The Gamera Trilogy is just simply the best trilogy in the whole Kaiju genre. I literally have to go back to the 60’s to find Godzilla films that I could say either match, or exceed, them. There are things done in those films that I don’t even think Hollywood was able to replicate.
Me too. But I find it disappointing that the Heisei series was let down by illogical moments in the plot and bad acting of human actors, especially when they paid so much attention to Godzilla having really vivid and consistent mimicry. This takes significance away from the films that carried an interesting message about how human doings damage things even when they're not meant to. In every film of the Heisei series except for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, basically humanity does something stupid, usually to solve the problem Godzilla is, but it backfires and just by defending himself, Godzilla involuntarily becomes a hero who saves humanity from their own mistakes. Like nature defending itself from damage done by humans, and with every victory unwillingly saving them.
@@AccentedCinema Well Jean-Claude can actually do drama :D As for Ayako.. Check out the film Shiki-Jitsu which she wrote and starred in. That's my favorite movie.
Wait.....looking at the camera angles, setting, both involve flying combatants crashing to the ground.....I'm sure that they did rip this off, even if they won't admit it. I always knew that the 1998 Godzilla ripped off Gamera Guardian of the Universe, with their monster eggs about to hatch menace.
Great taste. The Gamera Trilogy probably has the best films the genre has to offer. It’s just solid not just as Kaiju movies, but as movies too. I’m glad people acknowledge the merit in the Trilogy.
I saw Gamera 2: Attack of Legion on VHS in Russia as a kid. i was really shocked to see Gamera appear as well. And this was before I ever saw any godzilla movies.
If Hollywood ever does make a big budget Gamera flick it NEEDS to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The dude has a clear eye for this aesthetic and the more mystical parts of the giant Kaiju is definitely within his wheelhouse. I hope we get it another Gamera film like these three in the future.
@@Reign_Fire2022 How did Legendary "ruined" Godzilla more than Roland Emmerich did in 1998? For you at least, cuz majority of fans really liked this new Godzilla since 2014 (even with the big flaws)
@@surfmorworkless Yep, she's Ayako Fujitani, a daughter from his previous marriage. Here middle name is Faith--I was crushing on her for short period back in '95. lol
The Heisei Gamera trilogy is like the perfect story-writing that balances kaijuu battles and human story development. I absolutely loved Shin Godzilla but even Shin Goji does not surpass the Gamera trilogy in terms of the human character development. Felt so surreal when I stood in Kyoto Station two years ago, with Gamera and Iris's showdown running through my head.
Did you know that Iris was actually referenced in an anime? Lucky Star, ep. 21, where Konata walks into Kyoto station, looks around and says "so THIS is where Iris crashed."
Thank you for the amazing review! The 1990s had so many great monster movies, and The Gamera Trilogy is among the best monster series I have ever watched; this is coming from a long time Godzilla fan. I think it is also great that it ends at three movies, and does not overstay its welcome, although a reboot similar in tone is pretty much welcome (not Gamera the Brave).
Hell yeah man. Heisei Gamera is the bomb. The whole Sendai destruction in Advent of Legion is one of the most shocking destruction sequences I've seen in a Kaiju film and then in Iris you literally get one of the most hilariously awesome finishes in Toku with Gamera taking a page from Guts and firepunching. It's awesome they looked as good as they did, being cheaper than Godzilla films. Kaneko would later go on to make GMK and Higuchi would codirect Shin Gojira, hands down the best Godzilla films in the 21st century.
Ofc you're not. 😏 The only problem, it ain't the trailer. It's an anniversary-celebrating short film. What we saw is what we've got. I'm sorry too yea.🐲🐢
It was a proof of concept trailer that at least kept continuity with the Heisei iteration of gamera. While I did not know this, Gamera the brave does this to an extent too in the beginning when Gamera dies at the hands of the Gyaos
You have emotionally bonded with your childhood films the way many Star Wars fans prefer the lower tech experience of the late 70s and 80s as compared to the over abundant use of CGI. And, I agree with your summary of the storytelling.
Godzilla will always be my favorite, but I remember the first time I saw all 3 of these movies. I was blown away. Some of the best monster movies ever made. Hands down the best from the 90s.
Honestly, I've always liked the Gamera movies better than Godzilla. When Gamera is bad, it's completely over-the-top stupid you can truly enjoy on a so-bad-it's-good level. And when it's good, it's AWESOME! Nice review on the 90's trilogy!
Right there with you on this one. This is arguably my very favorite daikaiju movie series, and I'm a lifelong Godzilla fan saying that. For all the reasons you mentioned, and let us not forget the music in all three movies! Kou Ohtani did a magnificent job enhancing the mood of every scene. Gamera making a powerful comeback was just what the genre needed at that time, since Toho had gotten complacent with Godzilla. Daiei did not disappoint. Thanks for this wonderful video essay!
The best part about the Gamera heisei series special effects is that from what I've heard, they had a smaller budget then godzilla at the time, and yet even with a small budget it's so amazing! God I love the Gamera heisei series, I hope we get another good Gamera series soon!
The Gamera Trilogy, in my opinion, felt like the magnum opus of the kaiju genre and the Gamera franchise itself. The cinematography of the films for sure captured the tone and scale of the films.
Oh man, this brings back amazing memories, i vividly remember renting the first of the gamera trilogy from hollywood video i cant even member how old i was
if i watched the gamera heisei trilogy , here are my thoughts about it : gamera : guardian of the universe 1995 The first movie had a lot of explanation and "building-up to" stuff which caught me off guard a bit, but hey, it's the first film of the three, gotta give it a chance. Despite being made in 1995, the Tokusatsu scenes were superb, and the monster designs were awesome. Gamera's design here evoked a friendly demeanor while the Gyaos' design evoked terriyfying to me. The monster roars were pretty good, along with the characters as well. I love it's overall atmosphere. gamera : advent of legion 1996 The second movie was pretty good, the ornithologist character was a pretty nice addition too. I liked how Gamera's design elevated a bit and has added features. I mean, it's a freaking flying turtle . Mother Legion's and her soldier's designs we're right up my alley, insectoid kaiju are one of my favorite types of Kaiju, especially the Legion Soldiers which resemble Beetle-like aliens while Mother Legion's was ant-like but still beetle-like. The recurring characters are pretty nice too. The atmosphere of this movie was pretty nice as well, showing the government's trust and distrust in Gamera. gamera : revenge of iris Honestly, the third movie's the best. It's final. It featured my country, Philippines, or as they call it "Equator". It has tentacles, so yeah. And the redesign of Gamera was freaking good! I also liked how they showed that, even though some kaiju protect people, their damage to cities and places is still unforgettable and kinda saddening due to the innocent's casualties. The finale was a freaking cliffhanger too, and the story was good too. It was SO freaking awesome! The plot was coherent, the characters were interesting, the army wasn’t full of total morons, and things blow up! Wow did things blow up! the Heisei trilogy is the best overall example of kaiju movie making that exists. For its era, it destroyed and reset the standards of tokusatsu movies that the Godzilla series had been setting; and proved what a talented and motivated team could do when given the time, money, and creative freedom to execute their ideas.
I remember back when 2014 came out, a lot of people compared it to Guardian of the Universe, I forget what or how it was similar, but now after watching KotM, I swear it’s so much like Advent of Legion! New alien enemy appears, Godzilla fights it, but then is brought down by some sort of massive explosion that leaves him down and in a sleep state, until humans eventually wake him up to fight the alien Kaiju again, and then Godzilla gets a super boost at the end of the fight which absolutely destroys the alien Kaiju he struggled with earlier. It plays a lot like Advent of Legion does, wow! I enjoy them both though xD
Alex That first radioactive breath blast notwithstanding, Shin’s effects work didn’t do it for me as much as I hoped it would. But that mainly comes from an emotional bond I have with the old school effects system. KOTM ‘19 made me warm to CGI kaiju antics, but I will always latch onto miniature sets and rubber suits.
Yeah, I agree 100 percent with this video, the godzilla films in the 19's are great eye candies for the eye to watch but the camera trilogy blows it out of the water in story telling and visual effects
Outstanding essay! Your success is measured in the increased desire by the viewer to go rewatch the discussed movies, which by that measurement, you certainly succeeded!
@@bamanadarajan5473 if you mean hesie then those 3 movies did outclass some hesie movies maybe all of them probably not thinking of it as a whole but the 3rd movie had great cgi almost perfect fight scenes and right when you think its over theres a stunning cliffhanger.
Great work on the video! I've been meaning to get into this Gamera trilogy, as I only recently got around to watching Gamera(the older films). The tone, and impressive artistry on display in these movies, are so fascinating, I should never have waited this long.
I know it would perhaps be off-brand...but the OTHER time Gamera smoked Godzilla was in the Box Set Department. It would be a different but very cool video essay to compare and contrast the Arrow Set with the Criterion Set. In a video essay style and not just an unboxing commentary style.
It helps that this was limited to a trilogy, but this is one of the few sets of kaiju type movies that started at a very high quality and got better. I rewatch Guardian of the Universe due to the score and the great awesome moments it gives Gamera.
Fun fact: The director of the Gamera Trilogy also made Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidora: Giant Monsters, All Out Attack. The best film in the Millennium era, and arguably the second best Godzilla film of all time.
Gamera films were definitely more destructive and violent too than the Godzilla films. I actually like Godzilla more but, it’s also good to have options that are not carbon copy of another series.
damn, I didn't know there were scenes in Gamera 3 in the Philippines. PS the old woman bashing a monster carcass is legendary Lillia CIntapay, AKA the "aswang" icon. RIP
The success is mostly because Shusuke Kaneko is probably one of the best directors in Japanese cinema. He made Gamera into a great trilogy. The one movie he directed for the Godzilla franchise is probably the best Godzilla movie after the original one.
Nope disagree. I think the trilogy ended perfectly as it is. It leaves an ambiguous view what happens next. Does Gamera win? Does he fall? I like to keep it that way. To me Gamera won but dies afterward with his sacrifice being what it took to convince humanity to become a better species and take better care of the earth honoring him with a worldwide funeral leading to a better future for both humanity and the earth.
I have always loved the Gojira/Gamera tokusatsu movies. I also loved the giant robots kaiju movies such as Jonny Sokko and His Flying Robot, which I can remember from childhood, or the Flying Robot Red Baron, filmed when I was a teenager but I'd only discovered in my 40's. I also loved the animated AstroBoy and Gigantor. I love it all.
I still prefer the Godzilla era of that time but mainly because I find destroyah better than the gamera villains but the gamera movies shocked me on how good they were
Iris is a better antagonist than Destoroyah IMHO. The movie’s theme about revenge is perfectly incapsulated in him. It isn’t just any monster: it’s personal.
Fun part of watching the trilogy back to back, you can tell how much budget increase they received with each installation. 3:55 That scene was shot in open air set to get the real sunset on film. They formed special anti-bug squad armed with bug spray to get rid of any bugs that wonders in front of camera. Explosions used gunpowder and petroleum, no magnesium were used to create sparkles. In the world where the film takes place, there is NO turtle. That's why nobody says "It's a giant turtle!" according to the director.
Late, but thank you for calling out Godzilla's stinginess with showing monsters or even providing much info about them. Every time something was about to happen, the film jumped to a new scene.
I bought the trilogy on Blu-Ray about 6 years ago for something like $7.50, expecting to get a good laugh out of it. However, these have ended up being my favorite kaiju films. The way the eyes move on Gyaos definitely still cracks me up a bit, but it’s an otherwise great movie. The second film is definitely my favorite, but overall it’s a really even trilogy with each film having its own strengths and weaknesses. Great video as always! Hopefully more people can experience these great films!
I REMEMBER THOSE MOVIES!!! I loved Gamera as a kid, but no one I knew (I live in an unincorporated village in California, United States) had even heard of Gamera. When I told them how awesome it was people looked at me like a crazy person, or an interdimensional traveler where Godzilla doesn't exist in my home universe. I was however terrified by these movies(especially the 2nd one) and didn't watch them very many times but the first one was honestly one of the best Kaiju movies I have ever seen
One thing that really stuck with me about the Heisei Gamera trilogy was how crazy good the soundtracks were. I'm certainly no musical expert, but almost every track sets a very distinct, memorable mood, and going from the first to the last in order, you can really hear the themes evolve as does the overarching story. Like, the main theme of "Guardian of the Universe" alone should let you know that you're in for something special.
"Watching it grows, viewer can feel this oppressive inevitability" >young schoolgirl in front of a tentacle monster ..mmhmh, yep, yes i can see which inevitability
I dug these old bad boys out and rewatched them because of you! They're so good! Dammit... They did so much with so... well they had a lot to work with, but damn imagine if they had Legendary money.
I wouldn’t say it’s better than the Heisei Godzilla series but more the great majority of other Godzilla films and of corse previous gamera films. I might have grew up on Showa Godzilla but these films are honestly great
The only reason the Gamora series was messed up is because they abandoned the ending of Gamera three and in my honest opinion they need to continue that franchise instead of on a cliffhanger and cool things about cliffhangers is you could always go back to them
I know about Gamera at the same time as I know Godzilla. But I hadn't seen a single Gamera film in my childhood, just Godzilla and Mothra for Kaijuu; maybe it's a market issue? Fortunately, this essay convinced me to start watching the Gamera trilogy.
I've been a Kaiju fan since 1972 (I was 7) and sort of grew up with Godzilla and gamers films on American TV. These Gamera films of the 90's were solely responsible for rekindling my love of affair for Kaiju movies.
Gamera movies have so much feeling that its cheese becomes endearing, tho it's a very hard to duplicate/mantain formula... I understand why its so hard to get films like that done...
I agreed on your point of practical effect beauty, whenever I watch older super sentai series always felt an awe that it felt real eventough no CGI present
Dude this is an outstanding video. I grew up loving Gamera as a kid and you really know what you're talking about. They are better films, and now I understand why they made such a deep impression on us as youngsters.
Great video once again! Do you have any plans on covering anymore tokusatsu related shows/movies or are you sticking to movies released in cinema only?
Hey, thanks, stopped the video half way through and ordered the trilogy. I grew up in the 60s/70s watching Japanese monster - the term kaiju was unknown to us back then - movies at our local theatre in the northernest north of Germany. Mostly Godzilla, of course, Mothra, yes, and some other creatures that weren't that good, to be honest. So, building on this experience as an adult I've continued to watch a bunch of the new Godzilla movies of the last, say, twenty years, but Gamera I don't even remember noticing. Well, until today, thanks again.
im glad they didnt make a 4th Gamera, the ending of Iris hits so hard and ties well into the themes. way better than a simple ending where everything is resolved in an easily digestable manner, seen that a thousand times
Godzilla 2019 monsters are motion capture. So in a way, they are man in suit, digital suit.
I've always considered motion capture as the spiritual successor of suitmation
@@titan133760 ruclips.net/video/g8PhummZur0/видео.html
For Ghidorah they actually had three guys in motion capture suits.
Still looks pretty shit design wise tho
Yeah but tangibility is king
The Gamera Trilogy is just simply the best trilogy in the whole Kaiju genre. I literally have to go back to the 60’s to find Godzilla films that I could say either match, or exceed, them. There are things done in those films that I don’t even think Hollywood was able to replicate.
I absolutely love Godzilla, he is my favorite giant monster, but these Gamera films are some of the best kaiju movies I've seen.
Agreed
Me too. The best monster trilogy to date.
Me too. But I find it disappointing that the Heisei series was let down by illogical moments in the plot and bad acting of human actors, especially when they paid so much attention to Godzilla having really vivid and consistent mimicry. This takes significance away from the films that carried an interesting message about how human doings damage things even when they're not meant to. In every film of the Heisei series except for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, basically humanity does something stupid, usually to solve the problem Godzilla is, but it backfires and just by defending himself, Godzilla involuntarily becomes a hero who saves humanity from their own mistakes.
Like nature defending itself from damage done by humans, and with every victory unwillingly saving them.
That 90's Gamera trilogy is awesome! Also Ayako Fujitani is great. So much more talent than her more famous dad.
Haha... Damn it Steve, what happened. JCVD made it through just fine.
@@AccentedCinema Well Jean-Claude can actually do drama :D
As for Ayako.. Check out the film Shiki-Jitsu which she wrote and starred in. That's my favorite movie.
@@Zeitgeist6 definitely a billion times more talented than that fascist tub o' lard dad of hers
@@iwasanangryyoungman there are many things to call Steven Seagull, I don’t think fascist is one of them.
"It's like Batman v. Superman, only made 17 years ago and better" ooohhhh!!!
A-C burns!!!
*MAJOR BURNS*
well, i liked the Batman vs Superman fight in the comic books and that was 33 years ago (The Dark Knight Returns)
Wait.....looking at the camera angles, setting, both involve flying combatants crashing to the ground.....I'm sure that they did rip this off, even if they won't admit it. I always knew that the 1998 Godzilla ripped off Gamera Guardian of the Universe, with their monster eggs about to hatch menace.
I was gonna comment on that. He's not wrong tho XD
BvS still leagues ahead of any MCU bullshit.
Great taste. The Gamera Trilogy probably has the best films the genre has to offer. It’s just solid not just as Kaiju movies, but as movies too. I’m glad people acknowledge the merit in the Trilogy.
I saw Gamera 2: Attack of Legion on VHS in Russia as a kid. i was really shocked to see Gamera appear as well. And this was before I ever saw any godzilla movies.
Дарова блять!!
These movies are some of the top kaiju movie experiences you can get
Agreed. I own the Gamera trilogy on Blu-ray.
It's amazing how far a bit of world building and an actual effort at continuity go towards creating meaningful content.
If Hollywood ever does make a big budget Gamera flick it NEEDS to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The dude has a clear eye for this aesthetic and the more mystical parts of the giant Kaiju is definitely within his wheelhouse. I hope we get it another Gamera film like these three in the future.
Now we just need Toho to wise up and make a Godzilla vs. Gamera movie. Or let Legendary do it.
Slippy Quack back then they were going to make it and toho agreed but the owner of gamera did not
Daei/Kadokawa needs to lend the rights to Gamera and Gyaos to Legendary.
Absolutely not they'd ruin it.. Don't ask for this!
@@migueljimenez1558 hell no they can't make Godzilla right to finish the gamera trilogy thats an obsurd thought... Stop!
@@Reign_Fire2022 How did Legendary "ruined" Godzilla more than Roland Emmerich did in 1998? For you at least, cuz majority of fans really liked this new Godzilla since 2014 (even with the big flaws)
Here is a interesting fact, the actress playing the girl with the connection with Gamera is Steven Seagal's daughter.
Whaaaaaaaat?! Seriously? No way. I've gotta look that up. Pretty cool fact.
@@surfmorworkless Yep, she's Ayako Fujitani, a daughter from his previous marriage. Here middle name is Faith--I was crushing on her for short period back in '95. lol
She still better than her former famous now drunk lazy, fat beard man/father.
One of the most underrated Kaiju ever. Gamera needs to come back to the huge screen.
The Heisei Gamera trilogy is like the perfect story-writing that balances kaijuu battles and human story development.
I absolutely loved Shin Godzilla but even Shin Goji does not surpass the Gamera trilogy in terms of the human character development.
Felt so surreal when I stood in Kyoto Station two years ago, with Gamera and Iris's showdown running through my head.
Did you know that Iris was actually referenced in an anime? Lucky Star, ep. 21, where Konata walks into Kyoto station, looks around and says "so THIS is where Iris crashed."
@@Slick-yj6mj Seems like the creator has good taste in Kaiju!
Thank you for the amazing review! The 1990s had so many great monster movies, and The Gamera Trilogy is among the best monster series I have ever watched; this is coming from a long time Godzilla fan. I think it is also great that it ends at three movies, and does not overstay its welcome, although a reboot similar in tone is pretty much welcome (not Gamera the Brave).
Hell yeah man. Heisei Gamera is the bomb. The whole Sendai destruction in Advent of Legion is one of the most shocking destruction sequences I've seen in a Kaiju film and then in Iris you literally get one of the most hilariously awesome finishes in Toku with Gamera taking a page from Guts and firepunching. It's awesome they looked as good as they did, being cheaper than Godzilla films. Kaneko would later go on to make GMK and Higuchi would codirect Shin Gojira, hands down the best Godzilla films in the 21st century.
Am i seriously the only one who remembers the gamera trailer from like 2016?
Yeah it's sad that never came out. Trailer looks badass.
Ofc you're not. 😏
The only problem, it ain't the trailer. It's an anniversary-celebrating short film.
What we saw is what we've got. I'm sorry too yea.🐲🐢
It was a proof of concept trailer that at least kept continuity with the Heisei iteration of gamera. While I did not know this, Gamera the brave does this to an extent too in the beginning when Gamera dies at the hands of the Gyaos
You have emotionally bonded with your childhood films the way many Star Wars fans prefer the lower tech experience of the late 70s and 80s as compared to the over abundant use of CGI. And, I agree with your summary of the storytelling.
Godzilla will always be my favorite, but I remember the first time I saw all 3 of these movies. I was blown away. Some of the best monster movies ever made. Hands down the best from the 90s.
Honestly, I've always liked the Gamera movies better than Godzilla. When Gamera is bad, it's completely over-the-top stupid you can truly enjoy on a so-bad-it's-good level. And when it's good, it's AWESOME! Nice review on the 90's trilogy!
Right there with you on this one. This is arguably my very favorite daikaiju movie series, and I'm a lifelong Godzilla fan saying that. For all the reasons you mentioned, and let us not forget the music in all three movies! Kou Ohtani did a magnificent job enhancing the mood of every scene. Gamera making a powerful comeback was just what the genre needed at that time, since Toho had gotten complacent with Godzilla. Daiei did not disappoint. Thanks for this wonderful video essay!
The best part about the Gamera heisei series special effects is that from what I've heard, they had a smaller budget then godzilla at the time, and yet even with a small budget it's so amazing!
God I love the Gamera heisei series, I hope we get another good Gamera series soon!
The Gamera Trilogy, in my opinion, felt like the magnum opus of the kaiju genre and the Gamera franchise itself. The cinematography of the films for sure captured the tone and scale of the films.
8:15 This sentence caught me off guard. Hahaha...
Without a doubt the best kaiju films made. Never will be topped. The MonsterVerse has nothing on these films and I love those too.
I'm visiting Tokyo and I saw the third movie on TV the other night. Even without subtitles or dubbing I watched the whole thing. Excellent movie.
Oh man, this brings back amazing memories, i vividly remember renting the first of the gamera trilogy from hollywood video i cant even member how old i was
Your video essays are outstanding. Thank you. :)
if i watched the gamera heisei trilogy , here are my thoughts about it :
gamera : guardian of the universe 1995
The first movie had a lot of explanation and "building-up to" stuff which caught me off guard a bit, but hey, it's the first film of the three, gotta give it a chance. Despite being made in 1995, the Tokusatsu scenes were superb, and the monster designs were awesome. Gamera's design here evoked a friendly demeanor while the Gyaos' design evoked terriyfying to me. The monster roars were pretty good, along with the characters as well. I love it's overall atmosphere.
gamera : advent of legion 1996
The second movie was pretty good, the ornithologist character was a pretty nice addition too. I liked how Gamera's design elevated a bit and has added features. I mean, it's a freaking flying turtle . Mother Legion's and her soldier's designs we're right up my alley, insectoid kaiju are one of my favorite types of Kaiju, especially the Legion Soldiers which resemble Beetle-like aliens while Mother Legion's was ant-like but still beetle-like. The recurring characters are pretty nice too. The atmosphere of this movie was pretty nice as well, showing the government's trust and distrust in Gamera.
gamera : revenge of iris
Honestly, the third movie's the best. It's final. It featured my country, Philippines, or as they call it "Equator". It has tentacles, so yeah. And the redesign of Gamera was freaking good! I also liked how they showed that, even though some kaiju protect people, their damage to cities and places is still unforgettable and kinda saddening due to the innocent's casualties. The finale was a freaking cliffhanger too, and the story was good too.
It was SO freaking awesome! The plot was coherent, the characters were interesting, the army wasn’t full of total morons, and things blow up! Wow did things blow up!
the Heisei trilogy is the best overall example of kaiju movie making that exists. For its era, it destroyed and reset the standards of tokusatsu movies that the Godzilla series had been setting; and proved what a talented and motivated team could do when given the time, money, and creative freedom to execute their ideas.
I remember back when 2014 came out, a lot of people compared it to Guardian of the Universe, I forget what or how it was similar, but now after watching KotM, I swear it’s so much like Advent of Legion! New alien enemy appears, Godzilla fights it, but then is brought down by some sort of massive explosion that leaves him down and in a sleep state, until humans eventually wake him up to fight the alien Kaiju again, and then Godzilla gets a super boost at the end of the fight which absolutely destroys the alien Kaiju he struggled with earlier. It plays a lot like Advent of Legion does, wow!
I enjoy them both though xD
@Fred Duwe yeah exactly and KotM pretty much the same as Advent of Legion.
All three of those movies have the absolute best special effects out of any Japanese monster film I've seen.
And that includes Shin Godzilla.
KK Akuoku Disagree. Shin Godzilla special effects are some of the best ever in a Japanese film period.
Alex That first radioactive breath blast notwithstanding, Shin’s effects work didn’t do it for me as much as I hoped it would. But that mainly comes from an emotional bond I have with the old school effects system.
KOTM ‘19 made me warm to CGI kaiju antics, but I will always latch onto miniature sets and rubber suits.
KK Akuoku did you see the flying effects in the first one?
Jet Jaguar I agree that the flying models in the first one don’t hold up, especially on Blu-Ray
Cinematography does look better than Shin...some of those shots are amazeballs
Totally dying to watch these films. Going to marathon them all when i have a day off
I had to wait ten years to see Gamera 3 and it still blew me away.
Yeah, I agree 100 percent with this video, the godzilla films in the 19's are great eye candies for the eye to watch but the camera trilogy blows it out of the water in story telling and visual effects
Gamera got that BSE. Big Shell Energy.
This video sent me down a path which ended in Gamera being my absolute favorite.
I always loved the detail and work that went into the miniature sets of earlier Godzilla and Gamera films!!
After the existing of Godzilla: King of The Monsters and Kong Skull Island, I think it's a bout time Gamera makes a comeback
The suitmation & scale miniatures in that series were so damn good!
I can feel your excitement on those films.
I really hope the new Godzilla movie turn out good.
That 90's Gamera trilogy was fantastic! Hopefully he makes a comeback soon.
Outstanding essay! Your success is measured in the increased desire by the viewer to go rewatch the discussed movies, which by that measurement, you certainly succeeded!
After Godzilla vs Kong, we need Gamera in the Monsterverse.
Now I know what I'm going to binge on tonight
As much as I love Godzilla, his films do not compare with the Gamera Trilogy.
I mean I would put 54, 84, Vs Destoroyah and GMK up against this trilogy any day. To me those films hold a lot of weight. Especially 54 and Destoroyah
Perhaps. there definitely some gems in G's history. But Gamera's 90's trilogy are pitch perfect.
Yep, That gamera Trilogy was, THE Best of the Best.
It's never better than gojira 1954
@@bamanadarajan5473 if you mean hesie then those 3 movies did outclass some hesie movies maybe all of them probably not thinking of it as a whole but the 3rd movie had great cgi almost perfect fight scenes and right when you think its over theres a stunning cliffhanger.
Great work on the video! I've been meaning to get into this Gamera trilogy, as I only recently got around to watching Gamera(the older films). The tone, and impressive artistry on display in these movies, are so fascinating, I should never have waited this long.
I know it would perhaps be off-brand...but the OTHER time Gamera smoked Godzilla was in the Box Set Department. It would be a different but very cool video essay to compare and contrast the Arrow Set with the Criterion Set. In a video essay style and not just an unboxing commentary style.
Revenge of Iris has the best ending of any kaiju film, hands down.
Honestly I prefer Godzilla than Gamera to be honest
Godzilla for me he is the top 1 and Gamera The Top 2.
what a surprise
You sound pretty honest
It helps that this was limited to a trilogy, but this is one of the few sets of kaiju type movies that started at a very high quality and got better. I rewatch Guardian of the Universe due to the score and the great awesome moments it gives Gamera.
Fun fact: The director of the Gamera Trilogy also made Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidora: Giant Monsters, All Out Attack. The best film in the Millennium era, and arguably the second best Godzilla film of all time.
Yes, and consequently, that is my second favourite Godzilla film to date. If only Godzilla's suit was a better fit for the actor inside.
I would LOVE for a new Gamera movie.
Great job. Thanks for sharing
I grew up watching 'monster movies' on Saturday afternoon tv. Gamera has always been my favorite kaiju, followed by Rodan.
Oh my god now I'm super stoked for maybe a Gamerra movie in the future, Legion and Iris would look goddamn BADASS with modern cgi...
Well then, now I HAVE to watch these. People more into kaiju than me have brought up Gamera multiple times and now I know why it's so beloved.
Gamera films were definitely more destructive and violent too than the Godzilla films. I actually like Godzilla more but, it’s also good to have options that are not carbon copy of another series.
damn, I didn't know there were scenes in Gamera 3 in the Philippines.
PS
the old woman bashing a monster carcass is legendary Lillia CIntapay, AKA the "aswang" icon. RIP
The success is mostly because Shusuke Kaneko is probably one of the best directors in Japanese cinema. He made Gamera into a great trilogy. The one movie he directed for the Godzilla franchise is probably the best Godzilla movie after the original one.
Can't wait to see Gamera Trilogy next weekend!!!
these were the scariest movies to watch as a kid, after having seen most of the showa gojiras. That is to say they were really great!
Thanks for this video essay, I liked it a lot. These films and this director are worthy of so much more attention
Instead of rebooting Gamera again they just need to make Gamera 4 happen.
Agreed as he's unfinished with gyaos and they need to complete it with the ending of iris🤘
Nope disagree. I think the trilogy ended perfectly as it is. It leaves an ambiguous view what happens next. Does Gamera win? Does he fall? I like to keep it that way. To me Gamera won but dies afterward with his sacrifice being what it took to convince humanity to become a better species and take better care of the earth honoring him with a worldwide funeral leading to a better future for both humanity and the earth.
@@michaelmenei5403 Yeah but considering the reboot we got last time......
@@moolate127 I happened to enjoy it actually. A worthy and worthwhile film at least IMO.
@@michaelmenei5403 To each their own
6:19 That is seriously one of my faivorite shots I really get the feeling of how BIG Gamera is. Thanks to you I want to go check this out!
I have always loved the Gojira/Gamera tokusatsu movies. I also loved the giant robots kaiju movies such as Jonny Sokko and His Flying Robot, which I can remember from childhood, or the Flying Robot Red Baron, filmed when I was a teenager but I'd only discovered in my 40's. I also loved the animated AstroBoy and Gigantor. I love it all.
Heisei Gamera was so great. They did an amazing job
I still prefer the Godzilla era of that time but mainly because I find destroyah better than the gamera villains but the gamera movies shocked me on how good they were
Iris is a better antagonist than Destoroyah IMHO. The movie’s theme about revenge is perfectly incapsulated in him. It isn’t just any monster: it’s personal.
Fun part of watching the trilogy back to back, you can tell how much budget increase they received with each installation.
3:55 That scene was shot in open air set to get the real sunset on film. They formed special anti-bug squad armed with bug spray to get rid of any bugs that wonders in front of camera.
Explosions used gunpowder and petroleum, no magnesium were used to create sparkles.
In the world where the film takes place, there is NO turtle. That's why nobody says "It's a giant turtle!" according to the director.
Late, but thank you for calling out Godzilla's stinginess with showing monsters or even providing much info about them. Every time something was about to happen, the film jumped to a new scene.
The image of Gamera absorbing the prayers of Japan to rebuild his severed arm is burned into my memory. Great stuff.
this scene doesn't exist
The Gamera suit used in Gamera 3 is so good that it's a crime it didn't get to be used in more than one film.
I bought the trilogy on Blu-Ray about 6 years ago for something like $7.50, expecting to get a good laugh out of it. However, these have ended up being my favorite kaiju films. The way the eyes move on Gyaos definitely still cracks me up a bit, but it’s an otherwise great movie. The second film is definitely my favorite, but overall it’s a really even trilogy with each film having its own strengths and weaknesses. Great video as always! Hopefully more people can experience these great films!
Always take your time and create quality contents like this one even more. I can wait (:
I REMEMBER THOSE MOVIES!!!
I loved Gamera as a kid, but no one I knew (I live in an unincorporated village in California, United States) had even heard of Gamera. When I told them how awesome it was people looked at me like a crazy person, or an interdimensional traveler where Godzilla doesn't exist in my home universe.
I was however terrified by these movies(especially the 2nd one) and didn't watch them very many times but the first one was honestly one of the best Kaiju movies I have ever seen
One thing that really stuck with me about the Heisei Gamera trilogy was how crazy good the soundtracks were. I'm certainly no musical expert, but almost every track sets a very distinct, memorable mood, and going from the first to the last in order, you can really hear the themes evolve as does the overarching story. Like, the main theme of "Guardian of the Universe" alone should let you know that you're in for something special.
"Watching it grows, viewer can feel this oppressive inevitability"
>young schoolgirl in front of a tentacle monster
..mmhmh, yep, yes i can see which inevitability
I dug these old bad boys out and rewatched them because of you!
They're so good! Dammit... They did so much with so... well they had a lot to work with, but damn imagine if they had Legendary money.
This is a very well-made video about a series I was not at all familiar with. Excellent job!
My favorite scene in GAMERA 3 was the aerial battle above the clouds
I love the sountracks for this trilogy.
The 90s gamera looks like the millennium era Godzilla. Mainly because of the special FX
I was just thinking that
I wouldn’t say it’s better than the Heisei Godzilla series but more the great majority of other Godzilla films and of corse previous gamera films.
I might have grew up on Showa Godzilla but these films are honestly great
This trilogy was great, really hope we get more Gamera now that Kaiju are popular
The only reason the Gamora series was messed up is because they abandoned the ending of Gamera three and in my honest opinion they need to continue that franchise instead of on a cliffhanger and cool things about cliffhangers is you could always go back to them
Godzilla had his own cheesey movies let's not forget the time he did a flying tail kick or when he used his atomic breath to fly
I know about Gamera at the same time as I know Godzilla. But I hadn't seen a single Gamera film in my childhood, just Godzilla and Mothra for Kaijuu; maybe it's a market issue? Fortunately, this essay convinced me to start watching the Gamera trilogy.
I've been a Kaiju fan since 1972 (I was 7) and sort of grew up with Godzilla and gamers films on American TV. These Gamera films of the 90's were solely responsible for rekindling my love of affair for Kaiju movies.
the gamera trilogy are the only gamera films I rewatch from the franchise, they truly brought the best of godzilla's daikaiju rival.
Yep every other gamera movie sucks
Gamera movies have so much feeling that its cheese becomes endearing, tho it's a very hard to duplicate/mantain formula... I understand why its so hard to get films like that done...
I was surprised how good the movie's were back in the 90's
Just finished Gamera Trilogy and I gotta say I love them
I saw every camera n godzilla films. Every one of them. Camera is as good if not better. I hope they will make a new one soon.
I agreed on your point of practical effect beauty, whenever I watch older super sentai series always felt an awe that it felt real eventough no CGI present
Dude this is an outstanding video. I grew up loving Gamera as a kid and you really know what you're talking about. They are better films, and now I understand why they made such a deep impression on us as youngsters.
Great video once again! Do you have any plans on covering anymore tokusatsu related shows/movies or are you sticking to movies released in cinema only?
What gamera had over godzilla before it definitely doesn’t have it anymore after legendary pictures took over
Ummmm, yeah gonna watch all three of these now.
Hey, thanks, stopped the video half way through and ordered the trilogy.
I grew up in the 60s/70s watching Japanese monster - the term kaiju was unknown to us back then - movies at our local theatre in the northernest north of Germany. Mostly Godzilla, of course, Mothra, yes, and some other creatures that weren't that good, to be honest. So, building on this experience as an adult I've continued to watch a bunch of the new Godzilla movies of the last, say, twenty years, but Gamera I don't even remember noticing. Well, until today, thanks again.
Gamera guardian of the universe is one of the best movies ever to me.
im glad they didnt make a 4th Gamera, the ending of Iris hits so hard and ties well into the themes. way better than a simple ending where everything is resolved in an easily digestable manner, seen that a thousand times