Talkback: Atragon (1963)

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Monster Zero
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Monster Zero »

I never saw this movie before. The only reason I would ever watch this would be because it's a kaiju film.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by 20th Century Boy »

monster zero wrote:I never saw this movie before. The only reason I would ever watch this would be because it's a kaiju film.
Manda only appears briefly at the end, but trust me, the rest of the movie is worth watching. One of Toho's best, really. The DVD is going in and out of print here and there, so if I were you, I'd jump on it fast.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

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Godzilla 1995 wrote:Can I disagree? I found the movie mediocre at best, really.
Why is that? Can you elaborate?

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by 20th Century Boy »

I'll admit, the action scenes were a little less than stellar, but I thought the characters were what made the movie compelling. Captain Jinguji was a great character because he was initially blinded by his strong nationalism to Japan, enough to live in secrecy away from his daughter and society, and refusing to use his warship to fight the Mu. When he reunites with his daughter, she attempts to talk to him kindly, but even she is disgusted by his arrogance and blind nationalism. However, in the end, he decides to overcome these feelings and use the Atragon for the good of humanity and not just his own and his country's interests. When the ship finally takes flight, I really felt that emotional charge that I felt for the Mothras in Mothra vs. Godzilla. It's the character that truly compliments the special effects scenes, and gives us something to care about. In my opinion, Captain Jinguji and his daughter drove the movie, and were better characters than our "front row" protagonists. Their personalities reflect on the themes of the movie, which is why they were given more focus than the Mu Empire. It's a movie about the solution more than the problem, hence why it's called Atragon, after the ship that saves the day, instead of something that focuses on the ostensible antagonist like Attack of the Mu Empire.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by MandaSaurus »

So much talk about me here!!! ;)

Actually, I've never seen this movie, but I'd like to! I think of the MOVIE as "Atragon", the ship by it's Japanese name, 'Gotengo'( Roaring Heaven ). I happen to own the Revoltech 'Gotengo' - it's pretty nice.

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Godzillian
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Godzillian »

Have yet to see it but I wish manda wasn't just thrown into the mix and was focused a little more in the film.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

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Gonna turn 50 on the 22nd next month! I know what my Sunday afternoon matinee is gonna be. :huge:

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Kaiju no Kami »

I just watched this for the first time and it was quite good. I do feel like the movie dropped in quality during its last 20 minutes because they just killed the Mus in cold blood, but other than that, I enjoyed it. The effects on Manda were not the greatest though and he really didn't do much. Overall, I'd give it a 7/10.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Pkmatrix »

I should give this another watch, but I recall when I first watched it a year or so ago I felt a little let down. I think I let the movie's reputation build up my expectations too much. It was a fine movie and all, just not as good as I'd hoped it would be. I think I just need to sit with it again. :)

Also: has anyone here read the original novel, Kaitei Gunkan by Shunro Oshikawa? I've been intrigued by the book ever since I read the detailed plot summary published in G-Fan back in the '90s and have always wanted to read it. It's interesting just how different Toho's movie is from the book it adapted, the two share so little in common.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by eabaker »

I agree that the reputation of this one can build expectations that it doesn't quite live up to. I consider it a collection of really good elements that doesn't quite tie together into an effective whole. But lord is Jun Tazaki good!
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Bubbazilla »

I liked the when they used freeze rays to kick barbarian butt. I want Manda to get a stand alone monster movie, too. Manda is such a fascinating monster, too.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by KaijuFiend »

This was a very fun film with tons of cool concepts. Definitely a great Toho scifi film. I didn't find Manda's minimal screentime to be a problem since the film isn't really about him, though it definitely would have been better if he had done a bit more.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Stevo_1985 »

I just watched this for the first time last week. I find it to be a great flick. The gotengo imo is one of the more cooler military monsters created by toho. Who the hell does not want a flying submarine. Captaij Jin was a great character and Tazaki played him well... Now. I always knew of this film, and for years was under the assumption this ship itself was called atragon, the final wars gotengo was just another class of the same varient. Then I discovered Ive been living a lie. Us silly americans goofed again and named the film and the vessel Atragon. But now I find the name Atragon just seems to roll off the tongue better. And i get the whole roaring heaven thing. But I just can't seem to break the habit. Calling it the Atragon just feels more natural to me.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Space Hunter M »


The Atoragon dub is a riot.

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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Mr_Goji_and_Watch »

Watched this movie again yesterday with a furry friend of mine. He though it was alright, but I liked it. Admiral dude and his daughter played great roles and the allegory to Imperial Japan and WW2 was well done. The effects by Tsuburaya and crew were well done for the time and the score by Ifukube is great. The Gotengo itself has a great presence all throughout the movie. Manda was shoehorned in and there's some shoddy effects scenes but for the most part it's a good movie.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Grievous »

I've never been able to "Get" this one.

I think it has some great ideas...but overall it falls kind of flat for me.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by eabaker »

I was watching Atragon last night, and I found myself really wishing that Akihiko Hirata and Kenji Sahara shared more screentime in that flick. Sahara is chewing so much scenery and Hirata is so restrained, they'd make a great straight man/second banana team.

It'd probably make it a much more entertaining, memorable movie overall.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by GojiDog »

I am kind of torn on Manda in this film.

The build up is great, the payoff is lame as Manda barely does anything.

If you take him out, you probably don't lose that much. But then again, would I have watched this movie if it wasn't the movie that introduced Manda?

I mean I am the same guy that stayed up till 5:00AM to watch Frankenstein Conquers the World just so I could see Baragon's first movie.

So on one hand, the movie works without the monster, but because of the monster, I got introduced to a pretty cool Sci-Fi/War movie that often gets overlooked.

Its almost like they used a monster to trick me into watching something different, but neat.
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Re: Talkback: Atragon (1963)

Post by Godzillian »

GojiDog wrote:I am kind of torn on Manda in this film.

The build up is great, the payoff is lame as Manda barely does anything.

If you take him out, you probably don't lose that much. But then again, would I have watched this movie if it wasn't the movie that introduced Manda?

I mean I am the same guy that stayed up till 5:00AM to watch Frankenstein Conquers the World just so I could see Baragon's first movie.

So on one hand, the movie works without the monster, but because of the monster, I got introduced to a pretty cool Sci-Fi/War movie that often gets overlooked.

Its almost like they used a monster to trick me into watching something different, but neat.
He was just throw in to cash in on the growing kaiju craze
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