Every so often, I chance upon something on the web (does anyone call it "the web" anymore?) that blows my mind. I can usually be heard saying that this or that is the coolest thing in the universe, but obviously, that's an exercise in bleeping, grandiloquent hyperbole. Until today, that is. I think I may have actually found the coolest thing in the universe. For wrestling fans, The Great Muta is already endlessly cool. Did you know that in the wild, wonderful decade that is the 1990's, New Japan Pro-Wrestling released a short film that served as Muta's origin story? Because I didn't, and Jesus corduroy Christ, it's all kinds of awesome.
Of course, it's on YouTube. Did NJPW release it onto physical media? I have no earthly idea. In fact, I'm having a hard time finding any information on this deal. All I know is that the gooey monster effects are credited to Steve Wang, the guy who worked on both The Guyver and The Guyver 2 alongside Screaming Mad George. Apparently, he has a busy history in tokusatsu, a genre that includes kaiju. It's worth noting that NJPW spent money on this mother. It runs for roughly 15 minutes, and every frame is delectable.
The film is split into three chapters. First, we see the birth of The Great Muta. Then we see Muta wrestle a cave-dwelling beast that faintly resembles Lord Zedd. And when I say "wrestle," I mean they lock up and exchange clotheslines! Finally, Muta gathers himself after a tough loss and mutates into...um, Uber-Muta. Words are failing me, so you really need to watch this film for yourself. I think you'll agree that it's the coolest thing in the universe, at least as of November 2023. Give it a whirl, girl!
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