Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Story/Characters
Top notch. Definitely the best way to introduce Gamera, the Gyaos, Asagi and the rest of the main characters. Even after seeing the later films I still believe that the Gyaos were the perfect villian for the first film...I mean it wouldn't be right to start out with Legion even if the Gyaos aren't that strong. All of the characters balanced out and worked well together.
SPFX/Soundtrack
Both the spfx and the soundtrack blow away anything seen in the Heisei Godzilla series.
My Rating: 08/10
Was an entertaining introductory film. The acting and characters were believable and they didn't take a backseat to the kaiju action.
Gamera 2: Advent of Legion
Story/Characters
The story in G2 is a great improvement over G1. Well thought out and kept up the suspense. Again great character interaction helped move the film along at a great pace, I was enjoying it so much that it ended before I knew it. The Legion itself was extremely menacing and should have won that battle, and IMHO could take out any incarnation of Godzilla. I didn't mind the way the film ended at all, it kind of reminded me of Gokou from DBZ pulling off a Genki Dama at the last minute (and that's a good thing).
SPFX/Soundtrack
The spfx in G2 is greatly improved over G1 which IS saying something. Legion looked really impressive. The Legion swarm was really cool and looked much better than the aggregate (sp?) Destoroyahs, and looked stunning while in flight. Gamera looked much more realistic and his elbow spikes were changed for the better. The soundtrack was perfect, and greatly enhanced certain scenes.
My Rating: 09/10
G2 damn near struck a perfect balance between story, character drama, and action. Legion is without question the most original and well designed kaiju since Biollante. I hate to overly hype the film for anybody that hasn't seen it yet...but damn is it good.
Gamera 3: Incomplete Struggle
Story/Characters
The story is better in G3 than in G1 and is slightly better than G2 IMHO. It was deep and moving, balancing well with the kaiju action. Some people believe there was too much story and not enough kaiju action but I strongly disagree. If anything it enhanced the kaiju action and made it more important. The characters are basically the same from G1 (which is a great thing since by now they feel like family) and it was great to see them evolve and come full circle since the original. Again the ending didn't bother me...the flaming fist seemed almost like Gokou's Dragon Fist attack from the last DBZ film (am I seeing a pattern here?).
SPFX/Soundtrack
This is where this movie shines the most. Words cannot describe how this movie looks and sounds, so I'm not even going to attempt it. If you haven't seen it then I urge you to get this film right NOW, those who have seen it know what I'm talking about. The Gyaos never looked better, Iris was stunning, and Gamera looked
. Don't get me started on the sky battle and the final confrontation because I could sing it's praises till the end of time.
My Rating: 10/10
While the story/characters and soundtrack soared, some would say the kaiju action was lacking somewhat. I however disagree. The action was great and simply mindblowing, leaving the viewer enjoying themselves so much that when it's over it seems like it wasn't long enough. I simply cannot praise this film enough, definitely the best kaiju film ever made.
