Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris
Year: 1999
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Writer: Kazunori Ito, Shusuke Kaneko,
Starring: Shinobu Nakayama, Ai Maeda, Yukijiro Jotaru, Auako Fujitani, Senri Yamazaki, Toru Tezuka, Yuu Koyama, Nozomi Ando, Kei Horie,
This is what it all came down to. After reinventing Gamera, Shusuke kaneko gave us what is one of the best monster movies of all time. In fact, it may be the only film which could debatably be even better than the original Gojira. It has absolutely everything you could ever want from the genre, as well as throwing in some stuff you didn’t even realise you needed. The first two films in this trilogy were just a year apart, whereas here a whole 3 years seemed to have been expertly utilised to perfect the story, effects, horror and drama. Much more than just a monster smash ‘em up, Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris takes the formula and raises it to a level of perfection only attainable by the dedication of a team confident in their craft.
The film starts with a hint at how the film will connect on a human level. We find a dead and rotting Gyaos decomposing as a woman beats it for eating her family. Human drama and sacrifice is forever intertwined in this instalment, evident in the second scene which takes us back to 1995, the time of the first film. We see Gamera smash down a building, without any malicious intent, crushing the people inside. This brings us to present day, where the young Ayana (Maeda) has nothing but contempt for our supposed saviour. She wants revenge on the monster that took her parents, and it just so happens she discovers a baby monster of her own which she quickly names Iris. She sets about raising the creature in order to battle Gamera, not knowing that Iris may be even more dangerous.
It’s a simple plot, but it all ties together so well. As Gamera comes to the rescue against more Gyaos, Kaneko uses the excellent technique of shooting everything from ground level. We’re no longer watching an invigorating battle between monsters, but instead see people being crushed and hundreds wiped away by Gamera’s fire breath. It’s a brave depiction of the Guardian of the Universe and one that makes us feel more involved as we focus on the humans. Iris is a spectacular creation, and Kaneko also utilises well placed CGI. This leads to astonishing aerial battles, and gives the creatures a bit more movement and character at times. The blending of CG and practical effects makes you yearn for such days when blockbusters weren’t almost entirely rendered. Here, there’s a perfect marriage between classic and modern effects.
Once again taking itself seriously but never skimping on the fun, the film includes elements of horror as well as action. One scene seems to be going the way of the usual fake-out scare, before actually making you crap your pants. It may not quite hit the social message of the original Gojira but it does offer many intriguing ideas about belief and forgiveness. We can’t blame Ayana for her revenge, nor can we blame her for failing to undertand that Gamera’s collateral damage is a small price to pay. It’s heart wrenching, and the final action sequences make that literal. The violence of monster on monster action is pretty extreme, and makes it so much more than just two men in suits colliding. This should be in everyone’s collection, monster fan or not.
Will I enjoy it?
This should appeal to absolutely anyone. If you re really against monster movies, then you may hold a prejudice against this, but it does everything so well and eliminates all cheesiness, that you shouldn’t allow its genre to put you off. The effects certainly stand up today, and the human elements feel natural rather than crowbarred in between the action. You don’t really need to have seen the previous 2 entries, but it helps.
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