Gamera, the Giant Monster (1965)

I understand that the version of Noriaki Yuasa's "Daikaijû Gamera" (called "Gamera" in English) seen in the United States is not the cut originally seen in Japan. Apparently the one shown in Japan is more coherent. I've only seen Sandy Frank's recut version of this flick about an overgrown turtle wreaking havoc in Japan. Sure enough, I saw it on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank subject Joel and the 'bots to it, and the guys riff it. They reference Charo, Woody Guthrie, Lainie Kazan and Merv Griffin, among others. Servo even sings a love song to a turtle, while future host Mike Nelson makes a cameo appearance as Gamera.I'd like to eventually see the original version. In the meantime, you'll enjoy MST3K's mockery.

This production from Toho rival Daiei definitely does not compare to "Gojira", the high water mark among of all these Japanese monster movies; it doesn't have the same level of gravitas or panache. But that also doesn't mean that it's bad at all; it is pretty entertaining. Director Noriaki Yuasa creates some reasonably exciting action scenes. The acting from the main actors is good, but I watched the version where there are some hilariously awful thespians playing American bit parts. Tadashi Yamauchi composes a good music score, and the atmospheric black & white cinematography by Nobuo Munekawa likewise impresses. Best of all is Gamera itself, an interesting addition to the Japanese creature canon. It's well designed and performed in the best "man in a costume" tradition.Representatives from a college are visiting an Eskimo community to dig up information on the legend of an enormous turtle named Gamera when the Arctic is disrupted by an A bomb test. This creates a great big crack in the ice from which Gamera emerges. And it's a bad ass: a fire breathing, jet propelled thing that lays waste to much of its surroundings. Individuals such as scientist Dr. Hidaka (Eiji Funakoshi), his assistant Kyoke Yamamoto (Harumi Kiritachi), and photographer Aoyagi (Junichiro Yamashiko) are among those who are witness to the events, and it's up to the dedicated Hidaka and his associates to devise the best way possible of dealing with this out of control menace.Gamera is truly a force to be reckoned with here, as traditional weapons don't work against it; it seems to derive only sustenance from firepower. Finally, experts decide that a plan Z will be used. What this will involve should intrigue the viewer to some degree. Anyway, one hopes that this will work because it doesn't look like there will be any deus ex machina to help our heroes out. The main debit from this viewers' perspective is that annoying kid Toshio (Yoshiro Uchida) who keeps putting himself in danger because he's a turtle addict and is convinced that the big guy doesn't mean any harm. But overall this is still an amusing bit of escapism that is somewhat adult; the sequels, however, were decidedly more kid-friendly.This is good entertainment for fans of this genre.Seven out of 10.

For a long while, I was not the biggest Gamera fan. With the exception of the three marvelous movies directed by Shusuke Kaneko in the 1990s, I hadn't seen very many movies with the fire-breathing terrapin that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. Even though I am starting to warm up to the older Gamera movies now, I must sadly confess that my opinion remains unchanged about the one that started it all. In my review for its Americanized version, titled "Gammera the Invincible" I predicted that the new footage cut into the movie didn't add or take away much from it. Having seen the original Japanese print, now available in the United states, I must make another regrettable announcement: my prediction was correct. It is, simply put, just as boring and devoid of joy as its dubbed and re-edited counterpart.The basic plot is the same. An airplane transporting nuclear weapons is shot down over the Arctic Circle. The explosion shatters the ice floes and releases a giant, fire-breathing turtle named Gamera from a hibernation lasting millions of years. The giant monster begins a rampage across the world, eventually making his way to Japan, and it becomes a desperate struggle to either kill the beast or quell his rage. Meanwhile, a young boy (Yoshiro Uchida) sad off the loss of his pet turtle looks for the gentle nature in the gargantuan's ferocious exterior.Now that is a plot I root for. Not only is Gamera an original concept for a giant movie monster (and he has gone on to become an icon), but the story has a bit of a heart to it. Children love monsters and they love their pets, too. As a child, I had an affection for turtles myself. I can still affectionately remember Snappy, the spiny softshell we found in Lake Zumbro. So the movie has good intentions and it means nothing but the best, however it just does make a big enough of an effort to stimulate interest or emotion. In fact, even though Gamera is now one of the most recognizable and beloved monsters in cinema history, in his debut I'm afraid that he's less-than-interesting. In fact, he's a bore. Astonishing as it may sound, but from beginning to end, it frankly did not matter to me whether he survived or was killed off. Sometimes, believe it or not, he almost seemed to be upstaged by the incredibly bland humans running amok in the foreground.That's my chief complaint. The movie lacks an interesting monster. Thankfully, that would change with the first sequel, "Gamera vs. Barugon" which is twice the movie this is. But there are other problems. The first Gamera movie was rushed and unfortunately it shows. The fact that it was only director Noriaki Yuasa's second movie also counts as a strike against it, as his flow with the images is rather choppy and static. He would improve as time went on. The screenplay by Nisan Takahashi opens doors for great plot points but never exploits them. The dynamic between Gamera and the little boy could have been sweet, sentimental, and heart-warming. Sadly, it is not, because not enough is fleshed out upon either of them.There is also the lack of big moments. Most scenes with Gamera combating the military are slow and stodgy and a number of stock footage scenes with narration really detracts from the pacing as well. The action scenes, few as they are, are not very riveting and they just add up to a climax which is so absurd and laughable that I simply could not buy it.In regard to the comparison to its United States version, it is slightly better. Slightly. Only because the new American actors, which included Dick O'Neill and Albert Dekker, are infinitely better than the wooden-faced hacks who appear in some of the early scenes here. Ironically, they are only credited by their surnames.I'll bet the actors were appreciative.So bottom line, I still fail to see the magic in this movie that so many others have. However, I am very thankful to say starting with the first sequel, Gamera would become more interesting as a monster and a character and be given starring roles in far more entertaining and interesting movies.

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.