(1967)
1.5
Donald Guarisco
Gamera Vs. Gaos is probably the most prototypical of the Gamera films. The story features all the elements this series became known for: a little boy protagonist who intuitively knows Gamera is a hero, a rival monster from another planet with ill-will towards Earth and the boy hero having to sell the adults on Gamera's good-guy status. The script moves along at a good clip: some occasional goofball humor might put older viewers off but those moments are likely to amuse the kids this film was made for. The film further benefits from the stalwart presence of Kojiro Hongo as the grown-up good guy of the story and swift, colorful direction by series regular Noriaki Yuasa. The director really goes for the outrageous and surreal in the monster scenes and the gambit pays off: highlights include Gaos' laser-beam literally cutting an airplane in half mid-flight and the finale, which involves giant-monster scuffling both on-land and underwater. To sum up, Gamera Vs. Gaos is tailor-made fun for the Japanese monster film crowd and a good example of the kid-friendly fun this series is all about.
Gamera vs. Gaos on AllMovie
Gamera vs. Gaos (1967)
