Customer Reviews

Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris

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Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera III has all the best ingredients that make a great kaiju movie. This movie shows how it's supposed to be done. Having seen more than 25 Toho films (Godzilla series, Mothra series, etc), all the King Kong films, a few giant monster spin-offs made from all over the globe, not to mention the horrid 1998 American Godzilla and many other disaster movies, this one takes the cake. Gamera III outdoes them all with a solid, earthly story complete with humanity and heart. Also, the use of special effects is absolutely fabulous; they do not take over the film like the excessive CGI used in Hollywood. I must say that Gamera III has some of most exhilarating monster fights ever put to the screen.

Gamera III is a direct sequel to the first film in the trilogy, Guardian of the Universe. A girl lost her parents during Gamera's final battle with the last Gyaos, and garners a hatred for Gamera. She enounters a tentacle creature whom she names Iris, and it is eventually nurtured to become the monster who faces off with Gamera. What was striking about this movie was how surreal and poetic it was. The story flows brilliantly and sensibly, as the roles of human and monster come together so good. Gamera III is a movie all about personality, something that many monster movies lack. The human characters are wonderfully integrated in the story without their roles becoming too cheesy. Also, Gamera and Iris are enigmatic monsters with true character. They are not mindless, menacing beasts whose purpose is to execute showtime destruction.

Speaking of destruction, Gamera III's fight sequences are some of the best you'll ever see. The special effects are such a huge improvement over the first two Gamera films in the trilogy. They also shame anything attempted by any Godzilla movie of recent times, even Shusuke's own GMK. Adding to the special effects is the showing of the human side of the fights. The battle in Shibuya is one to mention. I was in awe of such a brilliantly staged battle, and also how the film showed the human suffering coinciding with the destruction. Most monster movies sacrifice too much of one side for the other. Gamera III does not.

And finally, one thing that carries this film (and the rest of the series) was the character of Gamera himself. How can the population care so much for such a destructive monster? Does he do good or bad to the people? What constitutes which? After watching Shusuke's Gamera trilogy, you realize how much more personality Gamera has than Godzilla.

Gamera III is such a special movie for its genre. Along with the first two films in the trilogy, it shows that the kaiju genre is here to stay. It ranks up with the best of Godzilla such as Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, perhaps even surpassing them. This is a true kaiju treasure.

The first thing that struck me seeing this movie was how real it felt. It was the first monster movie I saw that treated the idea of monsters fighting in a city seriously; these aren't empty models they are destroying, they are real buildings with real people inside. Or so it seems. And then the public reaction is perfect! It is something probably lost on most American viewers, but all of the newscasters you see in this film are real newscasters. "The Wide" is an actual news show in Japan. The "man on the street" interviews are just like you would see on a show like "The Wide".

I lived both near Kyoto and in Tokyo for a few years, and the reality in which these cities were brought to the screen (and subsequently destroyed) was amazing. And the air battle between Gamera and Iris is dynamic and incredible. For some the movie may lack in quantity of monster battles (although I think it makes up with quality), and for others the movie's story and premise may be silly. But I liked it, and I think if you like monster movies at all, you probably will, too.

Before getting into this, a warning: It is absolutely necessary to see the first two Gamera movies in the new trilogy before seeing the third and (apparently) final one. Not to say that the third isn't enjoyable without them, but most of what's being discussed will not be understood.

With that out of the way, I can safely say that Gamera 3 is the best kaiju film to date. The idea would seem ridiculous years ago, but today it is true: Gamera has triumphed over Godzilla. The only Godzilla movie to have neared this one in magnitude is GMK, and they share the same director.

The story begins with sightings of the Gyaos, the giant monsters from the first movie, and their apparent eating habits. Cutting to an undersea research team, they've discovered an enormous sea bed littered with skeletons that resemble Gamera. Elsewhere, a teenage girl named Ayana broods hatred for Gamera, as he accidentally killed her family during the first Gyaos attack. She hates her life and wants revenge. When she goes on a dare from her schoolmates, she finds a strange egg, and a possible way to fulfill her desires.

This installment is not as battle-heavy as the last two, but the amazing quality and execution of the battles more than makes up for it. Ayana's parents aren't the only people accidentally killed: During the first battle of the movie, Gamera's fireballs spray everyway, with the death toll being estimated between 15-20 thousand people.

The movie is more centered on drama than fighting, though the kaiju are present constantly, both in appearance and mentioning. There are news reports of the Gyaos fighting Gamera all over the world and the new monster, Iris, is heavily involved with Ayana. The movie can be very talky at times, but it's not hard to understand if the previous films have been seen.

Iris is a very interesting monster. Physically, it's supposed to be a modern rendition of a phoenix, except it's more squid than bird... and even then, it doesn't fit. It's a very alien creature. It's impact on the plot is also interesting. It forms a symbiotic relationship with Ayana, requiring her care to survive and grow, and then depending on her for a nerve fusion, where it could evolve into a stranger lifeform. The premise is almost a twist on the old monster-human relationship from the earlier Gamera movies. These Gamera movies succeed in something that Godzilla has yet to do: the human involvement in the movie works well.

As it stands, this seems to be the last new Gamera movie (officially, that is), and there could be no more fitting of an end to the series. It has everything a kaiju fan could ask for and more. In fact, this is one of the very few in the genre that can actually ascend to the ranks of being a truly good film. I cannot reccomend it enough.

I'm a hard boiled Godzilla fan who couldn't stand the VHS dubbed Gamera: Gaurdian of the Universe, but I wanted to give the original Japanese audio a shot, so I bought the whole DVD trilogy. Gamera III: The Awakening of Iris is a Kaiju film beyond compare. Screenwriter Kazunori Ito does for kaiju cinema what he did for anime with his adaption of "Ghost in the Shell." And Director Shusuke Kaneko composes an elegant master's thesis of a film. This movie rises above other films in general with its themes of heroism, sense of duty, anger and hate, and courage to fight when no one else can or will. The film is constantly haunted with the question of whether or not Gamera is really a hero, after seeing his destructive, life taking battle in Shibuya. This Gamera is a darker, battle weary reptile rather than the campy cult hero that is "friend to all children." Many kaiju fans complain there is too little monster action in the movie, and it is true that the monster fights are few and far between, but the fights impacts are meant to be more than just food for the action hungry. The brawls while short are perfect and brutal and clever in every way, and they are most importantly stunning. Gamera doesn't have lines to convey his feelings and thoughts, he has action scenes, he has movement, he has decisions that show his real character. This movie is very adult, it is heavy and philisophical, and very articulate. I am faulted when watching kaiju films because I always want a grand finale, a Death Star blowing up if you will, but even though Gamera's climactic duel was not the drawn out slug fest I had hoped for, it blew me away. Gamera III ends on a haunting and humbling note that reminds us all that sometimes it takes a monster to show us the more venerable qualities of humanity.

~ Bo Bradshaw

Gamera III, directed by Shusuke Kaneko and visual effects by Shinji Higuchi. Gamera III set the high watermark for visual effects in Japanese cinema. With a budget of only 7,000,000 Dollars, they managed to create fantastic action sequences that are orchestrated flawlessly. Some of the SFX are better than the American Version of Godzilla (1998). The movie has this epic tone that makes it seem more than just a monster movie flick. I have seen this movie countless times and I never seem to get tired of it. I recommend this to anyone, not just fans of Gamera or Godzilla. You will not be disappointed. If you are disappointed, I recommend seeking some mental help.

This is a meaner, nastier and darker Gamera. His appearance has changed some from the first two movies in the trilogy, with a smaller, meaner looking head. His fire breath is much better then the previous movies. There's no question his attitude has changed.
The story was reasonable, and the SFX were very good for a rubber suite movie-definitely better than Godzilla 2000. The fight with Gyaos in Shibuya (scene 7) is probably my favorite Kaiju battle of all time, and well worth the price of admission. I thought the final battle was somewhat anticlimactic though. Despite that minor gripe, this is the best of the three 90's gamera film.
As for the disc itself, the picture was good, as was the sound, but the extras seriously lacked anything of interest.

This, without a doubt, is a masterpeice of, not just the giant monster genre, but films in general. Gamera started back in the 60s with more horrible FX and worse storylines than the infamous later movies of the Showa Godzilla series. However, in 1995, Gamera was resurrected as his main competition died out (seemingly) in "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah." The Heisei Gamera trilogy was a fine example of how good japanese monster movies could be if time and initiative are put into them. This film is the best of the trilogy, and shows just how great it is to be able to enjoy kaiju. The SFX are nearly flawless, and even the monster suits portray believable movements, showing that suitmation isn't as terrible as it is so claimed to be. The story of this film makes sense, and one can actually care for the actors. It's a shame that the Shinsei Godzilla series (99-03) didn't take an example from this film. "Godzilla 2000," the reintroduction of the Godzilla series while Gamera was ending, was a major disappointment compared to this film. If you are unsure about the giant monster genre, watch the Gamera trilogy (in order preferably, or else some parts of G3 won't make since) before looking at the Godzilla and Showa Gamera movies (but don't expect anything better unless you are watching the original uncut Japanese 1954 version of "Godzilla").

This movie is absolutely mind-blowing in so many ways. It wasn't until I watched the interview with the film's special effects director (I apologize for forgetting his name) that I developed my deepest love for Gamera 3. The cinematography is haunting, the special effects are incredible (and believable), and the story is fascinating. At the ripe old age of thirty, I have re-entered the world of having nightmares from watching a movie....and that's a great thing. I just can't stress enough how much I LOVE this film and the other two recent Gamera movies.

After rising the visual bar with Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, director Shusuke Kaneko surpasses himself with the third, and reportedly final, Gamera movie, Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris. A young girl loses her family during the first movie when, in the midst of battle, Gamera slams into their building and crushes them. Filled with anger and a lust for revenge, the girl uncovers a new monster she hopes to unleash on the world's so called 'guardian'. One of the most impressive things about Gamera 3 is how it shows the horrible fates of the poor humans caught in the middle of the monster battles. The effects are stunning, the story solid and well mounted enough to deserve a theatrical release in America. Since foreign genre movies are usually mocked and ridiculed, it is no surprise that Gamera 3 went direct to DVD. Pity, for this would have looked impressive on the big screen. Kaneko is truly the Honda of today, every kaiju movie he has made has been an intelligently handled genre film, and Gamera 3 is the best of them. No fan of Japanese cinema should be without it. Highest recommendation.

I loved Gamera 3! First, we get a new foe named Iris, and Gamera gets a new look, but this time, it's really, really serious! The battles were great and the Sound FX were wonderful! A girl named Ayana wants to get revenge on Gamera, because she thinks Gamera was responsible for the death of her family. She finds an egg, and it hatches into an Iris. That's right, IRIS!!! Iris is a monster who tried to conquer earth many years ago, but he was sealed and trapped into a... a... well I forgot. Meanwhile, even though she lost the jewel, Asagi still worries about Gamera, because a powerful foe, more powerful than Legion, is unleashed. This is because of the Gyaos. That's right, Gyaos returns, because Gamera used the ultimate attack called the mana beam to wipe out the Legion. However, the blast sends more Gyaos three years later. Fast-forward to the climax where a full-grown Iris goes face to face with our hero, Gamera: The Absolute Guardian of the Universe (One of the alternate titles)!!! Who will win in this awsome battle?!?! ADV did a great job with this movie. This DVD is, probably, the best kaiju DVD ever! Great dubbing, wonderful extras, and great SPX and pictrue quality, this DVD is a winner. I would've given it 10 stars, but oh well! If you're a kaiju fan, GET THIS MOVIE NOW!!! AWSOME JOB GAMERA!!! AND GREAT JOB ADV FOR GIVING US THE BEST TRILOGY AND THE BEST KAIJU FILMS IN AMERICA!!!

*Warning for parents*: This movie contains a lot of blood and gore and intense destruction scenes. This film is rated 12+. All of those stuff could cause children to have nightmares. If a child wants to see this film, you MUST watch it with them. Thank You!