MST3K Vs. Gamera XXI DVD Review
“MST3K Vs. Gamera XVI” is further proof as to why Shout! Factory is the best home video entertainment company.
For those needing a little background on this set, allow me to fill you in. In the early seasons of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” Joel and the bots were subjected to 5 “Gamera” films. After finally being able to get the rights from producer Sandy Frank, Shout! Factory was gracious enough to release all 5 of these episodes in a fantastic tin box set. So, how do the episodes fare you ask? Keep on reading to find out.
The set kicks off with the first B&W “Gamera” film which is my second favorite episode from this set. The story of this giant monster movie involves the usual plot device (AKA an atomic explosion). As you can probably guess, the blast awakens Gamera from his slumber and he goes on to destroy cities and kill tons of innocent people. For most people, Gamera is an obvious menace, but one obnoxious turtle loving child (Kenny) who is somehow saved by Gamera thinks the monster is a friend.
The movie has everything you would come to expect from a Japanese monster movie. Bad dubbing? Check. Bad models? Yep. Man in suit action? Duh. All of these elements make for perfect material for Joel and the bots as they mercilessly mock the toy boat models, the goofy characters (some of which resemble Curly and Colonel Sanders), and, of course, the annoying child character Kenny who provides much of the film’s amusement.
The second film in the set (“Gamera Vs. Barugon”) is somewhat of a departure from the other 4 films. The bulk of the story involves an expedition to find a jewel which turns out to be a giant monster egg that hatches Barugon- the rhino dog creature with a giant tongue who shoots rainbows (I’m not making this up). Naturally, all hell breaks loose when Barugon is on the loose and only Gamera (who has now become a friend to mankind) can stop him.
‘Barugon’ is the only film in this set which doesn’t have any main children characters which is part of the reason why it’s not as involving. The annoying kids often prove to be the source of many great jokes and laughs from Joel and the gang and that type of humor is noticeably absent in this episode. Another problem is that Gamera is barely in this episode which is a real bummer. Complaints aside, there are some great jokes here about Tiny Tim, “Tom And Jerry,” and the truly bizarre blood-sucking scene. The drive-in host segment is also quite amusing.
The third film in the set is “Gamera Vs. Gaos” is arguably the weakest of the five. In this installment, Gamera must battle Gaos- the bird-bat like monster that shoots lazers. Aside from some funny jokes about mint Jello, “West Side Story,” a tick, and “Scholtzky’s,” this episode is generally a snooze fest thank in part to a subplot involving land and a child character (Itchy) who is nothing more than a Kenny rip-off.
The fourth episode on this set is “Gamera Vs. Guiron.” Thankfully, annoying children are back for this one. The plot mainly involves two children climbing on board a spaceship which then lands on the planet Tera. While there, they encounter brain hungry aliens and a giant knife head monster that shoots ninja stars known as Guiron. Can the children survive before being rescued by Gamera? You probably won’t care.
While the film’s pacing is sluggish, this episode delivers plenty of laughs thanks to some stand-out jokes about the truly horrendous dubbing, Richard Burton, a character dubbed Cornjob, and the goofy music (which is wonderfully spoofed in a couple of host segments).
Last, but not least there is “Gamera Vs. Zigra” which gets my vote as the best Gamera episode. In this sequel, the evil Zigra (a shark like alien who resembles a can opener) wants to takeover Earth and enslave humans. Of course, he has to get past the now heroic Gamera first. In typical “Gamera” fashion, the movie also features two annoying children (Kenny and Helen).
Everything about this episode just works. Whether you’re seeing the Gamera songs and host segments or the jokes about Helen’s obsession with Coca-Cola and Joel and the bots added dialogue, there’s nary a moment where you won’t be doubled over in laughter.
Summary: While not every episode is a classic, this is still a fantastic DVD set that is a must own for Misties.
Video/Audio:
The picture quality on all 5 films is surprisingly impressive (especially if viewed on a hi-def television). While the prints have the usual grain and dirt specs, they’re still in better shape than many of the episodes. It should be noted that “Gamera” is probably in the weakest shape and that “Gamera Vs. Gaos” has a one noticeable print error.
As per usual, the audio levels are inconsistent throghout all of the films. The riffing always sounds great, but you sometimes have to really crank up the sound to hear the film’s dialogue which can be a bit of a hassle.
Extras:
* Original Japanese trailers for “Gamera,” “Gamera Vs. Zigra,” “Gamera Vs. Gaos,” “Gamera Vs. Guiron,” and “Gamera Vs. Barugon.”
* Trailer for “Gamera: The Giant Monster” DVD.
* MST Hour Wraps for “Gamera” and “Gamera Vs. Guiron.”
* “So Happy Together: A Look Back At MST3K And Gamera”- A 23 minute featurette in which Joel, Frank, Jim, Trace, and Josh talk about the Gamera franchise, the KTMA era, Japanese monster movies, Gamera’s enemies, and Sandy Frank.
* “Gamera Obscura: A History By August Ragone”- An author chats about Japanese monster movies, how Gamera came about, the Gamera Franchise, etc.
* 5 mini-posters.
* “Gamera Vs. The Mighty Chiodo Brothers” – The special f/x wizards best known for “Killer Klowns From Outer Space,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” chat about men in suits, childhood memories about various monster movies, stop-motion animation, Gamera (of course), monster designs, their own work, etc.
No comments yet.
Share This Blog
Robert Ham
dmanderson
Andrea
nicklyons1
DVD Corner 
Leave a comment