Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion 4K 1996 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

The closest relative of the legendary Godzilla—the giant, fire-breathing super-turtle Gamera—defends humanity from terrifying creatures from outer space. Following the vicious flying reptiles, a new threat from space descends upon Earth—an armada of moving plants and human-sized insectoid monsters that emit deadly electromagnetic microwaves. And their name is Legion.

Review 4K Movie

The stunning success of the film “Gamera: Defender of the Universe” was bound to lead to a sequel. It was such a pleasure to sit down and watch “Gamera 2,” especially since Shusuke Kaneko was once again listed as the director and Ko Otani as the composer!

Perhaps the word “Universe” in the Russian title of the first film is more appropriate here, since aliens from outer space are involved in the plot of the second film. And no, these aren’t the comical octopodes from old movies or the gray humanoids from Western sci-fi. This is a veritable swarm of terror, a legion of insectoid hunters accompanying their queen and cultivating a dangerous plant. These new enemies of the giant turtle are no less terrifying than the Aliens from the film series of the same name. Gamera’s impressive battles, taking place on the border of humanity’s defenseless home, have doubled in spectacle. The overall tension has also increased—what we saw in *Guardian of the Universe* seems like child’s play compared to the horrors of *Attack of the Space Legion*. In the first film, there was no doubt that Gamera would overcome all dangers, but here a true tragedy unfolds for the giant turtle, one that resonates with everyone who witnessed the giant reptile’s defeat. Here, more clearly than in the first part, it is shown that Gamera is not an invincible warrior, that she too can be wounded, incapacitated, and even killed.

The visual effects are a real treat; they were incredibly realistic at the time of release and are still capable of surprising even the most seasoned viewers. And the meteorite strike gives this film a particularly timely feel in the wake of 2013. It was nice to see Ayako Fujitani in the film again, and among the new characters, Miki Mizuno’s role was particularly enjoyable. In addition to the aforementioned strengths, Gamera 2 deserves credit for its highly realistic portrayal of the authorities’ response to the unfolding events, complete with references to Japanese laws.

However, there are also a number of shortcomings compared to “Guardian of the Universe”: Gamera’s changed appearance is no longer as appealing, and while the new threat from space is presented in an incredibly impressive way, it doesn’t evoke the same sense of danger felt in the first film due to the references to ancient civilizations. If we compare the Queen of the Legion to the Gyaos, the latter are definitely the better choice.

Is the sequel worse than the previous film? Yes, slightly. Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering that this is not only a non-American action film but also a film in the Gamera reboot series. There are very few non-Hollywood films in the world where aliens carry out a full-scale extermination of humanity, so “Gamera 2: Attack of the Space Legion” deserves attention in this regard as a standalone work, and among a selection of non-American films with an alien invasion at the center of the plot, it might even take first place—and not without reason. Therefore, it gets the same rating as the first installment.