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Editorial Reviews
Freed from the Z Plan capsule, Gamera attacks a dam upon his return to Earth. Meanwhile, a private expedition to retrieve a rare opal in New Guinea unwittingly unleashes the malevolent Barugon. Virtually unstoppable and able to freeze anything in its path, the monstrous lizard turns modern cities into glaciers until Gamera arrives to challenge the marauder! But even the fire-spitting terrapin becomes trapped in the creatures frozen grip. Can one of the explorers, Keisuke Hirata (Kojiro Hongo, Satans Sword), and a New Guinea native, Karen (Kyoko Enami, The Woman Gambler), help to defeat Barugon before it plunges Japan into a new Ice Age?
Gamera Vs. Barugon, the second entry in Daiei Studios monster series, was directed by veteran Shigeo Tanaka (The Great Wall) and is more lavish than the original in terms of scale and scope it was shot in spectacular color! Noriaki Yuasa (Gamera, The Giant Monster) was charged with helming the visual effects for this outing, and the results are fantastic. For the first time, Shout! Factory presents Gamera Vs. Barugon in an all-new HD anamorphic widescreen transfer, both in Japanese with English subtitles and English audio.
Bonus Features:
* Audio Commentary With August Ragone And Jason Varney
* Publicity Galleries
* Original Movie Program
NOTE:Please turn off the commentary in the bonus features, to access the subtitles option on the DVD player & select the preferred language subtitle.
Gamera Vs. Barugon, the second entry in Daiei Studios monster series, was directed by veteran Shigeo Tanaka (The Great Wall) and is more lavish than the original in terms of scale and scope it was shot in spectacular color! Noriaki Yuasa (Gamera, The Giant Monster) was charged with helming the visual effects for this outing, and the results are fantastic. For the first time, Shout! Factory presents Gamera Vs. Barugon in an all-new HD anamorphic widescreen transfer, both in Japanese with English subtitles and English audio.
Bonus Features:
* Audio Commentary With August Ragone And Jason Varney
* Publicity Galleries
* Original Movie Program
NOTE:Please turn off the commentary in the bonus features, to access the subtitles option on the DVD player & select the preferred language subtitle.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Rainey
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Shout! Factory releases of the Gamera series are easily among the best--if not the best--of any daikaiju films in the United States. They're reasonably priced, present beautiful, widescreen prints of the original Japanese versions of the movies, and offer several extras--including booklets in the package with additional info on the films, in this case a retrospective of his involvement with Gamera vs. Barugon by star Kojiro Hongo. Furthermore, the upcoming Gamera releases are double features--Gamera vs. Gyaos/Gamera vs. Viras and Gamera vs. Guiron/Gamera vs. Jiger. This release of Gamera vs. Barugon also offers an insightful commentary by August Ragone and Jason Varney.
Originally presented as a TV release, titled War of the Monsters, by AIP-TV in 1967, Gamera vs. Barugon is arguably the best of the Showa-era (1965-1970) Gamera films. With a far more mature plot than the rest of the series, superior special effects, and a fine musical score by Chuji Kinoshita, the movie offers a lot more for daikaiju fans than fodder for MST3K, which certainly can't be said of most of the Gamera series.
The film opens with a flashback to the original Gamera and his voyage into space via Plan Z. But as the story proper begins, the rocket crashes into a meteor, and Gamera returns to Earth, initially attacking Kurobe Dam in Japan to satiate his craving for energy. Next, we meet a rather shady group of adventurers, who are plotting an expedition to New Guinea, to recover a giant opal that their leader, Ichiro Hirata (Akira Natsuki), found during World War II and hid in a cave. Three of them--Hirata's younger brother Keisuke (Kojiro Hongo), Kawajiri (Yuzo Hayakawa), and Onodera (Kôji Fujiyama)--make the journey, landing in a small village of natives, where they also meet a Japanese doctor named Matushita (Ichiro Sugai) and his assistant, Karen (Kyoko Enami), who implore them to stay away from the cave. Ignoring the warnings, the three find the cave as well as the opal they seek. However, a scorpion kills Kawajiri, and Onodera attempts to kill Keisuke by blowing up the cave. However, Keisuke escapes with his life and is brought to the village, where Karen nurses him back to health. Here, he learns that the opal is not a gem but the egg of the monster Barugon, which will bring great tribulation to Japan.
Keisuke and Karen travel to Japan to find Onodera, who has arrived in Kobe. However, the egg hatches, and the monster Barugon begins a rampage through the city. Its tongue emits a subzero vapor that freezes anything it touches, and it can unleash a lethal "rainbow ray" from its back that disintegrates matter. Gamera, attracted by Barugon's ray, attacks the monster, but Barugon is able to freeze Gamera solid. Karen tells the military that Barugon, being a land monster, is vulnerable to water and can be lured into Lake Biwa using a huge diamond, which will attract it. The effort is almost successful, but Onodera, infuriated by the loss of the "opal," steals the diamond--only to be killed by Barugon as he tries to escape.
Now, the military endeavors to turn Barugon's rainbow ray back on it via a giant parabolic mirror, but the effort only wounds the creature. However, Gamera has now thawed out and once again attacks the monster, finally dragging it into Lake Biwa, destroying it. The big turtle flies away to await a role in his next adventure, and Keisuke ponders how to make amends for his part in so much death and destruction.
Ostensibly the star, Gamera is actually a secondary character, spending most of the movie in frozen stasis. The greater part of the plot is about the massive undertaking to defeat Barugon, which, sadly for the Japanese, just isn't in the cards. In the end, it is up to Gamera to reappear and drag Barugon into the water. Gamera's long absence isn't much of a failing, however; much of Barugon's rampage is visually exciting, the attempts to counter him rather novel. Unfortunately, Barugon itself is not that impressive-looking a creature. While its design is suitably lizard-like, the man-in-suit technique by nature is not conducive to rendering a creature that walks on all fours. At least on occasion, the cinematography overcomes the problem by showing the monster behind rows of buildings or from angles that de-emphasize the body of the actor inside the suit.
Unlike the rest of the Showa Gamera series, including the original 1965 film, little kids play no part in the story, which is really how it ought to be anyway. The protagonist is among the most flawed in daikaiju movie history, and his part in the awry scheme to retrieve his brother's opal results in his suffering visible, almost unbearable guilt. Onodera, as a calculating, greedy, and thoroughly cold-hearted bastard, is a far darker character than most of the cartoon-like antagonists from the majority of that era's daikaiju films. Alas, despite my personal preference for it, the film's serious tone didn't go over quite so well with Japanese audiences--so many of whom were youngsters back in the day--and thus the subsequent Gamera films became more and more juvenile, deservedly earning the ridicule they so often received from western audiences.
I can't say enough good about the Shout! Factory DVD of Gamera vs. Barugon. It's a real treat, and showcases one of the most deserving giant monster movies of the 1960s. Go grab it. Go on.
Originally presented as a TV release, titled War of the Monsters, by AIP-TV in 1967, Gamera vs. Barugon is arguably the best of the Showa-era (1965-1970) Gamera films. With a far more mature plot than the rest of the series, superior special effects, and a fine musical score by Chuji Kinoshita, the movie offers a lot more for daikaiju fans than fodder for MST3K, which certainly can't be said of most of the Gamera series.
The film opens with a flashback to the original Gamera and his voyage into space via Plan Z. But as the story proper begins, the rocket crashes into a meteor, and Gamera returns to Earth, initially attacking Kurobe Dam in Japan to satiate his craving for energy. Next, we meet a rather shady group of adventurers, who are plotting an expedition to New Guinea, to recover a giant opal that their leader, Ichiro Hirata (Akira Natsuki), found during World War II and hid in a cave. Three of them--Hirata's younger brother Keisuke (Kojiro Hongo), Kawajiri (Yuzo Hayakawa), and Onodera (Kôji Fujiyama)--make the journey, landing in a small village of natives, where they also meet a Japanese doctor named Matushita (Ichiro Sugai) and his assistant, Karen (Kyoko Enami), who implore them to stay away from the cave. Ignoring the warnings, the three find the cave as well as the opal they seek. However, a scorpion kills Kawajiri, and Onodera attempts to kill Keisuke by blowing up the cave. However, Keisuke escapes with his life and is brought to the village, where Karen nurses him back to health. Here, he learns that the opal is not a gem but the egg of the monster Barugon, which will bring great tribulation to Japan.
Keisuke and Karen travel to Japan to find Onodera, who has arrived in Kobe. However, the egg hatches, and the monster Barugon begins a rampage through the city. Its tongue emits a subzero vapor that freezes anything it touches, and it can unleash a lethal "rainbow ray" from its back that disintegrates matter. Gamera, attracted by Barugon's ray, attacks the monster, but Barugon is able to freeze Gamera solid. Karen tells the military that Barugon, being a land monster, is vulnerable to water and can be lured into Lake Biwa using a huge diamond, which will attract it. The effort is almost successful, but Onodera, infuriated by the loss of the "opal," steals the diamond--only to be killed by Barugon as he tries to escape.
Now, the military endeavors to turn Barugon's rainbow ray back on it via a giant parabolic mirror, but the effort only wounds the creature. However, Gamera has now thawed out and once again attacks the monster, finally dragging it into Lake Biwa, destroying it. The big turtle flies away to await a role in his next adventure, and Keisuke ponders how to make amends for his part in so much death and destruction.
Ostensibly the star, Gamera is actually a secondary character, spending most of the movie in frozen stasis. The greater part of the plot is about the massive undertaking to defeat Barugon, which, sadly for the Japanese, just isn't in the cards. In the end, it is up to Gamera to reappear and drag Barugon into the water. Gamera's long absence isn't much of a failing, however; much of Barugon's rampage is visually exciting, the attempts to counter him rather novel. Unfortunately, Barugon itself is not that impressive-looking a creature. While its design is suitably lizard-like, the man-in-suit technique by nature is not conducive to rendering a creature that walks on all fours. At least on occasion, the cinematography overcomes the problem by showing the monster behind rows of buildings or from angles that de-emphasize the body of the actor inside the suit.
Unlike the rest of the Showa Gamera series, including the original 1965 film, little kids play no part in the story, which is really how it ought to be anyway. The protagonist is among the most flawed in daikaiju movie history, and his part in the awry scheme to retrieve his brother's opal results in his suffering visible, almost unbearable guilt. Onodera, as a calculating, greedy, and thoroughly cold-hearted bastard, is a far darker character than most of the cartoon-like antagonists from the majority of that era's daikaiju films. Alas, despite my personal preference for it, the film's serious tone didn't go over quite so well with Japanese audiences--so many of whom were youngsters back in the day--and thus the subsequent Gamera films became more and more juvenile, deservedly earning the ridicule they so often received from western audiences.
I can't say enough good about the Shout! Factory DVD of Gamera vs. Barugon. It's a real treat, and showcases one of the most deserving giant monster movies of the 1960s. Go grab it. Go on.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By D. Steigman
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Gamera vs. Barugon was the sequel to Gamera. This entry, plus Gamera, & Gamera vs. Gaos are considered to be the big 3 of the series. In this film, Gamera escapes from his imprisonment in Outer Space & flies back to Japan, destroys a dam and goes into seclusion. Meanwhile a group of 3 men go to an island to find a missing opal in a get rich quick scheme. To make the long story short, the "opal" turns out to be the egg of which Barugon is born. He grows into monstrous proportions & begins to level Japan. Barugon is a pretty unique creature (as were most in the Gamera Showa series) - a quadruped with a long tongue which freezes things, a rainbow ray from his back and a bad case of overbite. Barugon & Gamera battle each other to the death more than once in this monsterfest. What happens next - watch it and see!
What makes this movie superior to later releases is that this movie has pretty good character development, betrayal & lessons in morality. Obviously get rich quick schemes do not work :)
At this point in the Gamera series, Gamera wasn't really a good guy sort to speak. The fighting with Barugon to me is more of a fight for dominance, just who is the Alpha monster. Gamera wouldn't become 'good' or the friend of children until later in the series.
This movie like most of the Gamera series had 2 distinct English language versions. One is the AIP dubbing, & while the other is what I call the Sandy Frank dubbing which was released on VHS from Celebrity Kids Video. This dubbing contained the water credits & wound up on MST3K TWICE.
The episodes are KTMA Episode K04 + Episode # 304.
As for this DVD release, I am led to believe that this will contain only the Japanese language version which is great to see & hear it how it was intended. Personally Id love to see an English dubbed version which then I would unload the Alpha DVD of this movie(under the title War of the Monsters)
I expect this DVD to have a lot of great supplements including a commentary by August Ragone (who is the Executive Producer for the entire Shout Factory Gamera releases)
I also anticipate a fantastic widescreen transfer as well.
Thanks again to Shout Factory who has really taken a huge step with the Gamera releases, the Roger Corman releases and the MST3K releases.
What makes this movie superior to later releases is that this movie has pretty good character development, betrayal & lessons in morality. Obviously get rich quick schemes do not work :)
At this point in the Gamera series, Gamera wasn't really a good guy sort to speak. The fighting with Barugon to me is more of a fight for dominance, just who is the Alpha monster. Gamera wouldn't become 'good' or the friend of children until later in the series.
This movie like most of the Gamera series had 2 distinct English language versions. One is the AIP dubbing, & while the other is what I call the Sandy Frank dubbing which was released on VHS from Celebrity Kids Video. This dubbing contained the water credits & wound up on MST3K TWICE.
The episodes are KTMA Episode K04 + Episode # 304.
As for this DVD release, I am led to believe that this will contain only the Japanese language version which is great to see & hear it how it was intended. Personally Id love to see an English dubbed version which then I would unload the Alpha DVD of this movie(under the title War of the Monsters)
I expect this DVD to have a lot of great supplements including a commentary by August Ragone (who is the Executive Producer for the entire Shout Factory Gamera releases)
I also anticipate a fantastic widescreen transfer as well.
Thanks again to Shout Factory who has really taken a huge step with the Gamera releases, the Roger Corman releases and the MST3K releases.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is the second instalment of the first Gamera series. It's the follow-up to Daei hit Gamera the invincible (Aka Giant monster Gamera). The first Gamera film was shot as a back up plan after a crashed film project, and with a shoe string budget. In this film the filmmakers had had a much bigger budget to play with, it's also in colour. Gamera is here, as in the first film, bad to the bones, and a friend of no one...
Story; In the end of the first film Gamera was jettisoned into space in a pod, in transit to mars. The pod is however smashed by a huge interstellar rock; Gamera is released! He/she returns immediately to earth! The first thing Gamera does is to smash up a power plant, in search for food/energy, with a disastrous result when a dam collapses.
3 men goes to New guinea, to recover a huge opal another man have hidden in a cave 20 years earlier. They get warned in a local village, that evil spirits live there. They find the opal, however greed grabs one of them, only he returns; One is dead, and the other left in the collapsing cave. However it's no opal...
Exposed to infrared light, it hatches - Barugon is born! Barugon seems to be invincible; The freezing vapour from the tip of his tongue, is a horrific weapon - Even Gamera is defenceless!
However a girl from the village in New guinea, with a fistsize diamond, says she knows a way...
It's a good film, made with a big budget - I liked it very much!
The negative as, in all of the early Gamera films, the monster suits are a bit crude.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
NICE QUAILTY BUT WISH IT HAD INCLUDED THE ENGLISH DUB TOO!
I've been a fan of horror films since I was a wee lad and some of my fondest memories come from watching late night TV Horror Host Dr. Shock. Read more
Published 1 month ago by DR SHOCK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gameraat his best.
The shout company who has reproduced the old Gamera Movies, has produced the best looking version of these flims I have ever seen. My son remarked that they look like HD Quality. Read more
Published 2 months ago by W. Weber
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank-you SHOUT! Factory for bringing us the best Gamera movie in its...
Gamera Vs. Barugon, the second in Daiei's Gamera series, is well-paced, serious-minded and adult (for a giant monster movie), a blast of wild, inventive Japanese giant monster... Read more
Published 3 months ago by THowerton
5.0 out of 5 stars
gamera
this is a fantastic movie a little dark for a kids film but the only problem is that it doesn't have dual audio
Published 4 months ago by Anonimus
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Gamera films of the Showa era and Gamera itself is...
First and foremost, Shout! Factory has done an excellent job with the release of these DVDs and this film has never looked\sounded better! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Lethal G3cko
4.0 out of 5 stars
English please!!!
Don't get me wrong, I dig foreign films but when I want to get my Godzilla/Gamera on, having to read the subtitles and listening to that tinny, yackety Japanese soundtrack while... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Shopaholic1969
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gamera vs Barugon
Following being shot into space at the end of GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER, the colossal chelonian returns to Earth, and he is not happy. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Gman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Go Gamera !!
This is awesome! As a monster movie fan, Godzilla was the one I used to root for, now I have switched sides and must say that Gamera is the number one movie monster for me. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Robert Benjamin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hardly a Gamera movie but the MST3K had fun
After a group of explorers try to retrieve a unique opal, that is until a lizard-like demon dog monster comes out from the ground to attack Japan, Gamera returns after his failed... Read more
Published 19 months ago by John Lindsey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Special guest star: Gamera!
Most of this movie sets up the introduction of (then having to deal with) Barugon. Since Gamera is put on ice for much of the movie, he really only rates a guest star billing. Read more
Published on May 16, 2011 by Einsatz
