Monday, January 08, 2007

Smackdown!: Rodin vs. Rodan

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Rodin

WHO?: French sculptor, best known for "The Thinker" and "The Kiss."

PROS: Naturalistic style has aged well. His sculptures have become iconic. Never destroyed a city.

CONS: "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" are so ubiquitous that they can feel a bit cliched. No superpowers, and therefore unable to destroy a city.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Rodan

WHO?: Japanese reptilian monster.

PROS: Highly agile; can create hurricane-speed winds by flapping wings. In one film, sacrificed own life to save Godzilla. Able to destroy cities.

CONS: City he destroyed was only Sasebo. Extremely inconsistent; sometimes good (helped Godzilla and Mothra defeat King Gidorah), sometimes bad (that whole city-destroying thing), sometimes downright inexplicable (a dead Rodan is revived by a psychic singing plant in one film). Caves easily to peer pressure (the Kilaaks were able to control his mind to do their bidding in one movie; the Xilians did the same in another). Very bad breath, which is sometimes radioactive.


WINNER: While no Godzilla, Rodan could still kick Rodin's ass.


(Some basic Rodan info here; Rodin info and images here.)

3 comments:

Mark said...

Looking at that picture, I'm guessing that Rodin's breath probably wasn't all that great either.

punkinsmom said...

Apparently, Rodin can shrink down to microscopic size though, so that might help.

Jim Donahue said...

Wow--that's pretty amazing!