Up From The Depths Reviews | Varan (1958)

[@Zhtrik]

I remember this guy from Godzilla: Unleashed. His grab was cool.

[@scado5679]

For anyone who doesn't know, in Unleashed Varan had a pretty cool grab animation. He would flip them over and then roll on top of them, scratching them up a thousand times with his back spikes before the unlucky kaiju could even react. It's one of the best grabs in the game, and the buzzsaw-esque sound effect that went with it made it extra gratifying to pull off.

[@YourGuySmallFry]

Yes it was

[@warmac88]

@@scado5679 yep

[@nahte123456]

Never was a fan of Varan in that game, Angiurus, one of the mecha, or Destroyah were more my speed. Or Megalon because his fire attack was hilariously OP.

[@shawnnewcomer4879]

Hahaaaa👍

[@UpFromTheDepths88]

Sorry for the bad quality, high quality copies of the Japanese version are hard to find...

[@SaurianStudios1207]

It’s rarer than finding Dino dna In a mosquito

[@MGWFilms97]

ARCHIVE.ORG You can watch it for free on that site!

[@guysomebody1145]

You can get it on EBay for like 50 bucks if you buy the Toho pack.

[@YourGuySmallFry]

Might wana pin this comment

[@obsidian179]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention anything about the American version of the film, given that they wrote in pretty much an entirely new plot.

[@SaurianStudios1207]

Varan is one of the most underrated Toho Kaiju and I’m shocked that Varan has had one movie appearance and a cameo in a Godzilla movie (Destroy all monsters) and Toho or legendary haven’t bothered to use him?!

[@FlyingFocs]

He WAS going to be in GMK, along with Anguirus and Baragon, but Toho thought Ghidorah and Mothra had more marquee value, so he and Anguirus were swapped out. Which I hate, because the original draft sounded a bit more interesting.

[@scado5679]

@@FlyingFocs The suit director managed to infuse his likeness into Ghidorah, so at least Varan got a tiny bit of love.

[@Marveryn]

@@FlyingFocs agreed and they were smaller Kaiju for the most part compare to ghidorah who normally dwarf Godzilla. smallest Ghidorah ever

[@wild-strike]

He was going to play anguirus' role in Godzilla Vs Gigan. He was meant to be the main Villain in Godzilla vs Destoroyah. And was meant to be in King Ghidorah's role in GMK. all scrapped for one reason or another.

[@renna4216]

I also thought it was ridiculous that toho tried to make ghidorah into an earth guardian. They should've used varan, anguirus and mothra. Would've made more sense in terms of the monster's roles.

[@battleupsaber462]

Varan's theme got stolen by Rodan, his roar got stolen by Baragon, Gorosaurus and Megalon, and his role in GMK stolen by Mothra and Ghidorah. Varan should really go file some police reports.

[@BarbaraEyre]

Even Kaiju have identity theft problems hehe

[@Mariofredx]

He needs a new roar and maybe could have a similar theme to Rodan.

[@LukeTansiongco]

Plus A LOT of monsters in the Ultra Series have copy & paste this roar for themselves. If anything it’s among the most if not the most used roar in any kaiju/tokusatsu franchise.

[@Mariofredx]

Allen073 MinecraftPlays rodans came first and I guess varan used some of the notes from rodans original theme

[@renna4216]

It's a shame considering Varan is far more respectable than the likes of Baragon, Gorosaurus, and Megalon. Although I like Baragon in GMK, Varan probably would have made the film more interesting. They probably took him out cause he can fly too.. strange how they chose a non-Godzilla monster for one of the guardians in that film..

[@slojoe58]

I first saw him in Destroy All Monsters. I asked who that gliding monster was and no one knew. After some research and quite a few years passing (this was before the age of the internet), I learned his name was Varan. Then I put him in the back of my head until about 5 or 6 years ago when I purchased the Destroy All Monsters movie, saw him, and remembered my quest. Did my internet research and found a copy of Varan on Amazon. I purchased the movie and was giddy with excitement when it arrived. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I watched the movie and I remember saying "What the hell, he didn't fly or glide". I went back to the internet thinking maybe I got something mixed up. What I read cut me to the core. There were 2 versions, Japanese and American, and I got the heavily edited American version which doesn't show him gliding. There is an English dubbed version of the original movie but I can't find it in a format that will play on my DVD. This sucks!!!

[@Godzilla00X]

The main theme Ifukube made for this film is GOAT

[@MGWFilms97]

Yeah the American Version SUCKS

[@YourGuySmallFry]

I’m proud that although the Godzilla KZbinr community seems to be shrinking, Depths continues to make amazing content!

[@KlldbyCuriosity]

Nothing was the same once Gojifan93 left

[@YourGuySmallFry]

Melody we need new G-Fans

[@KlldbyCuriosity]

Avpwolf Yup

[@titanrex0513]

Except MIB

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Don't get me wrong I love Brandon Tenold & Similiar KZbinrs reviews of Kaiju stuff, but their channels aren't solely focused on kaiju stuff and do them very rarely. The only real kaiju channels ik left are Alexthehunted, Upfromthedepths, Wikizilla and MIB

[@crystanubis]

I think my favorite aspect of Varan's design is how it looks like his spines are glowing. I found out later they're cut pieces of clear rubber hose wrapped in vinyl, almost creating a fiber optic effect. If he's revived, I hope that element gets played up.

[@catyear75]

Varan is one of my absolute favorite Kaiju - always wanted to see more of him ...!

[@mekagoji7442]

This has to be my most favorite non-Godzilla movie of all time. If Warner Bros. and Legendary get the rights of Varan, Guillermo del Toro is the first ballot director to do the movie

[@Grimmations]

mekagoji 74 They don’t need the rights, Varan the unbelievable is in the public domain

[@wild-strike]

Grim's Retro Reviews The Monster isn’t

[@Grimmations]

Wild Strike Oh ok, thanks for clearing that up

[@breseemaxwell]

OF ALL TIME? You need to see more movies dude.

[@mattpartington5312]

It's almost seems like it's elements of godzilla,angurius, & rodan rolled into one, but with a kong/mothra island God type back story.

[@Zearth1]

Since you seem to be filling in the blanks of Toho's Showa era kaiju, does that mean Gorath, Atragon and Dogora are on the docket? Matango is worth a look, too. It's not a true kaiju film but Honda considered it one of his best.

[@johndolan5076]

matango like atragon and varan were awesome treats when i was youngere. motango was scary and crazy. i recently found a fan fiction story i started writing that was part body snatchers matango, varan and post ww2 pacific island fight. oh and what happened to ameliaa rheart it involves three usa navy boat planes carrying uso performers and politicians and their guard details that respond to a distress call from a volcanic island in the middle of the pacific and land on a lake/crater in the center of the island. before the war this island had been a resort for western travelers, but during the war it had been occuppied by the japenese. the story is pretty crazy giant monsters fungus monsters japanese war survivers jerk off american politicians and actors, it is p[art kiaju and b horror movie. i am gonna publish this story forgot how cool the idea was.

[@nexusshark]

It's really telling something if the soundtrack of a movie is the best part of it.

[@wanderer9994]

I’d argue that could be true of kotm 2019, or at least it’s arguable

[@nexusshark]

@@wanderer9994 No it isn't.

[@Tohofan122]

You seriously do some of the best reviews for Toho’s sci-fi and kaiju films. You’ve definitely helped expose me to their non Godzilla and Mothra films.

[@peterbigg2461]

I dunno I really liked this one on my watch of every film linked with Godzilla. It felt like a classic monster romp with an awesome monster design. Despite lacking the thematic greatness of the original Godzilla I still had a ton of fun watching it, a lot more than other Showa era Godzilla films.

[@StickmanComix]

Varan easily has one of the best monster designs in the showa movies.

[@destinee2052]

Who are you!?

[@StickmanComix]

@@destinee2052 who are you?!

[@destinee2052]

@@StickmanComix There's only one Destoroyah in this world...

[@StickmanComix]

@@destinee2052 and it's me!!!

[@destinee2052]

@@StickmanComix No way

[@thatguyoverthere1410]

Varen is the most underutilized kaiju in cinematic history.

[@randquadrozzi1280]

Has some of the same attributes as our old friend anguirus.

[@cyruskarloff7219]

Can you do something on the Americanized Varan. With senses shoot in Bronson Canyon?

[@BathrobeKeck]

It's probably all nostalgia as I haven't seen this since I was like, 8? But I really liked Varan for what it was as a kid, and I remember it fondly for being entertaining at the least. -shrug-

[@seanoleary8026]

I watched this movie recently and I thought one of the more interesting things the film did well was the stuff with the village. Early on, the film has a really creepy quality, done well with the mist, masks, and demeanor of the villagers. Also, early on there's some nice shots of Varan from a low angle below the trees. During these shots Varan looks like a demon walking through the countryside, most undoubtably inspired by folklore imagery and ghost stories. However, this is almost completely ruined when Varan starts chasing the main cast and the entire thing becomes a farce. I can't help but feel there were some unique ideas in place that became completely pointless.

[@varanid9]

The scene where Varan trashes the village was something I haven't seen in any Kaiju movie since I was a little kid watching the original Gojira: it was actually scary. The camera viewpoint is as if the viewer was in the village while it's going on and Varan didn't look earthquake-big to us human insects, but, like Majin, seemed just small enough to look over and notice you standing there.

[@EverettDudgeon138]

I would say this is one of my all time favorite Kaiju flicks. It’s so out of left field.

[@LochNessHamster]

Thank god this video is 4K. This gorgeous digital transfer deserves it.

[@Hashbrown0079]

Varan is the most underrated kaiju of all time. At least Baragon got to fight Godzilla once, and Manda got to destroy a city in Destroy All Monsters, and fight the Gotengo in Godzilla: Final Wars. Varan never got a second chance. He was left behind to rot in obscurity.

[@scado5679]

And he was scrapped a lot of times. The original draft of Godzilla vs Gigan had him team up with Godzilla and Rodan, which would've been amazing. The original draft of GMK had him be the ultimate Earth monster instead of Ghidorah, which I think would've worked wayyyyyy better. Plus a few other drafts that I don't know too much about.

[@redverse5212]

Finally varan

[@DigitalBath742]

Can you review the Daimajin trilogy, please?

[@Ghidorah_Stan64]

Do you think in the near future you’ll do reviews for classic American sci-fi movies of the 50s-60s like the Beast from 20,000 fathoms or Them? All classic monster movies that sometimes get overlooked by kaiju fans.

[@GLC2013]

I can't believe it's as bad as he says it was - the clips he shows all look fantastic, to me. I'd much rather watch this than the toddler-friendly films Toho made between 1969-73.

[@sharkdoesstufff]

It's kinda disappointing that Varan never made it in more godzilla films, as much as I liked Gmk, I kind of wish they kept Anguirus and Varan into it.

[@voronOsphere]

Varan is one of Toho's best creature designs. The 1st section of the film near the village has a very atmospheric buildup and is a very worthwhile investment of time. The film does lose steam, once Varan begins his trek towards Tokyo.

[@RaptorofRex07]

Where’s the love for Varan

[@Irrelevant402]

People like the monster but his movie is kinda weak sadly.

[@scado5679]

Varan isn't the problem, it's just the fact that his movie sucks by no fault of his own.

[@angryboi595]

I love him

[@SpScarletSpider]

@@scado5679 I'm hoping once Toho starts their new cinematic kaiju universe they give Varan a shot and give him another movie, but with a bigger budget.

[@MShep-mh5xo]

Looks like Gemera and Aguirus had a lil somethin somethin goin on there.

[@mitchman3006]

Now looking back at this film, I agree what you said. The Score, Special Effects and Varan himself are the only things enjoyable about the film. I really enjoy your reviews really well thought out.

[@Enriqueguiones]

Varan confirmed.

[@paradoxidization1844]

Nah we should've had more movies like Varan

[@59rlmccormack]

I saw this film in 2018 and it was good!

[@VonWenk]

When I first saw the cut of this movie with Myron Healy, I was not impressed, but when I saw the original cut without the American inserts, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was stunned by the old man having the mountain dropped on him as he's praying to Varan; that scene alone makes the movie worth watching.

[@Videogamelover58]

Great review

[@ShinGoji1987Official]

Varan is such a cool monster, wish we could have saw him fight Godzilla in 2001's Giant monsters all out attack. (It's original script)

[@VonWenk]

That actually makes a little more sense than Ghidorah having to team with Mothra to fight Godzilla.

[@ShinGoji1987Official]

@@VonWenk Yup Toho always with the money making schemes xD Although it didn't bother me that much since Ghidorah was "good" as a mech in 1991

[@VonWenk]

@@ShinGoji1987Official That animated shot of King Ghidorah first appearing in the cave is probably among my four favorite shots in GMK, along with Godzilla deliberately demolishing the hospital containing the woman with the broken leg, Godzilla blasting Mothra into sparkles, and Mothra killing the teens who tried to drown a dog.

[@ShinGoji1987Official]

@@VonWenk Yeah! Gmk was such a good one! Godzilla raising out of the ocean, beating down baragon, destroying the military and his still beating heart were some of my most favorite scenes! I'm actually working on a stop motion film sequel to it and 1954 called Destroyer of worlds, I just finished part 2 a few weeks ago! Gmk is my second favorite Godzilla film.

[@VonWenk]

@@ShinGoji1987Official It's probably my fourth-favorite kaiju after Gojira, Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris, and Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964).

[@bk7064]

I love Varan. Definitely underrated of a monster

[@badger-6377]

can't wait til you get around to Gorgo

[@Titan52berg]

Gorgo was a great film! I have it on BluRay and DVD! I still have the original 1960 comic book version that was sold for ten cents in the movie theater!

[@kyoatbites7865]

seen this when i was a kid loved it, great movie for a Sunday afternoon

[@cyruskarloff7219]

I hope you cover the American Re-edit. I haven't seen since 1965 or so. :-D

[@tinman67641]

I kind of liked the beginning of Varan. It seemed eerie.

[@animateangus]

Just watched this one last night after finally getting my hands on the DVD set (with The Mysterians and Matango), and I really enjoyed it. Quite an underrated monster flick!

[@warmac88]

Great video Kaiju bro

[@PeterBrensinger]

I would love to see more videos exploring kaiju in earlier American TV or cinema! Something like the Beast From 20,000 Fathoms or It Came From Beneath the Sea! Fascinating to see the comparisons between different nations’ approaches and POVs on kaiju.

[@Telcontar86]

The Japanese version isn't good, but the American version is somehow _worse_ lol

[@wild-strike]

Haven’t watched it yet but Varan is my favorite Kaiju and honestly has such a rich and unseen history he needs more credit for.

[@gamera2351]

Excellent review again. And I love that my last few suggestions for what to review next are coming true! Ok since you are doing Showa Toho movies I hope you tackle Atragon next. As always love your channel thank you. 👍

[@scado5679]

So do I, man. Manda needs some love!

[@iamthebaroness8148]

I love Varan ♥

[@johndolan5076]

i loved this movie as a kid every new monster i got to see was awesome

[@Germaniac77]

I agree with you on Varan. I have it in my collection but I do not watch it often. It does not hold my attention and it drags. It´s just a small copy of Godzilla for the little screen. ... Looking forward to your reviews every week. I guess Space Amoeba / Yog is one of the next reviews. Will you review Mighty Perking Man as well after you are done with the Toho movies? I´d really like to know your opinion on that one.

[@dannyburton92]

Very interesting review as usual ! Will you do one for Half Human (1955) also from Honda ?

[@brycevo]

This is such an interview Toho classic

[@kvnvk8947]

Any chance of reviewing the kaijus of the Koreas, Yongary and Pulgasari?

[@MrScottx]

Hmmm..I enjoy this movie. It's not the best but still alot of fun when in the right mood. I say on a Saturday afternoon with a few cold ones it hits the spot!

[@BaldPerspective]

Hope you're doing well, Brandon, I can't wait for you to release more vids!

[@tomwilliams3460]

Wow! What great addition to the Monster -Verse Varan would have made, and possibly might. Great monster design and suit. I wonder why i never saw him again. Or, did i miss him in other movies somehow? Anyway, Great Monster fer sher!

[@megalon73]

This is a Huge Underrated film from Toho. Varan is one that never got a lot of love. Even when he was in "Destroy All Monsters". His still the overlook Kaiju, Even to this day.

[@wondersisters4869]

The most important thing about these movies: to see monsters destroying city models and fighting other monsters. Humans are the factor that fails most of the time.

[@ziljin]

Yes. I wonder if it's possible to make a Kaiju film that was just an hour of giant monsters scenes and keeping humans scenes to a few minutes or less.

[@SuperSirianRigel]

Doing a good job bro! Don't give up! Also... I hope we get to see Varan again someday. Ha ha

[@Firedrake-SP]

I wish you've also talked about the USA version too.

[@からすカラス-v4f]

バランは好きでしたね！もっと評価して欲しい傑作ですね！

[@logunplatt3655]

I love your reveiws and they inspire my love for Godzilla, Gamera, ect... Can you do a reveiw on Gorgo??

[@scado5679]

Aww yeah, Varan! Probably one of the most underrated kaiju ever. He's got a cool design and some great abilities, not to mention his absolutely amazing theme (seriously, the Varan main title is one of the best things Akira Ifukube ever made). Unfortunately, due to the problems with his only solo movie and the fact that he's useless in every other film appearance, Varan seems to have been shafted in the kaiju mythos. I'm really hoping he gets another chance to shine in a future kaiju movie, as Varan is just too unbelieveable to ignore.

[@SHORYULI]

I’m fortunate enough to have the Japanese version of this movie on dvd, but over the years I’ve tried watching it twice and fallen asleep halfway through both times lol.

[@OMAHA16]

Up From The Depths, curious question for you. Between the lesser of two evils which is better? "Varan" or "Gamera: Super Monster"?

[@goodheartmedia]

I just watched this on Amazon Prime this past weekend. It was obviously an American version with an American actor in the lead. The plot had to do with chemical desalinization experiments in a salt water lake, which seems different from the Japanese cut. There was also no footage of Varan flying in the version I saw.

[@GODZILLA2915]

I gave it a watch on amazon prime last year. Barely remember it.

[@rozu583]

this review was pretty... unbelievable

[@williamoleschoolarendt7016]

I'm 55 years old and I really don't even remember this monster in any movie! Wow and I thought I seen them all!!!!

[@Aluhcav]

Can I note that the suite actor for Varan also suffered a bad accident to his crotch, due to the coming on to land scene near the end of the film.

[@RSEFX]

Some of the scenes of the Varan monster smashing across the jungle valley, kicking up the mountainsides and knocking over some of the villagers' homes are, ironically, among the best effects sequences in any of these Toho giant monster films, in my opinion. The low camera angles, high-speed camera work (neither of which were consistently employed in so many of these films) helped immensely in creating a sense of realism. Not so much with the rest of the film. A shame this approach was often ignored. (It appears likely that nothing had been shot before the deal fell through as the film would not have been shot in the anamorphic process for tv.)

[@bigdad1211]

There must be two versions of this movie. I am watching the American version, with Myron Healy

[@MGWFilms97]

WATCH THE JAP VER ITS ON AMAZON NOT FREE BUT ITS BETTER THAN THE AMERICAN DIPSHIT

[@transapient1524]

Damn, poor Varan. First, his original movie was a troubled production, then he's relegated to a second or two of screentime in Destroy All Monsters, then he gets scrapped from one of the earlier drafts of GMK... Too bad, because given his design he could probably be utilized in some pretty cool ways given a solid role.

[@3912James]

Hoping that Varan make a comeback and appear in the Monsterverse.

[@LightKid5754_no_more_z]

13:54:26 is the best part

[@ryandtibbetts2962]

My biggest problem with Varan is that Toho tried to make him the all-singing, all-dancing monster that just borrowed from many of the others that came before. In addition to the basic look of Godzilla, he could swim and breathe underwater. Like Anguilus, he walked on all fours (most of the time) and had an armored back. He could fly a la Rodan. There really was nothing about Varan that was unique to HIM.

[@boneeatingsilicate580]

It's a fun monster movie..flawes notwithstanding

[@GojiFan1998]

Varan is my favorite kaiju of all time

[@garyreid6165]

I remember watching the tail end of Varan and I immediately felt cheated. I remember thinking that the monster was weak and didn’t do much. But, again, I only watched the tail end. I hadn’t seen the film after the first time. The design of the monster is unique. That was the only thing worth noting. Composer Masaru Sato composed the main title theme. I will probably watch this film if I can find it online or in the budget bin at Walmart.

[@Bill23799]

I think they made a mistake with the Varan monster by giving him arms and legs the same dimensions as human limbs. I know this makes it easier to make the guy in the rubber suit move about more freely but it also checks me in suspending my disbelief that this is not a guy in a rubber suit.

[@garfieldsmith332]

I always pronounced it Va-Rahn as it sounds more menacing. I saw this on a double bill with Gorgo. It was the badly butchered American version. I had read in a movie magazine just how much was cut (all flying scenes for some) and inserted to create the American version. If people think the Japanese version is bad then the American version rates in the negative. Years ago I got the Japanese version DVD. I actually enjoyed the film though it was not up to Godzilla standards. However we all know how bad the Godzilla films got from Monster Zero until the 1984 reboot.

[@kenyonshelton2520]

Can you review the 1961 movie "GORGO"

[@deathgoddragon3698]

How did you get a full version of this movie? The only version I can find is a crappy edited DVD-R rip sold by Amazon.

[@LPGD1994]

Are you planing to review all those crazy 1950s Sci-fi American Monster movies? Like Beast from 20,000 fathoms, Tarantula, Them, Attack of the 50ft Women, It Came From Beneath the Sea, etc, or are you only sticking to “Kaiju” films?

[@peterpiotrowski2245]

I love this movie. It is unique to all other kaiju films. I find it a lot of fun and Varan is one of my favorite monsters. The Americanized version deserves one star, not the Japanese version.

[@paulpolpiboon9535]

"Set piece moments" as you call it is the whole dam point. All these films are about set piece moments, we're here to see a visual and the monster. From what I see it looks pretty good

[@kirbyuniversal4250]

I love varan

[@travelingjazzman117]

Imagine if *Varan* was used by TOHO in a future film, such as *Shin Godzilla 2.* I could see the creature having mysterious origins and being the weird, almost creepy nemesis for *Godzilla.* It could be done in a unique way to finally bring *Varan* back to a Godzilla series. In fact, their battle could happen in a non-typical way that is different and unique. It's just an idea though. I'd just love to see this creature be in at least one more TOHO film, hopefully with *Godzilla.*

[@OniellFord]

Well said! I saw this film when I was sick. I hated it. Even if I wasn't sick, I'd still hate it. But despite all the negativity of the film, I still consider Varan to be my favorite "underdog kaiju". MonsterVerse? PLEASE! They'd probably do a better job making the monster's debut memorable than Toho lazily did with the original film.

[@johndavidhaynes996]

Where’s the review of the English version with that American commander and his wife?

[@davidholman48]

Sad, really, because Varan is a really cool looking beast.

[@joshualasher8036]

You should review Cloverfield and dragon wars

[@IshiGoturi]

The most interesting thing about this movie is that Varan (at least in name) is based on real extinct creatures called Varanopidae that were more closely related to mammals than reptiles. People who say this movie is “underrated” are really kidding themselves.

[@Nerom99]

Sorta. Varanopidae were actual reptiles, but they were part of a clade of reptiles that mammals evolved from called synapsids. All currently-living reptiles like turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, dinosaurs/birds, etc. evolved from a separate clade known as diapsids. But yeah, you're right that they're closer to mammals than any reptile we'd recognize today. EDIT: NVM, just did some research, synapsids are no longer classified as reptiles like diapsids and anapsids, they're merely called amniotes.

[@darkwolf9253]

Didn't pretty much reshoot an entirely new film, except for the special effects, for the American version?

[@jimgallagher8029]

Barely a cameo in Destroy All Monsters. For years I wondered “What was that one?”.

[@paulbacchus1015]

Varan is far from beeing the best of the Toho monster movies but even the less impressive are always worth watching and always enjoyable. Paul Bacchus esq