After the frivolous sci-fi silliness of Gamera vs. Guiron, the series returns to more familiar territory with another Earth-bound adventure in which the giant turtle battles a new monster - a prehistoric creature called Jiger, who is freed when an ancient statue is taken from Western Island in the Pacific to Osaka, Japan, as part of world's fair Expo '70 (much of this film feels like an expensive advert for the event!).
Jiger looks like a fairly standard kaiju creature - a dinosaur mash-up, part dimetrodon and part stegosaurus - but what makes this one so interesting is his vast array of special moves: he's telekinetic, jet-propelled, and can shoot spears from his horns; he also fires a Super Ultra Wave ray from his main horn that can destroy all molecular structures, and has a hidden spike in his tail, with which he can implant an egg in his enemy.
All of this makes him a formidable foe for Gamera, and leads to plenty of fun battles. Half way through the film, Gamera is stabbed with the tail spike and becomes immobilised, which leads to an entertaining 'Fantastic Voyage' style sequence in which the film's obligatory heroic tykes pilot a mini-sub into Gamera's innards to destroy the baby Jiger growing inside!
With Gamera back on his feet, the film ends with a standard monster smackdown, the turtle finishing off Jiger by ramming the statue into its skull.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for Gamera sticking telegraph poles in his ears.
Jiger looks like a fairly standard kaiju creature - a dinosaur mash-up, part dimetrodon and part stegosaurus - but what makes this one so interesting is his vast array of special moves: he's telekinetic, jet-propelled, and can shoot spears from his horns; he also fires a Super Ultra Wave ray from his main horn that can destroy all molecular structures, and has a hidden spike in his tail, with which he can implant an egg in his enemy.
All of this makes him a formidable foe for Gamera, and leads to plenty of fun battles. Half way through the film, Gamera is stabbed with the tail spike and becomes immobilised, which leads to an entertaining 'Fantastic Voyage' style sequence in which the film's obligatory heroic tykes pilot a mini-sub into Gamera's innards to destroy the baby Jiger growing inside!
With Gamera back on his feet, the film ends with a standard monster smackdown, the turtle finishing off Jiger by ramming the statue into its skull.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for Gamera sticking telegraph poles in his ears.