Kamen Rider Movie Collection

[areaseven]

Kamen Rider Movie Collection ( 仮面ライダー )

Toei Co. Ltd, 1971-1988, 2003

Not Available in the U.S.

Not Rated (Suggested 13-Up). Contains graphic violence and mature situations.

"Rider...Henshin!"

Cast

- Hiroshi Fujioka as Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1

- Takeshi Sasaki as Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2

- Hiroshi Miyauchi as Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3

- Akira Yamaguchi as Jouji Yuki/Riderman

- Ryu Hayama as Keisuke Jin/Kamen Rider X

- Toru Okazaki as Daisuke Yamamoto/Kamen Rider Amazon

- Shigeru Araki as Shigeru Jo/Kamen Rider Stronger

- Hiroaki Murakami as Hiroshi Tsukuba/Sky Rider

- Shunsuke Takasugi as Kazuya Oki/Kamen Rider Super-1

- Tetsuo Kurata as Kotaro Minami/Kamen Rider BLACK

- Shotaro Ishinomori (creator of the series) in numerous cameo roles

Contents

Go Go Kamen Rider (1971)

Kamen Rider vs. Shocker (1972)

Kamen Rider vs. Jigoku Taishi (1972)

Kamen Rider V3 (1973)

Kamen Rider vs. Destron Kaijin (1973)

Kamen Rider X (1974)

Five Riders vs. King Dark (1974)

Kamen Rider Amazon (1975)

Kamen Rider Stronger (1975)

Eight Riders vs. the Galaxy King (1979)

Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980)

Kamen Rider BLACK (1987)

Kamen Rider BLACK: Fear! The Evil Monster Mansion (1988)

"Rider...KIIIIICKKKKK!!!"

Lowdown

Kamen Rider - for over 30 years, the name has been one of the largest superhero franchises in Japan (second only to Ultraman). The brainchild of legendary manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori (1938-1998), each Kamen Rider series tells the tale of a motorcycle-riding cyborg (except for Amazon, who is a reptile-man) battling an evil organization that uses an army of kaijin (mutated freaks) on their bid for world domination. Kamen Rider has made such an impact in Japan to the point where high-profile anime and manga creators like Yoshiki Takaya (The Guyver) and Hideaki Anno (Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion) use the series as inspiration to some of their works.

Now you can experience the legend of Kamen Rider in a two-disc DVD set (which is actually a bootleg of the original 4-disc boxed set by Toei). Never mind the cheesy acting, flat plots and unstable camera work. It's all about having fun watching Kamen Rider beat up the bad guys. The movies, when shown in order, depict the evolution of tokusatsu (special effects) in Japanese hero shows: the henshin (transformation) pose (mandatory on all Riders), the over-the-top stunts, the exploding deaths of the kaijin (simply put the camera on pause, get the stuntman out, place a stick of dynamite where he was, detonate it and roll the camera), and more. You'll also see how Rider suits and bikes have changed over the duration of the saga, from the bulky look of Kamen Rider 1 to the more stylized Kamen Rider BLACK.

This movie set is highly recommended for old-school Kamen Rider fans. First-time viewers will want to pick this up to sample the experience of classic tokusatsu. Upon viewing this, you'll completely forget about Saban's Americanized shows and stick with the real deal.

Rating: A

Reference

Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page

Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Riders

Japan Hero

Anime News Network

[areaseven]

Soul of Popynica PX-02: Kamen Rider & Cyclone ( 仮面ライダー & サイクロン号 )

Bandai, 2000

Contents

- Cyclone motorcycle

- Kamen Rider figure

- Forearms (x6) - Open-fist, closed-fist and bike handle grip

- Chest Plating (x4)

- Boots (x2)

- Antenna (x2)

- Henshin Belt

- Belt Ring

- Red Scarf

Exactly one week ago, I visited HobbyLink Japan to see what was on sale. What caught my eye was this Kamen Rider figure with Cyclone going for Y5,460 (rougly US$50) - down from its original Y7,800 (US$70) sticker price! Being a Kamen Rider fan, I had to pick this up.

This afternoon, it arrived at my doorstep (man, HLJ's express shipping really works!). I immediately opened up the packaging to see Kamen Rider, Cyclone and some extra parts neatly packed in styrofoam. But how is the actual toy itself?

First, let's talk about the figure (which stands at 4" when completed). It's basically a plastic skeleton wrapped in a leather jacket and pants. The chest plating sticks to the jacket via velcro while the Henshin Belt snaps around the waist. The skeleton has at least 16 points of articulation. Adding the antennae, forearms and boots gives the figure 26 points of articulation. Such versatility enables the Kamen Rider figure to execute trademark poses like "Rider Henshin" and "Rider Kick", as well as some acrobatic maneuvers. It also allows Kamen Rider to sit and do a riding pose on his Cyclone.

Now going to Cyclone, the motorcycle is a remarkable piece on its own. Like the diecast motorcycles available at K-B Toys, Cyclone has rubber tires and a functional steering mechanism. However, Cyclone steps it up on detail level with brake hosing, working suspension and a kickstart pedal that pivots up or down. Flip a switch under the bike and you turn on the headlights (powered by two LR44 lithium batteries).

Overall, I'm very happy with my latest toy acquisition. Excellent detail and articulation make this Soul of Popynica toy the best Kamen Rider figure today. Now if Bandai were to continue the Kamen Rider series with Rider #2 and V3...

Detail: B+ (Kamen Rider) A+ (Cyclone)

Features: A- (Kamen Rider) A+ (Cyclone)

Articulation: A (Kamen Rider) A+ (Cyclone)

Special Thanks to HobbyLink Japan

[Otaru Ikari]

Hope it gets here. I've only gotten two movies here and that is for the recent ones, Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final and Kamen rider 555: Paradise Lost.

[areaseven]

Hope it gets here. I've only gotten two movies here and that is for the recent ones, Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final and Kamen rider 555: Paradise Lost.

We might get our Kamen Rider fix much sooner than expected:

- Following the success of their Kikaida DVDs, Hawaii-based JN Productions has licensed all 54 episodes of Kamen Rider V3.

- According to the Japan Hero forums, Media Blasters is interested in licensing tokusatsu titles. And judging by the polls, majority of the fans want to see Kamen Rider titles (mostly Kamen Rider 555) hitting U.S. video shops.

Edited May 31, 2004 by areaseven