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.
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.