What sounds like an amazing scenario for a kaiju film is, unfortunately, let down by horrid CGI effects, overly dramatic acting, and a distinct lack of satisfying monster action.
In the early days of World War II, the Japanese Navy christened the battleship, Yamato. She was one of the most powerful battleships ever constructed. According to the 2005 movie, Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters, one of her first battles wasn’t against the American Navy but, rather, a large sea creature bent on revenge.
As the film opens, one of the Yamato’s crew receives a dire message from an old man. The island that Yamato is approaching is guarded by a dragon. According to legend, the dragon is preceded by “bone fish” that will announce its arrival. The crewman, who is more interested in having a fling with a local girl, laughs off the old man’s claims.
A short time later, the Yamato’s lookout crew spots strange lights in the water. Believing them to be from an enemy submarine, the Yamato fires a torpedo and hits the object. When it emits a mournful scream, the Yamato’s men are somewhat confused. Unbeknownst to the fleet, they have killed the offspring of Reigo, the fabled dragon. And soon, she will unleash her vengeance on the Yamato and her escorting ships.
Director/writer Shinpei Hayashiya is clearly a fan of kaiju flicks. He was responsible for the well-received (but unofficial) fan film, Gamera 4: Truth. The cast features a few classic tokusatsu stars, including Susumo Kurobe, the original Ultraman, and Yukijiro Hotaru, from the 1990s Gamera trilogy. Hayashiya has his heart in the right place but his ambitions outstretch his obvious budget restraints. That didn’t stop him from trying, however. What sounds like an amazing scenario for a kaiju film is, unfortunately, let down by horrid CGI effects, overly dramatic acting, and a distinct lack of satisfying monster action.
There are other problems. Tonally, the film is all over the place. Sometimes, the crew of the fleet are portrayed as heroes and other times they are portrayed in a clearly unflattering light. (I’m still a little baffled by the odd sound effects that accompany one of the fleet’s commanding officers as he leaves a meeting. Maybe it was a sly reference to a character he played in another film?)
It’s a shame because, at its core, there’s an interesting idea here. The biggest battleship in the Japanese Navy fighting a giant monster during World War II? Who wouldn’t want to see that? In this instance though, that dream scenario is wasted on a film that can’t deliver the goods.
1.5 out of 5.0 stars
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