Varan the Unbelievable

Varan The Unbelievable is a very enjoyable Japanese giant monster movie. This movie was practically re-shot for it's American audience so if you enjoy the American version then you diffenently need to check out the original Japanese version. It will be like watching two different films, Varan has the ability to fly in the original version. The U.S. version is good but the original is much better.

Varan was one of the few Japanese monsters that didn't catch on in Japan after the success of Godzilla and Rodan

I have seen the original version of the film and it is a very good example of the kaiju eiga genre. However, this version is a piece of garbage. The scenes where Myron Healy "interacts" with the populous of the island are awkward and you can tell immediately that the film was done by two different crews. Also, the print that is used by the American company is so dark you can barely make out the monster and they pretty much do away with one of the best scores ever composed by Akira Ifkube and replace it with some stock music that was originally used in "The Amazing Colossal Man". If Toho wants to sue the Americans for butchering one of their films, I will be glad to show up as a witness.

This came out paired with CIPs also POSSIBLY recut version of the East German etc FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS-Der Schwagen Stern- (or SILENT STAR) In a theater full of candy and popcorn munching kids, i was in pure heaven -not one but TWO cool sci-fi pictures! Although VARAN seemed OK to me at the time, even at 10 years old I felt that the Freeze frame-pan-right(?) film technique brought the action to grinding halt, when transitioning back to the American footage. I briefly had the Japanese Laserdisc in 2.35 Scope, and was amazed to find BARAN flying like a squirrel! I guess we would have hooted that off the screen back then, but what did we know? It was a Saturday, and we wanted our candy, soda and(believable) action.

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!

In VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE, the title monster is aroused from its lair at the bottom of a lake. It's disturbed by "scientific tests" that turn its watery home into a useless cesspool. Most of the movie's running time is taken up by the human drama between Cmdr. James Bradley (Myron Healey), his wife, the military, and the poor villagers who resist being relocated.

This is the "Americanized" version of the original Japanese film by Director Ishiro Honda. The "reworked" story has Healey's character spouting most of the dialogue / narration, much like Raymond Burr in the "re-imagined" American release of GODZILLA. Not surprisingly, this makes for quite a slog, since the movie is padded out with loads of dull situations added for American audiences of the era.

While Honda's movie has a reputation for being rather bland, it's difficult to see how this version could possibly be an improvement! Fragments of the original tale are shown as non sequitur scenes -usually of natives jumping around, or military HQ- here and there throughout the film. As for the monster, it's not bad, especially during the big finish.

A film for the true, giant monster completist... .