Director: Akio Jissoji
Year: 1966
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: (Alternate DVD Title: The Pearl Oyster Protection Directive/Pearl Oyster Defense Order) (真珠貝防衛指令 Shinjugai Bōei Shirei?)
Genre: Tokusatsu TV
Plot:
After a series of strange accidents, the Science Patrol is called in to look at a rash of disappearances involving the local pearl supply and find a monster called Gamakujira to be stealing and eating the local pearls, forcing them to rely on Ultraman to save the day.
Story:
The story here doesn't have too much to it but it's got some interesting elements. The main thing going here is the storyline involving the use of greed and obsession from Fuji in regards to the missing pearls. As the idea of her straightforward desire to own and possess them causes the group to have far more difficulty than expected in dealing with the creature, it causes some intriguing factors here with the team finding their usual investigation stymied by her desire to kill it in order to get the pearls safe to be able to buy them again. There's a lot to say here about her single-minded greed and desire to do this which is a newfound way of adding a suspenseful undercurrent to the monster battle within the first half. This doesn't explain Gamakujira's backstory or appearance due to the build on Fuji but that's a negligible effort that doesn't really hold this back that much.
Special Effects:
This was a mixed bag affair for the episode and causes some rather distressing factors to emerge. When it works, there's a lot to like here, mostly in the miniature shots of the Science Patrol attacking Gamakujira in the water. The daytime sequence is a solid sequence with the dive-bombing plan forming a solid attack and the water spout is a neat defensive move, while the twin attacks at sea are rather fun and provide plenty of action. By showing the two planes and their armament in attack mode against the creature leaving the balloons on the creatures' hide to act as bombs before bringing the net into play to ensnare it from the air.
Even here, though, there are a few slip-ups where the obvious immobile puppet is featured in the long-distance shots while the inserts of the struggle creature revert to the suit and the shaky camera ruins the decent escape attempt of the sequence. That continues into the other facets of the episode, where it'll get some great work at times such as the solid matte shot of Hayata waking up from the plane-crash in the foreground while Gamakujira wades ashore on the beach behind him, yet there's also laughable effects like the rocket attack which turns the creature into a missile and becomes the same obvious immobile puppet flying around again.
The weak effects unfortunately also extend to Gamakujira himself, one of the derpiest and most disappointing kaiju designs in the series so far. The basic principle of the four-legged creature being a combination of a frog-like sea creature and the body of a lizard-like creature is a workable body-type for this kind of creation yet there are gaps in the suits' construction that make it look silly and underwhelming. The cross-eyed expression and constant open-mouth design are unintentionally hilarious while the folds of flesh around the ankles are almost too long for the suit actor who tends to roll over his foot constantly in an unnatural and distracting condition that draws attention because it's constantly breaking its ankles, making for an all-around disappointing creation.
Acting:
There isn't much to say here, but what comes about here is rather fun and impressive. The whole episode is finally the showcase for Fuji, a supporting character usually left on the sidelines at headquarters and relaying messages when she finally proved necessary for the episode. Here, we get to expand on the criminal lack of information we get on her with an obsession for pearls which seems oddly out-of-character considering the high-class restriction they consume and how salt-of-the-Earth the group really is. Her fire and determination to kill Gamakujira to provide a chance at getting a pearl for herself might be a tad selfish and self-centered but at the very least it's character development which is something to be said for her.
Other Factors:
There are a few special aspects to this one that are also worth mentioning. One of the biggest attributes of the episode is undoubtedly Jissoji's camera-work, which is incredibly tight and far flashier than what should be the case. From showing off reflections in pearls through the store display case, the truck drivers' reflection showing up in the mirror of the cab while he's driving or the memorable shot of Fuji on to the phone to headquarters while Gamakujira rests on the rocky outcrops in the distance through the peephole to the side of her head, there are numerous outstanding pieces of brazen cinematic camerawork on display that would belie his future avant-garde work while also adding an air of class to the episode that shouldn't normally be present. The same can't be said for one of the most laughable and utterly disappointing final fights in the series which is an absurdly stupid punchline to a sequence that doesn't need it and just comes across as wholly disappointing as a result.
Overview: ***/5
A pretty decent effort that has some enjoyable elements but some big problems as well, this is somewhat troubling but still has more than enough to make this a watchable enough effort. It's not near the bottom of the series but not near the top either, making for an okay watch for fans of the series to get into but not something to look at if you're trying to get introduced into the series.
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