Movielogr
Kikaider REBOOT (2014)
Directed by Ten Shimoyama
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
In the near future, the “ARK Project” has initiated a program to increase the quality of human life through the peaceful use of robots. Dr. Komyoji, the chief scientist on the project, has developed a process to create a robot with a figurative human “heart” through the installation of a “conscience circuit”, but his plans are violently opposed by researcher Gilbert Kanzaki. When Dr. Komyoji is killed in an apparent accident, his children Masaru and Mitsuko are targeted by mysterious forces within the ARK Project looking to gain control of the scientist’s research data. But the villains are opposed by Jiro, the android with a human conscience who fights for justice as the hero Kikaider.
Length 110 minutes
Actors
Jingi Irie | Aimi Satsukawa | Yuta Ikeda | Maryjun Takahashi | Shingo Tsurumi | Daisuke Ban | Minami Kajihara | Renji Ishibashi | Kazushige Nakashima | Hirotaro Honda | Ryûji Harada | Ikuji Nakamura | Kenichi Suzumura
Viewing History (seen 2 times)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/12/2022 | TV | Broadcast | TV | 6 stars |
| 07/09/2020 | TV | Broadcast | Other | 6.5 stars |
| (Average) 6.25 stars |
Viewing Notes
DKUTV kicked off their KaijuCon.Line programming today in conjunction with the virtual Kaiju convention kicking off this weekend (after Ultraman Day tomorrow). Was excited to see this movie on the schedule. Was hyped for it on release but forgot about it when it never found distribution in North America.
This is an almost very good movie. The screenplay is not good but the updated Kikaider and Hakaider are really nice. I’d love to have either a 1/6 scale of that Kidaider or one of the SH MonsterArts or Kaiyodo figs of it (assuming any of them exist). The action is choreographed well and some decent long takes. The suits hold up nicely.
The weak spots are the script and general dumb things like the Men in Black shooting at the kid (being protected by Kikaider) when they are supposed to be abducting him alive. Like sure, you want to show that Kikaider is bulletproof but YOU ALREADY DID THAT DURING HIS INTRODUCTION so there is no need to do it again and make the viewer question this moment. Script issues: the prime minister saying the mad scientist has no conviction WHEN THE MAD SCIENTIST IS DEADSET ON DESTROYING THE WORLD is a really dumb line. Just a couple examples but there’s plenty more.
The characters are solid. The action is p great. MARI is AWESOME. She is so underutilized it had me screaming. I do believe that Maryjun Takahashi was doing most if not all those stunts. I’d love to see a making-of for this movie. She’s so excellent that it hurts the film that she’s not featured more. That and the aforementioned weaknesses drop what could’ve been a 7.5 or 8/10 rating.
And I guess since the movie didn’t do so well we’ll never see that sequel they set up. If this movie exists on Blu outside of Japan I would get it.
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