I will just jump straight in and say that this show IS NOT GUYVER. If this is meant to be a live action adaptation of the cult manga series, this show fails in so many aspects. Sure the manga did descend into shallow territory, with some one dimensional characters and an overall cheesy sci/fi story, but it took itself seriously. This movie seems more like a parody of Guyver and "tokusatsu" movies than an actual adaptation.
Now I would not have been so quick to criticize this show if it been given a different title like "BioMan" or "Robo-Mutant". It could have been one really entertaining flick spoofing the many campy and over-the-top Japanese superhero shows like Masked Rider and Power Rangers like how "Mystery Men" spoofed the costumed hero genre of American comic books. But since it has the name "guyver" tacked on (and maybe a couple of similar aspects like the premise of a powerful organization as a front for a powerful alien race, the look of the Guyver and a "typical guy" protagonist) I naturally expected it would be as serious as the manga or the anime series.
Looking at the film credits, I honestly cannot believe what possessed the producers to hire a director named "Screaming Mad George". If even his name is so weird, can we expect any less weirdness from his movie? From a mile away, you can smell the cheese that this show is so full of. From the rapping Zoanoid that looks like an overgrown Gremlin to the "slash/cut" scene transitions similar to those used in the Adam West Batman serials to even the horrible misplaced humor and "Wham! Pow! Zap!" style of campy action. All of it comes laced with that heavy cheesy flavor that would make even fans of the "Z"-est grade of B movies cringe in agony.
The acting is on very extreme ends of a spectrum. Mark Hamil seems to be the only competent actor here who plays his Detective role with as much professionalism and dignity as he can, considering what he had to work with. David Gale and Michael Berryman (you may recognize this guy from the original "The Hills Have Eyes") ham it up to the max, taking the definition of "eccentric and over-the-top" villains to a whole new level. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the main lead played by Jack Armstrong and his girlfriend played by Vivian Wu, who do their lines with all the gusto of a lettuce wilting in the heat.
The action scenes, which some people Laud as being the strong point of the film, are actually very mediocre. They come across as being only as good as the fights in low budgeted TV series with some lackluster fight choreography the likes of "Tattooed Teenage alien Fighters From Beverly Hills". The monsters look terribly goofy at best, hilariously silly at worst with cheap looking costumes. Furthermore, No attempt seemed to be made to disguise the fact that they are actors in suits bouncing about and doing their best to act scary. At least the guyver himself looks good for the most part, very true to the original comic.
"Guyver"(1991) would have made a fairly entertaining comedy spoof movie. But alas, it did not identify that target audience. Instead, this movie just ended up putting off many sci/fi action fans and alienating the fans of the original manga with its over-the-top humorous take on an otherwise serious story.
What a joke. A good joke, but still just a joke nonetheless.
Now I would not have been so quick to criticize this show if it been given a different title like "BioMan" or "Robo-Mutant". It could have been one really entertaining flick spoofing the many campy and over-the-top Japanese superhero shows like Masked Rider and Power Rangers like how "Mystery Men" spoofed the costumed hero genre of American comic books. But since it has the name "guyver" tacked on (and maybe a couple of similar aspects like the premise of a powerful organization as a front for a powerful alien race, the look of the Guyver and a "typical guy" protagonist) I naturally expected it would be as serious as the manga or the anime series.
Looking at the film credits, I honestly cannot believe what possessed the producers to hire a director named "Screaming Mad George". If even his name is so weird, can we expect any less weirdness from his movie? From a mile away, you can smell the cheese that this show is so full of. From the rapping Zoanoid that looks like an overgrown Gremlin to the "slash/cut" scene transitions similar to those used in the Adam West Batman serials to even the horrible misplaced humor and "Wham! Pow! Zap!" style of campy action. All of it comes laced with that heavy cheesy flavor that would make even fans of the "Z"-est grade of B movies cringe in agony.
The acting is on very extreme ends of a spectrum. Mark Hamil seems to be the only competent actor here who plays his Detective role with as much professionalism and dignity as he can, considering what he had to work with. David Gale and Michael Berryman (you may recognize this guy from the original "The Hills Have Eyes") ham it up to the max, taking the definition of "eccentric and over-the-top" villains to a whole new level. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the main lead played by Jack Armstrong and his girlfriend played by Vivian Wu, who do their lines with all the gusto of a lettuce wilting in the heat.
The action scenes, which some people Laud as being the strong point of the film, are actually very mediocre. They come across as being only as good as the fights in low budgeted TV series with some lackluster fight choreography the likes of "Tattooed Teenage alien Fighters From Beverly Hills". The monsters look terribly goofy at best, hilariously silly at worst with cheap looking costumes. Furthermore, No attempt seemed to be made to disguise the fact that they are actors in suits bouncing about and doing their best to act scary. At least the guyver himself looks good for the most part, very true to the original comic.
"Guyver"(1991) would have made a fairly entertaining comedy spoof movie. But alas, it did not identify that target audience. Instead, this movie just ended up putting off many sci/fi action fans and alienating the fans of the original manga with its over-the-top humorous take on an otherwise serious story.
What a joke. A good joke, but still just a joke nonetheless.