Rating: 
Summary: Your standardJapanese jet-power flying superturtle movie
Review: "Daikaiju Gamera" is the first of the series of Japanese monster movies about Gamera, the legendary jet-powered flying superturtle. Another one of those pesky nuclear explosions in the frozen north awakens Gamera from his deep sleep under the ice. Searching for energy, Gamera heads for Japan where it will up to the National Defense force and scientists, aided by Toschio (Yoshiro Uchida), a young boy who likes turtles and has a strange sympathetic link to the monster, to end his destructive rampage. "Daikaiju Gamera" was produced by Daiei Studios, who was obviously trying to come up with an answer to Toho Studios' "Godzilla." The good news is that this is the most serious film in the series, but it is also the most tedious with its scenes of boring dialogue alternating with scenes of miniatures being destroyed. Fortunately the Army has that "Plan Z" that works so well and Gamera has a soft spot that stops him from stomping children. The fact the film is in black & white actually works for the cheap special effects, which never look this good again. The "Americanized" version, known simply as "Gamera" because no one knows what "Daikaiju" means, features poor Brian Donlevy as General Terry Arnold and Albert Dekker as the Secretary of Defense. Their presence only serves to make the dubbed Japanese actors look funnier. Oh, and Toschio is now named "Kenny." This 1965 film is followed by "Daikaijû kessen: Gamera tai Barugon" (1966), "Gamera tai Gyaosu" (1967), "Gamera tai uchu kaijû Bairasu" (1968), "Gamera tai daikaijû Giron" (1969), "Gamera tai Daimaju Jaiga" (1970), and "Gamera tai Shinkai kaijû Jigura" (1971). Please remember that you will be accounting for this material on the mid-term exam and that spelling counts.
Rating:
Summary: The first and worst of the jet-powered super-turtle movies
Review: "Gamera" ("Daikaiju Gamera") is the first of the series of Japanese monster movies about Gamera, the legendary jet-powered flying turtle. Another one of those pesky nuclear explosions in the frozen north awakens Gamera from his deep sleep under the ice. Searching for energy, Gamera heads for Japan where it will up to the National Defense force and scientists, aided by Toschio (Yoshiro Uchida), a young boy who likes turtles and has a strange sympathetic link to the monster, to end his destructive rampage. "Gamera" was produced by Daiei Studios, who was obviously trying to come up with an answer to Toho Studios' "Godzilla." The good news is that this is the most serious film in the series, but the bad news is that it is also the most tedious with its scenes of boring dialogue alternating with scenes of miniatures being destroyed. Fortunately the Army has that "Plan Z" that works so well and Gamera has a soft spot that stops him from stomping children. The fact the film is in black & white actually works for the cheap special effects, which never look this good again in the original series. The "Americanized" version features poor Brian Donlevy as General Terry Arnold and Albert Dekker as the Secretary of Defense. Their presence only serves to make the dubbed Japanese actors look funnier. Oh, and Toschio is now named "Kenny," which must be some in-joke lost to the records of humankind.
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Summary: Gamera the Orginal
Review: At least this movie is good! Gamera can still be beaten easily by Godzilla's foot
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Summary: Flying Turtle Soup!
Review: Gammera's been rudely awakened from his nap (buried under an arctic glacier) by an atomic explosion; and man, is he ever pi$$ed! He immediately begins his world-threatening rampage, causing the UN to argue incessantly (in the dull, tedious parts of the movie). Thankfully, there are lots of explosions and tons of building smashing action! Enough to get me rooting for our beloved reptile, while praying for the poor shmuck in the rubber suit! There's also a turtle-obsessed kid who befriends Gammera. He's annoying like a mosquito buzzing in your ear! Listen for the nifty theme song! Pure cheese! Check it out...
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Summary: The one that started it all!
Review: If you are a fan of the Gamera series, you have to see how it all began right? And if you are just a fan of japanese monster movies, you will want to check it out. It isnt as much fun as the silly sequels it inspired, but the effects are fair and the japanese cast does a good job. The added american scenes are boring but brief enough. Check out the cool lighthouse sequence that forshadows what Gamera would become! Not as serious as the original GODZILLA, and not as juvenile as the rest of the series, its certainly worth a look!
Rating: 
Summary: Visions Of Terrapins Float Through The Sky
Review: It's hard to believe that I was already in college when this came out. And that I had to sneak away from the local art theaters to watch this at a downtown Saturday kid's special. Yes, as the dust of an atomic squabble between the US and the USSR settled and a man in a giant turtle suit climbed out of the ice, I was stuffing my mouth with popcorn - with real butter in those days. The basic film is pretty simple minded. Japanese scientists investigating Eskimos witness an atomic accident that releases a giant turtle. After a short flying tour of the world, Gammera descends on Japan and Tokyo for an extended lunch. An irritating young boy names Toshio races about telling everyone not to kill the terrapin from hell. Which is moot, since nothing can kill him. Does the Earth get saved? Or is the turtle toast? I'm not telling, but anyone who has ever watched a Japanese monster movie should have no trouble guessing. What I missed in my adolescent popcorn days was that Gammera is about 60% biting satire about scientists, news writers, and politicians (both US and international). It makes you wince a bit to realize that the filmmakers had no delusions about how silly we all are. And how many double standards we have. There were moments when I wasn't sure if I was wincing at the humor or the acting. The latter is classic Japanese sci-fi - awful. The transfer is nothing to sing about, unfortunately. It looks like a copy of a copy. Which is probably exactly what it is. Even so films like these have a certain timelessness, like bomber jackets and BurmaShave signs. So, if you to once had a mouthful of popcorn on the Saturday matinee, I salute you. Some things never change.
Rating:
Summary: Visions Of Terrapins Float Through The Sky
Review: It's hard to believe that I was already in college when this came out. And that I had to sneak away from the local art theaters to watch this at a downtown Saturday kid's special. Yes, as the dust of an atomic squabble between the US and the USSR settled and a man in a giant turtle suit climbed out of the ice, I was stuffing my mouth with popcorn - with real butter in those days. The basic film is pretty simple minded. Japanese scientists investigating Eskimos witness an atomic accident that releases a giant turtle. After a short flying tour of the world, Gammera descends on Japan and Tokyo for an extended lunch. An irritating young boy names Toshio races about telling everyone not to kill the terrapin from hell. Which is moot, since nothing can kill him. Does the Earth get saved? Or is the turtle toast? I'm not telling, but anyone who has ever watched a Japanese monster movie should have no trouble guessing. What I missed in my adolescent popcorn days was that Gammera is about 60% biting satire about scientists, news writers, and politicians (both US and international). It makes you wince a bit to realize that the filmmakers had no delusions about how silly we all are. And how many double standards we have. There were moments when I wasn't sure if I was wincing at the humor or the acting. The latter is classic Japanese sci-fi - awful. The transfer is nothing to sing about, unfortunately. It looks like a copy of a copy. Which is probably exactly what it is. Even so films like these have a certain timelessness, like bomber jackets and BurmaShave signs. So, if you to once had a mouthful of popcorn on the Saturday matinee, I salute you. Some things never change.
Rating:
Summary: Unidentified Flying Turtle
Review: Out of all of the Japanese giant monsters that inevitably sprung up after Godzilla's massive popularity, one of the more fondly remembered is Gamera. Gamera, a giant flying turtle, really didn't star in any good movies until the mid nineties, but the late sixties-earlier seventies films were fun in a sort of goofy way. This first one, "Gammera [sic] the Invincible," is perhaps the dullest and most slow moving one, but hard-core Japanese monster fans will no-doubt find pleasure in it. In addition, this DVD features the not-very-good American version, with inserted American scenes (some of these are pretty funny in their sheer technical incompetence).
This DVD, from Alpha, isn't really worth buying. The print is very scratchy and faded, and is in the pan-and-scan 1.33:1 instead of the intended 2.35:1 ratio. The only plus side is a mildly diverting gallery of publicity stills and posters.
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Summary: Original Gamera
Review: The first of the famed turtle's movies (later changed from Gammera to Gamera), this movie is a bit cheesy looking, but if you compare it to most monster movies of the time, it's not that bad. Appearance wise, the film is scratchy, but it was made in the 60's, afterall. So, try to remember that and hopefully it won't to ruin your experience. The movie itself has a kind of original "Godzilla" feel, since japanese scenes are intermingled with American scenes, with each side speaking their native language and they seem to know what the other is saying. The giant turtle looks a little goofy; he seems to be unable to lower his head in walking scenes and it bobbles like he has little control if it. Still, if you're a Kaiju fan, the cheesiness and all it's other faults will mean little to you. Gammera is still Gamera, and, even without the giant enemy to battle with, you root for the turtle and want to see the next installment.
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Summary: GAMERA!!! THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. KNOW YOUR GAMERA.
Review: THERE ARE THREE VERSIONS OF THIS FILM. DON'T GET CONFUSED!!!!
#1 The first version is the japanese original GIANT MONSTER GAMERA.
#2 This version (the second ) is the first version released in America in the 60's.
The dubbing (By SPEED RACER's Peter Fernandez) is excellent and new
scenes with American actors Albert Dekker (DR. CYCLOPS) Brian Donlevy
(CURSE OF THE FLY) and Allen Oppenheimer (The voice of Skeletor) were added. Very entertaining and well produced.
#3 The third version was the SANDY FRANK version released on video in 1987.
it is a straight dub of the japanese version, but the voice acting is inferior to the
#2 version. This is the version that aired on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and
should be avoided. Buy the above version instead.
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