Garp
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BONUS: 'Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon' [1994]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Toho remake of 'The Three Treasures' with mythical kaiju
Sub or Dub? Sub
The Yamato Takeru legend gets an update in this 1994 fantasy. The plot covers a lot of the same ground, naturally, as the 1959 'The Three Treasures' film, without the flashbacks. There's a little more backstory concerning Yamato's birth and why he was ostracized, and the ending is different, but otherwise it's a streamlined version with more modern effects.
Masahiro Takashima doesn't have the gravitas of Toshiro Mifune in the lead role, playing it more like a naive outsider who has sudden greatness thrust upon him. It works, particularly as this version tends to borrow from other films and genres anyway - a touch of 'Star Wars', 'Highlander' and 'Clash of the Titans' all being present and correct.
The titular beast looks great though moves like Biollante - linear with no discernible moving parts. The final act decides to ditch any pretense of being a straight forward mythological retelling and jumps headfirst into Ultraman territory. Yeah, it's fun but didn't quite gel for me.
Although 'The Three Treasures', at 3 hours, can be a slog, it's arguably the better made film. 'Orochi' doesn't pretend to be an epic, settling for a simple fantasy adventure. As such, it's fine and, if you're not looking for too much depth, entertaining and enjoyable.
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Toho remake of 'The Three Treasures' with mythical kaiju
Sub or Dub? Sub
The Yamato Takeru legend gets an update in this 1994 fantasy. The plot covers a lot of the same ground, naturally, as the 1959 'The Three Treasures' film, without the flashbacks. There's a little more backstory concerning Yamato's birth and why he was ostracized, and the ending is different, but otherwise it's a streamlined version with more modern effects.
Masahiro Takashima doesn't have the gravitas of Toshiro Mifune in the lead role, playing it more like a naive outsider who has sudden greatness thrust upon him. It works, particularly as this version tends to borrow from other films and genres anyway - a touch of 'Star Wars', 'Highlander' and 'Clash of the Titans' all being present and correct.
The titular beast looks great though moves like Biollante - linear with no discernible moving parts. The final act decides to ditch any pretense of being a straight forward mythological retelling and jumps headfirst into Ultraman territory. Yeah, it's fun but didn't quite gel for me.
Although 'The Three Treasures', at 3 hours, can be a slog, it's arguably the better made film. 'Orochi' doesn't pretend to be an epic, settling for a simple fantasy adventure. As such, it's fine and, if you're not looking for too much depth, entertaining and enjoyable.