MovieChat Forums > Gamera 3: Jashin kakusei (1999) Discussion > certainly not the best!

certainly not the best!

posted 19 years ago by Chrispy_G
11 replies | jump to latest

listen up everybody, I heard such great things about the gamera trilogy and how they were the best, but now that I have watched them I know for a fact that they are not the best. some observations.
1.people praise these movies for using cgi for the fireballs and not using the 2-d animation stuff that godzilla films used, but basically every monster but gamera uses that 2-d effect until gamera 3! and seeing a good cgi effect then cutting to a crappy 2-d effect was a really bad experiance for me.
2.even though the first of the trilogy was the first monster movie to use cgi missles, they still looked fake, even when they got up to gamera 3, the cgi missles in godzilla 2000 look extremely better.
3.WHERE IS ALL THE ACTION! there is so little monster action in these movies, each movie hardly has any monster action until the final fight happens and even then they are not all that impressive, especially the final fights of the first and third films.
4.people say that the cgi in all 3 films is better than in any godzilla film, that is not true, godzilla 200(which has second to worst cgi in all of the mellenium series) has better cgi than in these films.
5. finally people say that the stories are so much better than in godzilla because of their intricateness and creativeness, well this also causes alot of boring expesition scenes, something godzilla films dont do, dont get me wrong I like great stories but as far as giant monster films go, they should keep the plot simple.
6.also what is up with the ending to gamera 3, it leaves you hagging so bad for a sequel, and even worse they didnt make a sequel! its a crappy ending to a fairly enjoyable trilogy.

well those are the reasons these are not the best kaiju movies in my opinion, dont get me wrong they were pretty good but nowhere near godzillas level of achievment.

[–] TheUnknown837-1 18 years ago

PJ-Barty, first of all, you must realize something about the American release of the Godzilla 2000 DVD. When Tristar distributed it, they enhanced the CGI for some scenes. Believe me, they're no better in the original version that used in Gamera: Revenge of Iris.

Second thing, for the first of the Gamera trilogy does have some crappy CGI in some scenes. But know this. The director had only HALF the budget that they use in the Godzilla films. Half! And considering the low budget that they give for the Godzilla films, the CGI in the Gamera trilogy is pretty good.

Here's where I think your problem comes. You were just expecting too much from these movies when you first saw them. Believe me, I went through the same thing when I first saw the first of the Gamera trilogy after hearing so much about them.

My advice is to watch them again and just consider some of the facts that I stated above.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] curl-6 17 years ago

1. Because the Godzilla films of the time never used 2-d effects... oh wait, they did, and they were less sophisticated than those in Gamera 1 and 2. Godzilla vs Destoroyah also used both 2-d rotoscoping and CGI, cutting from one to the other.

2. The CGI missiles in Gamera 2 and 3 blow the ones in Godzilla 2000 out of the water; the fire/smoke trail effects and lighting are much better, particularly with patriot missiles in Gamera 3.

3. The films rely on plot, not action, which is not a bad thing. The final battles of all three films are superb, particularly Gamera 3, which has the best climax to any kaiju film to date.

4. All three films have better CGI than the cartoonish stuff in Godzilla 2000, and Gamera 3 has better CG than any Godzilla film to date.

5. Plot too complex for you? Those exposition scenes are vital in the depth and meaning they add to the story.

6.G3's ending is superb; it neatly sums up the whole meaning of Gamera's character; that he will fight to the end to protect us, even if he has no chance.

"Impressive. So, Kira, without actually laying a hand on someone, you can kill?" L, Death Note

[–] Slainmonkey 16 years ago

personally I didn't think Gamera 3 was all that good....it really didn't do anything for me...and all we gat is a muntant Gaos and a girl who hates Gamera "oh how riviting"....and there is no excuse for any Kaiju fulm ot ever use that much CGI. I did enjoy 1 and 2 quite abit however. Still some Godzilla films I enjoyed more.

[–] curl-6 16 years ago

all we gat is a muntant Gaos and a girl who hates Gamera "oh how riviting"

It is if you pay attention to the complex layered narrative and rich subtext.

and there is no excuse for any Kaiju fulm ot ever use that much CGI

If you have a grudge against CGI, that's not the film's problem. The CG in Gamera 3 was included for a very good reason; because it was the most effective way to render the FX shots in which it was used.

Nobody is entitled to an opinion. Everyone is entitled to an informed opinion.

[–] Slainmonkey 16 years ago

I got the plot just fine and granted it's more complex then most Kaiju films as it's an area that is usually lacking in the genre.....still nothing about it grabbed my interests in fact quite the opposite...it seemed like it had ideas but failed to make them remotely engaging and no matter what you say about the CGI in the film it seemed to only further damage the film for me....while Advent of Legion had CG at least when making it they had the common sense to make it very dark so it stands out less.

Sure Gamera has had worse adventures like Gamera vs. Viras or worse yet Gamera Super Monster, but this film still didn't push the right buttons for me and can't raise above mediocrity in my eyes. Same goes for Gamera the Brave though for mostly different reasons. Your entitled to like it as many do....but it just didn't win me over.

[–] curl-6 16 years ago

If it doesn't appeal to your taste, fair enough.
I personally consider it the greatest kaiju film made to date, it just about every area. Its story and ideas swept me away with their emotional power and fascinating complexity.
I gotta disagree about the CG; Gamera 3 has the most sohpisticated computer graphics in the genre so far in my view; for example, Gamera's plasma fist and the hundreds of Gyaos flying through the moonlit sky were flawlessly executed. It's also actually darker than Advent of Legion, with proportionately more of its FX sequences taking place at night.
But hey, to each their own.
I just have a habit of jumping to this film's defence since I admire it so much, sorry.

Nobody is entitled to an opinion. Everyone is entitled to an informed opinion.

[–] Slainmonkey 16 years ago

Well I only saw it once and I didn't hate the film per say....who knows maybe it I were to watch it a second time I would have a different oppinion....there have been films I've misjudged over the years and had enjoyed when watching it again....maybe I wasn't in the right mood but I wanna say of the record that I didn't hate the film....I just found myself not caring.

[–] T-eschberger 14 years ago

Action doesn't make a great Kaiju. As fun as many of the Godzilla films are, they can't hold a candle to the Gamera and Daimajin Trilogies. These six films proved giant monster films can be GOOD films and not just mindless monster bashing. As much as I love Godzilla, I can honestly say I never, ever cared for ANY of the human character in any of the movie. Well, Gojira and GMK are probably the 2 exceptions. The Gamera and Daimajin films managed to create good plots that made sense while actually giving us characters we could like and get behind.

[–] Chrispy_G 14 years ago

I don't know what I was thinking when I posted this, I came to this board to check it out...and I'm very embarrassed that this post is here.

I love the Gamera trilogy...it's probably the best 3 film Kaiju arch in existence. Gamera 3 is easily one of the best Kaiju films out there.

God I was such a stupid kid.

'What I hear about a film affects my anticipation to see it, not my expectations of what I'll see'

[–] mungosmungo8694 11 years ago

so five years later you have a change of heart???

Its ok The first time i saw this one I thought it was ok at best...i watched it again last night...yeah its bloody brilliant.

GMK...I still have a hard time with, I really didnt like it the first time i saw it, but apon the second viewing i really enjoyed it.I think its very over rated by the fans, but I think it is the overall design of the Kaiju in the flick I dont like. Godzilla just looks terrible to me, but hey thats just me.

as far as G3 goes....yeah its bad ass

I'm the ROCKABILLY MONGOOSE!