After spectacularly reviving the GAMERA franchise and following it up with one of the best kaiju sequels ever made, director Shusuke Kaneko and Daei Studios were on a roll and certainly had both the tools and the momentum to create a fitting end to their trilogy. However, they also had a heck of lot to live up to. REVENGE OF IRIS is a very unique monster feature and definitely still within the territory of the best GAMERA flicks ever made, but it's also a small step down from the well-rounded masterpiece that came directly before it. It's worthy of a buy, but it makes a few decisions that lessen its appeal to me.
The story: Japan turns against Gamera when his battle with the Gyaos devastates a city. At the same time, an angry young woman (Ai Maeda) raises a monster of her own to reap vengeance on Gamera.
My biggest complaint is that Gamera himself has relatively little screen time, with his scenes relegated to the first and last half-hours of the film. However, this disappointment is softened by the prolonged presence of his enemy, Iris. From a dramatic perspective, I'd argue that Iris is the single best kaiju villain ever created. For a character who doesn't speak, he is perfectly written, with his relationship with Maeda's character being particularly well-conceived. It makes for a unique take on the human-monster bond that other movies of this sort have broached and absolutely hits it home, with one of the most dramatic climaxes I've seen in films like this. The only downside? – about half of all shots featuring him are computer-generated, which more or less demolishes the aesthetic balance established in the previous movie.
Then again, I can't be too critical of the CGI. Its quality is excellent for something produced outside of America in the late 90s, and it occasionally makes for some impacting visuals; virtually all of the above-cloud battle counts. It also helps set a surprisingly sinister tone. Great lengths appear to have been taken to make REVENGE OF IRIS the darkest and bloodiest of the trilogy. Gamera, for one thing, has been given a revamped design and looks particularly fearsome. His initial CG-enhanced battle and its effect on the city is nothing short of apocalyptic – completely justifying the nation's turn against the monster and making for a scene we had never before seen in his features.
Even outside of the monster battles, the production scenes are surprisingly high. And while the film suffers from a cast way too large for its own good, the dramatic performances are roundly good. I am delighted to see Ayako Fujitani's role return to prominence, though the aforementioned Ai Maeda is the one who really steals the show.
Daiei Studios would not produce any films after this one, which is a major disappointment for a company as storied as it, but the fact that its last effort was such a good one counts for something. Gamera ends this particular stage of his existence victoriously, because REVENGE OF IRIS – as well as its two predecessors – is a triumph. Again, it's not without its faults, but it leaves an impression that I believe all kaiju films you watch subsequently will be judged by.
The story: Japan turns against Gamera when his battle with the Gyaos devastates a city. At the same time, an angry young woman (Ai Maeda) raises a monster of her own to reap vengeance on Gamera.
My biggest complaint is that Gamera himself has relatively little screen time, with his scenes relegated to the first and last half-hours of the film. However, this disappointment is softened by the prolonged presence of his enemy, Iris. From a dramatic perspective, I'd argue that Iris is the single best kaiju villain ever created. For a character who doesn't speak, he is perfectly written, with his relationship with Maeda's character being particularly well-conceived. It makes for a unique take on the human-monster bond that other movies of this sort have broached and absolutely hits it home, with one of the most dramatic climaxes I've seen in films like this. The only downside? – about half of all shots featuring him are computer-generated, which more or less demolishes the aesthetic balance established in the previous movie.
Then again, I can't be too critical of the CGI. Its quality is excellent for something produced outside of America in the late 90s, and it occasionally makes for some impacting visuals; virtually all of the above-cloud battle counts. It also helps set a surprisingly sinister tone. Great lengths appear to have been taken to make REVENGE OF IRIS the darkest and bloodiest of the trilogy. Gamera, for one thing, has been given a revamped design and looks particularly fearsome. His initial CG-enhanced battle and its effect on the city is nothing short of apocalyptic – completely justifying the nation's turn against the monster and making for a scene we had never before seen in his features.
Even outside of the monster battles, the production scenes are surprisingly high. And while the film suffers from a cast way too large for its own good, the dramatic performances are roundly good. I am delighted to see Ayako Fujitani's role return to prominence, though the aforementioned Ai Maeda is the one who really steals the show.
Daiei Studios would not produce any films after this one, which is a major disappointment for a company as storied as it, but the fact that its last effort was such a good one counts for something. Gamera ends this particular stage of his existence victoriously, because REVENGE OF IRIS – as well as its two predecessors – is a triumph. Again, it's not without its faults, but it leaves an impression that I believe all kaiju films you watch subsequently will be judged by.