Review of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) by Christopher H — 26 Dec 2012

After a 14 year absence, Gamera makes his legendary return under the masterful hands of Director Shusuke Kaneko. This film throws away the franchises kids-movie tendencies by having a serious tone and a story to engage mature audiences.

The plot is a reboot, ignoring all the film's that came previously. The human characters are very well-developed and defined. The pacing does not miss a beat and you'll find yourself actually emotionally resonated at times.

The Gamera suit is given a great update, Gamera does not look as abnormally thin as in the Showa-era films. Forget the gentle protector in the previous films, the Gamera here takes a turn for the badass in this flick.

Gamera's nemesis, Gyaos, is also given an update that far surpasses its previous incarnation. Gyaos actually comes across as scary and vicious in this film. The visuals are incredible, the model cities are exquisite and the digital effects are especially well-done.

The action is explosive and we actually see the monster's destruction effecting the people. Overall, a great monster flick that demonstrates the greatest aspects of the genre, but the best was yet to come.