General Gamera Thread

[therealmccoy]

You won't be completely dissapointed, that's for sure.

[Biollante]

You won't be completely dissapointed, that's for sure.

So I didn't completely waste my money?

[therealmccoy]

Hell no! It's just insanely stupid fun. Which ones did you get?

[Biollante]

The Mill's Creek Gamera: Guardian of the Universe/Gamera 2 Attack of the Legion blu ray.

[tymon]

^Mill Creek's G3 isn't available until this fall, unfortunately.

[Biollante]

So I finally sat down and watched Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, and I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed. The SFX is good, the suits look fantastic, and the plot is really straightforward, albeit absurd.

My main issues with the film were that the human characters didn't feel very fleshed out and Gamera came off as a bit of a pushover (Which he made up for by slamming Gyaos out of space). Still, excluding Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante I felt the film was a far more entertaining experience than the Godzilla Heisei series.

Also the Blu Ray picture quality looks great, no extras is a bummer though.

[Gojira-Fan]

The only showa Gamera movie I have seen was the first one...and it's not a very good movie.
I do really enjoy the two others I have seen (Gamera 2 and Gamera: The Brave).

I also have something to comment. In the first Gamera movie, they actually talk about nuking Gamera (when he first attacks that factory). This comes as a big surprise to me because I thought that sort of thing was taboo in Japan (nukes were generally always avoided in Godzilla movies). Anyone have an answer to this?

[therealmccoy]

I don't know much, but I think it just had to do with the poor writing of that movie, which pretty much all of the Showa entries suffered. I mean, at least in Godzilla '84 they tried everything else before they refused to use nukes. As soon as a giant turtle showed up and stomps a few buildings, they want to go nuke-happy? I could be wrong, but that is just my opinion.

[therealmccoy]

I thought they could have done a better job with Gyaos too. I think it was better than the original, but it seemed just as stiff.

[The Dark Uniter]

Funny, the double feature from Mill Creek was also my first exposure to Gamera as well. The first one was good giant bird poo aside, the 2nd one was even better so I can't wait for the 3rd film.

[Biollante]

No, Gamera's suit is fantastic. The Gyaos puppets and suits are crappy.

There were some scenes where it looked okay.

[Space Hunter M]

The shoddy, faded 16mm Television-Prints and the earsplitting dub work do these films absolutely no justice whatsoever. Seeing them for the first time in their original 2.35 : 1 CinamaScope ratio and original Japanese language soundtrack is absolutely breathtaking. Gamera vs. Barugon has got to be my favorite because the characters are engaging, the monsters are great, the soundtrack is wonderful. Overall, it's a intelligent well put together film that doesn't talk down to the audience.

[therealmccoy]

I really enjoy some of the Showa Gameras. Others...not so much. Here's my totally personal grades:

Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)F

Gamera: Super Monster (1980) F (sorry McCoy!)

It's cool, dude. Like I said, Supermonster was my first, and it has always been my favorite. If you didn't like All monsters Attack, it's pretty much a given that you wouldn't like this one, since they're so alike. I literally just finished Zigra, and I totally agree with you. A definite FFF. It's my least favorite of all of them. It's just a mess, and it sports one of the most annoying kids in the series. And what was up with all the dolphin comments? :B

[Terrier]

I have kind of a soft spot for Gamera vs. Guiron, I can't help but love the whole fight between Gamera and Barugon in that abandoned alien city. The battles from the Showa Gamera movies had a style of their own, funny and violent.

Now, I have a question about Super Monster Gamera... what's up with the anime sequences involving a train traveling through space and a space battleship? Acording to this rewiev those have no context whatsoever... do they?

[TitanoGoji16]

I also have something to comment. In the first Gamera movie, they actually talk about nuking Gamera (when he first attacks that factory). This comes as a big surprise to me because I thought that sort of thing was taboo in Japan (nukes were generally always avoided in Godzilla movies). Anyone have an answer to this?

Eh, they bring up nukes in a lot of the earlier Godzilla movies, too. It's not like they actually used one on Gamera.

[JVM]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

[shinmattiathekaiju]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

The really bad written story and characters.(At least Kinnikuman makes a cameo)

And its sad not having the dvds of the original movies but instead,you get a version where some characters humiliates the movies with a funny commentary

[therealmccoy]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

That's a good question. I can see how some people would dislike other aspects of that movie. The acting is mediocre, with stale characters and annoying kids (which is something the Showa Gamera movies are famous for), and the story is generic. I didn't think the kid was the most annoying, though; that award goe to the little shit from Zigra. But hey, how many other enjoyable monster movies are like that? I think one of the biggest things is that this movie was pretty much worse than the rest, and the rest weren't that great to begin with. I don't know, other than that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I can't discredit anyone for it.

[gilamonster]

Odd that there are complaints with the story. I think Super Monster is a lot better than Viras and Zigra story wise. It matches up with Guiron in terms of sheer ridiculousness.

Now, I have a question about Super Monster Gamera... what's up with the anime sequences involving a train traveling through space and a space battleship? Acording to this rewiev those have no context whatsoever... do they?

The train is from Galaxy Express 999 and the battleship is from Space Battleship Yamato. Both were popular manga and anime series back in the 70's (the TV show being done by Toei), and both had feature length films released around that time (also done by Toei). I'm not entirely sure on the connection between Toei and Kadokawa though.

[Irys X]

Ya know, Super Monster can be fun. I like the plot better than Zigra or Viras. It wasnt great but it was actually more cohesive. Especially Zigra. If it wasnt for MST3K i would have actually screamed at the screen. And am i the only one who thinks that the super hero women and even the alien woman were pretty hot? Though that manga stuff was completely random. Anyway, dont hate it. Its not like my disdain for All Monsters Attack. Wasnt even a great drop in quality. Just a lotta stock footage. Yeah, id rather just watch Gamera vs Barugon or Gamera vs Gyaos. On a side note, what is with Gamera vs. Guirion? I dont see that much gore in most horror movies.