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Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

Play trailer Poster for Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe 1997 1h 32m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
The giant turtle is awakened from his long slumber to protect Japan from a rival monster's destructive power.
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Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
3/4
Precisely the kind of movie that I enjoy, despite all rational reasoning. Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy 09/29/2014
8/10
Equal[s] the best of the 1990s Godzilla films while breaking further from genre convention. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Justin T May 4 This is so good, it is even better than many Godzilla films, not all of them though. It ticks all the boxes for a great kaiju movie. There is lots of city smashing, awesome monster battles, the models look awesome and have great detail. The monsters also look really good, the costumes look the best in the series by a long way. The lighting, the story, the pacing, everything makes this easily in my top 10 kaiju movies. See more Brody F 11/17/2024 Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is a stunning revival of the classic kaiju. The special effects are impressive, especially in the thrilling battles between Gamera and the Gyaos. What sets this film apart is its heart—Gamera is not just a monster but a true guardian, making his struggle to protect humanity feel meaningful. The story balances monster action with strong character development, creating high stakes and emotional depth. This 1995 film is a standout in the kaiju genre and a must-see for fans, deserving of five stars. See more Adam S 03/01/2024 Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is an innovative reboot that, while not perfect, takes the Kaiju genre to new heights with it's fantastic special effects and impressive action-sequences. Rating: 77% See more 11/06/2021 Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but this movie is better than the Heisei Godzilla movies (Well It might not be better than Godzilla vs. destoroyah). some of the effects looks awful, but most of it looks good. can't wait to see the sequels. See more 07/19/2021 A wonderful combination of effects, story and characters to create a perfectly told monster movie! See more 02/07/2021 This movie unexpectedly set a new bar for Gamera movies. Guardian of the Universe is the first movie in the franchise that can actually compete with the better Godzilla movies. It's the first movie that's actually a good MOVIE. Considering director Shusuke Kaneko went on to make GMK, that's no surprise. This movie has the best...well, everything of the franchise up to this point. Best of all, there's NO ANNOYING KID WHO HAS THEIR ACTIONS JUSTIFIED BY PLOT CONVENIENCE. See more Read all reviews
Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

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Movie Info

Synopsis The giant turtle is awakened from his long slumber to protect Japan from a rival monster's destructive power.
Director
Shusuke Kaneko, Matt Greenfield
Producer
Matt Greenfield, Shigeru Ohno, Tsutomu Tsuchikawa, Seiji Urushido
Screenwriter
Matt Greenfield, Kazunori Itô, James Shanks
Distributor
ADV Films
Production Co
NTV Network, Hakuhodo Incorporated, Daiei Studios
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 16, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 29, 2020
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround
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