The Kaiju Film : A Critical Study of Cinema's Biggest Monsters

The Kaiju (strange monster or strange beast) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. Since the seminal King Kong 1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre—the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences. Introduction: a genre apart -- The Japanese origins of the kaiju -- Disasters, manmade and natural -- International and domestic politics -- Science and the weapons of mass destruction -- America and kaiju -- The body, gender, and kaiju -- The role of nostalgia -- Conclusion: what's next?;"The Kaiju (strange monster) film genre has themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre, how it has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how it continues to reflect national values to audiences"-- "The Kaiju (strange monster) film genre has themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre, how it has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how it continues to reflect national values to audiences"-- Provided by publisher