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Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris

Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but overrated
Review: By the time I finnaly saw Gamera 3 I'd already read innumerable reviews, hailing it as a grand cinematic achievment. And when people said that the special effects were better than those in the Lord of the Rings, I knew I needed to see it. Now, maybe because I'm a big fan of Godzilla, in fact a "loyal" fan of Godzilla, and that I'd heard all of this praise for it, when I got done watching Gamera 3 for the first time, I felt pretty mislead. Now, don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. Kaneko's directing skills, especialy with pacing and imagery, are great. The special effects were superior to those in any of the recent Godzilla films as well. I mean, it was a pretty good movie. And there's my point. It was a PRETTY GOOD movie. By no means is this a groundbreaking film. Sure, the characters are more believable than the endless number of scientest heroes in the Godzilla films, but their story just wasn't all that engaging. Especialy the two villains, whose dialouge is sometimes embarrasingly moronic, most notably so when they try and explain the entire "earth spirits" plot. And the idea of the monster Iris being telepathicly connected to Ayanna, that's right out of the later Godzilla films. And the special effects,while, like I said, supperior to those in the Godzilla films, aren't even close to those in Lord of the Rings. But I think the thing about this movie that annoys me so much is the fact that it takes itself SO serriously. How am I supposed to really be moved by the stories of the characters amidst all this absurdity. Between the fact that the protaganist is a massive tusk-sporting turtle that flies like a UFO and the earth being drained of "gaia", where can I find a reason to take it seriously. Someone might call me a hipocrite for liking the Godzilla movies so much, but those, with the notable exception of Gojira, haven't been so celebrated for being magnifacent pieces of art, when really, for the most part, they're just as credible as Gamera. It just really annoyed me that this film has gotten so much praise. However, that doesn't mean I'm recommending you don't watch it. It's worth the money for what it is, an entertaining, very well executed monster movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A truly magnificent monster movie.
Review: After rising the visual bar with Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, director Shusuke Kaneko surpasses himself with the third, and reportedly final, Gamera movie, Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris. A young girl loses her family during the first movie when, in the midst of battle, Gamera slams into their building and crushes them. Filled with anger and a lust for revenge, the girl uncovers a new monster she hopes to unleash on the world's so called 'guardian'. One of the most impressive things about Gamera 3 is how it shows the horrible fates of the poor humans caught in the middle of the monster battles. The effects are stunning, the story solid and well mounted enough to deserve a theatrical release in America. Since foreign genre movies are usually mocked and ridiculed, it is no surprise that Gamera 3 went direct to DVD. Pity, for this would have looked impressive on the big screen. Kaneko is truly the Honda of today, every kaiju movie he has made has been an intelligently handled genre film, and Gamera 3 is the best of them. No fan of Japanese cinema should be without it. Highest recommendation.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A truly magnificent monster movie.
Review: After rising the visual bar with Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, director Shusuke Kaneko surpasses himself with the third, and reportedly final, Gamera movie, Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris. A young girl loses her family during the first movie when, in the midst of battle, Gamera slams into their building and crushes them. Filled with anger and a lust for revenge, the girl uncovers a new monster she hopes to unleash on the world's so called 'guardian'. One of the most impressive things about Gamera 3 is how it shows the horrible fates of the poor humans caught in the middle of the monster battles. The effects are stunning, the story solid and well mounted enough to deserve a theatrical release in America. Since foreign genre movies are usually mocked and ridiculed, it is no surprise that Gamera 3 went direct to DVD. Pity, for this would have looked impressive on the big screen. Kaneko is truly the Honda of today, every kaiju movie he has made has been an intelligently handled genre film, and Gamera 3 is the best of them. No fan of Japanese cinema should be without it. Highest recommendation.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Great Treasure of Kaiju Films
Review: Before getting into this, a warning: It is absolutely necessary to see the first two Gamera movies in the new trilogy before seeing the third and (apparently) final one. Not to say that the third isn't enjoyable without them, but most of what's being discussed will not be understood.

With that out of the way, I can safely say that Gamera 3 is the best kaiju film to date. The idea would seem ridiculous years ago, but today it is true: Gamera has triumphed over Godzilla. The only Godzilla movie to have neared this one in magnitude is GMK, and they share the same director.

The story begins with sightings of the Gyaos, the giant monsters from the first movie, and their apparent eating habits. Cutting to an undersea research team, they've discovered an enormous sea bed littered with skeletons that resemble Gamera. Elsewhere, a teenage girl named Ayana broods hatred for Gamera, as he accidentally killed her family during the first Gyaos attack. She hates her life and wants revenge. When she goes on a dare from her schoolmates, she finds a strange egg, and a possible way to fulfill her desires.

This installment is not as battle-heavy as the last two, but the amazing quality and execution of the battles more than makes up for it. Ayana's parents aren't the only people accidentally killed: During the first battle of the movie, Gamera's fireballs spray everyway, with the death toll being estimated between 15-20 thousand people.

The movie is more centered on drama than fighting, though the kaiju are present constantly, both in appearance and mentioning. There are news reports of the Gyaos fighting Gamera all over the world and the new monster, Iris, is heavily involved with Ayana. The movie can be very talky at times, but it's not hard to understand if the previous films have been seen.

Iris is a very interesting monster. Physically, it's supposed to be a modern rendition of a phoenix, except it's more squid than bird... and even then, it doesn't fit. It's a very alien creature. It's impact on the plot is also interesting. It forms a symbiotic relationship with Ayana, requiring her care to survive and grow, and then depending on her for a nerve fusion, where it could evolve into a stranger lifeform. The premise is almost a twist on the old monster-human relationship from the earlier Gamera movies. These Gamera movies succeed in something that Godzilla has yet to do: the human involvement in the movie works well.

As it stands, this seems to be the last new Gamera movie (officially, that is), and there could be no more fitting of an end to the series. It has everything a kaiju fan could ask for and more. In fact, this is one of the very few in the genre that can actually ascend to the ranks of being a truly good film. I cannot reccomend it enough.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gamera 3: Gammy's Best!
Review: Gamera 3 is the best monster film ever to come out of the islands we call Japan. EVERYTHING about this movie is better then anything from America, yes, even the special effects! Everyone who is not a snob ows it to himself to see this movie. It rings in a new ere of Monster films for American fans, sets new standards, and trashes the idea that all of Japan's monster movies are bad. There, is this review short enough?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The High Watermark for Kaiju Film.
Review: Gamera III, directed by Shusuke Kaneko and visual effects by Shinji Higuchi. Gamera III set the high watermark for visual effects in Japanese cinema. With a budget of only 7,000,000 Dollars, they managed to create fantastic action sequences that are orchestrated flawlessly. Some of the SFX are better than the American Version of Godzilla (1998). The movie has this epic tone that makes it seem more than just a monster movie flick. I have seen this movie countless times and I never seem to get tired of it. I recommend this to anyone, not just fans of Gamera or Godzilla. You will not be disappointed. If you are disappointed, I recommend seeking some mental help.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Freakin Cool!
Review: I cant help but realize how real the stuff looks in here! the monster designs are nicely detailed and the actors and actress performed well, I like the part when Gamera sacrafices his right arm and kills Irys. THis Kaiju movie deserves a 5 for being fun to watch.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Rollercoaster!
Review: I enjoy monster movies, especially Godzilla and Gamera. I thought that this third installment of Gamera is a huge improvement. The special effects during the fight scenes, and their view from a person's prospective, are excellent for a japanese monster movie and better than Godzilla 2000, however still not quite up to the American standards. My major complaint is regarding the acting and overall plot which it just does not seem to change much from movie to movie and they are mediocre at best. Also the dubbing to english is not that great either. The dvd picture quality is very good and the sound is good as well. Overall: FAIR.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Most Powerful Movie EVER!
Review: I loved Gamera 3! First, we get a new foe named Iris, and Gamera gets a new look, but this time, it's really, really serious! The battles were great and the Sound FX were wonderful! A girl named Ayana wants to get revenge on Gamera, because she thinks Gamera was responsible for the death of her family. She finds an egg, and it hatches into an Iris. That's right, IRIS!!! Iris is a monster who tried to conquer earth many years ago, but he was sealed and trapped into a... a... well I forgot. Meanwhile, even though she lost the jewel, Asagi still worries about Gamera, because a powerful foe, more powerful than Legion, is unleashed. This is because of the Gyaos. That's right, Gyaos returns, because Gamera used the ultimate attack called the mana beam to wipe out the Legion. However, the blast sends more Gyaos three years later. Fast-forward to the climax where a full-grown Iris goes face to face with our hero, Gamera: The Absolute Guardian of the Universe (One of the alternate titles)!!! Who will win in this awsome battle?!?! ADV did a great job with this movie. This DVD is, probably, the best kaiju DVD ever! Great dubbing, wonderful extras, and great SPX and pictrue quality, this DVD is a winner. I would've given it 10 stars, but oh well! If you're a kaiju fan, GET THIS MOVIE NOW!!! AWSOME JOB GAMERA!!! AND GREAT JOB ADV FOR GIVING US THE BEST TRILOGY AND THE BEST KAIJU FILMS IN AMERICA!!!

*Warning for parents*: This movie contains a lot of blood and gore and intense destruction scenes. This film is rated 12+. All of those stuff could cause children to have nightmares. If a child wants to see this film, you MUST watch it with them. Thank You!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Visceral poetry, a humbling masterpiece
Review: I'm a hard boiled Godzilla fan who couldn't stand the VHS dubbed Gamera: Gaurdian of the Universe, but I wanted to give the original Japanese audio a shot, so I bought the whole DVD trilogy. Gamera III: The Awakening of Iris is a Kaiju film beyond compare. Screenwriter Kazunori Ito does for kaiju cinema what he did for anime with his adaption of "Ghost in the Shell." And Director Shusuke Kaneko composes an elegant master's thesis of a film. This movie rises above other films in general with its themes of heroism, sense of duty, anger and hate, and courage to fight when no one else can or will. The film is constantly haunted with the question of whether or not Gamera is really a hero, after seeing his destructive, life taking battle in Shibuya. This Gamera is a darker, battle weary reptile rather than the campy cult hero that is "friend to all children." Many kaiju fans complain there is too little monster action in the movie, and it is true that the monster fights are few and far between, but the fights impacts are meant to be more than just food for the action hungry. The brawls while short are perfect and brutal and clever in every way, and they are most importantly stunning. Gamera doesn't have lines to convey his feelings and thoughts, he has action scenes, he has movement, he has decisions that show his real character. This movie is very adult, it is heavy and philisophical, and very articulate. I am faulted when watching kaiju films because I always want a grand finale, a Death Star blowing up if you will, but even though Gamera's climactic duel was not the drawn out slug fest I had hoped for, it blew me away. Gamera III ends on a haunting and humbling note that reminds us all that sometimes it takes a monster to show us the more venerable qualities of humanity.


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