GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION (1996)
Tagline: Summer '96 Japan Falls!
(Kaiju, Everything is on fire, Sci-fi) [PG-13]
Note – No rating was given to this movie. I decided on a PG-13 because we get both human and kaiju blood as well as some profanity and brief nudity. My rating is merely given for reference.
Don’t you think I have more important things to do than screw with you?
In this one, a meteor lands in Japan, and inside it were apparently a bunch of freakin giant insects that just love subways and communications equipment. The defense forces in Japan quickly name it “Legion” and it’s attempting to spawn enough insects or bugs to take over the planet. There is also something about the earth ending up with too much oxygen in the process, but that isn’t important right now. Will the Japanese defense forces and Gamera be able to team up in time to save the world? Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention Gamera is in this Gamera movie and he is not having any of this!
The action and creature designs are bumped up from the previous installment. This is another man in a suit design, but it’s over the freakin top and even has a chest piece that launches hundreds of giant Cyclops bugs at one time. The giant Cyclops bugs can shatter glass and splatter people into mush in seconds without touching them. I am guessing this didn’t work on Gamera because the attacks on him are all physical or via an electrical charge. In fact, the original attack on Gamera was likely where TOHO got their idea for the attack on Godzilla in GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS which came out 4 years later.
GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION is a serious film dealing with a kaiju with the power to take over the world, but some of the dialog is pretty funny whether intended or not.
Tidbit – this is the first Gamera movie that I am aware of that directly quotes the Bible.
I think this is the first Gamera movie where the kaiju he is fighting is much larger than he is. Legion is probably 3 times Gamera’s size and on top of everything else has whip-like rays that can actually damage Gamera but also hold him in place at the same time. I mean this damn thing is just nuts. This movie also introduces a power that Gamera has that we haven’t seen before which is probably why when people talk about if Godzilla ever fought Gamera, that Gamera would win. Before you get pissed, watch this movie it’s out of freakin control. I did like that they brought the character that connects to Gamera (Asagi Kusanagi) played by Ayako Fujitani back for this film and we also get strong performances in this all around.
This is another wildly successful effort on the part of Daiei Studios and director Shûsuke Kaneko that I can’t give anything but a 7 out of 7 to. We do have a few slightly weird editing choices with slow motion and not as many crazy cool camera angles, but the acting, model detail, creature designs, and storyline are phenomenal.
GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF DAIEI STUDIOS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.
Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Because no one should die buttonless.
Comments
Post a Comment