Frankenstein Conquers the World

Well, he may not exactly conquer the world in this picture, but at least he gets off his usual home turf! In the very imaginative opening of "Frankenstein Conquers the World" (1965), you see, the living heart of the Frankenstein monster is taken from Germany at the end of World War II and transported by submarine to Japan, where it is promptly exposed to A-bomb radiation at Hiroshima and eventually grows, to become a giant, gap-toothed male waif. This lumbering doofus (who ultimately reveals himself to be the nimblest, most energetic Frankenstein ever shown on film) soon has a dukeout royale with Baragon, a sort of giant, spiny-backed, (heat?) ray-spewing, burrowing armadillo dinosaur, with no holds barred and no quarter given. Anyway, this picture strikes me as being several cuts above the usual kaiju eiga. It has been fairly handsomely produced, features very adequate FX (despite the Maltin book's claim to the contrary; well, that bucking horse excepted), and makes excellent use of its CinemaScope frame. Director Ishiro Honda, composer Akira Ifukube and the great actor Takashi Shimura, who all contributed so much to the original "Gojira" film in 1954, here bring their talents together again, with highly entertaining results, and American actor Nick Adams does his best playing Dr. James Bowen, a scientist working at the Hiroshima International Institute of Radiotherapentics (sic). The picture offers several striking visuals, none perhaps as impressive as the awesome spectacle of Franky and Baragon going at it with a flaming forest as a backdrop. The pristine-looking DVD from Media Blasters that I just watched offers both the "international" and the "theatrical" versions of the film, which differ only in the final five minutes. I much prefer the "international," if only because we get to see Franky (ridiculously) battle yet another monster in it. Either version, however, should provide an evening's worth of good mindless fun.

Deep within the heart of me exists a love for films featuring giant creatures battling it out for supremecy in the streets of Tokyo. I just remember watching them with anticipation as a small child, waiting in anxiety to see who the victor would be of these mommoth clashes. Of course, with familiar characters like Gamera, Rodan, Mothra, Ghidra, Gigan, Baragon, King Kong, and, of course, Godzilla stomping Tokyo in each film, this one, titled "Frankenstein vs. Baragon" here in the U.S., takes the cake for taking the most risks.

This film sets up many important things for the Toho universe: It introduces Baragon, who would later become a favorite of the genre. In additon, it makes political statements on nuclear testing. Oh, and on a side-note, it also *takes Frankenstein's monster, grows him to giant heights, pits him against Baragon, and puts a classic Gothic monster's face into the gallery of gigantic monsters to rummage Japan.* If you aren't impressed by the first two factors, at least appretiate the third one simply for its camp value.

AND WHAT CAMP VALUE IT IS! The fights in this are some of the best of the Toho universe. Frankenstein looks like an overgrown caveman, and Baragon is effectively established as a leading monster. And while most of the battles simply take place in a few mountains outside of-- you guessed it-- Tokyo, the fun still exists, and its as just as a good time as you'll find in any given Godzilla or Gamera flick.

Silly, cliched, stupid, pointless...and one heckuva good time! LOOK OUT FOR THE BEATING HEART OF FRANKENSTEIN! AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T EAT IT!

*** out of ****

I have seen this movie before and right away you know that it is a large man rampaging through a miniature city. But....who says the imagination has to florish on common every day stuff. I thought it was really funny and compared the flik to Attack of the 50 foot woman. It also borrowed some orchestration chords from my all time favorite child hood monster flik WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS. Every once in a while we all feel the need to see something cheezy and not common. This movie is that type of movie. We know it is not real and just a dream, but why knock it? I wish it would come to DVD. I am a collector of Cheezy horror movies from the 50's, 60's and other eras. Die hard Gozilla fans will get a kick out of this movie. I personally thought War of the Gargantuas really represented what a real hideous beast should look like. If the Studios in Japan ever read this comment, please put War of the Gargantuas on DVD!!!!

This is one of my favorite films as a kid. I have always been a big Toho fan. Godzilla of course was/is my favorite "Actor". It would have been nice if Godzilla would have been in this film as originally planned, but Baragon is just fine. Why this film has such a low rating of 3.7 is beyond me.

I have an original full screen terrible transfer copy of this film on VHS but I still enjoyed it. When I found out that this movie was coming to DVD I bought it as soon as I could. Boy was I surprised when I opened the DVD case. Inside were 2 DVD's. Disc 1 was the original uncut version of the film in Japanese with optional English subtitles and disc 2 was the English dubbed edited version. Both are 2:35 widescreen versions!!! If you want to buy this movie make sure it is the 2 disc release. You will be glad you did.

Later that night I put disc 1 in my DVD player and watched the movie for the first time in it's original version with subtitles on my big screen TV with popcorn by my side enjoying every minute of it.

This movie was made for kids and the young at heart. It is a fun movie and nothing more. I give this film a 7.0 rating.

A weird film with Nazis storming Dr. Frankenstein's lab and taking the heart of Frankenstein's monster to Hiroshima in 1945. What could happen but the Hiroshima blast. 20 years later eats the radioactive heart and literally becomes Frankenstein's monster. He eats a dog, a classroom bunny, and lots of garbage. He then starts growing and growing intill he is a 100 foot tall caveman Frankenstein and deuls with this bunny-eared dinosaur named Baragon in a fight to the death. Weird and very Japanese.