Rodan

Toho's first monster film in colour, directed by Ishiro Honda, in which mining excavations awaken Rodan, a colossal prehistoric pterosaur whose supersonic flight generates shockwaves that flatten cities. The wind-blast destruction of Fukuoka is a highlight of Eiji Tsuburaya's effects work.

Like the early Godzilla films it carries a real melancholy, and its ending is unexpectedly moving for a monster picture. Rodan joined Toho's roster and recurred for decades. An essential entry in the studio's classic period, and a showcase for its effects at their peak.