Daikaijû Gamera

Sure the film is silly if you're not a fan of the Japanese monster movie genre. But if one catches the right version of this film, which is the original American dubbed version, and not the grotesque Sandy Frank re-dub that's been deservedly sent up on MST 3000 many times, then you'll end up watching instead a credible entry in the "kaiju" genre that was the first effort by Toho rival Daiei to come up with their answer to Godzilla.

The original Japanese version (and the Frank redub) has some particularly horrible scenes involving American Air Force personnel in the opening, including among others a would be actor playing the general who looks and sounds like he's auditioning to replace Curly in a Three Stooges short. The original US version thankfully replaces all of these scenes with more credible looking ones featuring some professional actors, especially Dick O'Neill ("The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three") as the general who is so good you wish he'd been in the rest of the movie instead of over the hill Brian Donlevy who plays the US general in charge of the operation.

In spite of being a fan of these Japanese monster movies, I saw it for the first time (that I know of) less than a year ago. (I'm referring to the "American" version.) It was pretty entertaining in general, but there was one thing that stood out for me, and that was a comedy scene (and I don't mean an "unintentionally funny" one). Early on in the movie, the monster was mistaken for a UFO, and there was a televised debate between an astronomer and a ufologist (a traditional set of antagonists, in and out of fiction). I'm not sure about the astronomer, but the ufologist was played by Alan Oppenheimer (he wasn't in the credits, but there's no mistaking him if you've seen a lot of sitcoms). Anyway, the debate got out of hand in a comical way, with both men getting really frantic to win it (maybe whoever wrote the scene was neutral about the UFO subject), and to me, it was funnier than 90 per cent of those comedy scenes about UFO's that you see now (with their overworked jokes about "probes" and abducted hillbillies and so on). Anyway, that's what the original "Gamera" means to me.

Gamera's debut film and the rise legendary rival of Godzilla as the King of Japanese monster cinema. I'm going to say this right now, but I'm not much of a fan of Gamera's early films. There were a few interesting ones, like "Gamera vs. Gyaos" and "Gamera vs. Barugon", however, the original series went to sh*t at a much faster rate than the showa Godzilla films. 1968's "Gamera vs. Viras" is a staple to that statement and of course the series would only get worse till the 80s film "Gamera: Super Monster". This film isn't as good as "Gamera vs. Gyaos" and "Gamera vs. Barugon", but is far superior to latter entries.

Positive notes, well for his debut, Gamera looks pretty awesome. The city stomping scenes are well done, of course Japanese studios by 1965 having had lots of practice. The pacing is brisk and believe it or not doesn't drag. Most kaiju films have interesting finales and if you haven't seen this one you'll either laugh or sit in awe. Either way good fun. And the score is far from Akira Ifukube quality, with wildly switching moods, but it hold together.

Bad points, eh, too much borrowed from other monster movies. A monster emerging from the ice, obviously lifted from "Beast from 20, 000 Fathoms" and the black and white look of the film is borrowed, if you will, from the original 1954 Gojira. I suppose that's what happens when you come in that lame in the game. Plus the child character kind of grated on my nerves, a true turtle lover all right. The movie takes itself rather seriously with notions of the Cold War as opposed to the 1965 Toho release "Invasion of Astro Monster" which was light-hearted but more memorable. That film had awesome colorful cinematography, the likes of three monsters (Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah!!" and a fun and yes zany plot. Plus it was scored by the maestro Akira Ifukube. Comparing it to this film isn't really fair, but Godzilla for the win this round.

However, I still highly enjoy the vintage sci-fi and I recommend the movie to classic sci-fi lovers.

This review is of the American version of the film which has additional scenes offering two of the movies favourite scientists, Albert Dekker (Dr. Cyclops) and Brian Donlevy (Prof. Quatermass) together. Once it became obvious that Toho Studios had a hit with Godzilla other studios wanted their own monsters. Daiei came up with a giant fire breathing, flying turtle. Well, why not? Freed from the arctic ice by (what else?) a nuclear explosion Gammera heads for (you guessed it!) Tokyo to cause the usual panic and destruction. Gammera is not a mutation of atomic radiation (like another giant monster who shall go nameless at this point) he comes from a time so remote in Earth's pre-history that his cell structure differs from all other living things. He gets energy from heat and eats fire to survive! This makes all modern weapons useless. What to do? The military comes up with Plan Z which is surely the most outrageous way of getting rid of a giant monster that has ever been used in a movie! Does it work? Well . . .until the sequel it does! Both versions of this film are fun though I have a preference for the original Japanese versions of all movies of this genre. Actually this movie has many incarnations. This version which was done in 1965, another version with different dubbing done by Sandy Frank in the 1980's and the original, subtitled Japanese version. They vary just enough to make each version original. Gammera, and this is the only movie where his name is spelled with two "m"'s, is a villain in this one but he learns rather quickly to become a good guy in the later sequels. There has been talk for the last 10 years about a movie where Gammera battles Godzilla. Toho Studios claims this will never happen. Still, you never can be sure.

It doesn't make sense to give this film a bad rating - but it really doesn't make sense to rate it at all.

Don't assume that means that this film is so ridiculous, it's beyond redemption... well, it IS ridiculous and beyond redemption; but it is certainly enjoyable on its own terms.

If this film is easy to misunderstand, it's because it's really difficult to say what 'it's own terms' really are. It begins clearly intending to compete with the successful Godzilla series; but somewhere about mid-way, it suddenly decides to be about a lonely young boy. In order to salvage its science-fiction credentials, it then comes up with an impossible solution to the Gamera threat to the human race - I can't tell you what it is, but it would take the entire assets of the developed nations of the world to pull off - it might be better to let the big turtle stalk around and just stay out from beneath his feet.

On top of all this wild nonsense, the American release print, which is the only one I know available, adds on some wonderful campy stuff, like the televised debate about the possible existence of the big turtle, and lowest-budgeted attempt to portray a meeting of the UN Security Council you are ever likely to see - even the one in the Adam West Batman movie looks spectacular in comparison.

There is no way to wrap your brain around this one, so don't bother. A guilty pleasure to the max. And one more important point in its favor - unlike most of the other '60s Gamera films, this one moves along at a fine pace and never drags.

So microwave some kettle corn and munch down - you deserve not to take life so seriously you can't enjoy a bit of fluff like this.