The Invisible Avenger

In this Oriental rendition of H.G. Wells' Invisible Man, Japan discovers the secret of invisibility near the end of WWII. They also found some eager volunteers to give the transparent treatment. Presumably (I say that because my Japanese isn't what it should be), the intent was for them to wreak unseen havoc against American forces. Fortunately, the A-bombs ended the war. Nine years later, one of the invisible men commits suicide and leaves a note telling the nation that another one is roaming about amongst them. Naturally, this throws Japan into a tizzy.

So, what's an invisible warrior to do when he has no one to fight? Luckily, for viewers, a gang of vicious crooks provide an answer. Dressed up in gauze bandages and trench coats they commit a series of daring robberies and terrorize law-abiding citizens as "The Invisible Gang." Ultimately, the phony invisible men learn the hard way that they are no match for a real one.

The special effects are decent for 1954. The film's lighting is poor at times. I guess to help hide any special effects shortcomings. The pace is sometimes slow as well but I thought the quality of the acting was more than acceptable and a lot better than that in most Japanese horror movies. The story is also not without its share of good moments. Still, one notion struck me as odd. Why create invisible men, then tell them to get lost? An obvious answer might be that the research was taking place in Hiroshima in August 1945. An elusive film (not dubbed in English) worth a look, if you can find it.

This movie, known in the U.S. as "The Invisible Man," was the first sci-fi film from Toho released after the original "Godzilla." It is about Takemitsu Nanjo, an invisible man who makes his living visibly, painting his face resembling a clown and carrying advertisement signs. His favorite neighbor is a blind girl, whose mother is being hounded by gangsters, who are also terrorizing the city in a string of robberies. Therefore, Nanjo has to use his invisibility to his advantage and save his friends and rid the cities of this menace.

This is a very dramatic movie from Toho, full of in depth characters and a solid plot. It definitely has the film-noir/crime drama feel, but with a sci-fi twist to it. The special effects were really good and the relationship between Nanjo and the blind girl is very heartwarming. While a pretty somber film, there are some lighthearted moments as well including the part where a man is bewildered when he witnessed a motorcycle riding by itself.

Actor Seizaburô Kawazu plays the part of the Invisible Man. He also appeared as the Gangster Boss in the monster film "Dogora, the Space Monster" (1964) and played the role of the General in "Mothra," (1961).

Overall, a descent movie from the film-noir genre.

Grade B

An invisible man from a WW II army experiment dies by suicide and discloses in his suicide note that another invisible man exists. So a crime gang uses the public's fear to commit robberies as if they are invisible men. But a clown and a newspaper reporter try to solve the case the police can't.

This is one part SciFi & one part crime drama. There's not much special effects but what there is, is fine but not spectacular. This was 1954 after all.

As a whole it's very well done. Good script. Decent acting. The sets & cinematography were okay. Things made more sense as the story unfolded.

It does have some sad moments (I cried) which lessoned my enjoyment. A few things that were a bit far-fetched for me but you may not think so. Those two things lowered my rating. Still, this really was well done if my negative points don't bother you.

Made at about the same time as the first Godzilla film in 1954, this is the first known Japanese sci-fi film. THE INVISIBLE MAN begins with a bang. A car travelling on a Tokyo street runs over an unseen mass. The motorist gets out and watches, out of thin air, a bloodied dead man appear under the car. The reporter investigates, and discovers that a local band of criminals is being menaced and taunted by an invisible man. The film has the usual surreal, dreamlike, sometimes humorous, sometimes touching nuances found in the more famous and available Inosira Honda Japanese monster films. The ending has a fiery end that feels influenced by Warner Brothers' 1949 WHITE HEAT. I always have fun watching this rare film.