Varan the Unbelievable (1962)
In an effort to find an economic means of purifying salt water, a joint U.S.-Japanese military command is set up on an isolated Japanese island where an unusual salt water lake is situated. However, their purifying experiments arouse the prehistoric monster Obaki from hibernation at the lake's bottom, and it proceeds to attack Japan. Although made by a U.S. independent film company, this film was based on a Japanese Toho monster film of 1958, "Daikaiju Varan", from which all of the monster effects scenes and a few incidental dramatic shots were edited into it.
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Surprisingly incoherent and boring
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
In that this was the only movie to feature that squirrel-looking critter of gigantic proportions. Varan never showed up in any other of Toho Company's monster fests. Myron Healey plays a United States Navy commander trying to find a way to desalinize the water, and unleashes the titular monster-osity instead. This Crown International classic was edited from a 1958 movie, and for the 1962 re-cut and re-edited version, the Japanese footage is narrated in English, but in those scenes the actors are talking in their original language and are not dubbed in English. An uncredited Inoshiro Honda directed the original footage, and Eiji Tsuburaya is not credited as special effects director. Only Howard Anderson gets the credit. SPOILER ALEERT, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS: the way the movie ended suggests that Varan might return to wreak some more havoc in the next film. Needless to say, Varan never did. This was an enjoyable monster movie, perfect for Godzilla fans. I have several DVD packages of Crown International movies, but this one is not included. Find it and watch it, okay?
this movie is a pretty standard monster on the loose film. snobs will say the Japanese version is so much better, but it's not that much greater. having grown up with the US version, it's the one i prefer, since i've known all the characters for so long they are like old friends. i'm not saying it's better than the original version, but i like it more. there's just something about movies made at that time, even if they are parts of movies from other countries that are just fun. there is a new DVD of VARAN out, which is a wonderful presentation for an adequate movie. it has the subtitles and extras that people have come to expect, which is always nice.
If you share an odd and rare hobby like me- collecting B-movies, this is a movie to own. As one of my 100 B-movies, this is quite entertaining. Of course, I find this movie entertaining because it is bad and low-budget, Toho has done a great job once again! It is available on VHS and a great B-movie to add to your collection of giant monster films of Japan and America, PURCHASE! "So bad its good." AKA, "Best of the Worst."
VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE was pretty scary stuff when I first saw it as a kid in 1962. A few years ago I picked the original Japanese version and the must say it proceeds at a ponderous pace and is much longer than the Crown International Pictures release. There are more battle scenes and Varan even flies in the Japanese version. The American distributor shortened the film considerably and added scenes with Myron Healey and maybe even Tsuruko Kobayashi. The monster is a neat-looking reptilian creature that one critic referred to as appearing like "a squirrel with jet propelled nuts." In any event, not bad stuff but it's not great either. For better Japanese sci-fi GODZILLA, RODAN, ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE and THE MYSTERIANS are much better. But VARAN deserves a break and was never seen again (except for a brief appearance in one of the GHIDRAH sequels). VARAN was meant for television release originally but never made it. See it anyway for its fun moments, and there are a few. With Katsumi Tezuka in a rubber suit as Varan. Also, catch the original Japanese version if you can!