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The Guyver

The Guyver

List Price: $19.97
Your Price: $17.97
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So much potential
Review: Attempting to cash in on the recent success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the studio imported Japanese manga hero Guyver with high hopes of big draws. The film succeeds on certain points and fails on others.

The first problem is the script. The script went after the parent's wallets and attempted to appeal to kids, yet had probably a bit much graphic violence for parent's tastes.

The music was also an issue. Honestly it sounds like a really bored guy on a Casio. The lightness of the music took away from many scenes.

Jimmy Walker as a Zoanoid? Why the hell did he have to rap? Seemed like he had fun, though.

Some of the Zoanoids looked a bit cheesy too. The lizard bird chick for example resembled a furby.

Mark Hamill must not have known how cheesy the film was going to turn out cause he actually put a lot into it. As much as he could, anyway.

Of course it was mostly based around effects and it didn't disappoint there. The Guyver suit looked great. Though the costumes looked like costumes they were better than many I've seen. Plus there was a robot of some sort of dragon reindeer.

The Gore helped though it made the film seem bipolar. Had they altered the script to be more adult and match the darkness displayed in the directing and tweaked the music so it wasn't so slap-sticky this movie would be perfect. However due to it being simply fun to watch it deserves a 4/5.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great actions, but the story...
Review: For Guyver fans like me (I've read the original Japanese comics that the movie was based on), you will probably be satisfied with this film. I mean, the costumes were good (good enough considering it was filmed in 1991, anyway), and the special effects, stunts and actions were great. But if you were looking for a strong storyline, then I suggest you turn to the animated series, which is a replica of the comic books. In my opinion I think the producers paid too much attention in special effects.

As for the acting... well, I almost thought the movie was trying to teach you speak proper English (maybe that was the producers' original intention to ensure its marketability in Japan?). Even the slangs and bad languages used were pronounced ever so clearly, word for word...

And why is Mark Hamil shown on the cover of the video with the Guyver costume, anyway? He's not the Guyver in the movie if I remember correctly...

Having said all this, DON'T miss out "Guyver 2: The Dark Hero". That's how a movie should, in my opinion, really be.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GUYVER IS AWESOME!!
Review: Guyver is an EXCELLENT anime series. After viewing the live movies a few years ago I became hooked. I have watched vol. 2 and I can't wait to get the whole series!! The animation is pretty good considering it was done in 1989. I mean would you go to a video store and rent a black/white sci-fi movie from the 60s and expect it to look like the prequel to "The Matrix"? I think not! Anyway, in this vol. Guyver 2 makes his first appearance and boy does he look down right awesome! The action scene is incredible as Guyver 1 (the hero) and Guyver 2 go at it! And for those that are new to this series there are 3 Guyver units. I'm not going to spoil it for ya but you won't regret it if you get this video.

One thing that I really hate is that there are only 30 min episodes on each tape. Once you really get hooked on the episode the next thing you know it's over. So I think it's best to just get the whole series since there's only 12. I suggest this video for ages 16 and over. There is a lot of violence and blood in this anime. For example it's not unusual for Guyver to tear off an arm and crush a skull or two (very bloody). But for the mature audience this anime rocks. Get the whole series I know I will!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GUYVER - THAT IS SUCH A COOL NAME
Review: Guyver- means out of control. if you didnt know, you probably dont give a fig.

on first sight the film looks like a couple of uni students have got together and made a cheap flick. which they probably did.

but the film has some very cool animatronic suits from the Guyver to the Zoanoids although some do look like they were made from the left over prosthetics.

the fights are decent, but the fight scenes in Dark Hero the sequal are so much better, and there is some good stop motion as well.

its only a couple of quid so why not get it and get Dark Hero, that is really good.


Rating: 3 stars
Summary: OK but Guyver 2 and the anime are better
Review: I liked it alot at first cause I'm a fan of the anime, and it was cool to see the Guyver in live action. But this is more like a spoof than an adaptation. Kinda like the 60s Batman show.

Pros: the action is hot. The Guyver does some cool martial arts. Plus his bladed weapons looked cool. And if you're into the comical action this movies for you. Plus there are alot of guest stars from horror fame.

Cons: Too campy. The cover is misleading: When I first saw it I thought Hamill was playing the Guyver, he's actually not. He plays an FBI agent. The acting is pretty bad, except for Hamill who did an OK job.

If you're more of a fan of serious action monster flicks, get Guyver 2.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good enough to see for yourself
Review: I liked this movie because it is one of a kind (knowing that there is a Guyver 2) and it has set a standard for other movies that might be similar to it. If you liked this movie then you should see the second Guyver movie, it is better.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Anime Guyver was great but the live version [is bad]!
Review: I love the Anime version of the guyver. But this movie is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I mean they took a great concept like the guyver and made it into a B movie. If you have watched the anime series don't watch this movie. The backstreet boys scare me more than the monsters in this thing did. If you have watched this movie and are thinking about getting the anime series do it, its like 100x better.

I have said my peace...

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Part human. Part alien. Pure superpower. (All dud...)
Review: I saw The Guyver (1991) a bunch of years ago on the recommendation of a friend and I recall not really being all that impressed at the time, but, since the years have passed, I thought maybe I'd give it another try. The passage of time did little to change my initial impression of the film, but I do believe I can now appreciate certain elements in the movie more, if not the production as a whole.

I guess the main reason I opted to give this film another chance was the fact it was produced by Brian Yuzna, of whom I've always been a fan, based on his involvement in such films as Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986), and Return of the Living Dead III (1993). While he may never garner acclaim from the mainstream, he seems to thrive in his position on the fringe, enjoying the freedom to develop projects on his own terms. The film boasts two directors, both primarily known for their special effects works and proving you should stick with what you know, in Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. The film stars Jack Armstrong, probably better know to soap opera fans rather than moviegoers, Jimmy (Dy-no-mite!) Walker, the ever charming and instantly recognizable Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, also the bald-headed mutant biker in the John Hughs film Weird Science), Vivian Wu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III), David Gale (Re-Animator), and finally one Mr. Mark Hamill, who, after seeing him in this, you really can't help ask yourself, "What the hell happened to you?".

Okay, so what's the movie about? Well, let me see if I can lay it out. There's this alien race, and it seems, a long time ago, they somehow planted the seeds of humanity on Earth, for the purpose of creating an evolved species of life to used as fighters, or some such thing. It also seems there are those who walk among us that look like normal humans like you and me (well, me at least, as I have no idea what you look like), but can change into hideous monsters imbued with super strength. These human/monsters, called Zoanoids, have gotten together and formed a corporation, headed by the most powerful of the bunch, the Zoanlord (Gale). Finally, this corporation has somehow come into possession of a bio-mechanism called the Guyver, which was also left by the aliens (I am unsure if they, like the creatures on Earth, are Zoanoids, or what...I'm sure the comic book details this better). This Guyver, a proto-type (one of a kind) seems to possess great power, but no one seems to know how to activate it. Also, we learn that if a Zoanlord gets a hold of the Guyver and figures out how to use it, the consequences could be extremely dire...to us normal humans, I guess...(again, something not made entirely clear in the film). Anyway, a scientist working on the Guyver, fearing for the sake of humanity I suppose, steals the device, and it ends up in the hands of Sean (Armstrong), as he accidentally activates it, but not before Zoanoid henchmen, lead by Lisker (Berryman) and including Striker (Walker), kill the scientist. Sean transforms into the Guyver, a character looking much like Spectraman, a Japanese show I used to watch as a kid. Sean is involved with Mizky (Wu), whose father was the scientist who got killed, and now the Zoanoids are using her to get the Guyver back. Hamill plays a CIA agent Max Reed, contacted by Mizky's father before his death, and is trying to uncover the secrets behind the corporation.

Okay, let me start with what I liked about the film. I thought the special effects, done by the same guys who directed the film, were really good, especially the monster costumes as they were extremely detailed and highly life-like. That's about it for what I liked...what I didn't like? That list is a bit longer...The acting was pretty bad, except for Gale, who sort of revives his Re-Animator character of the evil, lecherous Dr. Hill. The poor acting is only magnified by the truly awful script. The characters were pretty lifeless, especially that of Hamill's. Given they got someone with his name recognition, it became painfully obvious he was only there so they could use his name (just look how prominently it's displayed on the DVD case). And who let Jimmy (Dy-no-mite!) Walker in the picture? He was the worst, especially when his character tried to rap, which he did often. (Did you ever notice that if you add the letter `C' to rap, you get a new word?) The fight sequences, of which there were many, were fair at best, and the choreography was painfully obvious. I suspect it's hard to create realism with the stunt people having to perform encased completely within their respective costumes. These scenes reminded me much of an episode of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, only with a larger budget and better special effects. Re-Animator fans will enjoy an all to brief appearance of actor Jeffery Combs, who play Dr. West in the Re-Animator film, as a scientist, aptly named Dr. East, working for the corporation. I was glad to see the film didn't take itself too seriously, as there were a number of humorous points interjected throughout, especially the brief homage to the film Jaws (you'll know it when you see it).

The wide screen picture here looks pretty good, but I did notice a few minor flaws. The sound quality is better, offering three audio options, including Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. Special features are few, including trailers for Critters (1986), The Highwaymen (2000), The Butterfly Effect (2004), and The Mangler (1995), but not one for the film itself. There is a sequel, called The Guyver: Dark Hero, but I haven't seen it. I guess if I learned anything from this film, it's that Jimmy (Dy-no-mite!) Walker shouldn't rap (or act).

Cookieman108


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great movie if you like cheesy scifi flicks
Review: I'm rating this movie as 5 stars because I love it. I'd be lying if I said this was a cool movie. It's pretty cheesy and the acting is bad, but the concept of Guyver is a great idea. Compared to the anime this movie is terrible, but if you like cheesy scifi flicks you should check it out. I like to watch it because the Guyver suit in this movie is pretty tight, and you can laugh at the movie. Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to rent it, cuz nobody carries it. If you wanna watch it, you're just gonna have to fork over the ten bucks.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What did I just watch?
Review: So I'm sitting on my couch and this movie just came on the action channel. I turned on about 45 minutes into it and I immediately said to myself, "Wow, this looks like the lamest movie I will ever see. I am intrigued!" So I watched it and sure enough, it was incredibly cheesy. For the year and their budget, the costumes were pretty sweet. I mean, I don't think I could've made anything any better. Gwar could, but that's another story. The fight scenes were almost as bad as the acting and the Jimmy Walker alien rapping was painful. All that being said, I still watched the last hour or so of the movie and as stupid as it was, it was entertaining. The Zoalord was pretty cool--he was some kind of giant,alien, antelope/praying mantis half breed. I'd have to say that my favorite part of the movie was the very last scene because Jimmy Walker alien was smoking a blunt with a black guy and that's just fantastic. What an ending.


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