Highlights
- Gamera’s movies have been successful in Japan, but he deserves more recognition internationally.
- Gamera’s last full-length film was in 2006, and fans are hopeful for a new reboot in the future.
- The Gyaos are Gamera’s archenemy, consistently appearing throughout the series as fearsome opponents.
When it comes to giant monsters/kaiju in cinema history, there is no doubt that Godzilla tends to be the first one to come to mind. However, there is one monster that few people outside of Japan know about: Gamera. This kaiju has been around for just as long as Godzilla and the two have been box-office rivals for over half a century. Though Gamera hasn’t been released internationally like his rival, his movies have been largely successful in Japan.
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It would be great to see him get a new full-length movie since the last movie he had was a short, four-minute movie back in 2015. He deserves as much recognition as his other fellow kaiju and could benefit from a reboot. If potential fans are interested to see what makes this giant monster great, here are some of the best movies to watch.
Updated July 10, 2024 by Sarah Prado: It’s been almost twenty years since a full-length Gamera movie was released. As of right now, there don’t appear to be any plans for a new one to come out. Gamera might not be as popular as Godzilla, but he’s still a well-known kaiju. The closest there’s been to a reboot is the Gamera Rebirth anime series, but it’s unknown if a second season will come out.
One can only hope that Gamera will be given a new movie, especially after the success of the MonsterVerse and Godzilla Minus One. Kaiju movies are still very popular among fans and Gamera deserves to be given a chance to shine.
10 Gamera vs. Viras
Two Boys Set Out To Save Gamera After He’s Possessed
- Release Date: March 20, 1968
- Director: Noriaki Yuasa
- Starring: Toru Takatsuka, Carl Craig, and Kojiro Hongo
- Runtime: 72 minutes
This movie puts Gamera up against a group of aliens. The group invades Earth and Gamera gets captured by them after saving two children, Masao and Jim. The two boys set out to help free Gamera, but the aliens have put a mind control device on him and make him the enemy humanity has feared. Then, the boys unwittingly release the leader of the aliens, Viras, a squid-like monster.
Overall, the movie is a pretty good one, but it does have some moments that look a little ridiculous. Viras isn’t the most intimidating villain in the overall series, but still a pretty memorable one.
9 Gamera vs. Barugon
The First Movie Where Gamera Fights A Kaiju
- Release Date: April 17, 1966
- Director: Shigeo Tanaka
- Starring: Kojiro Hongo, Kyoko Enami, and Koji Fujiyama
- Runtime: 100 minutes
The second movie in the Gamera series and the first one to put him against another kaiju. Gamera returns to Earth after a meteorite collides with the rocket he was shipped to Mars in from the first movie. Still seen as a threat, a group of men goes to an island in New Guinea to retrieve an opal that could help stop Gamera. However, it’s revealed that the “opal” is actually an egg of another giant monster known as Barugon. Gamera and Barugon fight various times throughout the movie and Gamera comes out on top in the end with help from humans.
While the fights in the movie are a little simple and not flashy, it is entertaining to watch. It’s a stepping stone to the long road of pitting Gamera against other kaiju and deserves some recognition for this.
8 Gamera vs. Guiron
Aliens And Monsters Spell Trouble For Earth
- Release Date: March 21, 1969
- Director: Noriaki Yuasa
- Starring: Nobuhiro Kajima, Christopher Murphy, Miyuki Akiyama, and Yuko Hamada
- Runtime: 82 minutes
This movie has various enemies in it. Two young boys named Akio and Tom find a spaceship and it ends up taking off without warning. It takes them to an alien planet where they are greeted by two alien women who tell them their planet is dying. However, there is a dark secret about them and the monster, Guiron, that they supposedly control. Gamera rushes to the planet to save them and fights Guiron after the control the aliens had over him is broken.
Aside from Guiron, a new subspecies of Gyaos is introduced in this movie but they aren’t around for too long. It’s still a treat to see them even if it’s only for a short time. Though this movie has some silly moments, it’s still a good watch and has some underlying dark tones to it.
7 Gamera The Brave
The Last Full-Length Movie Changes Things Up A Bit
- Release Date: April 29, 2006
- Director: Ryuta Tasaki
- Starring: Ryo Tomioka, Kanji Tsuda, and Kaho
- Runtime: 96 minutes
Technically, this movie is the last one of the Heisei Period of Gamera movies, but it doesn’t follow the previous trilogy’s story. This is a brand new story of Gamera and shows that the previous Gamera self-destructed to protect the world from Gyaos monsters. Thirty-three years later, a young boy named Toru finds an egg that hatches and Gamera is reborn unbeknownst to him. Toru raises the new Gamera as his pet and takes care of him. However, a new enemy appears and threatens the world, forcing the new Gamera to step up and protect it as his predecessor did.
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This is the second reboot in the entire series and the last full-length film. The movie is entertaining and has a pretty good story, but it does lack the magic that the Heisei trilogy had. Plus, the new design of Gamera has mixed reviews among fans since the creators were going for a more friendly-looking and realistic design.
6 Gamera, The Giant Monster, AKA Gammera The Invincible
The Start Of A Long Line Of Movies
- Release Date: November 27, 1965
- Director: Noriaki Yuasa
- Starring: Eiji Funakoshi, Michiko Sugata, Harumi Kiritachi, and Junichiro Yamashita
- Runtime: 78 minutes
The first movie in the Gamera series and the only one in black and white. Much like Godzilla, Gamera starts more as a villain to humanity and seems to destroy just about everything in his path. However, as the movie goes on, viewers will see that this monster doesn’t come off as a purely evil being and is just trying to survive. He saves a young boy from falling to his death after destroying the lighthouse the boy and his family live in, showing he does have a soft spot.
This movie doesn’t have any fights and is all about humanity trying to stop Gamera. Compared to his other movies, this one does seem a bit slow and less thrilling, but it’s still a great watch. It sets up Gamera to come back for another movie and shows that he’s a little different from Godzilla.
5 Gamera vs. Jiger
Gamera Faces One Of His Most Fearsome Foes
- Release Date: March 21, 1970
- Director: Noriaki Yuasa
- Starring: Tsutomu Takakuwa, Kelly Burris, Katherine Murphy, and Kon Ohmura
- Runtime: 83 minutes
Another Gamera movie that has a villain that looks more silly than intimidating. At the beginning of this movie, Gamera actually attacks humans willingly because he’s trying to prevent them from removing a mysterious statue that emits a loud sound. Once the statue has been removed, Jiger appears and fights Gamera, defeating him in the first fight. Jiger then begins her hunt for the statue and plans to destroy it since the sound from it hurts her.
Though Jiger doesn’t look so strong, she is one of Gamera’s toughest opponents. She defeats Gamera a few times throughout the movie and only loses in the final battle. Plus, Jiger is the first female kaiju in the Gamera series.
4 Gamera vs. Gyaos
Debuting Gamera’s Most Well-Known Foes
- Release Date: March 15, 1967
- Director: Noriaki Yuasa
- Starring: Kojiro Hongo, Kichijiro Ueda, and Naoyuki Abe
- Runtime: 86 minutes
The Gyaos have the most appearances as Gamera’s enemies for a long time and this movie marks their debut. After a volcanic eruption at Mount Fuji occurs, the Gyaos awaken and start terrorizing Japan. Gamera is the only one who can defeat them and fights them throughout the movie while the humans try to figure out who is the bigger threat.
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This movie set the Gyaos as Gamera’s archenemy and they have consistently appeared throughout the entire series. Nothing like watching a giant turtle monster that can fly take on giant, laser-shooting carnivorous bird-like monsters to pass the time. Since their debut, the Gyaos have been some fearsome opponents and the biggest threats Gamera has ever faced.
3 Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe
The Perfect Start To The Best Trilogy In The Series
- Release Date: March 11, 1995
- Director: Shusuke Kaneko
- Starring: Shinobu Nakayama, Ayako Fujitani, and Yukijiro Hotaru
- Runtime: 95 minutes
The first movie of the Heisei Period for Gamera. This movie starts pretty strong and fast, not wasting too much time on the story. The Gyaos return and start terrorizing Japan once again and Gamera awakens from a deep slumber to stop them. However, the government wants to capture the Gyaos to study and weaponize them. Though Gamera is seen as the bigger threat, he continues his mission to protect Earth and children by stopping them. He even forms a spiritual bond with the daughter of one of the scientists studying him.
This movie kicked off this series of Gamera movies with a pretty strong beginning. Though the story itself is pretty straightforward, sometimes an elaborate storyline isn’t needed. A good simple one and monsters just duking it out are all that’s needed and this movie provides that.
2 Gamera: Attack Of Legion
A Perfect Mix Of Kaiju Action And Horror
- Release Date: July 13, 1996
- Director: Shusuke Kaneko
- Starring: Maki Mizuno, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Tamotsu Ishibashi, and Ayako Fujitani
- Runtime: 100 minutes
The second movie in the Heisei Period and one of the best films in the entire series. Gamera: Attack of Legion happens a year after the events in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. Though Gamera is gone, the Japanese military has remained vigilant in guarding the coast to make sure he doesn’t return. However, a new threat appears after a meteorite lands and bug-like creatures start appearing and terrorizing humanity.
If viewers don’t like bugs, specifically spiders, this movie can be pretty terrifying to watch. The little spider creatures known as Legion crawl all over Gamera at one point and it’s just hard to look at if one suffers from arachnophobia. But if viewers can power through that, an awesome kaiju movie awaits them.
1 Gamera: Revenge Of Iris
The Best Movie In The Entire Series Has Everything Kaiju-Loving Fans Want
- Release Date: March 6, 1999
- Director: Shusuke Kaneko
- Starring: Ayako Fujitani, Shinobu Nakayama, and Ai Maeda
- Runtime: 108 minutes
The third movie in the Heisei Period, and what some, if not most, fans consider the last movie of it. This movie is the sequel to Gamera: Attack of Legion and continues the story. Three years have passed since the events of the last movie and Japan is recovering from it. A young girl named Ayana lost her family during the battle and has a deep hatred for Gamera. She finds a mysterious egg that hatches and reveals a tentacled monster whom she names Iris. Ayana raises Iris and plans to use it to get revenge on Gamera.
This movie wraps up the trilogy with a great story and amazing fight scenes between Gamera and Iris. It has everything that both Gamera and kaiju movie lovers would want in a kaiju movie. It’s arguably the best movie in the entire Gamera series and will leave fans wanting a reboot to happen.
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Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
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