Yamato Takeru

I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It had some really nice special effects. It was a fun fantasy movie in the same vein as the US Sinbad movies complete with a Dragon. I first saw this as a Japanese import with English subtitles and was glad when it was released here in the US last year on video with English dubbing. The US video title is "Orochi: The Eight Headed Dragon". A fun way to waste a few hours and get lost in your imagination.

This is one of the best sword & sorcery movies I've ever seen, with an unusually high production value for a movie so little discussed and an extremely satisfying ending that is something you'd only see from Japan. Keeps up a very good pacing with a lot of variety in the action scenes, it feels like a lot of inspiration and care went into the making of this movie. Anyone who is into fantasy, sword & sorcery, or Japanese films should absolutely watch this.

A very great movie and easily the biggest disparity I know of between quality and popularity. I have no idea why it's unknown or has a low score here, it doesn't make a scrap of sense to me.

A real mix of styles. Part imitation magic kung fu epic, part Ultraman episode, part samurai drama. The budget is good and there are a number of excellent parts but the whole affair is very uneven and paced poorly. The fight scenes go from pretty good to oddly slow. The hydra is a great Ghidrah-like monster but the final fight takes place on the moon with the hero turning into a giant robot!

Good for a light viewing but there are a few moments when the film has some gory stabbings that are not recommended for young children. The film makers could have left these out.

It's more than just the 8-headed dragon! This is a GREAT movie, not just a "monster movie"! It has great action with (laser)swords and walking and fighting in the air and against walls! There's also a lot of magic present in this movie and there is more than only the 8-headed dragon! (I would call this movie: Magic,Monsters and Orochi-the 8-headed Dragon). A nice reference to the (new)Gamera movies is the amulet of the prince, it's the same as the girl who can talk to Gamera. In conclusion: good story, great action/monsters and magic, good colours, good acting.

I enjoyed this movie a lot, and am frankly surprised that the few reviews I have seen of it have been so harsh. It's beautiful, filled with action and imagination, and fun to watch. Rather than taking itself seriously, as some of the reviews have said, it is perhaps innocent instead of cynical. The story begins with the creation of the universe, then quickly moves to the birth of a future hero, one of a pair of twin princes who must somehow surmount a whole series of harsh circumstances, ruthless enemies and, with the help of the woman he loves, eventually defeat a returning god! I found it well-done, visually enjoyable and fun. It has everything - handsome heroes, evil villains, handsome evil gods, beautiful heroines, sword fighting, cool special effects, mythological creatures, giant monsters, honor, love, sacrifice and triumph. Though for easy reference I called it a Japanese 'Clash of the Titans', I enjoyed it a great deal more than 'Clash'.