Atomic Rulers (1964)

Well I'm tired of looking at nothing but white guys in these movies, so off I go to the Land of the Rising sun for today's movie: Atomic Rulers! This movie is actually two movies, Super Giant and Super Giant Continues, edited together to make one film and then released in the states. Although these movies where made in 1957, they weren't released in the US till 1964.

Synopsis: On the Emerald Planet, the council discovers a plot where the nation of Merpol  plans to sell nuclear weapons to the other nations of the world. Fearing that an all out nuclear war will occur on Earth and that the radiation will reach their own world they send their mightiest hero, Starman, to stop the evil plot.

Starman was apparently one of Japan's first superheros. His powers come from a watch like device on his wrist called a Globe-Meter. With this device he has the power to fly through space, detect radiation, and speak and understand any language. Although Starman also is shown using super strength and is impervious to bullets, these aren't listed as part of his powers.

Honestly this movie is just a lot of fun to watch if you don't think about it too much. It's pretty straight forward. Bad guys try to do bad things, and Starman stops them. Of course there is a whole gaggle of kids running around helping Starman, (and getting captured a lot too) like any good Japanese movie of this kind seems to have. Looking at this thing through adult eyes you can say it was a bad movie, but if you look at it from a kids point of view it's just really a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Atomic Rulers gets a 4 out 5 on the Cheese-O-Meter.

Until next time, see you on the front line.

-Matt