Eric Stevenson I guess it's kind of hard for me to really hate this movie, mostly because it's easy to see how awful the dubbing is. They're not even trying to match up the words with the lips. That could be more of the dubber's fault and not the movie's creators. I still knew that this movie would be really cheesy. The dinosaurs don't really appear until the end of the movie and it's at this point that you can easily see how bad the effects are. I can at least appreciate the attempt at character development. It's hard to believe this was made in 1977. It looks a lot more like the 1960's.There's too much going on at the end. About the only good thing is that some of the explosions were cool. I just knew what would happen next. I knew that she would carry up an arm attached to a partly eaten body. It's easy to see how they use stock footage. This should have been shorter as you can tell they were trying to drag it out. I seriously wouldn't have been surprised if that fake dinosaur part was supposed to be the real one in the story. *1/2

quantumcat This must be the pinnacle of cheesy Japanese monster movies. I'm not even sure I saw this when I was a child. I remember picking up a review on the internet after googling for reviews of other Kaiju films.The plot follows the lines of JAWS (or any other man-eating monster is loose movie), so it's not really a Kaiju like Gojira or Gamera.*****may contain Spoilers**** Basically its centres around one of the lakes or mount Fuji, where legend has it a red-eyed dragon lives; hence the red-eyed dragon boat festival. A lot of strange geo-related activities occurs prior to this festival. Earthquakes, temperatures rising, old caves suddenly exposed ... get where this is going?Our protagonist has a history with this lake, or actually his father had. he claimed a living pleisiosaur lived in the lake -kind of like the Loch Ness Monster. Why else would there be a red-eyed water dragon legend? Of course nobody believed him. Not even his son. His son, however, as more inexplicable things happen, starts to wonder whether he should have doubted his farther.he meets a former flame of his who's diving in the lake because of some project. Then people start to disappear...*********************************************************************Unfortunately, the plot is full of holes. Of course, any good monster flick should be, but still... -The protagonist is a silent, closed man up to the point of being grumpy. Why does the lead lady fall in love with him again? Or...why should we, the audience, like him? But that may be Japanese cinematography for you... -The legend of the red-eyed water dragon is underused. -The female lead does ...well only get in trouble so our protagonist can be the hero. Nothing new here, but I found it a bit too much. -where in h#ll does the flying monster come from? The pleisiosaur - the red-eyed dragon I understand, but the rhamphornycus?? It it was a flying red-eyed water dragon I could understand people mistaking two creatures for one... -strange adult-movie-music during the first graphical attic. Some of it should have made the scenes look artistic, but a bombastic the monster is here to eat you music instead of the if you close your eyes you'd think John Holmes is at it music. Not to mention the 70's disco-tune when the rhamphornycus and pleisiosaur make their appearance and start attacking people independent -and eventually each other. But that may be Japanese cinematography for you... -the plot builds up to an all out monster fest, but the monsters appear too late in the movie -for my taste. This was the biggest downer for me.These things do not make it a worse movie than it already is, but it could have made it better. A better cheesy monster flick. This movie is still a must see for fans of cheesy monster flicks! The monster effects are fantastic...ally cheesy. The monster fights are ... over the top cheesy ... What else can I say, I enjoyed it. BIG TIME!And if you like cheesy Japanese monster movies, I know you will too...

cburkemper Well, I originally saw this on TV years ago. Its a pretty cool movie that most people are not too kind to. Sure the dinosaurs effects are cheesy, there are plotholes, etc., but the movie is pretty well made otherwise. Its got some good creepy moments, some good atmosphere, some stylized touches, a little sex appeal, and a really cool finale. Also, a really cool sound track. All in all, a really fun, good piece of Japanese Schlock cinema. Its too bad there is not a original Japanese version availible.

sogoishi This is regarded as the worst kaiju eiga ever made. I believe people always have a right to their opinions but this is vastly underrated. This film, about an obsessed paleontologist(dubbed by Robotech's Greg Snegoff) who comes back to his home town in search of a plesiosaur living in the lake. A pteranodon also makes an appearance as they duke it out at the end of the movie. There is graphic violence in this film but it's used quite effectively in quick cuts sending a jolt to the viewer. Most notably is when we catch a glimpse of a girl's bloody thrown-up arm and a headless horse. The music by Masao Yagi is of the times but is often effective and very original. It's unheard of for any monster movie to have a stylish jazzy film score. The pre-credit sequence is eerie. The cinematography is atmospheric, showing the misty forests of the lake and MT.Fuji. I admit this is a bad movie, but one that should looked closer on artistic terms. However, the movie has some obvious logic missing. Why would the reappearnce of dinosaurs cause massive earthquakes? Why would the ever so dormant MT. Fuji erupt after such a long time? How could anything hatch from a petrified egg?Also, plesiosaurs and pteranodons ARE NOT dinosaurs. The best scene in the movie is when the ptreanodon attacks some villagers. The editing is top notch and the disco-esque music that plays over it adds to the fun. The most disturbing part of the scene is when the winged reptile picks up a victim, flies high into the air and sadistically drops him. The dubbing is also very good. If you're a fan of Kaiju Eiga or b-films, pick this up.