Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

Theatrical poster
Directed by Shusuke Kaneko
Produced by Miyuki Nanri
Naoki Sato
Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Tsutomu Tsuchikawa
Written by Kazunori Itō
Starring Miki Mizuno
Toshiyuki Nagashima
Music by Kow Otani
Cinematography Junichi Tozawa
Edited by Shizuo Arakawa
Production
company
Distributed by Toho (Japan)
ADV Films (USA)
Release dates
  • July 13, 1996 (1996-07-13)
Running time
 100 min.
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (ガメラ2 レギオン襲来 Gamera Tsū: Region Shūrai, lit. Gamera 2: Legion Invasion, also known as Gamera 2: Advent of Legion and Gamera 2: Assault of Legion[1]) is a 1996 Kaiju film directed by Shusuke Kaneko. It is a sequel to Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and the tenth Gamera film in the series. The film introduces the Legion, a race of insectoid extraterrestrials that invade the Earth, prompting Gamera to come to the planet's defense. It was followed by the sequel, Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys.

Plot

A year has passed since the battle between Gamera and the Gyaos, and Japan has struggled to rebuild its cities in the meantime. The military has kept a cautious vigil on the nation's coast, but so far Gamera has yet to return. Suddenly, a series of bizarre incidents reveal a new threat to the land of the rising sun. On a moonlit stroll, science instructor Midori Honami watches as a huge meteor plunges into the mountain snow. The next night, two security guards are horrified as they see large insect-like creatures stealing glass bottles from a nearby warehouse. Soon after, the entire city of Sapporo is covered with strange plants and the link between these events soon becomes clear.

The meteor has carried with it a species of extraterrestrials. These aliens have set up a hive in the bowels of the city's subway tunnels, deliberately nurturing the plants that are covering the city. Soon a gigantic pod erupts from a building and Colonel Watarase of the Self Defense Force realizes that it is dramatically raising the city's oxygen levels. Working together with the swift-minded Miss Honami, he realizes that the aliens are building a huge biological launchpad: the increased oxygen will aid the creatures in exploding the flower, catapulting its seed into space so that they can colonize yet another world. The military can only watch helplessly, as any attempt to destroy the plant would destroy all of Sapporo.

Just as all hope is lost, Gamera flies from the sea and heads toward the besieged city. He tears the flower out by its roots, but is ambushed by a swarm of the alien soldiers. As Gamera thrashes to rid himself of the attacking insects, a nearby soldier names them "Legion," after a Biblical demon army. Gamera is forced to retreat, just as the monstrous queen Legion bursts out of the ground and flies off to start a second hive. Her wings are damaged by fighter jets but she survives. Again a Legion flower blooms, this time in Sendai, and again Gamera attempts to stop its explosion. He is intercepted, however, by Legion. The mother Legion makes short work of Gamera, impaling him with her sharp legs and blasting him with her horn beam. Sensing the detonation of her pod approaching, Legion leaves Gamera for dead and burrows off. Gamera limps toward the plant, destroying it by knocking it down before it launches its seed into space. The flower explodes and completely annihilates Sendai; and seemingly killing Gamera.

Japan's military and scientists race to find the Legion's weakness, but have so far found only one clue: the smaller symbiotic Legion are attracted to any electromagnetic source, such as a power line. While this may enable the army to distract them, it has the unfortunate side-effect of drawing them to Tokyo. Asagi visits the ruined city where Gamera lies comatose and as she tries to reach out to him, the orihalcum pendant that enables their bond shatters. Gamera awakens, but at the sacrifice of his human connection.

Legion marches on Tokyo with the intention of planting a third and final flower, but Gamera heads her off in the outskirts. She spawns a swarm of soldiers against him, but the military manages to draw them off and destroy them with an electric distraction. Gamera and Legion fight throughout the suburbs, and the military lobs a few missiles at Legion in aid. Finally, Gamera manages to tear off Legion's horn, and she momentarily collapses in defeat. Suddenly, Legion rises up and fires laser whips from her stump into Gamera. On the verge of defeat, Gamera then looks into the sky and roars, and light begins to shine down upon him. As Legion closes in, Gamera's chest opens up and fires a powerful plasma beam. Legion is hit by the blast and is blown apart.

Gamera glances toward the human onlookers, and then ascends into the morning sky. As they watch Gamera fade into the distance, mankind is unsettled by his power, and trembles lest he should ever view humanity as an enemy.

Cast

Reception

The film garnered a lot of praise upon its release - particularly towards the amount of monster action contained in the movie, the fresh take it had on the "alien invasion" aspect, and the astoundingly ambitious design of Legion. The film was the first daikaiju movie in the history of the genre to win the Nihon SF Taisho Award (the Japanese Nebula Award) in 1996.[2] This decision sparked a fierce debate in the Japanese Science Fiction community, with many critics arguing that it signaled the death of Japanese SF literature.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ragone, August (May 12, 2016). "HEISEI GAMERA 4K DIGITAL RESTORATION BOX Ultimate Blu-ray Package Dropping July 22nd!". The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  2. ↑ "日本SF大賞" (in Japanese). Science Fiction Writers of Japan. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  3. ↑ Bolton, Christopher. Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime University of Minnesota Press, 2007. (ISBN 1452913463)

External links

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