Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû Baragon (1965)

User Rating:

3.2/10   

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Reuben Bercovitch (story)
Takeshi Kimura (writer)(American version)

Release Date:

8 July 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He rolled the Seven Wonders of the World into one!

Plot:

During WWII, a human heart taken from a certain lab in Europe (Dr. Frankenstein's) is kept in a Japanese lab...

Plot Keywords:

Frankenstein | Monster | WWII | Frankenstein's Monster | Scientist

Cast

Tadao Takashima	...	Dr. Yuzo Kawaji
Nick Adams	...	Dr. James Bowen
Kumi Mizuno	...	Dr. Sueko Togami
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Mr. Kawai
Koji Furuhata	...	Furankenshutain (The Frankenstein Monster)
Jun Tazaki	...	Military Advisor
Susumu Fujita	...	Osaka Police Chief
Takashi Shimura	...	Axis Scientist
Nobuo Nakamura	...	Skeptical Museum Chief
Kenji Sahara	...	Soldier
Yoshifumi Tajima	...	Submarine Commander
Kôzô Nomura	...	Overzealous Reporter (as Terunobu Nomura)
Haruya Kato	...	TV Director
Ikio Sawamura	...	Man Walking Dog
Yoshio Kosugi	...	Mountain Soldier

Also Known As:

Frankenstein Conquers the World (USA)
Frankenstein Meets the Giant Devil Fish
Frankenstein and the Giant Lizard
Frankenstein vs. Baragon (International: English title)
Frankenstein vs. Godjirra (Japan) (working title)
Frankenstein vs. the Giant Devil Fish
Frankenstein vs. the Subterranean Monster
Furankensuten to Baragon

Runtime:

90 min | Japan:93 min (original version) | USA:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises Inc.

Trivia:

In it's original release, it was billed as the first film collaboration between Japan and the U.S.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the sequence with "Frankenstein" trying to capture the wild boar, in the last shot of the boar running off, the tracks that the model is running on are visible.

Quotes:

Axis Scientist: Frankenstein's heart.
Mr. Kawai: Frankenstein? It's alive?
Axis Scientist: It is immortal.
Mr. Kawai: Immortal?
Axis Scientist: You never heard what was said of Frankenstein's experiments?
Mr. Kawai: Yes, but I heard he was destroyed.
Axis Scientist: Well, a long time ago, a German scientist sewed together the parts of a man in hopes to bring it back to life. He used an electric shock to bring it to life.
Mr. Kawai: But what can we gain from the research?
Axis Scientist: We might learn how to process or grow any part of the human body.
Mr. Kawai: Please don't joke with me.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

The King of the Underground World

Frankenstein vs Baragon is one of the most under rated of the Toho Series. It is a highly entertaining film and one of only two Toho Films to star actor Nick Adams. Adams adds something special to the Toho Films he is in. Maybe because he is an American Actor who does not need his lines to be voiced over when the Japanese movies he is in are transferred over to English.

Basically the story goes that part of the Frankenstein Monster is taken over seas during a war and spawns into a giant monster. Basically this monster does not do anything wrong, he is just out of place. But he is blamed for many different incidents that are not his doing but actually the doing of the burrowing dinosaur Baragon.

For the most part I like this movie because Baragon is my favorite monster/kaiju. Baragon is what makes this film, not Frankenstein. Baragon looks awesome, has great abilities,(breathing fire, burrowing, jumps far) and has a great roar. THe Frankenstein monster just looks like a guy who has big teeth, bad hair, and walks around in a caveman outfit.

Baragon gets to have his only starring role in a movie, and I know I am being biased but I think that it is one of the best villain roles for a Toho Monster ever. THis is mainly because he is so secretive by burrowing underground and is undetected. Baragon gets in a lot of solid action towards the final half an hour. The fact that Baragon is responsible for the destruction that Frankenstein is blamed for is very similar to some parts of the original Frankenstein book by Mary Shelley. Strangely enough Baragon is not referred to by his name in this film.

The final battle between Frankenstein and Baragon is pretty good. Having to wait until the end to witness it definitely is worth it.

SO for the most part, the Frankenstein Monster is not what makes this film. Baragon makes the film. Watch it for my favorite monster Baragon.