Gamera vs. Zigra [Gamera Collection review]

Gamera vs. Zigra was the film that made Daiei Film go bankrupt. The Zigrans are aliens with tech powers that can create earthquakes. What follows is a standard Gamera adventure that I kept mistaking for two other movies that I watched in the Collection. Seriously, I stopped the movie multiple times to make sure I didn’t play the wrong thing.

Zigra suffers from one major flaw. It’s generic to the point of being distracting. While certain aspects of the characters are kitschy fun, this must have stunk for audiences back in the early 70s. Nobody wants to go see a popcorn film that feels like a retread. Yet, what else was Daiei supposed to do? You can only make so many new monsters.

The Gamera Collection rolls out with the same special feature spread. Trailers, featurettes, alternate credits and similar materials keep going. The A/V Quality pops a little stronger than in past releases. Honestly, I’d recommend picking up the Gamera Collection if you have the cash.

Gamera vs. Zigra is now available from August 18th