Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)

Hero on the Half Shell!

Gamera was given a much needed make-over in the 1990's. This Gamera was not only deadly but also a guardian created by an ancient race. Good thing, because just as Gamera was awakened so were a flock, gaggle, murder, probably the latter, of people eating bat-birds, the Gyaos. In their original 1960's confrontation, Gyaos was referred to as a bat, here she was referred to as a bird.

When the humans decided to lure the ravenous bat-birds to the new baseball stadium so that they could trap and weaponize, I mean study them, Gamera wasn't having it and came to eradicate Tokyo of the dangerous creatures. Like the original Gyaos, this bat-bird could emit green sonic rays that could cut through almost anything.

Gamera could hold his tusked head high in comparison to 1990's Godzilla. This time around there was no annoying child which helped my viewing experience enormously. There were the requisite scientists, condemnations of pollution and nuclear waste, inept leaders and military, and the special child who communicated telepathically with Gamera. The thing Gamera gets right is that the monsters were never far from the screen. The battles were big as were the stakes. The shadow of Jurassic Park could be seen occasionally but that's a small quibble. The rubber suits and primitive CGI are not drawbacks in these Kaiju movies, but part of their charm. The miniatures were quite good as well.

This was a popcorn movie simply designed to entertain. Though darker than most previous Gamera movies, it was still a giant turtle who could fly by burning off his own methane excretions. And that's something you don't see every day. If you are a fan of Kaiju movies, this might be one to try. And if you are a Gamera fan, this one should certainly be on your list to watch. It was worth seeing Gamera given the respect and story he deserved.

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[ Rewatched/Reviewed on Letterboxd 5/07/2021]

Shusuke Kaneko and Kazunori Itō were given the monumental task of reimagining what was largely considered a “Godzilla knockoff” (and a cheap one at that) aimed at children, and getting a 90s audience to buy into the idea of a giant turtle monster fighting prehistoric (manufactured) birds of prey.

For everything Daiei Films’ "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" had going against it (including its director being a Godzilla stan dying to direct a "Godzilla" film), Kaneko and Itō craft an origin story that capitalizes Gamera’s relationship with children (a teenager in this case) without becoming an overly confectionery narrative (ah-la "Gamera The Brave").

The movie balances the tones of humor, horror, and drama and features some of the best set and suit design for a mid-90s giant monster film. This is the kind of reboot "Godzilla 2014" wanted to be for Godzilla, but never achieved.

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