Review of Gamera the Brave (2006) by Wes S — 15 Dec 2011
A reboot of the Gamera franchise the returns to the more kid-friendly roots found in the Showa-era Gamera flicks. The grim serious tone of the three previous entries are replaced with a more light-hearted one.
The story does a pretty good job combining giant monster flick with a down-to-earth slice-of-life movie. The kid actors are very good and they never come across as bratty or annoying, a problem that plagued some of the Showa-era flicks.
Gamera's suit design goes for a more "cute" look that is very far removed from the scary-looking suit from "Revenge of Iris". I don't mind this suit design because I don't think it would have fit the film's tone if Gamera looked scary.
Although it is disappointing that they replaced Gamera's trademark roar. I wonder why they did that? Gamera fights a sea monster named Zedus. Zedus is not the most spectacular Gamera villain, but he does make for a tough opponent for him to fight.
The fight scenes between the two monsters are well-written and executed. Even though it is a kids movie, this film is not too obnoxious and it does not call attention to the fact that it's kids movie.
This film shows respect for both the kid audience and adults. It's a little slow at times, but by the end it becomes spectacle for the eyes. I would not have minded seeing a sequel to this, but it does a pretty good job as a stand-alone effort.
This review of Gamera the Brave (2006) was written by Wes S on 15 Dec 2011.
Gamera the Brave has generally received positive reviews.
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