Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

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Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

Released Apr 16, 1997

1h 32m

Sci-Fi

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3 Reviews

78%

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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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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Precisely the kind of movie that I enjoy, despite all rational reasoning.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Equal[s] the best of the 1990s Godzilla films while breaking further from genre convention.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 29, 2014

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Brody F

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

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Adam S

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%

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/01/24

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

A wonderful combination of effects, story and characters to create a perfectly told monster movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

A great ending for a great trilogy, for those who think the kaiju genre can get serious, this is the winning argument for it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Shusuke Kaneko

Director

Matt Greenfield

Director

Tsuyoshi Ihara

Yoshinari Yonemori

Akira Onodera

Naoya Kusangi

Ayako Fujitani

Asagi Kusanagi

Shinobu Nakayama

Mayumi Nagamine

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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: Hakuhodo Incorporated, NTV Network, 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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