked it

902 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 10 min.

Directed by: Ishirô Honda, Jerry A. Baerwitz

Release Date: December 7, 1962

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DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005

Stats: 46 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (46)

  • gavinrrsmith
    April 2, 2008
    gavinrrsmith
    This is hardly one of Toho's best giant monster films, but damn if it isn't fun nonetheless. When a remote region of Japan turns out to be home to a rare species of butterfly, several curious scientists go to investigate and arrogantly ignore the locals' warnings about their God,... read more Baradagi, who does not like trespassers. Of course, Baradagi is quite real and he does indeed dislike strangers. Worse than that, he's nigh-indestructible and he can fly! This is definitely a lot of fun to watch, especially when compared to the dreadfully dull American edit. It moves along at a brisk pace and wastes very little time getting to the monster. It's not nearly as compelling as GOJIRA, but it doesn't need to be. It suffers a little from some completely unnecessary stock footage use--very obviously borrowed from GOJIRA--but the original effects are all quite good. It's really a shame that Varan hasn't attained the same level of fame as Rodan and Mothra, as he's a very unique critter.
  • futsin
    January 21, 2008
    futsin
    It's cheesy but it's still an absolutely fun kaiju movie. And I loved the lack of plot. It's just monster awesomeness really, start to finish. :D I seriously enjoyed how it was done. Good for the hardcore audience. I also do think GMK may've been even cooler if Varan had been one... read more of the monsters. But that's me.

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