6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Unusual volcanic activity in Japan awakens Gyaos, a bloodthirsty flying monster with the power to slice things in half with an ultrasonic ray. While scientists and the military scramble to devise a way to stop this new threat, a young boy forms an alliance with Gamera; a monster no one else seems to trust.
Starring: Kôjirô Hongô, Kichijirô Ueda, Reiko Kasahara, Akira Natsuki, Taro MaruiForeign | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 50% |
Fantasy | 34% |
Action | 27% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Big, brawling Kaiju monster movies can be quite good if they're done right. Gamera vs. Gyaos isn't done right, and therefore it isn't very good. The movie has its moments of cheesy glory, but for the most part it's an exercise in lowest-common-denominator Monster moviemaking, built around a straightforward and largely thoughtless script, laughably bad visual effects, and worst of all, boring monsters battling with nary an ounce of visual or dramatic originality. The film pits the title hero Gamera, once a menace to society and now a de facto caretaker for a young Japanese boy, against one of his oddest opponents yet and that he'll ever face, a regenerative vampire bat-thing with a dislike for the sun and that shoots yellow laser beams out of its mouth, capable of cleanly slicing a car in half but miraculously leaving the entire engine intact. So the villain isn't particularly noteworthy and its combat with the heroic spinning turtle with jet engines on all four corners plays out pretty much like every other Kaiju battle, yet there's an unmistakable charm to parts of this one, most of it a product of the classic "so bad it's good" paradox, the kind of movie that will leave the audience shaking its head but smiling at the same time.
Gamera vs. Gyaos' 1080i transfer has some problems. While the image can look passably good, there are a number of underlying issues that keep it from even Blu-ray mediocrity. First, the good news. Details can satisfy on a basic level. Image clarity ofttimes impresses, and the transfer occasionally displays nice, nearly filmic textures on clothes, faces, monsters, terrains, and even the shoddy models with relative ease and command. Additionally, colors are frequently impressive, certainly not vibrant and rich and nuanced like one might expect to find in a modern film or digital production, but good enough for a lower end movie many decades old. Unfortunately, the good stops at the basics. Black levels are consistently a shade or two too pale and bright. Frequent compression issues are clearly evident, particularly in darker backdrops. An annoying combing effect is visible every time one line of subtitles transitions to another. A fair amount of wear and tear is evident throughout, much heavier in spots but rather consistent nonetheless. Overall, it's a passable image but one that's wholly unimpressive.
Gamera vs. Gyaos arrives on Blu-ray with a Japanese language Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Note that the Blu-ray player reads it as an English track, but it is indeed a presentation of the Japanese original (optional English subtitles are included and can only be toggled on or off via the remote's "subtitle" button). The track is a disappointment, a shallow, sometimes barely audible at reference levels listen. Music sounds like it's playing at about a quarter of normal volume. Of course, it lacks even cursory range and clarity is iffy at best. Action effects, like Gyaos' laser beams, fail to do much other than produce the base sound. Crashes, explosions, and other action sound effects are presented just loudly and clearly enough to offer base sonic definition and presence. Dialogue is adequately delivered though also a bit scratchy and shallow. This is a classic case of a soundtrack doing just enough to get the listener through the film, no more and no less.
This Blu-ray release of Gamera vs. Gyaos contains no supplemental content.
Gamera vs. Gyaos borders on being almost entirely plotless. Most of the film feels like a simple regurgitation of basic Kaiju movie mechanics, both in terms of how the human characters fit into the greater story and, of course, in the monster battles themselves. The film never surprises and it certainly never impresses. It's home to poorly realized visual effects (enough with the bad toys and models already!) and repetitive monster-on-monster action. The film satisfies as simpleminded entertainment and might even give the audience something to laugh at, but it's otherwise a rather poor entry all around. Mill Creek Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Gamera vs. Gyaos features troubled video, poor audio, and no supplements. Skip it.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Gamera tai Bairasu
1968
Gamera tai Jaiga
1970
Gamera tai Barugon
1966
Daikaijû Gamera
1965
Uchu kaijû Gamera
1980
Gamera tai Giron
1969
Gamera tai Jigura
1971
2006
1999
1966
1995
1996
ゴジラ対ヘドラ / Gojira tai Hedora / Godzilla vs. Hedorah
1971
ゴジラvsビオランテ / Gojira vs. Biorante
1989
ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム / Gojira ni-sen mireniamu / Godzilla 2000: Millennium
1999
ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃 / Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidorâ: Daikaijû sôkôgeki
2001
モスラ対ゴジラ / Mosura tai Gojira
1964
ゴジラ×メカゴジラ / Gojira x Mekagojira
2002
怪獣大戦争 / Kaijû daisensô / Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
1965
ゴジラvsモスラ / Gojira vs. Mosura / Godzilla vs. Mothra
1992