Region 2 DVD Review: War of the Monsters - Gamera vs. Barugon (1966) - Page 2

At one point, Gamera tosses Barugon who then defies physics by bouncing off the surface of the water before taking the plunge. The Gamera suit, slightly modified to give the creature an angular, sharper, and fierce look, is still too immobile to work properly.

That's hardly worthy of complaining about though, especially given where the series would end up. This is definitely a high point for the early set of Gamera features, right up there with the follow up, Gamera vs. Gaos. These two films are the only argument a fan can make for enjoying this initial set of films. The rest ended up as meager, stock-footage-filled children's affairs. The extra cash, solid writing, and wild monsters make this entry thoroughly enjoyable for Japanese monster fans.

On this DVD, you'll find what is easily the greatest looking print of this film ever seen. It's hard to imagine the original theatrical release looking like this. There isn't a single speck, scratch, or spot to be found. The anamorphic transfer to DVD showcases vibrant and brilliant color, an incredible step up from the trashed and faded American prints that look nearly black & white. It's an entirely new movie when viewing it like this. The only flaw is an acceptable level of film grain.

While disappointingly not updated in the sound department, this 2.0 mono effort is fine. It has some distortion when the action picks up or the soundtrack hits a high note. It's hardly excessive, and well controlled.

Special effects director Noriaki Yuasa passed away in 2004, but these discs managed to grab a short interview with him before his death. It's sadly lacking in subtitles, which is odd because this is a rare region 2 DVD kaiju film with English subtitles included on the film itself.

It's notable that this film came out in 1966. This was a year after rival studio Toho released Frankenstein vs. Baragon. The names of the monsters could hardly be a coincidence.

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Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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