Gamera: The Giant Monster (1965) Review by Bobby LePire. Edited by Courtney McAllister.

 

When Toho Studios released “Gojira” in 1954 not even they knew how huge the ‘King Of The Monsters’ was going to become. In its wake, a mountain of sequels, spin offs, and imitators were spawned. “Gamera”, released in 1965 by Daiei Productions has proven to be the most successful of these, and in numerous ways, it outshines the lizard’s franchise, but that’s another story. Here, let’s discuss the reasons the very first Gamera movie is freaking awesome!

 

A Russian bomber is shot down near the arctic. The ensuing explosion causes a mini earthquake, from which emerges the giant, fire spewing turtle-esque form of Gamera. This sends several international militaries to scramble for a solution, as Gamera wreaks havoc and mayhem.

 

Very usual plot for a kaiju movie, but given how early this came out, it hadn’t been done to death by that point. Having the USA, Russian, and Japanese militaries all involved adds poignancy, urgency, and scope in a simple and realistic way. The soldiers and scientists also react in a plausible way, considering this is a film with a giant, tusked turtle.

 

The main cast is relatively small, given all the countries involved, but each plays their part superbly:

• Eiji Funakoshi is Dr. Hidaka. Head of an expedition that witnesses Gamera’s awakening. Eventually, spearheads the committee to stop Gamera.

• Karumi Karitachi plays the doctor’s assistant, Kyoke. Rather reserved, but firm. And in the movie’s only real misstep, winds up in a relationship with...

• Aoyagi, as portrayed by Junichiro Yamashiko. A survivor from one of Gamera’s first attacks that gets swept into the frenzy.

• Michiko Sugata is big sister/ maternal figure Nobuyo.

• Toshio is her little brother, and he’s having issues at school, and seems to only be able to relate to his pet turtle, which gives him a curious bond with the rampaging monster. Yoshiro Uchida gives the best performance in the film as this character.

 

I mentioned that romance is the movie’s biggest (and only significant) issue. It feels tacked on and rushed through. And while I enjoy the respective actors’ individually in their roles, there isn’t much chemistry between them. This causes the romantic scenes to feel long and cumbersome.

 

The suit, created by Yonejiro Saito, looks spectacular. The eyes are usually the trickiest part of the suits, and when they look too cheap/ fake the whole movie suffers (see “Reptilicus”, “Yongarry”, or “Gappa”. Or you know, don’t). Gamera has no such issues, as the eyes have a real textured look, and menace glinting behind them. The tusks appear heavy and cause real damage throughout. It’s an impressive suit that has weight.

 

Teru Argaki is the actor underneath the rubber, latex, and foam. It’s impressive how nimble he makes the suit appear, moving surprisingly quickly and ably across the screen, while still getting the power of the creature across. I firmly believe that suit actors never get enough recognition, but if they did, he’d be on top of the A-list for sure.

 

Gamera as a character is interesting because of the bevy of powers he comes to possess. He can spit fire, but he can also consume it, converting the flames into power for his attacks. His shell is virtually indestructible, and allows him to remain unharmed from most man made weapons. And he can fly, which has a nifty reveal in the later half of the movie, by tucking his head and limbs into the shell and spinning at incredible speed. Yes, it looks goofy, but it does work. And, it’s a movie about a giant fire breathing turtle! What isn’t goofy about that?

 

But what’s a kaiju film from this era without also having exceptional miniature work? It’d be crap, obviously. But “Gamera” is not crap, and it has some great models and miniatures. The planes in the beginning are on visible strings, but that might have more to do with the blu-ray/ high definition format than anything else. The worst model is the ship that Gamera destroys early in the film. When it is moving through ice, it’s obviously a model, but really that’s the only time I had this issue.

 

The buildings have enough detail to look convincing, and when crushed, there’s a believable amount of weight and rubble. The tanks and other military vehicles also look and move well. The lights in the streets as Gamera approaches flicker, as if something is disturbing them. These kinds of touches create a believable world and immerse the audience into the action.

 

Director Noriaki Yuasa allows the character moments to breathe nicely without losing momentum. The decision to show Gamera early on paid off immensely, as it allows the film to get down and dirty right away. He keeps the action intense, and it never becomes repetitive or derivative.

There is a reason Gamera became an icon in his own right. His very first outing is a tremendously fun and very exciting film. Good acting, great creature design, and an unrelenting pace all add up for a true masterpiece of kaiju cinema.