Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)

You do not want to catch this rainbow

"Why must humans be so greedy?" Gamera vs Barugon brings that harsh lesson into focus showing how human greed causes as many problems as giant Kaiju.

At the end of the original Gamera, the giant turtle was enclosed in a capsule and launched into space. This movie picks up with a meteor cracking open the ship and Gamera spinning his way home to Earth where he caused some damage feasting on hydroelectric power from a dam.

After Gamera takes off to parts unknown three men travel to New Guinea to retrieve a giant opal left hidden in a cave from WWII. The natives try to warn them off but they won't hear of it. Death and betrayal follow which is why we can't have nice things. The opal, as any Kaiju fan will have figured out by now, is an egg, not a stone. Next thing you know Barugon is on the loose with his giant tongue (whole new meaning to the term tongue lashing!), glowing tines on his back and a giant rainbow ray of death you do not want to catch. Gamera shows up and takes quite a beating from the new kid in town.

The humans, including a repentant thief and the native girl who came with him to Japan seek to stop Barugon. One of the other thieves cannot except the loss of the jewel and goes on a murder spree. As usual, most of their efforts are thwarted because this is Gamera's movie, not theirs, and it's up to him to have the marquee fight.

Though the movie starts slow, the humans are among the most interesting of any Kaiju movie. Hongo Kojiro made a believable humbled man trying to undo his mistake, knowing it would be impossible to repay the lives lost. Fujiyama Koji played the greedy and villainous thief well. Let's just say his character got the tongue lashing he deserved by human and Kaiju alike.

I didn't care for the original Gamera but his second outing was much more enjoyable and well done. It helped that there wasn't an annoying child talking about turtles non-stop. This Gamera was dark and excluding the usual Kaiju pseudo science, fairly coherently and cohesively written. It was beautifully shot and the fights were well done considering they were guys in cumbersome rubber suits. For a 1966 movie about a big turtle that can fly you couldn't have asked for much more.


(As usual these old niche movies are graded on a curve)

10/20/22

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