Kaiju Film Thoughts - Daimajin

My wife and I watched the first entry in Daiei's "Daimajin" Trilogy. I didn't honestly know what to expect from this movie as I had heard of these movies for years but I never had the opportunity to see them, so really, I didn't know a lot about them. So, going in, I really didn't know if I ought to expect this to be like your typical kaiju films. I will say this. I feel like the first Daimajin movie is a better made movie than most of Daiei's Gamera films from the Showa era. Both the acting and the effects are solid. Daimajin, himself, unintentionally makes me laugh. Not because he's particularly goofy or comical, but that face of his... the vengeful guardian's face is frozen in a grimace of perpetual disgruntlement. He doesn't look scary, per se. Just constantly irritated. Also, the music in the film... Akira Ifukube at his finest. The score kind of reminds me of the music from "Frankenstein Conquers The World." It has a very similar sound to it.

I now see how this series is shaping up, and it really isn't like your typical Kaiju fare. If anything, this is more like a classic Samurai movie that just so happens to feature a giant monster. To me, this isn't a bad thing at all. While we may not get to see Daimajin duke it out with other enormous creatures, we do get to see him wreak vengeful havoc on villainous oppressors. And I think we can all agree that that's fun in itself.

If you're looking for a traditional Monster VS. Monster kind of film and require instant gratification to get your kicks, then Daimajin probably won't be your cup of tea. However, if you've enjoyed movies like "The Magic Serpent," "Orochi The Eight Headed Dragon," or "Pulgasari," which are essentially Samurai films that happen to feature kaiju, then Daimajin is right up your alley! I enjoyed this movie and am looking forward to what happens next in the trilogy.