Gamera: The Giant Monster – DVD Review

The Film:

In 1954, Toho Studios unleashed Gojira (Godzilla, King of the Monsters) that was a dark fable of nuclear fear, something Japan knew all too well, after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But through sequels, Godzilla became even more popular, with each entry involving new creatures, and eventual camp attitude (well, at least in the Americanized dubbed versions). It took awhile, but soon Toho didn’t own the monopoly in the kaiju films, as rival studio Daiei Motion Picture Company unleashed Gamera, The Giant Monster to the public in 1965. Equally as popular as Godzilla, Gamera would soon become a cult favorite through outlets like Mystery Science Theater 3000, but the film was never treated well here in the States, as we re-cut the film, much like Godzilla, King of the Monsters, as we added new Americanized scenes.

That was a common practice in US theatrical distribution of Japanese films. Maybe the worst part for Gamera was that he was mistreated on home video, as public domain company would release ugly DVDs of the giant, fire-breathing turtle. Luckily, a company like Shout! Factory exists as they now are releasing new special editions of the original Showa series on DVD.

Despite nearly a decade of kaiju movie dominance for Godzilla, Gamera rivals the original Godzilla in all of the best ways. The stunning black and white cinematography creates a dreamlike, eerie presence to the film, especially in the destruction scenes of the city. The script is pretty mature in most areas, especially for this time, as the Godzilla movies were edging towards camp, Gamera dared to have a deeper theme to the creature. It might not have been as deep as the original Gojira but this adds a little to the film, even with some of the oddball character arcs, like the young kid who thinks Gamera is his pet turtle enlarged. The kid is crazy, seriously. He runs at the creature, cries, and never listens to his parents. This would be the beginning of the series’ arc, as Gamera as a protector of children.

The film really hasn’t age with its ideas. Nuclear annihilation and radiation are still fears. Sure, movie FX technology has evolved, but the charm is in the appreciation of what the FX artists did here in 1965. Models were top-notch, even the ability of Gamera’s to inhale fire and his flying routine still look cool. Even better for kaiju fans, is that Shout! Factory has released the original Japanese version, given us the original intent of now deceased director Noriaki Yuasa. Gamera might be a copycat of Godzilla, but it packs enough ageless fun, that many won’t care.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Shout! Factory has done a near-Criterion level of work here. A new transfer from vault materials has been crafted in HD, making for a really clean looking film. Most Japanese film stock hasn’t aged to well, due to the cheaper materials used, but after being beaten up in the public domain, Gamera sparkles. The audio is Japanese only, with English subtitles and is again top-notch. Easy to read, clear audio, makes this another huge improvement over those ragged copies we are accustomed too.

Commentary: August Ragone, a guru in the Japanese monster movie craze, offers us a deep, fun, look at the film. He covers everything; original script, the actors, the FX artists, behind-the-scenes woes, early conceptual ideas, making it a must listen for all kaiju fans.

Retrospective Look at the Gamera franchise: This was made for Japanese audiences, as it is subtitled. Nonetheless, despite its age, is pretty informative, as it covers all three eras of Gamera.

A wonderful essay from the director is included, written just before he died, and Publicity Material finish out the extras.

Conclusion: If this is what we are going to get from future Shout! Factory Gamera DVDs, fans-get ready. They are wonderful. A must own.

The Film: Rating:

The DVD: Rating: