cinema history class: yongary, monster from the deep

Session: Monsters International -- Big! Hairy! Scaly! Scary!, Week 4
Movie: Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967)
Directed by Kim Ki-duk

As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL.

Plot:
A giant reptillian monster awakens from his subterranean slumber, thereby keeping a young couple from consummating their marriage. Horror ensues.

Reaction and Other Folderol:

The biggest flaw in this movie is the acting. The deliveries are all wooden and lifeless. I haven't seen the like since Barbara Bain in season 1 of Space: 1999. In fairness to the movie, we were watching an English-dubbed version. It's quite possible that the original dialogue as delivered by the original actors sounded more real. The poor delivery is a contributing factor to the monster being the lead character. The personal drama that's built in -- newlyweds trying to get some time together, two families joining -- becomes an easily-forgotten sideshow, since the voice-actors fail to inject any real emotion into any of it.

Another weakness is that a lot of the plot is really not adequately explained. And it's really annoying how the kid is treated like a hero after he was directly responsible for multiple deaths. And it's really not clear why he starts dancing to music no one else can hear.

Still, as a giant monster movie -- similar in feel to the Japanese cinema, this has some exciting monster action and destruction. But it was just so hard to care about anybody.

Ratings

Me: 6.5

Bob: 8.8

Christina: 8

Dave: 9.5
Joe: 9.8