Gamera - Guardian of the Universe

Thank goodness SOMEone saved the giant turtle from languishing in MST3K territory. This film is fun,smart,and visually stunning, Well-written and only the 1st in a trilogy that never lets up and never disappoints. I'm a Godzilla fan and I gotta admit this is better than many of THOSE!!

My main reaction was that this was nearly perfect kaiju. I saw Toho's Godzilla 2000, and here's why it wasn't half as good as this: Godzilla was too big. They made him too big, that's all. Gamera here was the right size: just as tall as a tall building, so when he falls over backwards into it, it really crumbles. So beautiful! I actually bought a Gamera figure (1999, Bandai) before I saw this. And I still haven't seen the subsequent two. But this was just great. They took advantage of new digital tech, as Godzilla 2000 did, but also refined what was great about guys in rubber suits clomping around smashing models. Only complaint: some of the matting when they were flying down the street was weak. But then again, part of the fun is knowing deep down that they're guys in rubber suits, so some flaws are exceptable. In fact, I'm sure each kaiju fan has his own pet special effects gaff that really makes it for him. Mine is the street lights. They never look real. Don't know why. But it's just so great that someone came and glued them there onto the miniature sidewalk. Some great long-distance shots, too. Best one: when Gamera and Gyaos are plummeting back down from outer space, and there's one shot that looks just like a sky-diving shot, with the blue Earth below - did they throw a giant turtle out of a plane and shoot that? And Gyaos roosting on the ruins of Tokyo Tower, silhouetted in the sunlight - gorgeous. The big final battle was great. Gyaos' eggs falling on the cars.

Oh, and there were a lot of great laughs. Especially when the plutonium ship captain comes running in and says, "There's a monster coming out of the ocean!" and he's told, "Not now, we're busy capturing giant birds." I saw a subtitled version. Thank god. The pacing was pretty damn good, too, since you're really only interested in seeing about half an hour of the thing. To watch this stuff in the 21st century rocks. It really reminds you how limited CGI is and what movies really are about. Don't mess with the rubber suit!

This film is the first of the newer Gamera monster movies, revived from their 1960 counterparts. The Gamera movies are produced by Daiei Studios, a rival of Toho Studios, which produces all of the Godzilla films. Though I am a Godzilla fan, I have seen a few of Gamera's movies. This one serves as a great introduction to restart the series, bringing us terrific special effects and a chilling music score-nothing like the extreme cheese and camp effects of the kiddie Gamera films in the 1960s and 1970s. We see the suspense built up, bit by bit, as the monsters' origins are depicted in this film. Gamera first emerges from a mysterious rock in the ocean, while Gyaos rises from a remote island: suspenseful introduction to the two monsters. And, this movie puts in a little more element and depth we do not see in the Godzilla films. For example, when the threat of Gyaos emerges in Japan, we actually see the aftermath like stores being closed, the stock market plummeting, food and produce growing scarce and, of course, citizens fleeing for their lives. In addition, people actually freak out when famous landmarks are destroyed, like the Tokyo Tower. In the Godzilla films, human reactions are hardly depicted when famous buildings are crushed. Some downsides are that a few of the characters were pretty annoying, especially the "Mr. Saito" character, played by Hirotaro Honda. I just don't dig his hair-the way he combs it over! And, much of the acting was pretty cheesy.

In this film, we get to learn about the past of these two monsters, and why they end up in fierce battle. And, another notable mention is that the girl named Asagi, played by Steven Seagal's daughter Ayako Fujitani, is the direct link to Gamera's power. She possess this rock which is the source of Gamera's powers. They both also share the same physical feelings, for example, if Gamera gets zapped in the arm, so does she. This is a very interesting concept, and probably echos that of psychic Miki Saeguesa (Megumi Odaka) of the Godzilla "Heisei" series. Overall, a very entertaining film with non-stop monster actions.

Grade B

If I had to chose one Japanese monster movie, it would be Gamera Guardian of the Universe. The original Gamera films were intended for a child audience. While not a children's film, this is a fun film for all audiences.

A young girl forms a psychic Bond with a monster. Other monsters attack. The good monster beats the living hell out of the bad monsters. Pretty simple. What is so good about this film is, of course, the fact that is is so well balanced when it comes to human suspense and monster action. Most Japanese monster films have this tendency to sacrifice one for the other. This one doesn't, and all action sequences are top notch. Gamera fighting Gyaos in a Stadium, or saving some kids on a Bridge, its the type of movie that will have you cheering.

This, the first in the Gamera Trilogy, has some minor enviromental undercurrents. This is welcome, because we all know how sometimes films like to get preachy. This enviromental theme is apparent in the entire trilogy, but is always on a subdued level where it does get to you, instead of annoying you.

I liked this movie the best out of all the '90s Gamera movies. I think this one had the best actors and acting which kept the story alive, and believable. Daiei always had better casting compared to Toho in their movies, and trend continues with this series.

Cinematography is few notches above other Japanese kaijyu films shot in color, and integration between special effects and other scenes are tight too.

What really makes this movie so good is that it actually has plots, and it's not just about mindless monsters destroying cities.

Actor Steven Segal's daughter Ayako Fujitani makes her debut as an actress as Asagi Kusanagi who has ties with Gamera in this movie.

This movie stands to repeat viewing and doesn't get old. Destined to become a classic kaijyu movie.