MovieChat Forums > Gamera 2: Region shurai (1996) Discussion > The Highwater Mark of Kaiju Filmmaking

The Highwater Mark of Kaiju Filmmaking


Gamera 2: Attack of Legion is the best kaiju eiga (Japanese Giant Monster Movie) after the original 1954 Gojira (Godzilla).

It combines the style, look and atmosphere of traditional Japanese special effects (tokusatsu) with a documentary realism that convinces you that the fantastic events unfolding in front of you are actually happening.

G2 is also a buddy movie of sorts. The human characters have real chemistry between them and they're well-written, even endearing.

The kaiju (giant monster) designs are stunning, especially Legion, which is perhaps unparalleled in terms of concept and execution.

The invasion of Legion and how they function is explained in a way that is plausible, making it easy to buy into the story.

Gamera 2 gives you a good guy to root for (Gamera, of course) and a bad guy to root against, Legion.

The second entry in the Heisei Gamera Films (1995-99) showcases Director Shusuke Kaneko, Special Effects Director Shinji Higuchi and Screenwriter Kanuzori Ito at their best.

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