False science, cheesy effects, and a schlocky monster are the main ingredients of this Japanese monster flick, unusual in that the monster isn't a rubber-suited guy for a change - instead it's a mutating blob of "space amoeba", nicknamed 'Dagora', which drops in from space looking for carbon for food. The methods of attack the creature uses mainly consist of picking up bridges and dropping them on to populated areas. It also makes a rain of rocks drop from the sky in a shower in one unique sequence. The appearance of the creature changes at will, and the special effects range from the decent to poor - my favourite being the instantly weird bit when Dagora appears as a giant pulsating jellyfish in the sky!
Unfortunately, somebody had the bright idea to throw in a sub-plot about diamond thieves which replaces the usual "investigation by authority/authorities" human content of a kaiju film. Sure, the guns-a-blazing-and-karate action bits are fun, but these are few and far between and if I'd have wanted a Japanese spy film I would have bought one of those instead! The scientific explanation for the creature is also unusually lame. The American Robert Dunham is the only non-Japanese face in the cast, imported to help the film sell to overseas audiences like Nick Adams would be later on in the '60s. It doesn't work very well. However, there is a good music score and Ishiro Honda's direction is nothing if not efficient. Unfortunately, though, this stands as one of the least interesting of the Japanese monster movies I've seen, not bad enough to be funny and not good enough to be that entertaining.
Unfortunately, somebody had the bright idea to throw in a sub-plot about diamond thieves which replaces the usual "investigation by authority/authorities" human content of a kaiju film. Sure, the guns-a-blazing-and-karate action bits are fun, but these are few and far between and if I'd have wanted a Japanese spy film I would have bought one of those instead! The scientific explanation for the creature is also unusually lame. The American Robert Dunham is the only non-Japanese face in the cast, imported to help the film sell to overseas audiences like Nick Adams would be later on in the '60s. It doesn't work very well. However, there is a good music score and Ishiro Honda's direction is nothing if not efficient. Unfortunately, though, this stands as one of the least interesting of the Japanese monster movies I've seen, not bad enough to be funny and not good enough to be that entertaining.