Godzilla already had a sequel. Rodan had ripped apart Japan. Toho needed a fresh monster, and with backing from an American TV company, Varan was born. Varan also died quickly and mercifully, making a fleeting appearance in Destroy All Monsters before fading into obscurity. It's not hard to see why.

The Japanese version included on this DVD is, as always, almost a completely different film than the American cut. Scenes with Myron Healy spliced into the TV version for US audiences hardly mesh at all, slowing the film down to an unbearable pace, and sadly, that's one of the few things the film had going for it. Varan makes an appearance within 20-minutes, and it's either all out war or destruction from there on out.

There's little characterization here. There's no time for it as the film clocks in under 90-minutes. Unfortunately, only Varan the Unbelievable could make city smashing dull. To start, the monster is hilarious, with a goofy, contorted face that hardly looks menacing or terrifying. The suit flops around like it's not attached properly, the joints bend like a t-shirt, and while Godzilla-suit actor Haruou Nakajima gives it his best, walking on all fours does not work.

The lone scene showing off Varan's flying ability was wisely excised for the US version. Not only does it look more ridiculous than the monster itself, you can plainly see directly through the creature to the clouds in a botched shot (and with the enhanced resolution of the DVD, the suspending wires too). Other special effects shots go wrong, including a close up of two miniature tanks that accidentally crash into each other, then go about their way as if nothing happened.

It's this inherent sloppiness that plagues Varan all the way through. It began shooting in a 4:3 aspect ratio as a feature meant to go directly to TV in the US, then switched to Tohoscope (2.35:1) when the deal fell through and Toho decided to go theatrical. Unless you're looking, this isn't something you'll notice; it's simply a sign of just how wrong this entire production is.

Toho also went for budget cutting, forcing stock footage from Godzilla just four years earlier. If it doesn't show the monster or the lead characters during the final struggle, it's stock footage. In fact, there are two shots of Godzilla himself spliced in, one of his foot crashing through a roof, another of his tail that's blatantly obvious. Color was also lost, even though the spectacle of Rodan brought it to kaiju films for the first time just two years prior.

The soundtrack is done by the master, Akira Ifukube. While there are some original themes, tracks are borrowed from Rodan. The newly composed music was good enough to be used in other kaiju films, including a military march and a track that would practically become Godzilla's own.

Varan is simply one of those movies that never should have been made. Of the Toho monster line-up, Varan is the worst of the group to get a stand-alone film. There's nothing original or different brought to the table to separate this from the rest of the studio's output at the time. At the very least, Mothra and Rodan are inspired creations. Varan never had a chance. (* out of *****)