Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Beneath the seas of Japan, something is stirring, something big.  At the same time, a series of violent attacks from bird like creatures rip across the region.  As scientists and military scramble for a response, one force is already coming to face it head on.  His name is Gamera and his has awoken to face the threat of the creature known as Gyaos.  It’s the rebirth of a rivalry dating back millennia and Gamera is the only thing standing between an invasion of Gyaos and the survival of the planet.

Godzilla’s fiery 90s swan song in Godzilla vs. Destroyah left a massive Kaiju sized hole to be filled in the hearts of fans who were still thriving for more Kaiju carnage.  Well with Godzilla off the board for the time being, the next best candidate for a good old fashioned new 90s coat of paint was Gamera, the flying turtle who was friend to the children throughout the 60s and 70s.  He may not have the same extensive resume as his spiritual cousin, but Gamera still comes roaring and smashing into the 90s with a brand new reboot powered by all the magic of Hesei era visual effects.  It may feel a bit bog standard but in terms of reintroducing Gamera to the world, it’s not bad by any stretch.
 
Visually, Guardian of the Universe picks up exactly where the Godzilla series left off in terms of quality.  Gamera himself looks absolutely incredible with spiffy new suit work, jaw dropping facial expressions and just feels like a huge breath of fresh air.  This is a Gamera that has come to throw down and is looking his absolute best doing so.  The action is the real star of the movie with lots of great camera work putting you right into the thick of the action and even some fast first person shots of flying through the streets during some of Gamera and Gyaos’ dogfighting in the city.  It shows an absolute mastery of 90s Kaiju filmmaking, one that rivals any of Godzilla’s Hesei outings. 
 
Having Gyaos be his first Hesei opponent also works well in multiple ways.  For one, Gyaos is one of Gamera’s first ever foes dating back to the 60’s, so it gives him a familiar nemesis to contend with.  Second, Gyaos’ flying capabilities more than match, if no outright surpass Gamera’s but the two contend with each other on land as well, allowing us to see just how much harder Gamera can hit than ever before.  Not to mention, the more we see of the Gyaos’ lifecycle and their evolution, the more terrifying they become.  These cannibalistic flying critters aren’t cute and cuddly and by the time we get to Super Gyaos, complete with red eyes of doom, it’s chilling stuff.  Both the model and puppetry bringing these monsters to life is pretty good too, even if there is a scene or two where superimposing for the flight scenes looks way to hokey.
 
I’ll give the movie this: it succeeds in not making the human cast wholly unbearable or annoying.  Main characters Yonemori and Namamine have the generic roles of trying to figure out everything they can about the monster and conveying it in various way but never come off as whiney of incompetent, they’re just doing what’s required.  In keeping with the “Gamera is friend to all children” mantra he’s best known for, Asagi has the most interesting role of the human cast thanks to her spiritual connection to Gamera.  Yeah it feels a bit like it’s curbing from E.T. with Asagi feeling all of Gamera’s pain and even getting matching battle scars.  It works well in the film though and for a story that feels pretty generic and by the numbers, eh it could be a lot worse. 
 
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe might not rewrite the book on 90s Hesei Kaiju cinema but it is a pretty good reboot for the character and a showcase of how far this brand of filmmaking had come throughout the 90s.  The visuals are amazing.  The featured Kaiju look phenomenal.  The characters get the job done and don’t take away from the overall experience.  The story isn’t the most memorable but what you’re really here for is Gamera slamming his shell and tiny arms into a fiercesome opponent and Guardian of the Universe more than delivers on that front.  It’s a strong start for Gamera’s 90s adventures and I’m looking forward to the next two.
 
7/10
 
Next Monday, Godzilla Month V sticks around with the Universal Guardian Turtle as we check out the next chapter of the Heisei Gamera Trilogy with Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, right here a the Gundam Anime Corner.