Showa Gamera
(1965-1980)
A well known ancient myth describes the entire world as resting on the back of a giant turtle. In a way, it can be said that Gamera is the giant turtle, on whose back Kadokawa Pictures now rests. At first, created to simply cash in on the Kaiju (Giant monster film) craze, Gamera has managed to become a great cultural icon in his own right. The eight films described here are known as the Showa Gamera films, named after the era of Japanese history in which they were produced.
It’s best to describe these films as a series rather than individual films, since they are somewhat formulaic, but also show an evolution in terms of style and theme. The films’ formula is basically as follows: a monster comes to threaten Japan, the humans attempt to stop it and fail, Gamera attempts to stop in and fails, the human’s develop some sort of Plan B (not to be confused with Plan Z!) to stop the monster, but this too fails and it is ultimately up to Gamera to stop the beast. When Gamera fights the monster for the second time, he doesn’t fall for the same tricks and adapts new ways to combat his latest foe. Other common elements in the films are mischievous children who love and help Gamera, and some sort of vaguely addressed moral message.
Gamera himself is a gigantic (approximately 200ft.) turtle. He is able to swim deep under water as well as fly through space- both at incredible speeds! Gamera can also breathe flames as well as absorb any type of heat energy. Gamera’s only weakness is his distaste for the cold. Perhaps Gamera’s greatest strength is his ability to adapt to situations and quickly discover ways to counter his enemies’ most dangerous attacks. Finally, he also seems to possess a mysterious link with those he protects (especially children) and can often times recover from great injury and push himself to greater limits in order to save the day.
Honestly, the films are great for what they are. I absolutely loved watching them, but make no mistake; they are cheesy, hilarious, and campy good fun. If you love giant monsters or B-Movies in general, you can’t afford not to watch these films. Unlike some Kaiju films, these Showa Gamera episodes have a kind of warmth and heart not easily offered up by Evil-Statues, Reptilian Aliens or Fire-Breathing-Lizard-men.
(1965-1980)
A well known ancient myth describes the entire world as resting on the back of a giant turtle. In a way, it can be said that Gamera is the giant turtle, on whose back Kadokawa Pictures now rests. At first, created to simply cash in on the Kaiju (Giant monster film) craze, Gamera has managed to become a great cultural icon in his own right. The eight films described here are known as the Showa Gamera films, named after the era of Japanese history in which they were produced.
It’s best to describe these films as a series rather than individual films, since they are somewhat formulaic, but also show an evolution in terms of style and theme. The films’ formula is basically as follows: a monster comes to threaten Japan, the humans attempt to stop it and fail, Gamera attempts to stop in and fails, the human’s develop some sort of Plan B (not to be confused with Plan Z!) to stop the monster, but this too fails and it is ultimately up to Gamera to stop the beast. When Gamera fights the monster for the second time, he doesn’t fall for the same tricks and adapts new ways to combat his latest foe. Other common elements in the films are mischievous children who love and help Gamera, and some sort of vaguely addressed moral message.
Gamera himself is a gigantic (approximately 200ft.) turtle. He is able to swim deep under water as well as fly through space- both at incredible speeds! Gamera can also breathe flames as well as absorb any type of heat energy. Gamera’s only weakness is his distaste for the cold. Perhaps Gamera’s greatest strength is his ability to adapt to situations and quickly discover ways to counter his enemies’ most dangerous attacks. Finally, he also seems to possess a mysterious link with those he protects (especially children) and can often times recover from great injury and push himself to greater limits in order to save the day.
Honestly, the films are great for what they are. I absolutely loved watching them, but make no mistake; they are cheesy, hilarious, and campy good fun. If you love giant monsters or B-Movies in general, you can’t afford not to watch these films. Unlike some Kaiju films, these Showa Gamera episodes have a kind of warmth and heart not easily offered up by Evil-Statues, Reptilian Aliens or Fire-Breathing-Lizard-men.
No comments:
Post a Comment