- For the Season K episode, see MST3K K05 - Gamera.
- For the Season 3 episode, see MST3K 302 - Gamera.
Plot[]
In the Arctic, an unknown aircraft is shot down by an American jet fighter. The aircraft crashes and its cargo, a low-level atomic bomb, explodes. The resulting cataclysm awakens a prehistoric monster that has the appearance of a giant turtle with teeth and large tusks. Japanese scientists on an expedition led by Dr. Hidaka nearby are given a "devil stone" by an Inuit chieftain, who explains that the creature is called Gamera.
Gamera destroys the American jet with his fire breath and escapes into the sea. On the way out, he destroys the research vessel that had transported the expedition, with the only survivors being Dr. Hidaka, his daughter Katherine, and Alex, a reporter who was covering the expedition. The monster heads to Japan and surfaces in Sagami Bay where Kenny, a boy releasing his own pet turtle on his father's orders, sees him. Gamera destroys the city of Fujisawa and a lighthouse. However, he also rescues Kenny from falling from the lighthouse, and then retreats back into the sea.
Scientists and government officials hold a conference to discuss killing the monster. Conventional weapons prove useless, and indeed it appears that Gamera feeds off the heat generated by such attacks. So experimental freeze bombs are employed. The detonation causes him to fall on his back. Having thus been rendered helpless, it's merely a matter of waiting for him to die of starvation. However, Gamera then pulls in his head, limbs and tail into his shell, emits flames from his front leg and back leg cavities, and flies away by rising up into the air and spinning around like a flying saucer.
Kenny and his family decide to stay with an uncle in Tokyo because they have nowhere else to go. Kenny explains to the professor that Gamera is lonely and, like regular turtles, he is not evil. Dr. Hidaka, meanwhile, has observed that Gamera consumes fossil fuels and may seek out atomic bombs for the energy they provide. He also emits radio signals. This leads the Japan Atomic Energy Commission to see an opportunity to use its nuclear stockpiles. Meanwhile, disasters and accidents start to occur: Koto Ward is struck by flash floods and ships collide in Tokyo Bay. Dr. Hidaka claims that Gamera has caused these accidents because he is hiding in the bay.
An international scientific conference is called and they decide to use "Z Plan", based at Oshima Island, involving a consortium of American, Soviet and Japanese scientists to eradicate Gamera. Before any action can be taken, however, Gamera arrives at Haneda Airport, destroying the control tower, and proceeds to wreak havoc in Tokyo (including destroying the Tokyo Tower). Kenny and his family evacuate again, but he gets separated in the confusion.
Z Plan is still not ready, so the scientists plan to keep Gamera at bay in the meantime by confining him to an oil refinery. Dr. Hidaka has surmised that Gamera is gaining energy by consuming fires at the refinery and they will therefore keep shipping petroleum there by train to keep Gamera occupied for 24 hours. Kenny finds his way to the refinery and sneaks on board a train bound for Gamera, chased by the refinery chief. They are both thrown from the train when it explodes, but are unharmed and Kenny is sent on his way.
Z Plan is finally completed and Kenny sneaks on board a ship delivering supplies to Oshima. Gamera is lured to Oshima by lighting an oil slick path from Tokyo to the island, but an oncoming typhoon blows the fire out. Alex starts a bonfire and Gamera makes his way to a volcano erupting on the island. The next day, Z Plan is put into action: Gamera is lured into the nose cone of a giant rocket and launched on a one-way trip to Mars. The worldwide announcement of success extols the triumph of science over ideology. Alex and Katherine go off together and Kenny decides he is not sad, because he is going to be a scientist one day so he can visit Gamera on Mars.
Cast[]
- Eiji Funakoshi as Dr. Hidaka
- Harumi Kiritachi as Kyoko Yamamoto
- Junichiro Yamashita as Aoyagi
- Yoshiro Uchida as Toshio Sakurai
- Michiko Sugata as Nobuyo Sakurai
- Yoshirô Kitahara as Mr. Sakurai
- Jun Hamamura as Professor Murase
- Koji Fujiyama as U.S. Arctic Base Commander
- Jutaro Kitashiro as Self-Defense Force Commander
Notes[]
- A sequence with Gamera attacking two strippers in a nightclub was shot, but cut from the final finished version of the film.
- This is the only film in the Gamera series that was filmed in black and white.
- This is the only film in the series in which Gamera does not fight another monster.
- This was the final kaiju movie to be filmed in black and white.
- This is the only film in the original series with Gamera as the antagonist.
- Several of the characters go by Western given names in the English dub. Originally, Kenny was Toshio, Katherine was Kyoko, Alex was Aoyagi, and Nora was Nobuyo.
- Was nominated in The Golden Turkey Awards series for Most Ridiculous Monster. It "lost" to Robot Monster.
- The film was re-released in the United States in 1966 with additional scenes featuring western actors. This version was titled Gammera the Invincible and it became a RiffTrax presentation in 2018.
MST3K Connections[]
- Director Noriaki Yuasa was also director for Gamera vs Gaos, Gamera vs Guiron, Gamera vs Zigra, and Gamera vs Jiger (for which he was also a special effects technician), as well as director of stock footage and special effects for Gamera vs Barugon.
- Writer Niisan Takahashi was also writer for Gamera vs Barugon, Gamera vs Gaos, Gamera vs Guiron, Gamera vs Zigra, and Gamera vs Jiger.
- Eiji Funakoshi also portrayed Dr. Shiga in Gamera vs Guiron.
- Yoshirô Kitahara also portrayed Professor Amano in Gamera vs Barugon and Dr. Aoki in Gamera vs Gaos.
- Munehiko Takada (Soviet representative) also portrayed a bullet train customer in Gamera vs Gaos and a helicopter pilot in Gamera vs Jiger.
- Yoshio Yoshida (Eskimo chief) also had an unspecified role in Gamera vs Zigra.
- Koji Fujiyama also portrayed Onodera in Gamera vs Barugon and Dr. Tom Wallace in Gamera vs Zigra.
- Ken'ichi Tani (officer) also portrayed Lee in Gamera vs Barugon.
- Abdo Apanai (U.S. emisssary) also portrayed a medical office staff member in The Green Slime, a witness in the airport crowd in Gamera vs Barugon, and a Q scientist in Mighty Jack.
- Jacques Enghien (international official) also portrayed a medical office staff member in The Green Slime, a witness in the airport crowd in Gamera vs Barugon, and Heinz in Mighty Jack.
- U.S. version producer Sandy Frank was also producer for the U.S. versions of Humanoid Woman, The "Legend of Dinosaurs", Gamera vs Barugon, Time of the Apes, Gamera vs Gaos, Fugitive Alien, Gamera vs Guiron, Mighty Jack, Gamera vs Zigra, and Star Force: Fugitive Alien II.
- Producer Hidemasa Nagata was also producer for Gamera vs Gaos, Gamera vs Guiron, Gamera vs Zigra, and Gamera vs Jiger.
- Executive producer Masaichi Nagata was also producer for Gamera vs Barugon, as well as executive producer for Gamera vs Guiron and Gamera vs Jiger.
- Composer Tadashi Yamauchi was also composer for Gamera vs Gaos.
- Gamera suit maker Keizô Murase was also special effects technician for Gamera vs Gaos and Yongary - Monster from the Deep.
- Monster designer Ryôsaku Takayama was also monster designer for Gamera vs Guiron, Gamera vs Zigra, and Gamera vs Jiger.
- Special effects assistant Tôru Suzuki was also special effects assistant for Gamera vs Barugon, Gamera vs Gaos, and Yongary - Monster from the Deep.
Critical Response[]
- Leonard Maltin wrote: "One-and-a-half stars ... A giant, jet-propelled fire-breathing space turtle terrorizes the earth following atomic explosion. First in a series of juvenile sci-fi films."[1]
References[]
- ↑ Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, 2015 Edition