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UNIVERSAL

SERIES INFO

Director:
Various
Cast:
Eiji Funakoshi, Ayako Fujitani, Ryô Tomioka
Writing Credits:
Various

Synopsis:
A collection of all 12 Gamera films from 1965 – 2006.

MPAA:
Rated NR.

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: Various
Audio:
Various
Closed-captioned


See individual reviews for additional specs on the collection.


Price: $179.98
Release Date: 8/18/2020


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RELATED REVIEWS


Gamera: The Complete Collection [Blu-Ray] (1965-2006)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (August 31, 2020)

GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER: “Even as a rehash of Godzilla, I hoped Gamera the Giant Monster might offer chaotic fun. Unfortunately, the film seems poorly made and without excitement or impact.

GAMERA VS. BARUGON: “While not an objectively good movie, I think Gamera vs. Barugon improves upon its predecessor. Though it runs too long and spends too much time with dull human characters, it boasts superior production values, a darker tone and enough action to make it watchable.”

GAMERA VS. GYAOS: “After the series’ second movie worked surprisingly well, Gamera vs. Gyaos comes as a notable decline. With a weaker story, crummier effects and a general lack of quality, it turns into a weak monster flick.”

GAMERA VS. VIRAS: “Just as the James Bond franchise got campier as it went, our favorite giant turtle marches toward silliness with Gamera vs. Viras. It more overtly panders to kids and becomes a spotty adventure.”

GAMERA VS. GUIRON: “Arguably the most ambitious effort in the series to date, Gamera vs. Guiron comes with real potential. However, it lacks commitment to its themes and ends up as a shoddy mix of bad effects and lackluster action.”

GAMERA VS. JIGER: “Though the sixth film in six years, Gamera vs. Jiger becomes one of the franchise’s more satisfying efforts. While I can’t claim it excels, it capitalizes on the property’s strengths and avoids some of the usual pitfalls.”

GAMERA VS. ZIGRA: “Perhaps the franchise would’ve entered hibernation no matter what after 1971’s Gamera vs. Zigra, as maybe viewers just tired of the character. However, the poor quality of this slipshod, boring monster flick didn’t help.”

GAMERA: SUPER MONSTER: “Created to fulfill a contractual obligation, Gamera: Super Monster feels like the cinematic product it is. Idiotic, incoherent and downright dull, the movie must be the franchise’s absolute nadir.”

GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE: “Objectively, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe offers a mediocre movie at best. Subjectively, I recognize its flaws but still think it provides enough monster movie action to make it watchable.”

GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION: “A continuation of the franchise’s 1990s reboot, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion offers a sporadically exciting affair. The movie drags too much of the time and takes too long to get to its title character, but it still manifests enough thrills to make it moderately enjoyable.”

GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS: “The final part of a reboot trilogy, 1999’s Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris likely offers the franchise’s best movie. Though it comes with some weaknesses, most of the film works quite well and delivers an exciting, dramatic tale.”

GAMERA THE BRAVE: “As of 2020, 2006’s Gamera the Brave remains the character’s last cinematic adventure. The film proves an inconsistent tale, one that boasts enough positives to merit a look, but also one whose flaws make it a disappointment.”


The Blu-ray Grades: Picture NA/ Audio NA/ Bonus NA

The Package:

In the wake of Godzilla’s success at Toho Studios, competitors Daiei created their own enormous creature in 1965. That year’s Gamera the Giant Monster launched a franchise.

That flick became the first of 12. Six more followed by 1971, and then another arrived in 1980. A reboot trilogy ran from 1995-1999, and then a rebooted reboot came in 2006.

All those links above go to the individual reviews. In addition to the 12 discs, the “Complete Collection” also features a 120-page reproduction of a 1996 Gamera comic book and an 80-page retrospective book. My review copy didn’t include these components so I can’t formally discuss them.

Across the board, the movies usually look and sound good. Variations occur, but Arrow seemed to do the best they could with the material.

The discs all come with a nice selection of bonus materials. Each one gets an audio commentary, and while the quality of these varied from great to useless, I’m happy all 12 provide these tracks.

Other bonus materials also seem up and down, as some movies present a slew of extras while others provide minor goodies. Still, all 12 include decent supplements, so I won’t complain.

As a franchise, Gamera brings serious ups and downs, and I admit I don’t particularly enjoy most of the flicks. Still, we find some entertainment here, and Arrow treats the material well via this “Complete Collection”. Fans of the franchise should feel very pleased with this comprehensive and well-done set.

Viewer Film Ratings: 3 Stars Number of Votes: 1
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Review Archive:  # | A-C | D-F | G-I | J-L | M-O | P-R | S-U | V-Z | Viewer Ratings | Main