The first encounter I had with the giant bird like creatures that breathes fire in this Japanese science fiction movie came in the 1982 mockumentary "It Came From Hollywood", which of course this movie didn't. The American International television logo at the beginning of the film indicates that this didn't even get a theatrical release in the United States (maybe in rural areas or smaller cities, probably drive-in's), and it's another example how decent miniature sets being demolished with the help of a man in a rubber suit can seem, although the buildings are obviously made out of easily collapsible materials and the electric lines strings set on fire out of the blue or some such way.
The Japanese cast, as well as one white actress (Peggy Neal) and heavily accented German actor (Franz Gruber), keep straight faces throughout, but I couldn't with this silly looking creature that gets a makeover towards the end of the film. A memorable funny sequence has the creature (who seems to have a non-stop grin) chasing men in an obvious Tonka toy jeep. Good fun for the pure silliness and audacity, up there with "Godzilla" and "Gamera" movies, of course the cult "Ultraman" TV series.
The Japanese cast, as well as one white actress (Peggy Neal) and heavily accented German actor (Franz Gruber), keep straight faces throughout, but I couldn't with this silly looking creature that gets a makeover towards the end of the film. A memorable funny sequence has the creature (who seems to have a non-stop grin) chasing men in an obvious Tonka toy jeep. Good fun for the pure silliness and audacity, up there with "Godzilla" and "Gamera" movies, of course the cult "Ultraman" TV series.