Gamera: Guardian of the Universe & Gamera: Attack of the Legion
(1995-1996)
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe & Gamera: Attack of the Legion Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe:
The giant flying turtle is back for this 1995 Japanese feature where once again Gamera's intentions are misinterpreted by the military. All Gamera wants to do is take on his old enemy, Gyaos, the giant prehistoric bird who has nested atop Tokyo Tower
Gamera: Attack of the Legion:
A strange meteor lands in Japan unleashing hundreds of insect-like "legion" creatures which find their way into Tokyo. When the military fails to control the situation, Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary.
"Fiction" -- defined by the Mac OS X widget dictionary as "invention or fabrication as opposed to fact" -- is a creative medium whereby most anything
goes and most anything can find an audience. Whether fiction derived from fact or fiction derived from the furthest reaches of the imagination, there's
something magical about fiction's unique ability to create, alter, or dismiss completely the realities of life and take readers, listeners, or viewers into a
world where people, places, and things are allowed to circumvent anything and everything held true or possible in favor of a make-believe plane of
existence where, yes, anything goes. Japanese cinema has long since fascinated audiences -- both on her own soil and around the world -- with a
spate of reality-bending fictional tales of larger-than-life monsters fighting epic battles amongst that nation's greatest cities and landmarks, effectively
creating an entire industry of fiction that deals with the classic good-versus-evil motif amplified in size and scope as dueling monsters of varied origins,
strengths, and allegiances do battle and leave a swath of physical an emotional damage in their wake. These Monster -- or Kaiju -- pictures
hold a special place in the heart of film lovers everywhere; amongst the giants (pun intended) of these fictional works of art are the Gamera
series of pictures, now on the third revision since the character's debut in 1965. Both Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Gamera:
Attack of the Legion represent the series' second iteration, both pictures B-movie goodies that rely not on cinematic scope, A-list special effects,
top-notch writing, or exceptional direction to win over audiences, but instead a good old-fashioned fun factor whereby the spirit of the films supersede
all else.
Lightning does the work.
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe Rating: 3/5
We're just sewing the seeds of our own destruction.
Long ago, an ancient civilization hailing from the lost continent of Atlantis bred large winged creatures known as Gyaos as a means of
controlling rampant pollution. Unfortunately, they bred rapidly and, through their great numbers and strength, destroyed the Atlanteans, but not
before those doomed people were able to create a savior they dubbed Gamera, a powerful turtle-like creature with a hardened shell and a
propulsion system that allowed him to fly. Fast forward many millennia. Gamera and the remaining Gyaos have been awakened off the coast of
Japan, setting the stage for an historic confrontation between monsters that could destroy a nation and put the world on the brink of disaster. With
a nation on edge, monsters battling for supremacy, and the future of the world playing out on the streets of Japan, two humans -- an Ornithologist
named
Mayumi Nagamine (Shinobu Nakayama) and a young girl with a unique psychic connection to Gamera, Asagi Kusanagi (Ayako Fujitani) -- must work
together to ensure Gamera's victory, preserving modern man's way of life and avoiding the same fate as the doomed Atlanteans.
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is an enjoyable romp of campy B-movie goodness that features a rather haphazard plot and unbelievable
characters and developments, all in the name of innocent Monster movie fun. Because of its cheerfully none-too-serious tone, the movie makes
giant flying birds and an oversized turtle with something akin to jet engines on its feet and the ability to buzz around like a UFO into two entities
that audiences accept from the
get-go; never does Guardian of the Universe seem disingenuous or ridiculous, generally because the entire movie is one giant
wink-and-a-nod. Both
species hail from a bygone era when Atlantis was a continent rather than a myth and the Earth found itself on the brink of some sort of
environmental catastrophe, and it's that origin in something fascinatingly foreign yet oddly tangible that seems to allow the material to work far
better than it should. Indeed, Guardian of the Universe simply has fun with its very premise, and its endearing stance that remains well on
the side of fiction and fantasy -- even in the midst of a not-so-thinly-veiled cautionary tale -- allows the audience to sit back, relax, and enjoy the
show without that inner debate as to the purpose of the film or the validity of its premise to interfere with what is nothing more and nothing less
than a good old fashioned beat-em-up Monster movie.
At its core, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is all about its monster-on-monster action. It weaves in a couple of ultimately converging
human
stories, too, but pound-for-pound the film revels first and foremost in the combat between its gargantuan heroes and villains. The special effects are
effective if not
somewhat cheap; in a way the rubbery-looking monsters and the obvious miniatures in and around which they fight work better than even some of
the finer CGI monsters and environment seen in bigger and supposedly better movies (though one can't help but giggle at the obviously plastic
chunks of meat used as bait at one point in the movie). It all gets back to the film's B-movie charm and appeal, and half the fun is reveling in a
movie that doesn't really take itself all that serious yet still gives its audiences exactly what they want. Better yet, the film's not-so-thinly-veiled
cautionary
message on the environment never really interferes with the feel and flow of the movie. The creatures' origins are nicely weaved into the story,
incorporating a little bit of make-believe history around the "save the planet" theme. Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is all in good
fun, from the rubbery creatures to the thin plot, and audiences that can accept this film for what it is should find plenty of value and a surprising
re-watchability that makes this a heartily recommended picture.
Gamera: Attack of the Legion Rating: 3/5
It's like the world is coming apart at the seams.
A year has passed since Gamera's destructive battle with the Gyaos, but Japan isn't out of the woods quite yet. Scientists have discovered an object
hurtling towards Earth and threatening to impact the tiny island-nation of Japan. Oddly enough, the object appears to be slowing as it approaches
Earth, and
upon impact, scientists confirm that theory. As panic reaches a fever pitch with phone lines interrupted, a mysterious green glow illuminates the
nighttime sky, and a series of impossibly large plants are seen growing within the city limits of Sapporo. It is theorized that the meteor carried
extraterrestrial life, and that the plants are meant to alter Earth's atmosphere to better suit the needs of the aliens, ultimately killing man. With
co-existence impossible and time running out, Japan's military is ordered to destroy the creatures and the plants at all cost. The fighting is difficult
and the loses extreme, but when all hope appears lost, Gamera -- the ancient turtle-like creature of enormous strength -- returns to once again
do battle with an impossibly difficult foe.
Attack of the Legion is less about mythos and more about action when compared to its predecessor. While Guardian of the
Universe delved into species origins and gave its human characters a rather significant role in the story's development, Legion eschews
much of what made the first Gamera picture a success and focuses instead on wall-to-wall raw action. That doesn't make it a lesser
film; different, yes, but still a wild and fun ride in its own right. The film does share many other characteristics with its predecessor, namely in its
retention of similar-looking special effects that give the monsters a rubbery texture and employing cityscape miniatures that are going to fool only
the most naïve or novice of viewers. Still, the low-budget charm -- arguably both this picture's and the entire series' most endearing element --
is retained for all its worth, giving the movie an innocently fun feel that makes Attack of the Legion an easy watch.
Gamera: Attack of the Legion suffers through a somewhat choppy pace and incorporates several freeze-frame images, both of which only
interfere with the film's flow, effectively sucking the viewer out of the experience. Fortunately, both are masked by the film's several extended
action sequences and amped-up (but in no way excessive) violence that plays in contrast to the film's more scientific and dramatic elements that do
just enough to advance the story and slowly create a back story for the attacking Legion. Their efforts to re-arrange Earth's atmosphere are handled
very well; the picture smartly gives its main storyline big visuals and easily-distinguishable villains, aiding in the storytelling process while also
affording the film a few more opportunities to put big special effects and nicely-captured action scenes into the forefront of the experience. There's
not much substance here or in Guardian of the Universe, for that matter; that's OK, because neither film plays its cards close to the vest,
instead laying exactly what they are on the table and not striving to trick audiences into believing that they're getting anything more or anything
less than good old fashioned Monster movie fun.
It's redemption time. No doubt about it, Mill Creek stunk up the joint with the abysmal Total Terror release that's arguably Blu-ray's worst; other than simply
showing a blank screen, that release represents about the worst a home video release can look. Gamera fares much, much better. No doubt
the film is helped out by better source material; the results are Blu-worthy to be sure and, while not the best looking image in the world, this is one
that
Mill Creek can point to as a real, honest-to-goodness quality release. Guardian of the Universe sports a sturdy and stable image that offers up
quality detailing and fair colors, both yielding a pleasing filmic image. Although the transfer exhibits a few bugaboos -- slight blocking, minor aliasing, a
few jagged edges, and occasional banding -- none appear with any regularity or at an obnoxiously high level. In fact, this is borderline upper-tier stuff,
and it might very well be the best transfer of a bargain-bin title yet. Well done, Mill Creek. Keep it up.
Gamera: Attack of the Legion Rating: 3.5/5
Attack of the Legion looks fairly similar to Guardian of the Universe on Blu-ray. This stable, generally crisp image offers satisfying but
not awe-inspiring detailing in the usual places -- faces, clothes, building façades -- that gives the transfer a balanced appearance that's just about right
for a mid-90s mid-budget Monster movie. Colors, too, travel down the same road, looking smart and steady but not dazzling in any way. Black levels
occasionally appear unnaturally light or, on the other end of the spectrum, a bit too dark and to the detriment of foreground details, but flesh tones
always
maintain a positive balance. Moderate grain is retained over the image, and along with the good detailing, fair color reproduction, and 1080p muscle,
Attack of the Legion delivers a nice cinematic texture. Only a bit of haloing distracts from an otherwise good-but-not-great Blu-ray effort from
Mill Creek Entertainment.
The native Japanese (optional English subtitles are available) DTS-HD HR 5.1 soundtrack offers listeners a good but far from exceptional listening
experience. Dialogue is adequately delivered through the center channel, and the remainder of the track's various elements are nicely spaced around
the 5.1 configuration. Surrounds are used both in support of music and to carry many effects, whether several action elements or
environmental
ambience, such as a crunchy and crackly thunderstorm heard in chapter two. The track additionally yields a fair amount of bass, though it's never as
precise and potent as most would hope. Nevertheless, the track offers a well-balanced listen; the back channels, as noted, carry plenty of information,
but they're used correctly and not simply as delivery vehicles for a barrage of needless sound. Unfortunately, the English subtitles fail to offer
translations for various credits, title cards, or newspaper clippings that are found throughout the film. Otherwise, the native Japanese track is the way
to
go, and Mill Creek's DTS soundtrack gets the job done.
Gamera: Attack of the Legion Rating: 3.5/5
Attack of the Legion features a similar DTS-HD HR 5.1 track, available, again, in both Japanese and English variations. This is a satisfying but
not particularly memorable track. "Workmanlike" might be the best descriptor, and that suits the quality of the movie quite well. The track's
signature elements include good spacing across the front and a noticeable but not overwhelming or phony surround support structure that helps out
with not only music and light effects -- like a subtly blowing breeze -- but heavier elements such as falling meteors and various action/military sound
effects. Directional effects are implemented with fine results in several scenes as military vehicles dart around the soundstage, while alarm klaxons
and echoing voices reverberate throughout the entire listening area. Music occasionally looses some heft, but it's generally satisfactory in delivery.
Dialogue, too, remains soundly focused in the center channel. Attack of the Legion won't dazzle Blu-ray newbies or audiophiles, but Mill
Creek's soundtrack does a good job of supporting the movie.
Neither Gamera: Guardian Of the Universe nor Gamera: Attack Of the Legion are works of high art, but they're fun little Japanese
diversions in the tradition of that nation's great heritage of Monster movies. Somewhat clunky special effects, generic plots, overacting, and occasionally
questionable direction all add to the B-movie charm, and none of the films' problems prove detrimental in so far as they ruin the viewing experience.
Those both new to Gamera and Japanese Monster movies as well as veterans of both should have no qualms about plopping down only a few
dollars for the Mill Creek Entertainment double bill of Gamera goodness. Though the discs unfortunately feature exactly zero extras, both films
do offer solid technical qualities that are better than the price of admission -- not to mention the studio's brief but shoddy history of Blu-ray releases --
might otherwise suggest. For around $6? Why not? If nothing else, this will make a perfect and cheap Christmas stocking stuffer. Recommended.
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