Zeram

Rating:
Summary: Where is Zeram 2?
Review: Although I am glad to have this highly entertaining Japanese sci-fi on DVD, widescreen format, it would have been nicer to have the original Japanese soundtrack with English subtitles. Fox Lorber should be aware that when they are releasing DVDs for purchase they are dealing with DISCERNING CUSTOMERS. The movie is very low-budget but full of charm; reminiscent of ULTRAMAN and other TV heroes and monsters of the bygone era ('70s, to be exact) but with a nod toward strong female protagonist. Moriyama Yuko kicks butts! (By the way she is NOT the ornithologist in GAMERA, that's Nakayama Shinobu. I know, I sometimes can't tell the difference between Gwenyth Paltrow and Meg Ryan, either) It would be very nice if some enterprising company releases Zeram 2, an even better film, and Moon Over Tao, where Moriyama gets to show her true acting abilities (She plays 3 aliens) on DVD, with SOME EXTRAS, and in ORIGINAL JAPANESE SOUNDTRACK. By the way the animated version (IRIA) is a travesty, reducing one of the coolest heroines in Japanese science fiction into just another cute anime character, avenging her brother's death, or some such nonsense.

Rating:
Summary: Over-the-Top goofiness
Review: As other viewers have stated, this harkens back to the (now nearly archetypal) world of Japanese rubber-monster movies. It sports a great monster, a lively female hero and two bewildered, would-be heroes who find themselves in the thick of things and are forced to come to terms with the situation.

Zeram is an invincible monster who has just escaped prison (even though he's being assaulted by more fire-power than you'll find in most third-world countries)and now has a bounty on his...hers...it's head. Enter the female bounty hunter and her computer sidekick Bob. Bob has a droll sense of humor while she is a hard-hitting, armed to the teeth, walking death machine. (She does look nifty in her tight-fitting, Star Wars type get-up though). Together they need to snag Zeram, put him back in the slammer and collect the dough, all while keeping a low profile and dealing with a couple of not too bright earthlings who mistakenly stumble on the entire mess.

This is not a great film but it's great fun. The characters are noteable, the monster is cool (he sems to be controlled by this rather phallic looking organ that emerges from his head and has a face on it. (A nasty Kibuki looking one at that). There are some rather deformed looking baby monsters present as well. They resemble the mutant offspring in Peter Jackson's Dead Alive, and manage to cause a degree of mayhem while in the picture. On top of that you have some great fight scenes and some nail biting tense moments. The look of the film is pretty good as well. The opening scenes of Zeram's escape sport muted (almost black and white) tones, and a lot of misty fog. It actually looks like a more serious western hemisphere sci-fi feature. Then it switches to the more primary colorful and sharper edged visuals seen in many Hong Kong flicks. And when the dust has settled in the end, you feel as though you've been through this excruciating escapade along with the characters.

I'd bump this up another star but the normal movie viewer (whatever THAT is)wouldn't get it. But it's a definite 4 stars for fans of this sort of thing. There are much worse ways to spend 90 minutes of relaxation time.

Rating:
Summary: Great stuff
Review: Dubbed voices, cool action, stop motion animation, and a monster that JUST WON'T DIE turn this movie into the stuff that cult classics are made of.

Rating:
Summary: zeram review
Review: effects-laden japenese sci-fi flick about two people
people working for a power company come across a device that leads them to another dimension ruled by monsters and must help a alien crime fighter stop them. winner of the 1991 tokyo film festavle.

Rating:
Summary: Where is Zeram 2?
Review: Grrr.

If you like Keita Amemiya films( Moon over tao, Hakaider, Cyber Ninja, Zeiram2, Mikazuki) Steer clear of Fox Lorbers featureless grab at your wallet.

Grrr.

Rating:
Summary: Great Film, but NO original language track.
Review: Grrr.

If you like Keita Amemiya films( Moon over tao, Hakaider, Cyber Ninja, Zeiram2, Mikazuki) Steer clear of Fox Lorbers featureless grab at your wallet.

Grrr.

Rating:
Summary: Great stuff
Review: I saw this movie a while ago on the Sci-Fi channel. Unfortunately it seems that they do not plan to show it again for a long long while.

I happened to like this movie, but I could see why people would not like it as well. I thought the female bounty hunter with her computer companion were a nice team. It was sure an adventurous movie, with action leaking from it's ears, but it wasn't exactly what I would call thrilling. I tended to like her computer partner better than her, but I tend to be partial to metallic things and people with mainframes.

I would recommend this movie to fans of anime, especially Iria (which was based on this movie) and all fans of old sci-fi movies with funny effects and strange plots. I would NOT recommend this to you if you don't like science fiction. You MUST like science fiction. Just buy it and bring it to a movie night with lots of popcorn.

Rating:
Summary: Almost Cute
Review: I saw this movie a while ago on the Sci-Fi channel. Unfortunately it seems that they do not plan to show it again for a long long while.

I happened to like this movie, but I could see why people would not like it as well. I thought the female bounty hunter with her computer companion were a nice team. It was sure an adventurous movie, with action leaking from it's ears, but it wasn't exactly what I would call thrilling. I tended to like her computer partner better than her, but I tend to be partial to metallic things and people with mainframes.

I would recommend this movie to fans of anime, especially Iria (which was based on this movie) and all fans of old sci-fi movies with funny effects and strange plots. I would NOT recommend this to you if you don't like science fiction. You MUST like science fiction. Just buy it and bring it to a movie night with lots of popcorn.

Rating:
Summary: super cool cheese sci fi action
Review: if you like cool cheesy anime style live action youll love zera

Rating:
Summary: A Japanese Alein Type Movie.
Review: In Zeram a weird creature from outer space escapes from somewhere (it dosen't realy say.) and flies to Earth. A female bounty who is played by the same actress as the Ornthalogist in Gamera The Gurdian Of The Universe, is sent to destroy it. She comes with a computer called bob, that looks like a hour glass. While she is battleing the creature Zeram she acidently traps to men in another dimension with Zeram. She then has to save them.He has a humaniod head on a nerve that tries to eat the 2 men.I realy liked the movie, I thought it was as good as most of the Godzilla and Gamera Movies.