The Final War

1961

Director: Shue Matsubayashi

Cast Includes: Frankie Sakai, Nobuko Otowa, Akira Takarada, Yumi Shirakawa

The Radio Times Guide to Science Fiction:

Although director Shue Matsubayashi's apocalyptic disaster movie sometimes plays like a Japanese monster movie without any central monster, it ultimately emerges as a sobering anti-war tract clearly inspired by On The Beach. After a few nuclear alarms in missile bases and an increase in global tension as a result, Word War III is finally caused by a misunderstanding when two Cold War superpowers' aircraft collide in mid-air. Cue Eijii (Godzilla) Tsuburaya's ace special effects depicting London Bridge falling down, the Arc de Triomphe collapsing and the Statue of Liberty disintergrating as earthquakes and tidal waves engulf the world, leaving the population dying of radiation sickness. Scarily believable, still relevant and efficiently directed by comedy movie master Matsubayashi. A Japanese language film.

External Links

IMDB (Internet Movie Database)