Making a sequel can be hard. The ability to accurately capture the magic that fans saw in the first film while at the same time moving the characters that were introduced forward in an emotional and soulful way is no easy feat to pull off. The Kaiju genre is not immune to this struggle of recreating a second in a series. Luckily for us, Gamers 2: Advent (Attack) of Legion succeeded to make a movie as good if not better then Guardian of the Universe. I know that ADV first and Mill Creek Entertainment as the continued to release kept calling the movie Attack of Legion but I knew it as Advent of Legion and personally think that’s the better title. Hence the review name.
After a meteorite crashes to earth but can’t be found afterward, scientists are quick to discover that the object was in actuality a hive of a mysterious creature that becomes known as Legion. The Legion’s mission is to spread themselves all over the universe by launching seeds that have the power to destroy entire towns as they erupt. Realizing the destructive nature of these beings from beyond the stars, Gamera appears and destroys their first seed. The large army of Legion soon gets the better of our shelled warrior and soon he finds himself outmatched. Will Gamera be able to find new strength and take down these evil planet destroying insects?
New giant monsters in movies is always a welcoming site. When things started to tip for Toho during the Heisei period they went the safe route and brought the classic monsters back to fight Godzilla instead of having any more new creatures. Not so with Gamera. After the first movie with his classic fight against Gyaos, they made sure to have a brand new baddie ready to mix things up. The Legion designs both the small and “Queen” model are truly menacing from the moment they appear on screen and remain that way until the last one is dead as bug on the windshield. Even when the creatures are laid out and thoroughly explained on what makes them tick they still somehow are able to retain a feeling of dread every time they are on screen.
Ayako Fujitani returns once again as Asagi. Though Gamera seemed to disconnect her from the pain he feels at the end of the first movie, she still holds onto her amulet, believing that Gamera can still her thoughts and her cheers to never give up. The deep devotion the young girl has for Gamera would put her on the top 10 list of some of the best Kaiju and Human relationships that have ever graced the screen. Still don’t believe me, then take a look at the scene with the wound on her and where she insists its nothing as Gamera has already bleed for everyone. If that’s not devotion I don’t know what is.
Yes, I know I’m gushing again but I really can’t help it. The Gamera Heisei Trilogy is just so awesome that I can’t help but want to tell everyone about it. For those of you out there who haven’t shown this trilogy to anyone, first shame on you but second you have to! Think about it. Remember the final attack that Gamera used in the film and how awesome it was to witness. If you don’t show people this movie they will never see that attack and realize for themselves just how jaw dropping that scene is. Go on! Grab someone and movie marathon all three of films.
Rating: A
Of course I’m not going to just gush all over this series. I’m aware its not without its faults. Thanks to the American Version of this series, the name Minmay became associated with a very character that was very annoying and unnecessary. Know that is more in the Robotech version of the show and doesn’t truly carry back into the original series. The original voice actress and the Japanese songs were fair more entertaining then the ones that were made for the american audience. If your finding it hard to believe that these songs could be that annoying, just pop over to YouTube and check them out. Trust me, they aren’t exactly something you add to a favorite playlist.
The Gigantic Project 
