Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie Review

Making pet turtles all the rage. Since 1965.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 19, 2013

I’m sorry to report that my education in all things Gamera is sorely lacking. My only exposure to the longstanding film series (which kicked off in 1965) was though UHF viewings as a child, a time where the thrill of giant monster battle finds its greatest appreciation. And there’s the exquisite tomfoolery of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” the brilliant cinema-roasting show that poked fun at five of the “Gamera” movies, exposing the inherent weirdness and shrillness of the franchise with a sublime sense of humor. “Gamera the Brave” is a 2006 revival of the character, which alternates between a celebration of the magic turtle’s heroic exploits and a reboot of his cash machine potential, aiming the production squarely at younger audiences to secure future interest. A bizarre blend of Disney and Steven Spielberg, “Gamera the Brave” is actually quite entertaining for what it is, eschewing hard edges and overt violence to speak to the wee ones, making the ties between the monster and his young admirers more about pet ownership than alien awe. It doesn’t satisfy any cravings for Tokyo-flattening mayhem, but its gentle ways are appealing in small doses, turning a saga about a rampaging reptile into a picture kids will undoubtedly love and parents should be able to tolerate.

After a vicious battle with Gyaos in 1973, Gamera self-destructed, ridding the planet of a monster presence so it could live in peace. 23 years later, the young boy who witnessed the end of Gamera, Kousuke (Kanji Tsuda), is now a troubled father to young Toru (Ryo Tomioka), who’s recently lost his mother, leaving him emotionally wounded. Spotting a flashing red light on a nearby island, Toru discovers a turtle egg resting on a glowing rock, taking his finding home for safe keeping. Soon breaking out of its shell, the turtle is branded Toto, delighting Toru with his friendliness and loyalty, gradually revealing its powers of flight and fire breathing. Hoping to keep Toto a secret, Toru only reveals his pal to close friends, including Mai (Kaho), a neighbor girl who’s about to enter the hospital for treatment. Growing by the week, Toto’s purpose is eventually revealed when monster Zedus returns to Japan, ready to flatten anything in its path. Assuming his destiny as Gamera, the turtle leaps into battle, eager to protect his friends from harm, while Toru struggles with the reality that his now enormous pal is really a hero, facing the loss of yet another loved one.

Director Ryuta Tazaki doesn’t exhaustively rework the “Gamera” formula with this effort, instead finding ways to make it relatable to children, turning to Disney and its insistence on motherless characters, while Spielberg’s “E.T.” also supplies inspiration for many scenes in the picture. While the classic “Gamera” features weren’t aimed solely at older audiences, they did preserve an adult perspective to counterbalance the kiddie antics. “Gamera the Brave” largely does away with mature interests, with only Kousuke and a handful of government stooges to pay attention to, while the majority of the movie remains fixated on Toru and his classmates, observing them grow to love Gamera as danger approaches. Because, as we all know by now, Gamera is the friend of all children.

To solidify the bond between the brats and Earth’s defender, “Gamera the Brave” turns the titular monster into a cute little thing in the early going, with blinky black eyes and a thirst for mischief, with one scene devoted to Toto pratfalling his way through Kousuke’s restaurant, sold with cartoon sound effects to limit the horror of a turtle being stepped on and falling into a hot wok. There’s also an inspired climatic rush of kids out to save their wounded pal, taking turns running through a wrecked city on their way to deliver the mysterious red rock (a tool of unspecified power, but little in the film is explained in full) to Gamera, treating the mission as a relay race where only juveniles understand the importance of the cargo. “Gamera the Brave” keeps the shenanigans waist-high for obvious reasons, hoping to inspire a love of the creature and his instinctual desire to keep the world free of monster attacks. It’s all pulled off with earnestness, easing dramatic lethargy, which is a common problem with these pictures.

Obviously, the big draw here is combat between monsters. The film obliges with a few scenes of chaos highlighting Gamera and Zedus, watching the Men in Suits battle to the bitter end as Toru’s hometown is ripped to shreds, creating panic in the streets for anyone over 10 years of age. Using an enchanting blend of CGI and practical effects, the production doesn’t overthink the obvious, sustaining the core appeal of monster vs. monster fighting, with Zedus a particularly nasty opponent who uses his long purple tongue to puncture Gamera, putting holes in the turtle as our hero figures out his next move. The action is limited but effective, especially when Gamera finally transforms into his final size, ready to lay a beating on Zedus.

Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a slightly brightened appearance, with black levels lacking their natural depth, positively murky during the film's few evening excursions. Colors are unremarkable but stable, with most promising hues emerging from the glowing red stone and kid costuming, while the monster hues retain their reptilian greens and browns, along with a blast of Zedus's purple tongue. Banding is detected early in the movie, along with moderate noise levels. Mild ghosting is also apparent in a few sequences. Fine detail is satisfactory when screen elements remain still, with a good sense of facial textures and monster particulars. City destruction also offers adequate distances to survey. Skintones approach a natural appearance, looking just a tad bloodless due to the boosted viewing experience. Print is largely clean, without any noticeable damage.

Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA Japanese audio track provides a decent rumble around monster shenanigans, with a full low-end workout to deliver the weight of battle and creature rampage. Surrounds are also quite active, though pinpoint directional activity leaves a little to be desire, with a strange sense of movement. Still, immersion is strong, aided by pronounced atmospherics that keep the listening experience interesting. Dialogue is always easy to understand, with a secure center hold that keeps group activity ordered, while scoring is supportive, rarely intruding on the verbal exchanges. Despite some heavy Gamera mayhem, the track never carries into distortion, hitting adventure high points with a solid sense of intensity and clarity, while the delicate emotional needs of the material are preserved, balanced satisfactorily.

Special Note: The BD default audio selection is a 5.1 DTS-HD MA English dub track, which carries some significant synch issues (found on the English 2.0 mix as well). Please be aware of the error before purchasing.

Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "How to Make a Gamera Film" (37:12, SD) elects a different route of supplementary discussion by commencing as a literal lecture, with Ryuta Tazaki standing in front of a dry erase board, ready to teach the youngsters of the world how a monster movie is assembled. Equating filmmaking to the creation of a restaurant, the helmer is clear with his ideas, breaking down the creative process step-by-step, emphasizing the time frame of each production stage. After school lets out, we're allowed to visit the "Gamera the Brave" set, visiting the people of lighting, physical effects, cinematography, sound, set design, hair & make-up, acting, and suit performance to better understand what these jobs actually demand. Interviews are hilariously cordial and quite informative, with plenty of BTS footage employed to understand the daily tasks of each department.

• Two T.V. Spots (:49, SD) are offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:35, SD) is included.

Gamera the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perhaps reducing Gamera to such a child-friendly position is a cardinal sin with monster movie fans, who demand their building-sized protectors to show a little more backbone. However, the gentleness of "Gamera the Brave" is entertaining, bringing a little tenderness to the genre without sacrificing the hurt. The picture is mild and occasionally mawkish, but the Spielbergian touches transfer smoothly to the franchise, updating Gamera for a new generation unaccustomed to the sight of a jet-powered turtle who hangs out with kids.