Number 16 — GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE
For the month of October, we’re counting down the best horror movies of 1995! Check back every day for a new entry in the list.
Oh, how we've come full circle. One of the first movies I wrote about for Neon Splatter was GAMERA VS. GYAOS (1967). In that piece, I dove deeper into the folklore history of specifically the kaiju Gyaos and possible inspirations for him from East Asian history. It was a personal piece for me, because of the loose idea that Gyaos has Ryukyuan origins, like myself. I'd like to say I've come a long way since then, but here I am still watching and writing about Gamera movies... and loving every minute of it. I am enamored by the magic of the parallels. While GAMERA VS. GYAOS was one of my first articles, I've polished my writing quite a bit since then. I've adapted. I've grown into this role. Just like how GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (1995) reboots the 1967 version into something that is still uniquely recognizable but adapted to an older audience. Here I am a little bit darker with a sharper edge, still goofy, and full of enthusiasm. All qualities that make GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE a super fun reboot that captures the nostalgia of 1960's rubber suit movies while being more aggressive in its horror and camp.
GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE starts off like any proper kaiju movie should, and that is in the ocean where humans are transporting dangerous pollutants. The initial ship runs aground onto what it thinks is an atoll, but what we see later is Gamera. Meanwhile, Gyaos, an enormous, ancient dinosaur-like bird is eating up the inhabitants of entire villages on small islands. Gyaos makes his way to mainland Japan with Gamera in pursuit. The meat of this movie is the Japanese government trying to defend against both kaiju until it finally realizes it needs Gamera's help to defeat the more destructive Gyaos. It is directed by Shusuke Kaneko. It also stars Ayako Fujitani, as Gamera's priestess, who is Steven Seagal's daughter.
There are so many aspects of this movie to love. It succeeds in what it is trying to be, and that is a bridge between traditional Tokusatsu movies and modern cinema. It has blockbuster vibes with an endearing cheap feel. The human characters are likable and work well within the story. The tone is serious on the surface but campy in execution. It also has obvious nods to the king of all monster creature features, JURASSIC PARK (1993). Right away we get the dinosaur crashing in the ceiling of the boat as a horrified sailor meets his death. Shortly after, the main lead, a female scientist puts on gloves and shifts through a giant pile of bird feces to analyze the monster. Unlike Dr. Sattler (Laura Dern) who only had to deal with plant remnants, Dr. Nagamine, played by Shinobu Nakayama, is crestfallen to find the digested remains of her beloved mentor. The Gyaos calls and some of the framing also felt inspired by JURASSIC PARK.
After GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023), which I consider more of a film masterpiece than just a run of the mill monster movie, watching GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE again might feel like a step back. But, I'd argue that this Gamera film was always intentionally meant to be something entirely different in tone. This Gamera movie is full of rubber monsters, gory puppets, and miniatures exploding. It wants you to know it's a campy creature feature, and it's proud of it. Thank goodness that it recognizes it is meant to be humorous, because then we are able to get scenes like Gamera smacking a Gyaos out of the sky in the most over the top badassery swat.
If I have any complaints, it's only a few odd choices here and there, but nothing that takes away from the overall joy of the film. I will warn you, while the fast pacing was welcomed by me, I can see where it is too abrupt for others. This movie gets a lot of action crammed into a shorter run time. I will never argue against more monster fights. I also love that it is driven by intelligent female leads who are not sexualized. I've had enough of monster movies where women are the helpless victims, and it's always good to see films propping up women in STEM.
If the Tokusatsu films of the 1950s and on weren't for you, I think this rebooted version of Gamera is worth giving a try for its updates. There's enough of the blockbuster vibe to make it feel mainstream, and it may be a good first step into Tokusatsu. If you were already a fan of those old classics, then you will love this contemporary tribute. GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, my how you've grown. You are so funny. You are so crunchy and bloody. You are sweet, and at the core, still the turtle friend to all children that I've always loved. I can't wait to write about you again in another 5 years.
