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Gamera vs. Baragon (1966)
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Movie Review by The Undertaker
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04.11.03
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The only thing Daiei Studios had that was more impressive than Gamera was the incredible ensemble of wild, crazy monsters that the superturtle battled in his films. Let's look at Baragon, looking like a cross between a crocodile and a rhino, he fights our flying friend in 1966. Now this Baragon is far different than the Toho version appearing in a couple films of theirs. This monster has some awesome weapons like a telescopic, freezing-mist blasting tongue and a huge horn protruding from his nose. Baragon is very agile here and jumps like Earth has lost its gravity. The best weapon though is that crazy looking rainbow death-ray emitted from the spiny horns on its back. Certainly, this has to be one of the strangest and coolest weapons in rubber suit monster history. Baragon's weakness is water and that leads to his ultimate downfall and demise. Through some twisted criminal hi-jinks, Baragon's monster egg is mistaken for an opal and stolen. It hatches and grows to the enormous monster. Gamera has returned to earth and soon he's drawn to the energy created by Baragon rainbow ray. Gamera doesn't fair to well in their 1st fight and is frozen by Baragon. Gamera does manage to draw some blue blood with a few decent jabs below Baragon's eye, but it's too little too late and the monster gets away leaving Gamera to thaw. The Japanese military helped by a woman from the island where the monster egg was stolen try to stop the beast. Operation Diamond is employed to lead the monster to water with a 5000 carat stolen in hopes it will kill itself. Guess diamonds are a monsters best friend also. This fails as the diamond gets taken during the process and the thief is grabbed by Baragon's talented tongue and eaten. Now that is an expensive snack. One more plan is tried and a giant mirror is used to smack the beast with his own death-ray. This almost works as blue blood gets spilled everywhere and Baragon is injured but still alive. By now, Gamera has thawed and comes to save the day. Some great wrastlin' moves, fire blasts, and fists of fury ensue until Gamera drags Baragon to the ocean floor, the water killing it. Gamera is now Japan's hero. Say what you will about Daiei's Gamera, but these films are as entertaining as any giant monster movies around. As a kid, I never could forget that crazy, jet-propelled, fire-breathing turtle and his adventures. Luckily, neither could a lot of other people and the newer films have shown what this character can do. All these older movies are pure fun and Kaiju history. He'll never be as popular as Godzilla, but the films stand up well.
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Rating: 9.0 out of 10.0 - 2 votes cast total
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