Varan The Unbelievable (1962 American Version) | Godzilla Island Archive

The Plot

This movie centers around a joint U.S. and Japanese military experiment conducted on a small island off the coast of Japan. The goal is to test a chemical that can convert saltwater into purified, drinkable water — potentially solving global water shortages.

However, the military faces strong opposition from the island’s native villagers, who warn that disturbing the lake will awaken O-Baki, an ancient monster said to dwell beneath the surface. In the English version of the film, O-Baki is known as Varan, which is the name most fans recognize today.

Ignoring the villagers’ warnings, the military proceeds with the experiment and releases the chemical into the lake. The result is immediate — all the fish die, and strange things begin to happen overnight. Gunfire is heard in the distance, and a soldier is later found dead, his face frozen in terror. Soon after, a massive footprint and toppled trees are discovered. Then, Varan emerges from the lake.

The military opens fire, but their weapons have no effect. Varan rampages through the native village, destroying everything before retreating to the sea his lake now poisoned by the chemical that awakened him.

Varan is later sighted attacking a fishing boat at sea, prompting the navy and air force to strike back. Yet missiles, bombs, and bullets fail to harm the creature. Varan makes landfall, attacking an airport, forcing the military to try a desperate measure: they deploy a more concentrated version of the same chemical used in the lake. The plan works — Varan is visibly wounded and retreats into the ocean’s depths. The film ends ambiguously, leaving audiences to wonder whether the beast survived.

My Thoughts

The English version of Varan is an interesting watch, though it feels heavily edited and incomplete compared to the original Japanese release. The pacing is odd due to many abrupt scene cuts, and the entire film runs only about 70 minutes roughly 17 minutes shorter than the original.

Varan as a kaiju is fantastic the design is classic, and the story concept is strong. However, the English adaptation falls short. Instead of dubbing, new scenes were shot with American actors replacing the originals, and major sequences were removed including Varan’s flying scenes and the extended Tokyo attack. These omissions make the film feel rushed and hollow in spots.

Despite that, there’s still plenty of kaiju destruction to enjoy. The monster action is satisfying, and Varan himself is a unique and underrated Toho creation. Still, I’d recommend watching the original Japanese version for the full story and a more complete kaiju experience.

Overall, Varan (the English cut) is a decent watch, but not a great one. A cool concept and classic monster held back by heavy editing and lost footage it is worth checking out for completists and kaiju fans, but the original remains the definitive version.