Gamera | |
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Date of Release: | November 26, 1965 (Japan) December 15, 1966 (U.S.) |
Boogeymen: | Gamera |
Followed by: | Gamera vs. Barugon |
Gamera (also titled "Giant Monster Gamera", "Gammera the Invincible", and "Gamera: The Giant Monster") is a 1965 Science fiction Kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa. The film's plot involves an ancient giant turtle monster called "Gamera" who has been unleashed from its icy tomb by an atom bomb only to terrorize the entire country of Japan.
The film is the first in a series of Kaiju (giant monster) films featuring the monster Gamera. Though created to capitalize on the success of Toho's popular Godzilla films, Gamera did manage to find success on its own and spawn its own franchise. After countless of sequels over the years, fans have widely regarded Gamera as one of Japan's second memorable Kaiju characters, right behind Godzilla.
Plot[]
In an icy North American region, a Soviet bomber is shot down by an American fighter jet. The bomber crashes and its cargo, a low-level atomic bomb, explodes. The resulting cataclysm awakens a giant, prehistoric monster called "Gamera", who has the appearance of a giant turtle with large tusks.
Gamera destroys the American jet with his fireball and escapes into the sea. The monster heads to Japan and surfaces from Sagami Bay, destroys a city,[which?] and retreats back into the sea. Scientists and government officials hold a conference to discuss killing the monster.
Gamera destroys a research ship, kills the crew, and then heads to Tokyo. He is sedated and hit by group of bombs. Gamera awakens in time, protected from the bombs by his hard shell, and escapes the attack with a new ability: flying.
Gamera lands in Haneda Airport, and proceeds to Tokyo, rampaging through the city. The military observes that he ate fire from the buildings he destroyed, and they devises "Plan Z". Using fire, they lure Gamera to a missile complex, where he is imprisoned in a giant rocket ship. Held by strong chains, the monster is launched into outer space, presumably never to return.