A malevolent alien race is intent on conquering the world, so they dispatch a towering, biomechanical beast to wreak havoc. The toothsome, grimacing behemoth procedes to mulch everyone and everything in its path, while keeping a firm grip on a young bride to be. Meanwhile, a little boy pokes around inside the monster's ear canal and nasal passage, and Korean militia strategize plans to defeat the titanic terror.
This was, for many years, a frustratingly unattainable title. A few enticing still photos in the pages of monster magazines were presumed to be the film's only surviving integrand, until it reemerged unexpectedly in a crisp and presumably complete print. Was it worth the long wait? Oh, Hell yes.
WANGMAGWI is an endlessly entertaining, beautifully shot kaiju with effects that are admittedly primitive, but resourcefully supervised with creative vitality. Still, it's not without a few blemishes...a dud comic relief duo gets more screentime than they deserve, and there's a rescue which is so outlandishly implausible that you can't help but get a good laugh from it. One scene in particular deserves mention for being among the most random and exotically WTF moments in cinema history...a man steals a newspaper, and ducks into a corner with it. He then proceeds to drop a bowel movement as chaos erupts around him. Weirder still, the scene is cross-edited with shots of a woman giving birth, and the characters are never seen again. Wow. What a trip.
WANGMAGWI is a weird and wonderful rediscovery, and crucial viewing for any kaiju enthusiast. 7/10.
This was, for many years, a frustratingly unattainable title. A few enticing still photos in the pages of monster magazines were presumed to be the film's only surviving integrand, until it reemerged unexpectedly in a crisp and presumably complete print. Was it worth the long wait? Oh, Hell yes.
WANGMAGWI is an endlessly entertaining, beautifully shot kaiju with effects that are admittedly primitive, but resourcefully supervised with creative vitality. Still, it's not without a few blemishes...a dud comic relief duo gets more screentime than they deserve, and there's a rescue which is so outlandishly implausible that you can't help but get a good laugh from it. One scene in particular deserves mention for being among the most random and exotically WTF moments in cinema history...a man steals a newspaper, and ducks into a corner with it. He then proceeds to drop a bowel movement as chaos erupts around him. Weirder still, the scene is cross-edited with shots of a woman giving birth, and the characters are never seen again. Wow. What a trip.
WANGMAGWI is a weird and wonderful rediscovery, and crucial viewing for any kaiju enthusiast. 7/10.