Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stop That Android!!, July 15, 2004
Japanese use the term tokusatsu films for what we might call 'special effects' films. Our closest equivalent would be the unending Startrek series (with the addition of some robots in latex suits. The term covers a wide range of sins, from the complex ongoing Super Sentai series to pleasantly simplistic (and violent) films like the one under discussion here - Hakaider. Jinzo Nigen Hakaider (Mechanical Man Hakaider) is loosely based on a previous tokusatsu series about Kikaider - an android superhero. He was one of the villains in that series, but in this film his body is discovered by treasure hunters and is reanimated. At the start of the film we find the camera following a dark figure wearing a menacing samurai mask as he rides a modernistic motorcycle into Jesus Town. In this post-apocalyptic world, the android finds itself siding with rebels. His opponents are Gurjev, a mad ruler and his android associate, Michael. This is one of those films where the good guy looks like a bad guy and the bad guys are all wearing white suits. The simple plot follows Kikaider as he enters Jesus town and comes in contact with the rebels. When Kaoru, a beautiful young raider, falls afoul of the regime, Hakaider builds a full head of steam and takes on the entire establishment in a series of ever more dramatic confrontations. This is the second of Keita Amemiya's films, and while it is better made (and less silly) than Zeiram 2, this is the Amemiya film with the least amount of plot and character. Instead it's capital is special effects, costumes, and violence. All of which it does quite well for a low budget thriller. Once again Amemiya demonstrates a flair for scene setting and character design. The downside is his penchant for vacuous dialog but, in the light science fiction of its time, perfection was not an option. There is a great deal of strong Christian symbolism in the film, which an American viewer may find misleading. As in Evangelion, one has to remember that the Christian framework is as mysterious as the Japanese mystical framework is to us. Amemiya uses Christianity to add mystery and a sense of the occult, not to advocate and religious position. The film is meant to be enjoyed, particularly with a good supply of popcorn, not to make an indelible mark on cinematic history.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Japanese Bad Mojo Robo Man, Reminds me of the Zeiram series., July 1, 2000
If you liked the look of the Zeiram series, and are insprired by the works of Yasushi Nirasawa, then you'll love this movie. Based on a cult comic book favorite in Japan, Mechanical Violator Haikader is a brilliant take on a popular Japanese anti-hero. An amazing amount of forethought must have gone into this movie which is evident by all of the details in the sets, and robot suits in this movie. Several of the cast members wardrobes are quite beautiful as well. Set in the future after some sort of holocaust, the story centers around Hakaider, a mysterious, leather clad, self professed amnesiac (you learn that through an inner monologue,) you first see chained in the bowels of some non-discript factory by ridiculously large chains. Uncovered by mis-informed fortune seekers, the man in black, without word transforms unseen, in a flurry of quick cuts, and flashes, into one bad mojo robo man. After promptly taking out all of the would be treasure seekers, and relieving them of their weapons, he re-unites with his super charged motorcycle, and moves out. From there the story follows Haikader on his trip of self re-discovery. He quickly winds up at the gates of a neo-eden city constructed, and ruled, by a way to self important, extremely melancholy, foppish dictator. As Haikader approaches the gates at high speed, the security systems alerted to the incoming infiltrator, begin a barrage of fire to detour him, but after a quick transformation he's taking the bullets like a champ, and returning fire with a ridiculously powerful shotgun. At this point, while looking over the shoulder of Mr. Dictator-man watching a security screen, we learn that he was responsible for the construction of Haikader at some long distant point in time when things were not so civilized He was then put in chains, and locked away after he had outlived his usefullness. Haikader, blasting his way through the front gates of the city quickly gets mixed up with rebels fighting against their oppressor, who even goes so far as to regulate personality through radical surgery, and rules by way of cyborg shock troopers that are ever present, and plentiful throughout the movie. The rebels don't know what to make of their new arrival, and after they have seen what he can become, they are even warrier about who he is, and where his allegances lie. This isn't helped by the fact that he barely speaks, and when he does, it is usually a brief sentence that is as mysterious as he is. A cute, but tough rebel girl falls for the dark savior, and has repeated dreams of him as a black knight on a horse come to deliver her, and everyone else from evil. The story climaxes as he makes a solo raid on the headquarters of his creator, a heavily fortified palace, with lots of cannon fodder for him to tear through on his date with destiny. He finds the overlord in his quarters guarded by his angelic influenced robot bodyguard Michael. After some rock-em sock-em robot be-heading action, Hakaider momentarily victorious, is stalled by his creator with the story of his utopian vision. But that's long enough for the fallen Michael to re-group in a massive alternate body, five times his size, equipped with articulated saw blades, and other nasty attachments. But of course Haikader being the anti-hero, defeats the massive robot, and then promptly dispatches the ruler. From there it's the classic ride into the sunset. In truth, the acting is a little weak, the story somewhat slow, and some of the effects aren't that special. But if you like beautiful costumes, and lot's of intricate props, and people, you should really enjoy this movie. There are actually quite alot of movie inspired models readily available on the import market resulting from this movie, the quality and care in the production of the film carries over into these models as well, they are all very beautiful. So if you like angry revengeful robot men wreaking havoc, you'll find a black spot in your heart for this movie.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
JINZO NINGEN HAKAIDER IS A WRECKING BALL!!, January 24, 2002
Okay, I am a little biased because i'm a huge Kikaider and Hakaider fan, but i have to say this movie was actually pretty good for an early work. They revamped the suit to make it a little more sleek and well, more menacing. The atmosphere prett dark, which was actually a pleasant change for me. Hakaider, who gets awakened by robbers, sets out to jesus town where he fights police androids and meets up with a resistance group. Hakaider takes to a woman in the resistance group; when they are found and almost everyone is killed (except for the girl of course), Hakaider decides to take vengence and heads to the head quarters to fight Michael (or Mikhail or something) to the death.
I really don't call this a feature because it's surprisingly short, but the action is there and will have you slightly giggling through some parts of the movie because of it's wacky violence. There was really no character development in this movie, maybe due to the fact this movie was shorter than trip to the toilet. What was kind of funny was that they really didn't explain exactly who or what he is, except for that sketchy little story at the end. I still have no idea if that is Professor Gill's brain or not, since they revamped the whole origin, i guess not. Also, for those who have seen the series, you can see Kikaiders head in the final confrontation between the two machines, it was an incredible laugh, which makes me wonder, when is there going to be a cool Kikaider movie?
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