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One of the great Japanese "giant monster" movies of the 1960's, DAIMAJIN (1966) was produced by the competitor to Toho's Godzilla factory, Daiei Studios. Daiei had its own resident name brand creature in the form of giant turtle Gamera. But DAIMAJIN reflects the studio's earnest attempt to appeal to a more mature audience, rather than the turtle's more youthful fans. DAIMAJIN follows the overthrow of a good-hearted family's rule over a Japanese community by a corrupt gang, who eradicate all members of the old family except for their two children. The young ones escape to a mountain retreat in the shadow of a giant statue honoring their god. After many years, the evil overlord discovers the existence of the pair and sends his men to destroy the rightful heirs to the village and the statue they worship. Needless to say, the evil-doers are trampled, smashed and crushed in every way imaginable when the statue comes to life for vengeance on them. Anyone approaching DAIMAJIN with a short attention span for drama should be warned this film places story AHEAD of special effects. The giant's carnage is saved for the last 15 minutes of the film. Unlike modern fantasy films, which try to compensate for lack of story with a bombardment of FX, DAIMAJIN focusses on creating a real and palpable sense of tension as we wait for the inevitable awakening of the stone god. The question is always: How much will the good people suffer before they are avenged? The crueler the struggles they face, the greater the desperation for relief the viewer shares with the characters. One strength that many Japanese fantasy films share above their world competitors is their reliance on a rich tradition of myth and folklore to draw on for substance and strength of narrative, and DAIMAJIN is a perfect example of this. Ultimately, DAIMAJIN is a kid's film for adults. Its careful weaving of motivated story arcs with stunning miniature effects is powerful; it takes viewers back to a time when story-telling could satisfy the audience and special effects supported that goal, and not the other (weaker) way around.Read full review
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