| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Gamera 2 - Advent of Legion
ADV Films // Unrated // April 29, 2003
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
As with most boys, I enjoyed watching "Godzilla" films as a child, as the rubber-suited antics were always entertaining (not to mention the autrocious dubbing). However, as I got older, the fascination quickly wore off. So, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" would be my first experience with a "kaiju", or giant monster film, in many years. Would it be like the zany films of my youth, or something new and different?
"Gamera 2" takes place after the events in "Gamera -- Guardian of the Universe". A series of meteors strike Japan. The military, led by Colonel Watarase (Toshiyuki Nagashima), investigate, but find no evidence of meteors, save for large craters. A local scientist, Midori Honami (Miki Mizuno), and her team begin to notice strange occurrences, such as the disappearance of fiber-optic cable. Following a bizarre attack at a beer-bottling plant, Watarase and Honami pool their resources to try and discover what is going on.
Meanwhile, a group of alien creatures is discovered in a subway tunnel in a nearby city. These creatures construct a giant plant-like device which begins to emit high amounts of oxygen. Suddenly, Gamera, the giant flying turtle arrives to destroy this plant, but he is soon attacked by a swarm of the alien creatures, which bare a resemblance to the arachnid creatures of "Starship Troopers". As Gamera is fighting to overcome this force, which the miltary has dubbed "Legion", a giant monster appears. As the aliens advance on Tokyo, Gamera must fight the battle of his life, in conjuction with the military, in order to stop Legion.
I was delighted to find that "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" was indeed different in some ways than the "kaiju" films of 20 years ago. (It must be noted that the on-screen English title is "Attack of Legion", and this is the title that appears on the DVD itself.) For starters, the story is very in-depth, and at times, feels like an episode of "The X-Files". The film actually offers one gory scene, and the smaller Legion aliens are quite creepy. There is one scene in which a soldier fights one of these aliens one-on-one which is quite suspenseful. The use of CGI effects enhances the action, and gives the film a very modern feel.
However, some things haven't changed. As with those old movies, the monsters are just guys in rubber suit, walking over models. While this is neat in a way (especially when one notes the detailed work of the models), the "fakeness" of this approach can take the viewer out of the movie. Also, as with many "kaiju" films, the human characters get much more screen-time than the monsters, and it takes 30-minutes for Gamera to appear for the first time.
So, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" represents the best and worst of both worlds. The film features an intriguing story and some nice action scenes, but if you can't get past the fact that it's just a rubber-suit free-for-all, then this may not be the film for you.
Video
For its Region 1 DVD release, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer has been enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp and, for the most part, clear, showing only slight hints of grain. There is some noticable artifacting, and video noise in the presence of horizontal lines. While the colors are very good, the picture appears to be a bit dark at times, obscuring some of the action.
Audio
This DVD contains both an English (dubbed) and Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. Of the two, the original Japanese track has been punch to it, as it offers clear dialogue and sound effects, with no evidence of hissing or distortion. The track offers great stereo and surround sound effects, which really bring the monster battles to life, and there is a generous amount of bass response. Unfortunately, the dynamic range is a bit gamey, making volume adjustments a necessity.
Extras
ADV has done its best to load this disc with extras, but most will appeal only to hardcore fans. We start with a 32-minute interview with Shinji Higuchi, the director of special effects. Higuchi discusses the intense work that goes into creating the miniatures and the monsters. Next, we have footage from two press conferences (totaling 7 minutes), in which the cast and crew discuss their preparation for making the film. The DVD includes six Japanese trailers and ten TV spots for "Gamera 2", most of which are very simlilar. There is 3 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, which is essentially a montage set to music showing location shooting, but no detailed shots of the monsters. "Gamera Promotional Events" details three different exhibits which displayed props and miniatures from the film. Similar in nature to the press conferences, coverage of the film's opening night includes remarks from the cast and crew. Finally, we have two examples of "fun with dubbing", starting with "outtakes", which are really just "witty" pieces of dialogue added to the English track. This is followed by a 12-minute segment entitled "Lake Texarkana Gamera", in which several scenes from the film have been re-dubbed with "redneck" voices. Someone let me know when this gets funny.
If you're like me and had long since given up on giant monster movies from Japan, you may want to give "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" a shot. It definitely signifies an advancement in the genre, although, those rubber suits are still there. Still, Gamera is a cool monster and the alien storyline offers some creepy moments.
As with most boys, I enjoyed watching "Godzilla" films as a child, as the rubber-suited antics were always entertaining (not to mention the autrocious dubbing). However, as I got older, the fascination quickly wore off. So, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" would be my first experience with a "kaiju", or giant monster film, in many years. Would it be like the zany films of my youth, or something new and different?
"Gamera 2" takes place after the events in "Gamera -- Guardian of the Universe". A series of meteors strike Japan. The military, led by Colonel Watarase (Toshiyuki Nagashima), investigate, but find no evidence of meteors, save for large craters. A local scientist, Midori Honami (Miki Mizuno), and her team begin to notice strange occurrences, such as the disappearance of fiber-optic cable. Following a bizarre attack at a beer-bottling plant, Watarase and Honami pool their resources to try and discover what is going on.
Meanwhile, a group of alien creatures is discovered in a subway tunnel in a nearby city. These creatures construct a giant plant-like device which begins to emit high amounts of oxygen. Suddenly, Gamera, the giant flying turtle arrives to destroy this plant, but he is soon attacked by a swarm of the alien creatures, which bare a resemblance to the arachnid creatures of "Starship Troopers". As Gamera is fighting to overcome this force, which the miltary has dubbed "Legion", a giant monster appears. As the aliens advance on Tokyo, Gamera must fight the battle of his life, in conjuction with the military, in order to stop Legion.
I was delighted to find that "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" was indeed different in some ways than the "kaiju" films of 20 years ago. (It must be noted that the on-screen English title is "Attack of Legion", and this is the title that appears on the DVD itself.) For starters, the story is very in-depth, and at times, feels like an episode of "The X-Files". The film actually offers one gory scene, and the smaller Legion aliens are quite creepy. There is one scene in which a soldier fights one of these aliens one-on-one which is quite suspenseful. The use of CGI effects enhances the action, and gives the film a very modern feel.
However, some things haven't changed. As with those old movies, the monsters are just guys in rubber suit, walking over models. While this is neat in a way (especially when one notes the detailed work of the models), the "fakeness" of this approach can take the viewer out of the movie. Also, as with many "kaiju" films, the human characters get much more screen-time than the monsters, and it takes 30-minutes for Gamera to appear for the first time.
So, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" represents the best and worst of both worlds. The film features an intriguing story and some nice action scenes, but if you can't get past the fact that it's just a rubber-suit free-for-all, then this may not be the film for you.
Video
For its Region 1 DVD release, "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer has been enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp and, for the most part, clear, showing only slight hints of grain. There is some noticable artifacting, and video noise in the presence of horizontal lines. While the colors are very good, the picture appears to be a bit dark at times, obscuring some of the action.
Audio
This DVD contains both an English (dubbed) and Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. Of the two, the original Japanese track has been punch to it, as it offers clear dialogue and sound effects, with no evidence of hissing or distortion. The track offers great stereo and surround sound effects, which really bring the monster battles to life, and there is a generous amount of bass response. Unfortunately, the dynamic range is a bit gamey, making volume adjustments a necessity.
Extras
ADV has done its best to load this disc with extras, but most will appeal only to hardcore fans. We start with a 32-minute interview with Shinji Higuchi, the director of special effects. Higuchi discusses the intense work that goes into creating the miniatures and the monsters. Next, we have footage from two press conferences (totaling 7 minutes), in which the cast and crew discuss their preparation for making the film. The DVD includes six Japanese trailers and ten TV spots for "Gamera 2", most of which are very simlilar. There is 3 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, which is essentially a montage set to music showing location shooting, but no detailed shots of the monsters. "Gamera Promotional Events" details three different exhibits which displayed props and miniatures from the film. Similar in nature to the press conferences, coverage of the film's opening night includes remarks from the cast and crew. Finally, we have two examples of "fun with dubbing", starting with "outtakes", which are really just "witty" pieces of dialogue added to the English track. This is followed by a 12-minute segment entitled "Lake Texarkana Gamera", in which several scenes from the film have been re-dubbed with "redneck" voices. Someone let me know when this gets funny.
If you're like me and had long since given up on giant monster movies from Japan, you may want to give "Gamera 2 -- Advent of Legion" a shot. It definitely signifies an advancement in the genre, although, those rubber suits are still there. Still, Gamera is a cool monster and the alien storyline offers some creepy moments.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||