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What started out as an inventive short story about a lonely creature who destroys a lighthouse was to become the first real daikaiju eiga. I saw this film shortly before zooming out and purchasing the story The Foghorn, by Ray Bradbury, which it was based on.
Beast, I feel, is a really great film. It is so good in fact, that I've decided to kick off my reviews page with it. (Also, it's my dad's favorite and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have seen my first daikaiju eiga 12 years ago at age three.)
Starring an wonderfully realized creature which, I believe, was the basis for the U.S. Godzilla's design, the film is fast paced, well-acted, entertaining, and has a great story with awesome special effects.
Yeah, I know that this film was made before the invention of the "suitmation" technique used for most daikaiju films, but the monster still looks cool. One factor that makes this creature better than the American "Godzilla" is that, although it can be hurt by small arms, the Rhetosaurus has deseased blood which causes nearly instant death. Thus an alternative method must be devised to destroy it.
The first movie to star a dinosaur awakened by a nuclear bomb, Beast beat Godzilla to theatres by a year. Although Rhetosaurus looks cool, he sadly does not have any of the personality which made the Japanese monsters so enjoyable. This, as far as I can tell, is the film's only major flaw. Otherwise it's smashing baby!
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He's da' King!
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