Daimadžin

The Hideous Idol Majin is quite an interesting contribution in terms of Japanese kaiju film mythology, but it's not necessarily a standout film in terms of its quality. The lengthy sequence depicting people in distress and what might follow can sometimes be boring, and unfortunately, even the part everyone is waiting for - the monster attack, or rather the attack by the giant statue - is not as captivating as viewers might hope. However, for fans of kaiju films, it's a contribution that shouldn't be missed, at least for its significance in the genre. (19.10.2014)

Back in its day, it had cult status in Japan. I don't quite understand the four-star rating on www.badmovies.org. There’s nothing funny here, intended or unintended, this is a below-average and not very interesting fantasy story where – in a nutshell – an animated giant stone statue of the Daimajin takes revenge on cruel and greedy nobles for wrongs done to their defenceless subjects. The revenge itself takes place in the last 15 minutes, when the actor playing the Daimajin walks around in costume, with a mask on his face, and "Godzilla-style" demolishes the samurai palace. The effect of size is created only by the perspective of the camera, the interaction with the surroundings is almost non-existent, yet surprisingly it looks quite believable, but otherwise the film doesn't have much to offer. Perhaps the only thing worth mentioning is the death of the main villain, whom Daimajin nails to the wall with a massive spike, like a butterfly in a herbarium. (26.06.2008)