"Mystery Science Theater 3000" could have picked a much worse Gamera movie to send up than this one. I'm shocked at how entertaining the Japanese version of "Gamera vs. Barugon" is. There was never a dull moment and this contained absolutely zero annoying kids. In fact, there isn't a single child in it.

It is surprisingly adult and I'd even go so far as to say it's a rare effort to make a dark, moody, monster movie. That doesn't mean it's easier to take the miniatures and rubber suits seriously, but I've always loved the craftsmanship and imagination on display in these Kaiju films. Anyone that tries to watch this but doesn't already love the genre will laugh it off and watch "The Avengers" for the hundredth time anyway.

There are some terrific wide shots of the beasts traipsing across landscapes and cities. There's a blood drenched monster battle and some pretty wild and extended fisticuffs between human characters, too. And don't forget a turbo-charged, flying turtle that can breath fire and another beast that can freeze things with its tongue and shoot a rainbow laser from its back. What more do you need?