“I think we’re gonna need a bigger turtle box.” Ryo Tomioka meets his co-star in GAMERA THE BRAVE.
Heisei era revisionist films di- rected by Shusuke Kaneko— Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen (GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, 1995), Gamera 2: Region Shurai (GAMERA: ATTACK OF LE- GION, 1996) and Gamera 3: Irisu Kakusei (GAMERA: RE- VENGE OF IRIS, 1999), all re- viewed at length in VW 87)—the twelfth GAMERA film com- mences in 1973 with Gamera battling his frequent nemeses: an aggressive flock of Gyaos. Any linkage to the films from the ’90s self-destructs literally and figuratively when Gamera sacrifices himself and takes a trio of Gyaos with him. Follow- ing this introductory sequence and a flash-forward, this new Gamera entry harkens back to the Daiei series of films through the introduction of a young boy named Toru Aizawa (Ryo Tomioka in a charming perfor- mance). In the spirit of the origi- nal collection of Takahashi films, Toru has lost a parent: his mother recently died in a car accident. As Bill Cooke pointed out in his extensive review of the eight Daiei films in VW 86, a boy
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without a parent may be more likely to fantasize about the fan- tastic, and perhaps conjure up “...and control the dream- beast Gamera.” Toru does not appear to be headed down this path when his father Kosuke (AUDITION’s Kanji Tsuda) suggests his mother is watching from Heaven. “She’s a pile of ashes inside a small box...” Toru laments in private thought. Minutes later, however, a glowing red stone captures Toru’s attention, suggesting an imminent change in how the boy will perceive the world around him. Not long thereaf- ter, Toru imagines his mother’s presence. Upon inspecting the red stone that continues to de- mand his notice, Toru discov- ers an egg atop it that hatches in his hands to reveal a cute turtle (played by a live African spurred tortoise), which he names “Toto,” after his late mother’s pet name for her son (and, of course, in allusion to one of the most famous of all fantasy films). Toru initially is excited to keep the turtle as a pet, but attempts to abandon it when the creature’s astonishing
powers and accelerated growth pattern prove “too conspicu- ous.” Predictably suffering from separation anxiety, Toto follows Toru home, providing an oppor- tunity for the boy to rescue the little reptile from being squished by a truck, thereby confirming the bond between the two. As Toru raises the turtle at his home in the fishing port town of Iseshima, the connec- tion between child and turtle develops in a more believable manner than in previous entries in the series. Quite surprisingly for any daikaiju eiga, the film’s first half, starring the immature Gamera, works best—similar attempts by Toho to establish a compelling young Godzilla were always disappointing. In a pleasantly amusing approach that may have influenced THE WATER HORSE (2007), the up- bringing of Toto provides a number of awkward moments for Toru. He endeavors to keep Toto a secret among his young friends, including Ishimaru (Shingo Ishikawa), Katsuya (Shogo Narita), and teenage neighbor girl Mai (Kaho). Given the adult size of a Gamera,
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