ost Western audiences are familiar with Japan's Toho Studios primarily
through such famed creature features as Ghidrah, The Three-Headed
Monster, Rodan, Mothra and, of course, Godzilla, King of
the Monsters. But the company also occasionally produces purely
fantastical films, including the mythical adventure Yamato Takeru,
which was originally released in 1994 and is making its North American video
debut next month under the new title Orochi, The Eight-Headed
Dragon.
In this dubbed tale, which is loosely based upon an ancient Shinto legend,
a royal sorcerer decrees that one of the king's newborn twin sons must be
killed. However, when thrown from a cliff, the infant is miraculously saved
by a gigantic armored bird and delivered to the Ise Shrine. There, under the
guidance of a priestess and two old warriors, the boy grows to manhood.
After traveling to a distant province and vanquishing a mystical demon--in
part as recompense for inadvertently killing his brother--the adult prince
(Takashima), now known as Yamato Takeru, is ordered to retrieve the legendary
Sword of Dark Clouds. But the king's wizard has other plans, and, after
battling a gigantic sea serpent, Yamato and his companion Oto (Sawaguchi) are
magically transported to the moon, where a long-dormant devil god, capable of
transforming into a multiheaded dragon, is preparing to obliterate
humanity.
A movie of mythic proportions
In many respects, Orochi is similar to vintage Ray Harryhausen
flicks like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans.
All include mythological characters and settings, and though the situations
depicted in the English-language films are undoubtedly more familiar to
Western audiences than those featured in this adventure, the essential heroic
message is clearly universal.
The special effects of Orochi are decidedly low-tech, but director
Takao Okawara--who has also helmed such pictures as Godzilla vs.
Mothra and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah--presents the scenes that
showcase the various demons with aplomb. The magical
powers possessed by Yamato and Oto are also interesting and help to add a
level of complexity to the tale. And while the film can get a bit talky, the
translations, which at times seem quite literal (like when a character
wearing a horned helmet introduces himself as "King Bullhead"), are straightforward
and understandable.
Many of the actors are seasoned Godzilla veterans and, although
sometimes overly serious, they generally respond to their otherworldly opponents
with a believable mixture of fortitude and fear. A few of the details
concerning the various gods and their corporeal incarnations are undoubtedly
lost on Western audiences, but fans of either mythical motion pictures or
Japanese monster movies should find Orochi, The Eight-Headed Dragon
an enjoyable excursion.
