Monster Discussion: Iris/Irys

[GodzillaFan1990's]

Probably without a doubt my favorite Gamera foe. I just love the lovecraftian horror like design Iris/Irys possesses and the mysteries of his origins as they're all just speculation and possible connection to Atlantis he might have.

[Ivo-goji]

I like that Gamera's greatest foe is a giant snail.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Hands down one of my favorite kaiju and villains. And one of the best designs I've seen in a movie in general.

[Zarm]

Agreed. Fantastic design, fantastic villain, fantastic coup-de-grace for the finale. One of the most unique kaiju designs I've ever seen.

[BlankAccount]

I like the feet.

[edgaguirus]

It's design is unusual and elegant, but it's a memorable foe for Gamera. Irys was the perfect way to the trilogy, being a powerful foil for the heroic turtle.

[GodzillavsRayquaza]

Irys might be my favorite Kaiju from the Gamera franchise, and that's really saying something. I love the otherworldly design it has, that combined with an interesting set of powers makes it an amazing Kaiju that makes for a perfect final obstacle for Gamera.

[JetrellFo]

I love the Gamera Trilogy films and this villian IS the best of the 3. What I would have liked to see is a bit more darkness even though we do get to see some. We don't really get to see Iris go on a rampage before Gamera has to deal with it.

[Dino-Mario]

Irys was a really imposing villain. His Lovecraftian design, his enigmatic story, his ethereal, droning roar, the way he devours the life essence of humans and his epic battle with Gamera make him a very memorable kaiju.

[Lain Of The Wired]

The only monster in the entire Godzilla/Gamera franchise to have a visible penis

Enjoy that discussion kids

[PRIMEVAL]

I like that, even though it's hinted to be related to Gyaos, it isn't just a recolored variant of the species but rather something with some similarities while being completely unique.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

his ethereal, droning roar.

I love his roar, it sounds so haunting and eerie.

[Tomzilla]

Iris definitely wins the award for having the most original, unique looking kaiju design, which is a standard trope in the Gamera series. While it may not necessarily be my favorite, it's still a visual effect triumph; my respect goes to the visual effects crew for pulling it off. Iris really looks like he belongs more in an Anime series. Speaking of which, it's not often you see something clearly Anime inspired make that successful cinematic transition.

As a character, Iris is, well, confounding. I love how he's a mutated Gyaos and, as it's implied by the film and some of its characters, a demon in disguise. I greatly enjoyed how it was left a little ambiguous as to whether or not Iris was the one pulling Ayana's strings, or if it Ayana was the one coercing Iris. It was likely a combination of the two, because both were damaged characters. Iris was a positively dangerous beastie in his own right, especially when he drained people of their precious bodily fluids. Dry, sunken corpses is never a fun thing to see.

His dogfight with Gamera was one for the books. It's still riveting to watch! The final battle was great, too. If only Iris wasn't such a dunce. I know, it's not his fault; it's the screenwriter's. But still.

All in all, I'll always remember the scene of Iris striking a pose in front of the Full Moon. It perfectly exemplifies what I think makes Iris a great monster. He's not a beautiful creature to look at by any means, but you still can't take your eyes off him. Iris is definitely one of my favorite kaiju.