Gamera tai Shinkai kaijû Jigura (1971)

User Rating:

2.2/10   

Director:

Noriaki Yuasa

Writer:

Nisan Takahashi (writer)

Release Date:

17 July 1971 (Japan)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet but they must first destroy Gamera.

Plot Keywords:

Gamera | Alien | Coca Cola | Spaceship | Helicopter

Cast

Koji Fujiyama	...	Dr. Tom Wallace
Daigo Inoue
Reiko Kasahara	...	Kiyoko Ishikawa
Daihachi Kita
Goro Kumon
Shin Minatsu
Akira Natsuki
Kei'ichi Noda	...	Jigura (Japanese version) (voice)
Isamu Saeki	...	Dr. Yosuke Ishikawa
Yasushi Sakagami	...	Kenichi Ishikawa
Mikiko Tsubouchi	...	Mrs. Ishikawa
Eiko Yanami	...	Woman X / Chikako Sugawara
Yoshio Yoshida
Arlene Zoellner	...	Margie Wallace
Gloria Zoellner	...	Helen Wallace

Also Known As:

Gamera vs. Zigra (USA) (dubbed version)
Gamera vs. the Deep Sea Monster Zigra

Runtime:

USA:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Daieicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan

Company:

Daiei Studios

Trivia:

Zigra in full shark mode resembles a Goblin shark, a rare species of deep sea shark found most commonly near Japan.

Quotes:

Kenny: Ah, Gamera!
Helen: I don't like monsters.
Kenny: Gamera is the friend of all children!
Helen: Is he really?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gamera vs. Zigra (#4.16)" (1991)

ZIGRA is Z-grade.

Review summary: Toho could make art compared to this.

The giant rubber monster movies, or Kaiju as they called it in Japan, has been on the spotlight for many a year. From the fame of "Gojira" or "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", the same studio tried to top themselves with creating more and more of this monstrosities battling each other. "Godzilla", the most famous of these, also spawned rip-offs (They happen here to you know). One of these was Gamera. from the original "Gammera the Invincible", this also spawned sequels, which features our giant rubber terrapin pits fire against other giant monsters, and always impresses the kiddies, who look up to Gamera as their hero. While the other Gamera films maybe are entertaining (haven't seen them yet), "Gamera vs. Zigra", the last in the series is what I'd include in the category "Bottom-of-the-barrel". LAughable rubber monster movie. They would have learned from the start that this was silly. But no, they made it anyway.

The plot is mainly the basis of hundred previous Kaiju films. Alien entities try to take over the world. Led by Zigra, an alien lord resembling the Goblin shark, which can be found commonly near Japanese waters, the alien enemy (well, only one) cause massive earthquakes to prove their powers. Then the kids point at the skies as their hero approaches. Is it Superman? No, it's Gamera!!! Yes Gamera to the rescue once again. And Gamera does more than fight Zigra, he does many other silly things like breath fire...underwater(?!)and so much more. If you think that would be silly, wait 'till you see it.

This is admittedly one of the silliest movies I've seen in a while (although I have a hunch saying I'll be seeing more of this silliness with these rubber monster Kaiju), but some movies have reached a certain amount of ineptness, being Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer Space" as a good example, that they can be entertaining, mostly for preposterous reasons. Camp buffs can rest their eyes on preposterous situations like fire-breathing underwater, an alien woman walking about wearing only a bathing suit as a disguise, silly dialog and, well, so much more than you can possibly laugh at, unintentionally.

Although this was indeed silly, at least it didn't bore me, I mean, with all the silliness going on. I give the film, at least, a *, for being completely hilarious on the parts that it shouldn't.

Rating: * out of 5.