TOHO COMPANY LTD. PRESENTS A DAIEI MOTION PICTURE COMPANY PRODUCTION A SHUSUKE KANEKO FILM "GAMERA 3: THE REVENGE OF IRIS" SHINOBU NAKAYAMA AI MAEDA AYAKO FUJITANI SENRI YAMASAKI CINEMATOGRAPHY BY JUN'ICHI TOZAWA EDITED BY ISAO TOMITA SOUND DESIGN BY YASUO HASHIMOTO EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS TSUTOMU TSUCHIKAWA, KAZUHIKO ISHIKAWA & NAOMASA TSRUTA DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EFFECTS SHINJI HIGUCHI VISUAL EFFECTS HAJIME MATSUMOTO MUSIC KOH OHTANI ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS SEIJI OKUDA NAOYA FUJIMAKI PRODUCERS TSUTOMU TSUCHIKAWA, NAOKI SATO & MIYUKI NANRI SCREENPLAY BY KAZUNORI ITO & SHUSUKE KANEKO DIRECTED BY SHUSUKE KANEKO
There's something to be said about a movie with a man in a rubber monster suit that manages to thrill and enthrall an audience more than any of the summer's big budget blockbusters. At a premiere screening at the American Cinemateque in Hollywood at the famous Egyptian Theater, I was witness to a new breed of Japanese monster movie.
As everyone who grew up in the 60's and 70's will remember, television here is the U.S. was riff with the likes of Godzilla, King Kong and assorted denizens. One of these humorously contrived creatures was the Giant turtle Gamera. Having the lowest budgets of any of monster cousins, Gamera had to have something a little different to gain any sort of appeal. Well, give him the ability to fly, by spitting fire out of his legs and have him spin like a flying saucer and you've got one heavy-duty childhood favorite on your hands. Now to be certain, Gamera was never aimed at adults, in fact most folks under the age of 10 could barely stand the critter. But with the release of 'Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris' (the third in a series), all that has changed.
1999. Japan has just survived another protective onslaught from Gamera. But the military looks upon the monster not as savior but as a destructive force that must be contained. There are much political rambling about what must be done about the beast, as his appearances throughout Japan have caused millions of dollars in damage and thousands of lives.
We are introduced to Ayana Hirasaka (newcomer Ai Maeda); a teenage girl whose parents were killed in 1995 during Gamera's battle with a giant bird like creature called Gyaos (pronounced guy-ohs). Ayana holds a bitter hatred for Gamera. Having no immediate family, she and her little brother must live with her Uncle on a Small Island community outside of Japan. The other children on the Island treat Ayana as an outside. In an effort to avoid any more abuse, she accepts a dare to enter a cave, once a shrine to a demigod protected by a local family. Walking into the cave, Ayana comes across a strange rock that glows under her touch. Removing the rock, she unearths a 12-foot egg. As the egg hatches, Ayana befriends the tentacled creature, naming it Iris after her parent's cat. Her nurturing of the creature takes on darker tones as it is learned that the creature is vampiric, feeding off of her hatred of Gamera and developing a psychic link with Ayana, that will shortly become more than psychic.
In the meantime, a new species of Gyaos have appeared all over the world. Gamera attacks two of the creatures over Tokyo, causing tremendous damage, as the Gyaos is destroyed by Gamera's fiery breath. The military will stand still no longer. Gamera is a tremendous liability and must be countered.
I haven't given away a lot of the plot details, just the basic premise. There is so much to enjoy within this film that to reveal all of the film's charm would be a great disservice. This is (believe it or not) one of the most tightly and intelligently scripted monster films since the 1950's. The performances by the young cast is notable for it's professionalism and underplaying in roles that could have been played campy or over the top. Shinobu Nakayama (Jet Li's Fist of Legend) stars as Mayumi Nagamine, an ornithologist involved with Gamera is wonderfully photogenic and sincere in her performance.
Ayako Fujitani (Steven Segal's Daughter) return as Asagi Kusanagi from the first Gamera film in this series. Her character once had a psychic link with Gamera, but now has lost it. Still, she honors the beast as a protector of Earth, an idea that may or may not be true. Her performance is nicely toned with a respectable demeanor, suitable to a girl who is still finding her way in life. Ai Maeda as Ayana is wonderful in her performance, having to express teen angst and despair. Her slow realization that the monster Iris is indeed evil is painfully touching. A nice performance from this newcomer.
Director Shusuke Kaneko and screenwriter Kazunori Ito have drafted a marvelously complex tale of monsters and the human condition. In fact, 'Gamera 3' eschews most of the monster action in favor of the human story which is more than compelling. The mystery of Gamera always remains in the background, though. The series of events unfold naturally, leading the viewer from one marvelously apocalyptic scene to another, but always keeping us grounded in the human story. And what would a monster film be without special effects, not much of a monster to be sure.
The scenes of battle and destruction have a marvelously composed look and style to them. One is immediately reminded of some of the classic films from the 1930's like 'King Kong' with its wonderful atmosphere. Or more recently 'What Dreams May Come', wherein the style and look of the visuals bring the film into a whole new arena. 'Gamera 3' does that with spectacular energy and drama. You'll forget soon into the movie that the creatures are fake and made of rubber and foam. The design of the beast is both attractive and frightening. A sense of awe surrounds these beasts in a way that you must experience yourself.
"Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris" is without a doubt one of the best monster films to come out of Japan, or anywhere for that matter. A film that does not talk down to it's audience, nor takes them for granted. For those who enjoy giant monster you'll have to seek this one out. For those of you could care less, you're in for a surprise if not a conversion.
On a scale between 1 to 5, 'Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris" rates a monstrous 4. Parents should be forewarned, this film is (as of yet) unrated and does contain scenes of destruction and human suffering. While there is no bloodshed or gore, the violence of the film makes it unsuitable for very young children. Japanese Language with English Subtitles.
Copyright 1999 R. L Strong All rights reserved Nothing in this article may be quoted or re-printed without the express written permission of the author.
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