Next up is Ganime, a giant crab. (Who comes up with these names?) It gets to fight with Kameba, the giant rock turtle in the spectacular finale, shot on a wonderfully intricate volcano studio set.
My main complaint about the film is that Gezora (the squid) never tangles with either the crab or the rock turtle. I was disappointed the first time I saw Space Amoeba for this very reason. Subsequently, I revisited my old books and discovered publicity stills that feature all three monsters fighting with each other. I'd been suckered by the publicity - the scene doesn't appear in the film. But re-watching the film has kindled new joys.
Yes, the monsters are all men in suits, but what fantastic suits. The movements in Ganime's face rival Predator's ugly mug. Kameba the turtle looks great, again with a convincingly articulated face, and with the fact that he's a man on all fours cleverly hidden.
Did I mention the mechanical bats? These creatures are obviously operated by 'old school' wirework - way before we could summon up CGI bats. But they're very good for what they are. Indeed 'bats on wires' deserve a movie sub-genre of their own. One which I'm currently nostalgic for...
Space Amoeba is an undemanding monster movie that moves the fun swiftly along, with plenty of action, and a better storyline than most. However, when Akira Kubo summarises the plot during the closing scene, even the scriptwriters know how ridiculous it sounds.
Article comments
1 - Chris williams
Space Amoeba is no longer just a science fiction movie. It is science fact.