It's displeasing to watch the recent coverage of the 1990's Gamera films. Rarely content to uphold it as excellent in and of itself, people nowadays act obligated to explicitly posit Shusuke Kaneko's trilogy as the triumphant, superior answer to the Hesei series of Godzilla films. While hardly a new comparison, pushing a measly franchise rivalry more than 20 years after the fact comes across as a haughty challenge while offering little of consequence. Yet, people continually include this context on the basis of the Gamera films representing the gold standard of the genre, and as the matter has become increasingly lopsided a certain degree of leveling is in order.
That's not to say I don't like these movies. During my foray into film criticism I was very open to the possibility of them being as excellent as their reputations indicated. All three are ambitious monster flicks with a number of noteworthy qualities. But these attributes opened them up to their own failings, and that began with "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe".
I remain nonplussed by the plaudits heaped upon the writing and storytelling, as these are precisely the areas in which the film stumbles most. Following a too brisk set-up that culminates in Gamera's advancement on the domed stadium (an impressive sequence and the film's high point), the narrative continues as an inelegant series of developments that is inconducive to momentum. There's a mechanical feel to the bulk of the film, as if it's bluntly telling the audience "look at this, now that" rather than drawing us in properly. Resultingly, many important moments or chapters, such as the first appearance of the Gyaos and the military operation at the aforementioned stadium, aren't afforded the weight they need; they just happen. More scenes in the vein of the investigation atop the atoll might have been beneficial.
One thing that really disappointed me on my initial viewing of "Guardian of the Universe" was the mythology. While reinventing Gamera as a creature specifically created to oppose the Gyaos was an inspired decision, his heroic status isn't treated with much weight and his connection with Asagi (who is mystifyingly unperturbed by what is happening to her) never develops beyond an outline. No less perfunctory is the "discovery" of the monsters' origins, dully delivered through minor research and a more than fair amount of speculation. Without the aid of some visual representation, such as flashbacks or a prologue, the dramatic impact of the characters' conclusions is limited. What we get instead is a connection to mankind's negative impact on the environment that is simultaneously underdeveloped and heavy-handed. And that brings me to the issue with screenwriter Kazunori Ito's approach to this trilogy: Ito is so preoccupied with inserting any concept that distinguishes his take on the genre that he often forgets to do anything significant with it. It's an irksome habit, especially in the case of verisimilitude, and lends the film a slight air of speciousness.
Deservedly praised, on the other hand, is the film's technical aptitude. During its initial release, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" set itself apart in its convincing presentation of monster scenes, with nearly every technique available applied to create the illusion of size, the most significant contributions coming from the camerawork and miniatures. The latter have aged extraordinarily well and serve as a true testament to the craft, especially in a dark setting. "Guardian of the Universe" is also notable for being the first member of the genre to make extensive use of relatively new CGI effects. The results are mixed, ranging from the embarrassing bombs to Gamera's exquisitely animated plasma shots, although it's ironic that the best flying scene (Gamera's take-off at the domed stadium) was done on a computer; the flying scenes done with practical effects look primitive. Enhancing all of this is the sound work. Whether it's the distinct footfalls of Gamera, the military assaults, or the collapsing buildings, the auditory experience is immersive. Even Gamera's roar, which could have been irritating, is given just the right pitch and resonating effect to sound natural. Such investment in sound effects is something the modern era of Godzilla films should take note of. The one blotch is the crunching sound that accompanies the Gyaos' eating; around the third time this happens it becomes more obnoxious than unsettling.
The battle between Gamera and Super Gyaos, an intended climactic struggle between equals, is strangely out of key with the rest of the movie's action. It's not a bad fight, but this dissonance in style (it feels more like something out of a bigger budget Ultraman episode), combined with the fast pacing, always leaves me feeling as if it hardly happened at all. Kaneko's handling of this type of sequence was unsure at this point in his career, with a prioritization of dynamism over engagement. It's telling that during the ground phase an inordinate amount of time is spent on snarling, charging, and building smashing, while the actual fighting is largely reduced to bouts of awkward shoving. And when things move to an incredibly jarring flight into the stratosphere, Kaneko's objectives run away with him. Only at the oil refinery is solid ground reached, and by then the affair is almost over.
Then there's the matter of the villain. Super Gyaos isn't an effective lone opponent because, aside from a disappointingly straightforward transformation, the rest of the film makes no effort to set this one apart from the others. It isn't shown to be exceptionally ferocious, the dominant member, or the "queen"; it just happens to survive longer. Its positioning as the final opponent is just as mechanical as the story, which diminishes the rivalry between the two combatants. Thankfully, learning is evident, and these drawbacks were largely remedied in the two sequels.
For me, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" remains entertaining, but curiously standard. While the production values are outstanding, the movie fails to achieve escape velocity in virtually every other facet.
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