Gamera, the misunderstood, fire-breathing turtle, is back, in a film intended to initiate a new cycle of giant-turtle mania. Though the special effects are somewhat better than those in the original '60s/early-'70s Japanese movie series, not much else has changed, which is as it should be. Already baffled by a group of ravenous, birdlike creatures, scientists are further befuddled and threatened by the appearance of Gamera. After a series of encounters, they discern that the hard-shelled monster may actually be on their side. Then the birds and Gamera begin to fight. In other words, there's very little here that wasn't covered the first time around, though Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe feels more like a refreshing throwback to old-school rubber-suit stomping than a tired retread. Because of this, it's a better film than the forthcoming upscale bastardization of Godzilla looks to be.