Gamera VS Jiger: Turtles and Dinosaurs

The last two Gamera movies have left something to be desired. But we’ve still got plenty to go. There’s time left for it to turn it around.

Or for it to devolve into nonsensical hilarious chaos. I hoping it’s the second one.

Japan is hosting an expo in which a hundred countries will gather to share their archeological and scientific discoveries. However, when they try to excavate an ancient statue for the event, Gamera appears to stop them! This statue is actually a cursed talisman, and removing it frees the deadly kaiju Jiger! When even Gamera falls before this monster, can human kind find a way to defeat it and save everyone’s favorite turtle?

So long, aliens. We’re back to ancient civilizations, curses, and forbidden relics. Now we’re back in business.

The story here is surprisingly good. Sure, it’s still a cheesy kaiju movie with flat child actors (two of which are Americans who clearly can’t speak Japanese fluently, which is hilarious). But after the last two movies, this one is a HUGE improvement!

‘Gamera VS Jiger‘ is an odd blend of silly kaiju fun and dark giant monster horror. Surprisingly enough, the combination works pretty well! When Gamera’s around, everything is upbeat and fun. But when he’s out of commission and Jiger is attacking humanity, it’s shockingly grim! Yes, it’s still a silly dumb kaiju movie, but this balancing act of tone makes it much more engaging to watch.

It’s also just really well-paced and creative. Every detail, no matter how small or ridiculous, is a setup for a later payoff. Plenty of the set pieces are surprisingly interesting, such as when the two boys dive inside an incapacitated Gamera and fight a miniature version of Jiger!

The human characters aren’t remarkably interesting. However, what they lack in depth, they more than make up for in personality and charm. They’re much more expressive and reactive than the average kaiju exposition dumper. They even provide some genuinely funny visual gags! I had a surprising number of hearty laughs watching this one! It’s not often I laugh with a kaiju movie and not at it.

Also, the human cast is actually competent. They literally defeat Jiger before the kids foil their plan in order to revive Gamera. “Screw overcoming adversity with scientific advancement and understanding the past!” the movie shouts as loudly as possible. “Giant turtle, go!”

10/10, best kaiju story ever.

The visuals in this movie are really good! Some shots look great, using clever perspective tricks and quality artwork to create an illusion of scale and detail. With that said, it is still a movie from 1970, so the blue screens and other special effects have aged poorly. Even so, the good far outweighs the bad.

The editing can be pretty jarring depending on the scene. Sometimes it feels like a few shots got forgotten about during the composition. Like Gamera’s first fight with Jiger. After Gamera flies upwards and drops Jiger onto the ground, the movie cuts to Gamera… in the water, swimming towards him? I did more than a few double-takes watching this one.

As for the kaiju suits, they’re a mixed bag. The Gamera suit is a hand-me-down from the previous movies, so it still looks good sometimes, not so good others. Jiger’s suit actually looks pretty good for the standard of the time. When they’re not hilariously stiff, they feel as alive as a rubber costume can get!

On the subject of kaiju, let’s talk about our monster of the week: Jiger.

Jiger is a really fun monster to watch. A rocket-propelled triceratops that shoots needles from its nose, with parasites in its tail and city destroying radio waves? That’s the coolest and dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! He’s got that perfect blend of cool giant dinosaur and cheesy shenanigans! I love ‘im!

Except his roar. That just sounds like some dude stubbed his toe and screamed into the microphone.

The battles between him and Gamera are as delightful as they are shockingly gruesome. Unfortunately, they’re held back by the child characters constantly shouting at Gamera like it’s a Pokémon battle. Half the shots of the fight are just a blue screen of the human characters watching the fight. Get out of the way, I’m trying to watch the giant turtle fight a triceratops!

Rough edges aside, ‘Gamera VS Jiger‘ is the most consistently enjoyable of the Gamera movies I’ve discussed so far. It’s solid kaiju fun from beginning to end. It’s cheesy, funny, absolutely ridiculous, and I loved every minute of it!

Thank God for that. If I had to sit through another boring Gamera movie, I might have abandoned ship. This movie was a much needed breath of fresh air. Hopefully the series can carry this energy on for a little while longer.

And if not: I’m still open to hilarious nonsense.