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GAMERA (1965)
Original Japanese cut,
subtitled
My Rating: 5 out of 5
I had the good luck of seeing the original Japanese print with english subtitles a while back, and I'm glad I got to see it. This movies is one of the best of the Gamera films, since there are no other ludicrous monsters, and there are a few great special effects shots. When Gamera smashes Dr Hidaka's ship, we can see men running across the ice in the foreground - this matte shot rivals Toho's best work for the period. Also nice is Gamera's attack on the thermal power plant and Gamera's rampage through Tokyo. Gamera's flying effects were done differently than any of the other films - Daiei used cell animation rather than a spinning model (however, a spinning model was used for the monster's take offs and landings).
Sadly, the film does have
it's drawbacks. Toshio (Kenny in the American version) is annoying from
moment one. The American actors seen in the opening scenes at an Alaskan
air base are truly socking. As they say in America, "they don't make actors
like that anymore, because they can't find the wood!". The commander comes
off the worst -- while the other actors are at least trying to act, he's
just reading lines off a script he's holding in his hand! The rustling
lines sound like, "Calling... all planes, fighter planes. Based in the
Arctic ocean. There is.... an unidentified object flying.... [insert coordinates
here]....". Still, there are plenty of great scenes in the movie, and it
is significantly more entertaining than the film that was to follow.
Gamera vs Barugon
Original Japanese Cut
with subtitles
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Like "Gamera", I saw the original Japanese version of this with English subtitles, and, although I'm sure that this version is better than the American one, it just doesn't seem as interesting the the previous film. Barugon looks more interesting in the posters and publicity stills than he does here, but he is still a neat kaiju. His powers were very strange, and although I knew about them before I saw this movie, I was still bemused by them when they were shown on screen. I expected the Rainbow beam to act differently, but I guess it's nicer and definatley more unexpected and colourful than any other Gamera kaiju's weapons. Hats off to Daiei for trying something different.
Gamera's first heroic act
comes in this movie: when Gamera thaws himself out he flies over all of
the buildings that Barugon has frozen, he uses his leg jets to thaw out
all of the buildings. Aside from that, Gamera is still considered a threat.
Gamera is hardly in the film at all, which means we're left with Barugon
for most of the film, and even then the military keep Barugon immobilised
with artificial rain. If you want to see a movie with giant monsters in
it, go on, go out and rent it or buy it. If you want to see Gamera kick
some giant lizard tail, don't complain when Gamera dissapears for about
40 minutes.
Gamera vs Guiron
American version
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Hmm... The first of the Classic Gamera movies I saw, and at the time I was thinking, "If everyone keeps badmouthing this one, what will the others be like?" Personally, I think that this movie isn't bad, but it isn't brilliant either. Guiron is an interesting idea, a knife - headed beast that could cut through anything - his battle between Space Gyaos was impressive. It's fights with Gamera, however, were far too short, and you never see all of Guiron - I can't tell whether he has a tail or not. The dubbing for this movie is truly terrible (not that that's Daiei's fault) - most of the dubbing actors aren't even acting and often Guiron is referred to as "Gyiron" or "Gurion".
One of the main problems with
Gamera vs Guiron is that it isn't based on Earth, so there are no buildings
(or at least not many) to smash up, the best clip of destruction is when
Space Gyaos blows up two buildings with his laser beam. In fact, the only
other destruction scenes are when Guiron hits a large building with his
head several times and when the kids fire a missile at Guiron, miss, and
blow up a large building by accident. All in all: poor fx, good monster
design, weak plot. But as The Motion Picture Guide put it, "Sure it's getting
routine, but what do you want from a giant super turtle - art?"
Gamera vs Jiga
Japanese Version, Subtitled
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Yes! Certainly one of the best Gamera films I've seen in a while. Gamera's first female monster look like it follows the laws of kaiju-ology more than, what say, Guiron or Zigra. Jiga's Super - Ultrasound beams acted like what I thought Barugon's Rainbow beam would have acted. The monster fighting is generally really fast paced for a Gamera movie, and the idea of introducing one monster into another is interesting. Some of the music in this movie is taken from Gamera vs Guiron, and, although I don't really mind, I think it worked better in the previous film. I also think that the kids in the movie are far too odd, well, at least Tom and Susan. They're far to neat to be in a Gamera film, after seeing nosey, misbehaved brats like Toshio, Akio, Tom, Kenny and Helen. But those are only minor drawbacks in a great Gamera film, the last of the meaningful classic films.
Gamera vs Zigra
American version
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Okay. A turtle vs a shark. Well, Zigra's no ordinary shark. He's an alien shark. And he's pretty big too. How can I put this into words?! I'll start off with Zigra. Personally, I quite like this kaiju. He always looked more..... solid than the others. He's got a powerful beam and can talk. Plus he beats 9 colours of stuffing out of Gamera at least twice. A new costume for Gamera was made, and it looks pretty good. The plot, however, is pretty bad. It's got an ecological theme to it at least, something the kids will learn when they see it.
One funny moment comes once Gamera has knocked Zigra over with a large boulder. Gamera picks up a rock, and hits one of Zigra's dorsal plates with it. It makes a noise like a piano! Gamera then hits Zigra's back some more, and plays the opening of his theme song! If you want to go and see it, go ahed. Then again, if you are allergic to annoying little kids and funky 70's opening music, avoid it like the plague!!
Gamera - Guardian of the
Universe (1995)
My Copy: Japanese with
English Subtitles
Rating: 5/5
I've finally got round to
reviewing this movie properly, so here it is: Great! It's hard to believe
that this movie was made after Super Monster Gamera, a Gamera movie without
Gamera, and this movie practically blows me out of my seat every time I
see it! Continuing the trend of giving monsters different forms (first
started with Zigra's human sized - giant swimming - giant walking forms)
Daiei have given the revamped Gyaos different stages as it goes through
a baby form, then to a medium sized form and finally a Gamera sized form.
Gamera looks great as well, and I wish Daiei had kept this design for the
rest of the Heisei trilogy - I like this Gamera more than the one in Gamera
3, where he looks like he's been burned alive and painted green! I just
think this one has more personality. I think the eyes do the trick - I
think if the Gamera suit in G3 had eye pupils, I'd have liked it more.
Anyway, this film is great so if you haven't seen it yet, shame on you!
Gamera 3 - Incomplete Struggle
(1999)
My Copy: Japanese with
English Subtitles
Rating: 6/5!
Wow! I must say that I'm shocked
speechless every time I see this movie! It's awesome! My only complaints
are Gamera's design and the SFX used for the dead bodies Iris had sucked
the life out of - aside from that, brilliant! Iris looks awesome, and the
fight sequences are great! The human characters are also nice, but a few
of them end up getting killed at the film's climax. Although the title
"Incomplete Struggle" lives up to its name at the film's end, Daiei say
that this will be the last of the Gamera films, ever. However, I don't
think for a second that Daiei are going to let Toho steal the spotlight
with Godzilla 2000 Millennium and stop making Gamera films. I think that
we may be in for a surprise from Daiei. Gamera 2001? Gamera 4? Who knows?
Is someone at Daiei reading this? God I hope so!
AND BRIEFLY…
GAPPA: THE TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER
Hey there, flying, walking,
swimming birds - they want their baby! Although the plot is clearly ripped
off Gorgo, this movie can be fun, at times. Not really worth mentioning
as far as many people are concerned, Gappa is a nice little movie, which
won't go down in history as an exciting one, but will remain a memorable
movie in my book.
YONGARY: MONSTER FROM THE DEEP
Now here's a movie with plenty
of things going for it. Nice monster design, good looking city destruction
sequences, and a great climax where pieces of Yongary's skin fly off in
chunks when he's hit by those super missiles! It's a shame that Yongary
didn't return later in the decade, because this flick is a lot of fun.
Although Yongary has been updated in Yong Gary 1998, it would have been
nice to see more of his movies made in the 60's.
YOG: MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE
The freakshow of Toho's stable,
these monsters look like they've been pulled out of the storage room from
Ultra Q - the lobster's roar is Ebirah's and the native's chant is taken
from King Kong vs Godzilla! Is there anything original in this movie? Well,
it's still plenty of fun, what with those nice surreal scenes of Gezora
walking around the jungle and all. And that crazy music used over the end
credits! But hey, if you're a fan of MST3K, why not?
THE LAST DINOSAUR
And here's a B movie if I ever saw one! Mismatched shots, people that disappear when they're stepped on by our T Rex buddy, and a submarine that manages to get tossed out of the water and thrown about, buried and unearthed without being damaged! The only good part about this movie was the all-too-brief fight between the T Rex and a Triceratops. But hey - all this talk about it has made me want to watch it again! Bye!
