10 PERFECT Monster Movies You MUST Watch

The success of the original Godzilla didn't just lead to a gargantuan 70-year franchise but a plethora of kaiju knock-offs, including Gamera: The Giant Monster. Centred around a gigantic fire-breathing turtle, the early entries were renowned for their unabashed goofiness. With each entry ramping up the absurdity, it seemed like Gamera would never be taken seriously.

However, the rebooted trilogy during the nineties elevated the quality exponentially, especially Gamera 3: Rise of Iris. This instalment takes matters seriously, focusing more on survivor trauma than skyscraper-sized behemoths wailing on each other. Gamera is reframed from a simple hero to a morally ambiguous force of nature, since he saves humanity, but at a cost. The darker tone and cataclysmic imagery gives Rise of Iris a dramatic punch that even the best Godzilla films struggle to convey.

At the same time, Gamera 3 fully delivers as a kaiju experience. Iris is an elegant but cruel beast, so there's immense danger and fear every time it's on-screen, especially during the sensational showdown.

In a nutshell, Gamera 3: Rise of Iris successfully ramps up the stakes to apocalyptic proportions while feeling more personal, ending the trilogy in a way that feels tragic and cathartic.