Best Gamera Film 1965-1980

[ryuuseipro]

[davezilla]

I voted Gyaos. Although depending on how I am feeling could vote Guiron. Mainly I voted for Gyaos cause it was the first Gamera movie I saw when I was probably 5. And boy did it scare me so it still has a special place in my heart.

[DannyBeane]

Gamera vs Guiron (specifically the Sandy Frank dub) is easily my favorite. I love the Space Gyaos vs Guiron fight and the way Guiron slices him up like pepperoni. The dub is hilarious as well. The kid obsessed with stopping traffic accidents gets me in stitches every time. Guiron is also one of my favorite kaiju. He's a lizard with a giant butcher knife on his head that sneezes out ninja stars. How cool is that? I also have fond memories watching this on MST3k which is where I saw my first Gamera film back in the 90s.

[MekaGojira3k]

I think vs. Barugon is the best, but vs. Guiron is my favorite.

[lhb412]

Gamera vs. Gyaos is the best. There's a reason it became a template for the series and further reboots.

Since I just watched 'em all here's my personal rating of the old Gamera films, from best to worst:

Gamera vs. Gyaos
Gamera vs. Jiger
Gamera vs. Guiron
Gamera vs. Barugon
Gamera: The Giant Monster (really a tie with Barugon)
Gamera vs. Zigra
Gamera vs. Viras
Gamera: Super Monster

[klen7]

[lhb412]

Hmmmm... I feel that the first movie is just a lower-grade version of monster-on-the-loose films like Godzilla and Rodan, but with the added thing of the relationship with the kid; Gamera vs. Barugon is an attempt to do a straightforward vs. movie in the Toho mold; and Gamera vs. Gyaos is where they cracked the code of what makes a Gamera movie a Gamera movie.

Basically, they realized the kid plot from the first film was what gave it its identity, so they restructured the Gamera series entirely around it.

[klen7]

I think all three of the films break down like this:

A: Monster attacks Japan due to Human actions
B: Science/Military come up with far fetched means to destroy monster
C: Repeat B until successful

Gyaos brings back the additional child elements from Gammera the Invincible and maintains the additional VS elements from Barugon.

[angilas]

The best technically to me was Barugon. The most enjoyable that I wouldn't be a bit embarassed to represent the genre is gyaos (barugon is not embarassing, just not as fun, guiron is very fun, just embarrassing at times, though not super monster gamera, which gets points for hotties and a Godzilla poster cameo but overall was just a bad film). So I voted Barugon but could have easily voted Gyaos, though I like them for different reasons. Can't remember which I saw first on tv, probably parts of Barugon. I know I was familiar with them as a toddler from tv but owned none, unlike godzilla which I had already amassed a large collection of, so my memory is a bit murky on that. The original isn't a bad film though and I liked the antlantis backstory (which people seem to forget was first suggested in the showa series)

[tbeasley]

[jellydonut25]

Wait. There are people who don't think Guiron is the best? Maniacs.

[DannyBeane]

[tbeasley]

Guiron was my first Showa Gamera and I loved it for a while, then the last time I saw it I found it mind-numbingly boring, even in its crazier moments.

[kiryugoji04]

[lhb412]

[tbeasley]

My issue with Gamera vs. Barugon is it's way more of a Barugon film. Gamera only really shows up to destroy a dam, get frozen and then kill the bad guy monster to end the movie.

[Alpha OTS]

[The Great MM]

IMO, Gamera vs. Barugon is the best. Not bogged down by Kennies, some interesting humans, and the kaiju are just neat. I really wish Barugon would have become Gamera's archenemy and not Gyaos. Second is Gamera vs. Gyaos, where the series starts targeting children BIG TIME. The rest of the movies are pretty bad, but I have developed a soft spot for Gamera vs. Guiron.

[Reaper G]

[Alpha OTS]

[tbeasley]

[kiryugoji04]

[tbeasley]

The first Gamera doesn't feel childish to me at all, just a little bland (giant flying turtle monster aside). The kid it features is a psychologically unstable freak though, I'll give you that. Gamera's very much a destructive monster here and in Barugon, and when he becomes more of a 'friend to all children' in Gyaos it doesn't bother me as much because that movie's main kid is more of a normal, healthy young person (if a bit monster obsessed, but who here isn't?).

[KingKaiju]

I liked Gamera vs. Barugon the most. While it wasn't great, it felt more like another Monster vs. Monster movie for me, as opposed to all the "Friend to all children!!!!" crap that we got later...

[ILL GREEN]

Yeah Barugon has a serious tone. I also like vs. Guiron for its classic sci-fi approach and Jiger for its original tale.