Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
Encyclopedia
is a 1999 Kaiju
film. It is the third and last film in the Gamera Heisei
series, and the last to be distributed by Toho
. It was released in the United States on DVD in 2003 under the title Gamera: Revenge of Iris.
attacks. The flying monsters, thought to have been wiped out by Gamera
, are now reappearing in increasing numbers across the globe and have evolved into Hyper Gyaos. Mayumi Nagamine, noted ornithologist, returns to aid the Japan
ese government in addressing this threat. A graveyard
of Gamera fossils has been found at the bottom of the sea. Shadowy government agents Miss Asukura and Kurata Shinji, the former with occult beliefs, are meanwhile working to a different agenda, with Asukura believing Gamera to be an evil spirit.
Tragedy strikes, however, as the kaiju
take their conflict to the populated Shibuya district of Tokyo
. Two Gyaos glide across the city skyline, relentlessly pursued by Gamera. He manages to blast one of them with a plasma fireball over the city, sending its flaming body into a collision with a crowded subway. Gamera bursts into the station in order to finish off his foe, incincerating the dying Gyaos along with several city blocks. Gamera then pursues the second Gyaos, firing several fireballs at it until it is destroyed. Gamera then flies away into the night sky. An estimated twenty thousand human lives are lost in the battle, and the Japanese government orders Gamera's immediate destruction.
Meanwhile, a young girl named Ayana copes with the loss of her family, who were inadvertently killed by Gamera during his Tokyo battle with Super Gyaos in 1995. A maelstrom of hatred and despair, Ayana finds friendship in the oddest of places: a stone egg sealed within her village temple
. The egg hatches a small tentacled creature, whom the girl names "Iris." Iris becomes the focus of Ayana's quest for revenge, as she seeks to raise her own monster and take vengeance against Gamera. Revenge comes at a price, however, as Iris attempts to absorb Ayana in the process of its growth. The girl's suitor manages to free her from Iris' cocoon, but its taste for humanity is far from quenched. It escapes and kills half of the populace of the village. Iris then grows into his monstrous adult form. The military try to stop it but fail, as it absorbs a young woman in the process.
Iris flies toward the city of Kyoto
, but is intercepted in mid-flight by Gamera. The monsters engage in a high-speed battle in the night sky, Gamera using his saucer-like locomotion to slice Iris. The Japanese army intervenes, however, knocking Gamera out of the sky with a tactical missile strike. Iris then proceeds unimpeded to Kyoto, where Ayana has been taken by Asukura and Kurata, with Asukura deliberately trying to use the girl to summon Iris; Nagamine and Asagi, the girl once psychically linked with Gamera, retrieve her and attempt unsuccessfully to get her out of Kyoto. Kurata expresses a belief that Iris has been deliberately created to defeat Gamera so that the Gyaos can wipe out modern humanity.
Ayana lends her will to Iris, as Gamera dives on Kyoto and fires several fireballs towards Iris. Iris easily bats them away with his tentacles, and the city erupts in flame. The two monsters engage in melee, but Iris easily gains the upper hand, impaling his foe and leaving Gamera for dead. Iris then makes his way to the train station, killing Asukura and Kurata and opening his chest to finally absorb Ayana.
From within Iris' body, Ayana experiences the creature's memories, and realises that her hatred and bitterness motivated him. Just as she has her epiphany, Gamera smashes into the station and plunges his hand deep into Iris' chest. Gamera manages to wrench the girl free, robbing Iris of its human merge, but it counters this by staking Gamera's hand to the wall with one of his dagger-like arms. Miss Nagamine and Asagi, trapped within the train station's wreckage, watch helplessly as Iris begins to syphon Gamera's blood, and create fireballs with its tentacles. Before they can be launched, however, Gamera takes action, choosing to instead blast off his own impaled hand. Iris launches the fireballs, but Gamera absorbs the blast into his stump, and forms a fiery plasma fist, and drives it into Iris' wounded chest.
Iris explodes, blowing the roof off the crumbling train station. The comatose Ayana still clutched in his fist, Gamera sets the girl down where Nagamine and Asagi are hiding. The women are unable to revive her, but Gamera lets out a roar and Ayana opens her eyes. Gamera leaves the girl wondering why he would save her life after all she had done, and the three survivors watch as the Guardian of the Universe marches into the fire-streaked night. The swarm of Gyaos, thousands strong, begin to descend on Japan intent on destroying their greatest foe once and for all, as Gamera lets out a final roar of defiance.
Cult-movie reviewing site Stomp Tokyo gave the film a five out of five, calling it the best Kaiju film since the legendary original Godzilla movie
.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film. It is the third and last film in the Gamera Heisei
Heisei era (daikaiju eiga)
In the context of Japanese monster cinema the Heisei Era refers not to the current era in Japan but to all kaiju eiga made between 1984 and 1999...
series, and the last to be distributed by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
. It was released in the United States on DVD in 2003 under the title Gamera: Revenge of Iris.
Plot
Three years have passed since the attack of the Legion, and the world is once again plagued by GyaosGyaos
, is the name of several daikaiju from Daiei's Gamera film series, introduced in their 1967 production Gamera vs. Gyaos and one of Gamera's most famous opponents...
attacks. The flying monsters, thought to have been wiped out by Gamera
Gamera
is a giant, flying turtle from a popular series of kaiju films produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company in Japan. Created in 1965 to rival the success of Toho Studios' Godzilla during the daikaiju boom of the mid-to-late 1960s, Gamera has gained fame and notoriety as a Japanese icon in his own...
, are now reappearing in increasing numbers across the globe and have evolved into Hyper Gyaos. Mayumi Nagamine, noted ornithologist, returns to aid the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese government in addressing this threat. A graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
of Gamera fossils has been found at the bottom of the sea. Shadowy government agents Miss Asukura and Kurata Shinji, the former with occult beliefs, are meanwhile working to a different agenda, with Asukura believing Gamera to be an evil spirit.
Tragedy strikes, however, as the kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
take their conflict to the populated Shibuya district of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Two Gyaos glide across the city skyline, relentlessly pursued by Gamera. He manages to blast one of them with a plasma fireball over the city, sending its flaming body into a collision with a crowded subway. Gamera bursts into the station in order to finish off his foe, incincerating the dying Gyaos along with several city blocks. Gamera then pursues the second Gyaos, firing several fireballs at it until it is destroyed. Gamera then flies away into the night sky. An estimated twenty thousand human lives are lost in the battle, and the Japanese government orders Gamera's immediate destruction.
Meanwhile, a young girl named Ayana copes with the loss of her family, who were inadvertently killed by Gamera during his Tokyo battle with Super Gyaos in 1995. A maelstrom of hatred and despair, Ayana finds friendship in the oddest of places: a stone egg sealed within her village temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
. The egg hatches a small tentacled creature, whom the girl names "Iris." Iris becomes the focus of Ayana's quest for revenge, as she seeks to raise her own monster and take vengeance against Gamera. Revenge comes at a price, however, as Iris attempts to absorb Ayana in the process of its growth. The girl's suitor manages to free her from Iris' cocoon, but its taste for humanity is far from quenched. It escapes and kills half of the populace of the village. Iris then grows into his monstrous adult form. The military try to stop it but fail, as it absorbs a young woman in the process.
Iris flies toward the city of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, but is intercepted in mid-flight by Gamera. The monsters engage in a high-speed battle in the night sky, Gamera using his saucer-like locomotion to slice Iris. The Japanese army intervenes, however, knocking Gamera out of the sky with a tactical missile strike. Iris then proceeds unimpeded to Kyoto, where Ayana has been taken by Asukura and Kurata, with Asukura deliberately trying to use the girl to summon Iris; Nagamine and Asagi, the girl once psychically linked with Gamera, retrieve her and attempt unsuccessfully to get her out of Kyoto. Kurata expresses a belief that Iris has been deliberately created to defeat Gamera so that the Gyaos can wipe out modern humanity.
Ayana lends her will to Iris, as Gamera dives on Kyoto and fires several fireballs towards Iris. Iris easily bats them away with his tentacles, and the city erupts in flame. The two monsters engage in melee, but Iris easily gains the upper hand, impaling his foe and leaving Gamera for dead. Iris then makes his way to the train station, killing Asukura and Kurata and opening his chest to finally absorb Ayana.
From within Iris' body, Ayana experiences the creature's memories, and realises that her hatred and bitterness motivated him. Just as she has her epiphany, Gamera smashes into the station and plunges his hand deep into Iris' chest. Gamera manages to wrench the girl free, robbing Iris of its human merge, but it counters this by staking Gamera's hand to the wall with one of his dagger-like arms. Miss Nagamine and Asagi, trapped within the train station's wreckage, watch helplessly as Iris begins to syphon Gamera's blood, and create fireballs with its tentacles. Before they can be launched, however, Gamera takes action, choosing to instead blast off his own impaled hand. Iris launches the fireballs, but Gamera absorbs the blast into his stump, and forms a fiery plasma fist, and drives it into Iris' wounded chest.
Iris explodes, blowing the roof off the crumbling train station. The comatose Ayana still clutched in his fist, Gamera sets the girl down where Nagamine and Asagi are hiding. The women are unable to revive her, but Gamera lets out a roar and Ayana opens her eyes. Gamera leaves the girl wondering why he would save her life after all she had done, and the three survivors watch as the Guardian of the Universe marches into the fire-streaked night. The swarm of Gyaos, thousands strong, begin to descend on Japan intent on destroying their greatest foe once and for all, as Gamera lets out a final roar of defiance.
Cast
- Shinobu NakayamaShinobu NakayamaShinobu Nakayama is an actress and a former J-pop singer. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, and released her first single on 2 November 1988. Her final release as a J-pop artist was on 1 March 1991. She was a member of the short-lived idol groups Nanatsuboshi and Rakutenshi...
as Mayumi Nagamine - One of the main characters of the series. Mayumi is a scientist who is intrigued by Gamera, and forms a partnership with Asagi due to the latter's past experiences with the monster. - Ai MaedaAi Maeda (actress)is a Japanese model and actress.-Biography:Maeda is notable for performing Shiori Kitano in the 2003 film Battle Royale II: Requiem, as well as for voicing the title role in the anime series Kino's Journey . Her younger sister is Aki Maeda...
as Ayana Hirasaka - Ayana is a tormented young girl who's parents were unintentionally killed by Gamera's previous feud with the Gyaos. She forms a bond with Iris, and her rage fuels the creature's appetite for destruction. She is one of the film's two main antagonists. - Ayako FujitaniAyako FujitaniAyako Fujitani is a writer and actress. She is fluent in English and Japanese.-Early life:...
as Asagi Kusanagi - Asagi is Gamera's former human companion, who sacrificed their bond during his fight with the Legion one year earlier. - Senri Yamasaki as Mito Asakura - A sadistic woman who believes that Gamera is an evil spirit bent on destruction, and that Iris is the key to his downfall.
- Toru Tezuka as Shinya Kurata - A mysterious man who claims to be a descendant of the advanced civilization that created Gamera and the Gyaos.
- Takasaki Nayami as GF Colonel Takoshi - The colonel of the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
- Hakosaki Sato as GF General
- Andre Ramirez as GF Lt. Damien Cordova
- Kenji Soto as Dr. Sato
- Yukijiro Hotaru as Inspector Osako
- Masahiko TsugawaMasahiko Tsugawa, born Masahiko Kato on January 2, 1940 in Kyoto, Japan is a Japanese actor and director.He made his debut at the age of 16 in the Kō Nakahira film Crazed Fruit in 1956. Tsugawa's family was heavily involved in the film industry since before his birth...
as Commander in Chief of the Air Defence Command (Lieutenant General) - Hirofumi FukuzawaHirofumi Fukuzawais a Japanese actor. He is an affiliate of Red Action Club and a former affiliate of Japan Action Enterprise. He is most known for his work in the Super Sentai series as a suit actor...
as Gamera - An ancient biological constructed monster created to destroy the Gyaos, a race of vampiric avian-like creatures. - Akira OhashiAkira Ohashiis a Japanese actor.-Films:* 1991 - Zeiram * 1994 - Zeiram 2 * 1996 - Gamera 2: Attack of Legion * 1999 - Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys...
as Iris - A creature that must feed on bodily fluids to survive, and forms a spiritual bond with Ayana, using her hatred for Gamera to feed his strength. He is one of the two main antagonists.
Reception
The film is widely acclaimed in Kaiju fan circles as not only the best in the series, but also one of the greatest monster films ever made. Notable points made are about the film's unusually intelligent and thought-provoking tone, the quality of the direction and script, the deep characters, the stunning special effects and the film's abnormally dark and violent ending.Cult-movie reviewing site Stomp Tokyo gave the film a five out of five, calling it the best Kaiju film since the legendary original Godzilla movie
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
.
Awards
- 2000: Won Mainichi Film Concours Best Sound Recording - Yasuo Hashimoto, also for Ôsaka monogatari (1999)
- 1999: Won Japanese Internet Film Awards Best Film
Titles
- Gamera 1999: The Absolute Guardian of The Universe - Working title
- Gamera 3: Incomplete Struggle - English marketing title
- Gamera 3: Evil God Iris' Awakening - Japanese title
- Gamera: Revenge of Iris - U.S. DVD title