This is the second best Gamera movie from the Showa series; however, that is not saying much. Most of the movies in the first series features annoying kids as the lead characters and basic, recycled space alien-themed plots. This one features Gamera's first and most popular foe, Gyaos, a bat-like creature awakened by a volcanic eruption and goes on an all-out assault on Japan's countryside. A young boy establishes an emotional link to Gamera and befriends him, encouraging him to fight off Gyaos but also trying to convince the military not to destroy Gamera.
The kid is borderline annoying in the movie, but not as maddening as the others later on in the series. The special effects were OK for the most part back during that time; the Gamera suit looks average, but the Gyaos suit looked like it was made out of cardboard. The plot about the scientists trying to decipher methods to destroy Gyaos, while a conflict between a small village trying to work out a deal with a highway development company, is somehow interwoven with the monster story. It's not terribly exciting or intriguing, but it leaves you at least partially entertained throughout the entire movie.
Again, this is the second best Gamera movie of the first series (the best is Gamera vs. Barugon - you get to see some decent monster action and battles and the plot is actually serious and not childish). But, second best means this movie is tolerable and serviceable. Watch the remaining four sequels at your own risk. If not, skip over to the three Heisei Gamera movies of the 1990s and the one Millennium movie of 2006 - you'll find better monster mayhem and better stories there.
Grade C
The kid is borderline annoying in the movie, but not as maddening as the others later on in the series. The special effects were OK for the most part back during that time; the Gamera suit looks average, but the Gyaos suit looked like it was made out of cardboard. The plot about the scientists trying to decipher methods to destroy Gyaos, while a conflict between a small village trying to work out a deal with a highway development company, is somehow interwoven with the monster story. It's not terribly exciting or intriguing, but it leaves you at least partially entertained throughout the entire movie.
Again, this is the second best Gamera movie of the first series (the best is Gamera vs. Barugon - you get to see some decent monster action and battles and the plot is actually serious and not childish). But, second best means this movie is tolerable and serviceable. Watch the remaining four sequels at your own risk. If not, skip over to the three Heisei Gamera movies of the 1990s and the one Millennium movie of 2006 - you'll find better monster mayhem and better stories there.
Grade C