"Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" grabbed plenty of attention in the US, even if it went directly to video. Highly respected major film critic Roger Ebert gave it a nod (and thumbs up) on his weekly show. In Japan it played even better. Daiei studios revived monster makes his second awesome appearance (in what would become a trilogy) in "Gamera 2: Attack of Legion."
Strange atmospheric events in Japan have the scientific community baffled after a meteor crashes into the Earth's crust. It is soon discovered that small, crab-like creatures have been slowly devouring specific things like glass, electronic equipment, and fiber optic cable. Gamera senses danger after these "Legion" plant seeds that would make the atmosphere more livable for themselves. Little does anyone know that the real threat is will soon be revealed.
This is, almost without question, an odd film to judge. No, it has nothing to do with the subject matter (even if that may matter to some close-minded people). It's that for the most part, it's not really a giant monster movie at all. Most of the film is made up of either the human characters discussing what they're dealing with or the smaller form of the Legion.
It's still quite gripping, with well-conceived scenes of tension. The eerie design of the creatures, with a single eyeball and plenty of razor-sharp legs, only makes things even more frightening. Aside from the fact these creatures come from space, their purpose is unique, interesting, and makes those occasionally drawn out character scenes go by a bit quicker.
Of course, you have to know it's all building to something. Once Gamera finally meets his foe(s), you're treated to the most visually stunning sequences this genre has ever scene. The sight of the smaller Legion attaching themselves to Gamera (save for a deplorable CG shot that should have been cut) is a masterpiece. The miniatures and pyrotechnic work is easily on par (in some cases better than) with the original giving the film a sense of realism you normally wouldn't associate with the genre.
Issues do arise, some which keep the film in line with the original (that's not necessarily a bad thing), just barely missing the opportunity to eclipse it. All that time spent with the human characters seems wasted. You never really know much about them, and one of the main stars, Ayako Fujitani, doesn't even come into play until 40-minutes in the movie. The ending also seems awfully contrived, almost like the writers had not other way to finish it. It goes unexplained, falling victim to the rule of thumb that if you can believe in a giant fire-breathing flying turtle, you can accept everything else they throw out there.
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