Bringing the trilogy to a close in 1999, Gamera 3 is possibly the best executed kaiju film of all time. Far from the campy, kid-oriented films of Gamera’s past, Gamera 3 is a dark, serious take on everyone’s favorite flying turtle. Sure, he is still fighting for the survival of humanity, but if a few (thousand) people happen to get in the way, he isn’t going to lose any sleep over it (Let’s just say that is was a bad idea to be in Shibuya around 7:30 P.M. at the beginning of this film).
“Grandma knows what you’ve been doing in the bathroom…and it’s perfectly natural.” Gamera has undergone an astounding transformation. Gone are Gamera’s puppy dog eyes and his need to protect the innocent. He has instead become a vicious killer, hell-bent on destroying the Gyaos at all costs.
Sega Lives!!!What this film manages to do, unlike most other kaiju films, is make the humans as interesting as the monsters. They aren’t treated as just cannon fodder or a necessary evil; there just to move the plot from one fight to another. They are an integral and interesting part of the film. It is quite easy to understand Ayana’s hatred for Gamera, while still realizing that she is misguided in her quest to destroy him.
Another thing this film has going for it (for me, at least), is the return of Shinobu Nakayama, as Mayumi Nagamine. It’s probably not a huge deal to anybody else; I just kinda have a thing for her, that‘s all. I’ve got a thing for Asian girls, what can I say?
“Look, right there. It’s that creepy B-movie guy that’s been stalking you!”
This is my favorite kaiju film, just narrowly surpassing Gamera 2: Attack of Legion for the top spot. It is brilliantly executed and skillfully directed by Shusuke Kaneko. The special effects are great and, while it may have one of the most frustrating (and ultimately perfect) endings of all time, it will be hard to knock this one out of the lead as my favorite.
-Derek Miller
7/15/06
Interesting Facts
- This would be the last true Gamera film we would see until 2006’s Gamera: Chiisaki Yusha-tachi.
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There was such an uproar over the “non-ending” to Gamera 3 that one intrepid fan went about creating his own sequel (screened only in Japan, unfortunately), entitled Gamera 4: Truth. While there are currently no plans for an official release, you could probably find a copy if you tried hard enough. I haven’t been able to though.
I don’t know, I really don’t care for this new Batman.
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