Review of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) by Genaro C — 13 Oct 2013

The first of the famous 90's Gamera trilogy, this was a refreshing change of pace when it first came out, particularly in the realm of special effects. Unlike essentially all of the other giant monster films up to that point, the crew here had the guts to use CGI effects to enhance the monster action, providing more freedom with what the monsters could do and where they could go.

You probably wont find too many films that feature giant flying turtles and lizards tangling above the atmosphere. The camera work is also energetic and well thought out, making the most of the limited sets and resources.

The storyline, however, is not really any more sophisticated than the usual fare of this genre; it is actually not unlike that of the 1992 "Godzilla vs. Mothra". The cast does a decent job with what they are given, but it would not be until the third film that a commendable effort is made to explore the human characters.

The soundtrack, one of the more understated assets of a giant-monster film, has a nice, breezy fantasy quality to it, which compliments the mystical elements that Kaneko would incorporate in these movies.

Overall, it's good old fashioned monster entertainment.