gamera, the giant monster

Even die-hard Godzilla fans will admit that the idea of a 60-meter tall turtle stomping across Japan is patently ridiculous. Not to mention that he breathes fire and travels through the air like a jet-powered Frisbee. And yet that’s part of the charm of the Gamera series, the only legitimate contender to Toho’s “King of the Monsters” crown. Popping up for years on TV creature features across the country (and most recently mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000), the Gamera films seemed to know they were second-best when it came to kaiju eiga…but damn if they weren’t going to have a good time! With a surprise announcement I don’t think anyone saw coming, Shout Factory comes to the digital rescue by scooping up the rights to all of Gamera’s screen appearances. First up is Gamera, The Giant Monster presented for the first time in its correct aspect ratio with original Japanese language tracks. As a collector’s item for giant monster fans, this is akin to finding a Spanish doubloon in your spare change jar. As an introduction to the Gamera series as a whole, it might not be the best place to start. While the latter films sported brightly colored monsters and a campy, kid-friendly theme song, Gamera, The Giant Monster is closer in tone to the original Godzilla: dark, semi-serious and a bit light on action. That doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. With the future of Japan hanging in the balance, the country’s top scientists come up with a master plan to stop the giant turtle by – flipping him on his back?! That’s just plain mean! Shout Factory’s DVD looks incredible and includes an masterful audio commentary from Gamera expert August Ragone (who comes prepared), a ½ hour retrospective on the entire series along with publicity materials and a set of tongue-in-cheek liner notes that map out the inner workings of everyone’s favorite giant turtle.