Horror on the Lens: Destroy All Planets (dir by Noriaki Yuasa)

Posted on October 4, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Aliens are trying to conquer Earth. It’s a pretty good thing that we’ve got a giant, fire-breathing turtle to protect us!

In Japan, this film was released as Gamera vs Viras. In 1969, when it aired on American television, the Japanese actors were dubbed and the title was changed to Destroy All Planets, presumably to try to capitalize on the success of Destroy All Monsters. As any true kaiju fan can tell you, Gamera and Godzilla exist in different cinematic universes but that’s not something that the average American was worried about, especially in 1969! Myself, I love both Gamera and Godzilla. That said, my favorite remains Jet Jaguar. Whatever happened to that robot?

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is today’s Horror on the Lens! Enjoy Destroy All Planets!

Gamera Film Review: Gamera vs Viras (dir by Noriaki Yuasa)

Posted on October 3, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

1967’s Gamera vs. Viras opens with what appears to be a yellow and black-striped Tupperware container spinning through space. Looks can be deceiving, though. It’s not actually a freshness-sealed container that’s heading towards Earth. Instead, it’s a spaceship from the planet Viras. It seems that the inhabitants of Viras are dependent upon Nitrogen to live. Foolishly, they’ve wasted all of their own Nitrogen and now they’re planning on coming to Earth to steal ours!

GAMERA, WE NEED YOU!

Gamera vs Viras is yet another Gamera film in which everyone’s favorite flying turtle also serves as the defender of Earth. Even though the adults on Earth frequently mistake Gamera for being a threat, Gamera has a sentimental attachment to the planet’s children. In this film, when he’s not fighting aliens and orbiting the planet, he’s hanging out with a bunch of boy scouts. Unfortunately, for Gamera, the aliens realize that his protectiveness of children is also his greatest weakness. The aliens abduct two of the boy scouts, American Jim (Carl Craig) and Japanese Masao (Tōru Takatsuka) and lure Gamera into space. The aliens manage to take control of Gamera’s mind and soon, they’re forcing him to attack humanity!

In America, Gamera vs Viras is one of the best-known Gamera films. That’s because, in 1969, American International Television released it directly to American television in a re-edited and dubbed version that was entitled Destroy All Planets. (I assume that the title, which doesn’t really anything to do with the plot, was meant to bring to mind Destroy All Monsters.) Destroy All Planets is the version of this film that went on to be included in hundreds of DVD box sets. Destroy All Planets is a great title. I mean, if you’re a monster movie fan of a certain age, there’s no way you’re going to able resist watching something called Destroy All Planets.

Whether you call it Gamera vs Viras or Destroy All Planets, this is one of my favorite Gamera films. Yes, the kids are a little bit annoying but Gamera is absolutely adorable and this movie finds him going up against a giant squid. To be honest, this film is totally worth it just to see the Squid.

Watching this film, I thought about how sad it was that the Squid didn’t just politely ask for some Nitrogen, as opposed to trying to conquer the planet and steal all of it. I’m sure that humanity would have been willing to share. I mean, a planet that has embraced a giant fire-breathing turtle has to have a good heart, right? I also felt sorry for Gamera because those kids wouldn’t stop yelling at him. I get that Gamera has a soft spot for kids but I imagine even the most loyal of giant turtles needs a break every once and a while.

Speaking of turtles (both giant and otherwise), turtles are really cool creatures that don’t cause any trouble for anyone. We live near a creek and it’s not unusual to look outside and see a turtle slowly making its way down the sidewalk. One thing that I love about this neighborhood is that everyone gives the turtles their space. The turtles may not be fast but they know where they’re going.

Previous Gamera Reviews:

Gamera Review: Gamera vs Gyaos (dir by Noriaki Yuasa)

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

1967’s Gamera vs Gyaos opens with reports of multiple volcanic eruptions in Japan.

One small village, in particular, has been effected. Tensions are already running high in the village because of a road construction project that some of the more traditional villagers oppose. Making things even more dramatic is that the volcano releases Gyaos, a giant bat that can shoot laser beams from its mouth and which has a habit of eating random people.

Fear not, though! Gamera, everyone’s favorite atomic turtle, is also woken up the volcanoes and the earthquakes! As the villagers watch, Gamera battles Gyaos and …. loses big time! Gyaos manages to injure Gamera’s leg so Gamera spins away and lands in the ocean so that he can heal up. Unfortunately, while Gamera is busy healing, Gyaos is still wrecking havoc.

Gamera vs Gyaos is entertaining as long as it focuses on Gamera and Gyaos. One of the more interesting things about the Gamera films is that even Gamera’s opponents were adorable. On the one hand, Gyaos is a totally destructive killer bat who eats numerous people. On the other hand, Gyaos is actually kind of cute.

And really, Gyaos isn’t trying to be mean. He’s just following his natural instincts. He was hibernating when the volcanic eruptions woke him up. Seeing as how he had been asleep for over a thousand years, it’s understandable that he woke up in a somewhat foul mood. One gets the feeling that if all the tanks and airplanes would stop shooting at him, Gyaos would be more than happy to fly off and find somewhere else to get some rest.

And, then there’s Gamera.

Gamera is a flying turtle who is powered by radioactivity and who, for some reason, has become the defender of humanity. Humanity, it should be noted, never seems to really appreciate everything that Gamera does for them. Gamera is also pretty adorable. Watching Gamera fight Gyaos is like watching two housecats pretend to fight each other. Sure, there’s a lot of yelling, hissing, and eye-poking but, deep-down, you get the feeling that the two of them truly love each other.

This was the third Gamera film. The second Gamera film was considered to be a box office disappointment so, for the third film, the studio insisted that it be kid-friendly. As a result, this film devotes a lot of time to Eiichi (Naoyuki Abe), an annoying little brat who keeps yelling for Gamera to come back and protect his village. Even when Gamera is underwater and trying to heal from his latest battle with Gyaos, he has to deal with little Eiichi yelling, “Hurry up and get better, Gamera!” Like, seriously, kid — SHUT UP! Gamera knows when he’ll be ready to fight again. By the end of the film, even the military is taking advice from Eiichi. No wonder Gamera has to fight all of their battles for them.

Anyway, I enjoyed this movie because of the monsters. Not only were their fight scenes entertaining but the monsters themselves were adorable. That said, Eiichi got on my last nerve. Hopefully, he’ll find a new hero and let Gamera have some peace.

Previous Gamera Reviews:

Film Review: Gamera vs. Monster X (dir Noriaki Yuasa)

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The world’s favorite atomic turtle is back!

1970’s Gamera vs. Monster X (a.k.a. Gamera vs Jiger) once against finds humanity doing something stupid and nearly getting destroyed as a result. This time, the trouble stats when a large statue is removed from an island and transported to Japan, where it will be the centerpiece of a gigantic expo. Gamera, who is a giant turtle that can fly and breathe fire, tries to stop the humans from doing this but, of course, they ignore him.

(Seriously, this was the 6th movie featuring Gamera. You would think that, by now, humanity would have learned to listen to the turtle’s concerns.)

Moving the statue awakens a dinosaur named either Jiger or Monster X, depending on which version of the film you’re watching. Jiger is pissed off about the statue being moved so it sets out to destroy humanity. Gamera tries to stop Jiger but Jiger stabs a quill into his chest and …, oh no! Is Gamera dead!?

No, don’t worry. Gamera may be incapacitated by he lives still. It’s just that he’s got something inside of him now and …. well, basically, Jiger inserted an egg inside of Gamera. And now, for some reason, a bunch of little children are going to have to navigate a minisub through Gamera’s blood stream so that they can get rid of the egg and the mini-Jiger waiting with within…..

What?

Yes, I know it doesn’t make any sense but it’s a Gamera movie! What you do expect? I mean, this is a movie about a world where, because Godzilla doesn’t exist, it falls to a gigantic, radioactive turtle to serve as the world’s protector. In order to watch a movie like this, you have to be able to accept the reality of a giant turtle. Once you’ve accepted that, it’s much easier to accept the idea that the future of the world depends on not just a giant turtle but also three kids in a small submarine.

(One thing that we discover, while watching this film, is that Gamera is bigger on the inside than the outside. Seriously, at one point, the kids get out of the sub and walk around inside of Gamera. And I know that Gamera’s big but he never looked like he was that big.)

Anyway, the important thing is that Gamera must be saved so that he can defeat Jiger and the expo can go on as planned. Because I don’t believe in spoilers, I won’t tell you how it ends but I will say that you should never lose faith in a giant turtle.

I was just looking over my notes and I discovered that, since 2017, I’ve actually watched Gamera vs. Monster X on three separate occasions. Despite having seen it more than once, I still have to say that I really don’t have the slightest idea what the Hell’s going on in the majority of the film. I guess it really doesn’t matter, though. You don’t watch a Gamera movie for the plot. You watch it for a giant turtle fighting other big monsters. On that front, Gamera vs Monster X delivers. It’s enjoyably incoherent.

Tonight, if you’re looking something to watch other than the Oscars, Gamera vs. Monster X is available on YouTube.