Gamera vs. Barugon (Daikaijû kettô: Gamera tai Barugon), is the second installment of the Gamera series, and the first in colour. This one sees the return of Gamera, who has escaped his exile to space by luck, and returns to Earth as a protagonist/antagonist. This flying, energy sucking, fire breathing turtle must face a new foe, an ancient giant lizard thing named Barugon, with a tongue that can shoot freezing mist. Gamera pits fire against Barugon's mist and faces its ultimate test yet!!
This film is a bit of camp schlock from 1960's Japan. We start off with a group of intrepid adventurers from Japan, who go to Papua New Guinea to retrieve a massive opal from an ancient cave, sacred and forbidden by locals. The Opal is taken, but turns out to be an egg for Barugon, ancient giant lizard thing! This part of the film felt fun in an exploitative way. The following act is our hero, one of the adventurers, following Barugon through Japan while also seeking revenge against a betrayer.
So to be clear, there is not much special here. These films are mediocre quality Godzilla rip-offs, although they feature all the charm and schlock that such a film would entail. These films are goofy, but the effects were fair for the time, and the story and acting is fine if nothing special. The story is a bit of a mess, much like the first Gamera film. Another issue is the relatively tame manner of the film. The camp is present, but not wonderful, like some of the Showa era Godzilla films. A good Kaiju film needs to either be ridiculous and fun, like Godzilla vs. Megalon, or possess a solid story, like the original Godzilla. The mediocrity in between is where films like this can become muddled.
Criticisms aside, this is still a passable Kaiju film, and worthy of a watch for fans of this genre of film. It has some charm, some camp, and some giant, rubbery monsters awkwardly wacking each other. Can;t really go wrong here.
This film is a bit of camp schlock from 1960's Japan. We start off with a group of intrepid adventurers from Japan, who go to Papua New Guinea to retrieve a massive opal from an ancient cave, sacred and forbidden by locals. The Opal is taken, but turns out to be an egg for Barugon, ancient giant lizard thing! This part of the film felt fun in an exploitative way. The following act is our hero, one of the adventurers, following Barugon through Japan while also seeking revenge against a betrayer.
So to be clear, there is not much special here. These films are mediocre quality Godzilla rip-offs, although they feature all the charm and schlock that such a film would entail. These films are goofy, but the effects were fair for the time, and the story and acting is fine if nothing special. The story is a bit of a mess, much like the first Gamera film. Another issue is the relatively tame manner of the film. The camp is present, but not wonderful, like some of the Showa era Godzilla films. A good Kaiju film needs to either be ridiculous and fun, like Godzilla vs. Megalon, or possess a solid story, like the original Godzilla. The mediocrity in between is where films like this can become muddled.
Criticisms aside, this is still a passable Kaiju film, and worthy of a watch for fans of this genre of film. It has some charm, some camp, and some giant, rubbery monsters awkwardly wacking each other. Can;t really go wrong here.