The Human Vapor

Cashing in on the influx of western sci-fi movies Toho created The Human Vapour and it's a thoroughly mixed bag.

It tells the story of a man who can turn into vapour and proceeds to use his ability to rob banks.

As you can imagine it all looks very tacky as everything did back then, complete with the same sound effects you'll have heard a thousand times from movies like this.

The core story is fairly unique and the film does have quite the heart. Sadly from an entertainment standpoint it's rather underwhelming and that's a shame.

Think of this as a sci-fi verison of the H-Man (1958) in many regards, but inferior and more than little goofy.

It manages to meet the quality of the films it mimmicks, but alas that really isn't saying much.

The Good:

Plot isn't terrible

Quite a good finale

The Bad:

Taglines are ridiculous

Why keep calling him gasman when he's not gas?

Lifeless in places

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Abbreviated to Vape Man, I'm shocked this hasn't been remade

The police are in pursuit of a man who can change into gas and who is using that ability to rob banks so that he can pay for a recital by a dancer with whom he is in love. The film is an imaginative thriller from Toho, directed by Ishiro Honda and with effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The third act, in which the police set a trap for 'the gas man', seems a bit weak - surely the titular character would have suspected a trap when he is the only person at the recital; however, I was watching a subtitled version and might have missed something (perhaps 'the gas man's' behaviour was in keeping with his obsession with the dancer). The special effects are simple but effective, and overall, the film is an entertaining example of Toho's early 1960's non-Kaiju tokusatsu (although not as good as 1958's "The H-man").

The Human is a surprisingly worthwhile change from the standard Japanese horror film. It is a cross between The Invisible Man and Phantom of the Opera with just a dash of Hangover Square. The kabuki sequence was well staged. It has tremendous production values and some good, sincere acting. It is marred only but over abundant comic relief, and choppy editing. All in all though, it is worth watching....really.

The title may suggest a bad sci-fi movie, but this film is actually quite dramatic and well produced. Part mystery and part science fiction, it is well acted and the special effects of the man turning into the vapor is expertly done. The segments of the Vapor traveling about the city and telling of his experiences are a high point of the movie, and explain what it would feel like to actually be a cloud of gas. The central story, of the attraction between the Vapor and the dancer, is well written and effectively developed on screen. This is an example of a Japanese science fiction film that often gets overshadowed by the likes of Godzilla and Rodan, but is quite good on its own merits. Watch it if you get the chance!

Somber screenplay writer Takeshi Kimura at his best. Probably the most sad and dramatic of all Toho sci-fi epics. Here, we have the title character, who is a librarian in his real life, willing to make sacrifices to pamper his lover, the Kabuki dancer, even if it resorts to chaos and havoc. Caught in the mix is a policeman and a reporter, out to catch the rampaging "Vapor Man" before he causes any more harm. I usually prefer more light-heated pieces, like the works of writer Shinichi Sekizawa. Though this is a really dark film, which could use more lighter themes, it is a movie with a very compelling story with an astounding climax. A good thriller even by today's standards.

Grade B