Gammera the Invicible

This is the US theatrical release (with edits, added scenes, and a dubbed English soundtrack) of "Gamera, the Giant Monster", the first Gamera movie.Note the misspelling of Gamera in the title of this movie (as Gammera).It's exactly what you'd expect from a Japanese monster movie of the 1960s: suitmation, bad special effects, and lots of structures being destroyed.It's great.Recommended if you're a kaiju fan, otherwise not recommended.

Gamera was Daiei Film’s response to the success of Toho’s Godzilla. This is the American version of Gamera, the Giant Monster, which was edited with American actors added similar to what happened with the first Godzilla film.The film starts in the north pole when Soviet planes are intercepted and destroyed by the Americans. One crashes with an atomic bomb on board which explodes, and releases Gamera from the ice. He then sets upon Japan.The movie would seem like your typical Japanese monster movie from that start but then there’s an odd tangent. There’s a little boy who has a pet turtle and is so obsessed about it that his teacher comes to talk to his sister warning that he might be expelled if he doesn’t focus upon his studies more and less on his pet. Of course that boy will run into Gamera who after all is a giant turtle. This was Daiei’s attempt to make Gamera a children’s movie.There are some other hilarious moments such as when the police come to an underground club and warn the crowd that they need to leave because Gamera is coming. The kids decide that they will stay and dance instead, and of course, they get crushed!In the end the movie isn’t very satisfying. There simply isn’t enough Gamera smashing things. In fact, in most of his scenes he’s largely just standing around as they shoot at him or hurtle trains at him.

I may be a little biased though as Lieutenant Clark was played by my cousin Gene. He started off with a career in music in the 50's hitting the charts with the single 'Golly Gee'. After that a few random movies before his multi-year role on the popular daytime drama 'Love of Life' as Bill Prentiss. He married his leading lady Toni Bull and after the network killed off his character with a rare blood disease, went on to 2 other soap operas, 'Sommerset' and 'How to Survive a Marriage' followed by several small roles with MTM productions on Lou Grant, White Shadow and Hill Street Blues. He founded the Acting for Life Theater in LA and together Gene and Toni coached many well known actors there for years before their passing.

Love this movie and all the Japanese monster movies from this era. I am going to nit pick on one thing though. How big is that rocket that they capture Gammera in??One of the things that makes these movies so great is remembering watching them as a kid. granted the human in a monster suit, stomping on miniature towns wouldn't fly in todays CGI movie world, but they were and still are FABULOUS. Terrible acting and horrible continuity aside, truly a must see. if you have kids, then you owe it to them to watch this and the old Toho Godzilla movies. Get them interested and these movies will truly live forever.

Not Godzilla, but close enough! If you're a fan of these 50-60's monster movies from Japan, you will love this. If you've never seen one, get ready for what may seem like really corny stuff! Loads of mindless fun!!

Gamera is among THE classic stars of the Japanese monster classics. All hail Toho! Gamera is up there as third to only Godzilla and Mothra in my book.

What is really in the shell? Nothing. What one desires is the idea of what one "really wants", as Toshio says.

me and my son loved it, hes 3