Gamera daikaijû kuchu kessen

When Gamera first appeared in Japanese theaters in 1965, he was nothing more than a Godzilla-want-to-be. The giant flying turtle was one of the few want-to-bes that achieved any level of success close to what Godzilla had, but there was still nothing primal about him. Now truth by told, although I am a huge kaiju (giant monster) fan, I was not and still am not a fan of the original Gamera series. Those films were so juvenile and unbelievably dull that they made even the corniest of the Godzilla movies look like visionary works of art by comparison. And so Gamera had that reputation for a while. He was popular and suited only for very young children. That was until 1995, when director Shusuke Kaneko changed all of that with a very successful inventive trilogy of Gamera films that changed the flying turtle from just another Godzilla rip-off into his own character…and in three very good movies. The first was "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe." In this vast reinvention of the Gamera series, decades of environmental catastrophes have awakened a flock of bat-like creatures called the Gyaos, who begin to plague Japanese islands and then threaten the mainland. Around the same time, a giant turtle referred to in legend as Gamera, awakens at the same time. As the monsters begin to battle, its soon discovered that their simultaneous appearance and their aggression for each other is anything but coincidence.

Now in terms of its plot, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" is anything but special, but then again, neither was "Predator" (1987) or "Jaws" (1975) or to a certain extent "Gojira" (1954). Like with all of those movies, its the high-energy pacing and the stories that make "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" work. The best word to describe this movie is fun. Even Roger Ebert, who is not a fan of the kaiju genre (see his review for "Godzilla 1985" for proof) admitted he had a fun time with the film.

One thing I particularly liked about "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" as well as the other two movies in the trilogy was that even when the monsters were not on screen, I was not bored for a second. Typically in monster movies, the creatures are the most interesting element and the human characters are inane and time-fillers. This film is an exception. The characters are familiar in terms of classification (scientist, witness, etcetera) but they are fairly fleshed-out to become likable. The dialogue is also very well-written so that for once, the explanation of the monsters' origin is not long-winded, familiar, or tiresome.

But of course, I can't leave out the star of the movie, Gamera himself. Kaneko's decision to change Gamera from a child-friendly big-hearted turtle into a more vicious and animal-like, yet somehow appealing monster was absolutely brilliant. Now in terms of how he's presented, no, Gamera is not spectacular, but then again neither was the shark in "Jaws". And both creatures carry of their parts effectively. The Gyaos are also fairly well-done, although in their earlier scenes, there was a little too much of a phony expression in their ping pong ball-like eyes. Overall, the special effects are a little more then what you'd expect, although not fantastic like in the second and third installments of the trilogy.

Bottom line, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" is like the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" of Japanese monster movies. It's not meant to be taken seriously and nobody does, it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, and every second is nonstop energetic and pleasurable cinematic fun.

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!!

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.

Having recently seen this "Cult Classic" (and it's only a few years old,too!)I've found it to be a true contender for Godzilla's crown!! Gamera gets the facelift he's so desperately needed from the original series (as any MST3K fan will testify to!),some better SFX,a COHERANT storyline,believable acting (!)and just sheer fun! See this movie if you love big monster movies,and see it even if you don't!!

Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe is a pretty good movie, I would have to say just about on par with the Godzilla films from the Hesai series. It has more plot than most kaiju flicks, and has pretty good suits. If you view it as what it is (namely, the first in a trilogy) then it is a pretty good first part. It develops the theme that will continue with the next two instalments, and does a good job of convaying the many plot twists and new developments. While both of it's sequals surpass it in almost every way, this is still a very good movie. Another plus is that it is the only one of the trilogy that has aired on TV, albeit in a cropped and dubbed version.