Search - War of the Monsters (aka Gamera vs. Barugon) on DVD

Solid Monster Movie- Dreadful DVD quality

Mike McAuley | Toronto, Canada | 07/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up watching Gamera movies on Detroit TV. They'd have Gamera week and Godzilla week and I'd race home from public school to watch em all.

Now as Gamera went I wasn't as big a fan. The whole flying turtle thing and too many pathetic little kids in the story lines really turned me off. BUT recently I bought the 90's Gamera box set and was blown away! The 90's movies are really good (too bad they didn't make a part 4). And thus wanting more I decided to take a trip down memory lane and wander the mine field of cheesy hokey cruddy Gamera films. I started with the first one which is totally ruined by American actor scenes which just make an already stupid movie EVEN worse. I checked out Gamera vs Monster X cause it was my all time childhood fave (the sub scene). It's OK but leans towards kiddy film heavily, although the cheese factor pulls it from a complete nose dive and several clever scenes keep it above water too. Nervous about trying more I decided to read the other reviews and most people rated War of The Monsters rather highly (one I don't remember all that well) so I gave it a shot- hell, Alpha DVD's are cheap as dirt (with equal quality). And I got to say I was happily surprised. Why??

A) Solid SCI-FI adult story line! Some loopy stuff but hey it's about a flying turtle damn-it.

B) Good action scenes. Loads of monster crushing stuff and decent human action as well.

C) Plausible evil monster. Okay the rainbow ray is a bit sissy and the baseball bat tongue is really odd. But he grew up quick and mean. GOOD human villian too!

D) NO stupid little kids. I repeat NO stupid little kids.

E) Hot chick in lead role. Got to like that.

F) Good soundtrack- no kiddy music!

So why not 5 stars??

A) Not enough Gamera. When it ends you realize Gamera just wasn't in there enough to make it a 5. Good- but needed more.

B) BAD special effects- good enough for B-Movie fans. Better than "Reptilicus" but still goofy bad and loads of wires. Monster blood looked like chocolate milk (maybe the reason why is located in C).

C) Pathetic Alpha Video quality dub. For three seconds the colour goes perfect and you realize why you are squinting your eyes. AND for those few seconds you realize how good this movie could look if done properly. Especially the island dancer scenes! Come on Alpha Video it doesn't have to suck this BAD!!

In conclusion: Solid Monster movie. Dreadful DVD quality dub. But a keeper in my B-Movie collection. I have a feeling this movie may last longer than Monster X (oh those stupid little kids! And all that kiddy music. Gotta remember the telephone poles in the ears and the sub scene... cheese factor- cheese factor- plugging hydro wires into his heart by taking a sub into his mouth- classic cheese)."

Gamera is back and this time he's in color AND the HERO!

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 01/14/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In "War of the Monsters: Gamera vs. Barugon" (known as "Daikaijû kessen: Gamera tai Barugon" in the Land of the Rising Sun) everybody's favorite jet-powered super-turtle Gamera battles Barugon, a gigantic horned dinosaur hatched from a huge opal. From his deadly horns, Barugon emits the devastating "rainbow ray" and he also has some wild tongue action that defies description. That means in this second edition of the Gamera series, the giant turtle gets to be the hero, so it sure was a good thing the Japanese Defense Forces decided to let him live at the end of the first film. Gamera was awakened by a nuclear explosion, but Barugon gets hatched when a bunch of stupid gangsters try to cash in on the giant opal, which, of course, is really a giant egg. Unlike the first Gamera film, "War of the Monsters: Gamera vs. Barugon" is in color (which makes the special effects look cheesier) and in Japanese (which means unemployed American actors are sparred being spliced into the action, a ploy that only worked with Raymond Burr in the original "Godzilla" film). The first half of the film is arguably more boring than the original film, mainly because it is a monster movie with no monsters until the second half. But you do have the semblance of a fight between the two creatures in the end. Consider this one step forward and one step backwards with regards to the original Gamera film. The cast is headed by Kojiro Hongo as Keisuke Hirata, Koji Fujiyama as Onodera, and Kyôko Enami as Karen."

THE REAL WAY TO HEAR GAMERA!!!!!

A. C. Cronvich | Planet Zeist | 11/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It should be noted that this is the AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
version of this film. It features excellent dubbing and should not be confused with the horrible SANDY FRANK version that aired on
MST3K."

Good For Those New To The Gamera Movies

GameraRocks | Gillsville, GA USA | 12/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The sequel to Gamera The Invicible is about lies, trickery and greed. During WW2, someone left and "opal", he had discovered, hidden in a cave to be found when he came back. Years later he hires his brother and two other meant to go and get the "opal" They go to the island the older brother left the jewel only to be stopped by the villagers that inhabit the island. They are told that they shouldn't enter the cave because it is cursed and those that do go, they don't come back alive. Convinced that this is a myth used to scare people away from a hidden treasure, they continue anyway. Later in the cave, they find the "opal" and one of the three betrays the other two and leaves them for dead. Little does he know that what he has is not an opal at all, but something much worse... I originally didn't like this movie, but I watched it again and I loved it. This is definitely one of the best Showa Gamera films. This had nothing to do with children saving the day like the later movies would become. No kid in sight through the entire movie. This movie was amazing, some of the best fight scenes I have seen between Gamera and Barugon, and also some of the best fights scenes I have seen on a kaiju movie between the good and bad humans. Barugon's name is a rip off of Toho's Baragon, but the monster itself is original and amazing. This and the first movie Gamera the Invincible is definitely the two movies to watch if you're new to the Showa Gamera world."