While Kamen Rider is now a fixture of Japanese television, the long-running franchise went off the air several times between 1971 and 2000. The longest break was in the ‘90s, but there wasn’t a complete drought; the brave hero lived on in a strand of standalone films.
The 1950s is widely regarded as Japan’s golden age of filmmaking, however the V-Cinema period helped save the industry during the country’s economic bubble. This revitalizing and distinct era of direct-to-video films, roughly taking place between ‘89 and ‘95, celebrated Kamen Rider’s twentieth anniversary with one of the bleakest entries: Makoto Tsuji’s Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue. While a severe departure from Shōtarō Ishinomori’s creation, this ‘92 film is aimed at fans of the original TV show. Since they were all older, it only made sense to age Kamen Rider’s story as well.
In the classic series, Kamen Rider was created when a terrorist organization, one seeking world domination, tried to turn him into one of their followers. More or less, Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue follows suit, although in this reimagining, the victim aspect is played up significantly. Shin Kazamatsuri (played by Shin Ishikawa) volunteers for his father’s medical experiment without realizing the ulterior motive of the sponsors. Soon enough, Shin is transformed into a monstrous mutant who is part human and part grasshopper.
“Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue”
Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue is mainly of the sci-fi/action persuasion — a tortured human guinea pig loses himself the more he succumbs to the monster clawing its way out — but it is also a horror film. From the slasher-styled opening scene to the frequent scenes of ghastly, Cronenberg-inspired body horror, this story strays the farthest from the franchise’s visual roots. Matching Shin’s own revulsion toward himself is a horrifying transformation; his genetically altered body undergoes a bone-crushing and biopunk metamorphosis like no other in the whole wide world of Kamen Rider. The practical effects here are impressive by not only V-Cinema standards, but also all of tokusatsu. Although its themes are familiar, Prologue stands out due to its grim and graphic execution.
Despite strong sales, a sequel to Prologue never materialized and the next Kamen Rider film would be another self-contained story. In charge this time was Keita Amemiya, who had already worked on several tokusatsu TV series and films before Kamen Rider ZO was in production. Had it screened in theaters as originally intended, his first Kamen Rider film would have been feature length, but instead ZO was cut down to 48 minutes and shown alongside other tokusatsu films at the Toei Super Hero Fair in 1993.
Being so short, Kamen Rider ZO neither has the luxury of character development nor the time for organic exposition. It takes off like a rocket and waits for no one. Regardless, the story is easy to follow thanks to its parceled formatting. Once the namesake awakens from a deep and fairytale-like slumber, Masaru Asō (played by Kō Domon) unhesitatingly uses his new powers to protect his former employer’s young son from a horde of monsters. The film quickly turns into a rehash of Terminator 2: Judgment Day but with multiple enemies acting as the obstacles.
“Kamen Rider ZO”
Amemiya is well regarded in the tokusatsu world. Prior to ZO, he showed Kamen Rider fans a taste of his style in the ‘80s installments Black and Black RX; his distinguishing character designs are unrivaled in an industry built on monsters. At least one of his greatest career achievements, however, can be found here. The film’s biggest showpiece is certainly the ferocious Spider Woman, who was partially achieved through the use of extensive stop motion. Like her fellow inhumanoids, the awe-inspiring Spider Woman does not get a great amount of screen time; her entrance is as reckless and sudden as most parts of this trippy production. Nevertheless, these bold and fanciful set pieces are irresistibly directed.
1994’s Kamen Rider J was the last film to be shot and screened before creator Shōtarō Ishinomori passed away four years later. This reboot sees Yūta Mochizuki — who is best known for his role in Zyuranger, the Super Sentai series from which Mighty Morphin Power Rangers derived its action footage — playing an environmentalist named Kōji Segawa. When he is incidentally killed by aliens trying to colonize the planet, Kōji is revived as a Kamen Rider by spirits of the Earth. To reach the mothership and save the hapless child chosen to be the aliens’ human sacrifice, J fights a variety of kaijin.
Of all the three films here, Amemiya’s Kamen Rider J is the most unique. Naturally it looks like its predecessor, albeit with less urban settings and a reduced cast, but screenwriter Shōzō Uehara was evidently inspired by environmental concerns. No longer a cyborg or a biologically enhanced warrior, this Rider is a magical eco-hero whose main goal is protecting Mother Earth from walking metaphors for man-made pollution, climate change and habitat destruction. As if J is not already singular enough, the namesake is able to grow to immense size à la Ultraman and battle the enemy’s colossal leader.
“Kamen Rider J”
Kamen Rider J is not quite as heedlessly shot as ZO, and the dark fantasy motif gives the story a semblance of coherency. The typically impulsive Amemiya shows restraint this time around but does not sacrifice style either. The director trades a bright palette for a warmer and sometimes murkier one that emphasizes the urgency to save the imperiled environment. While the film does not feel at all like a standard Kamen Rider outing, perhaps that is why fans remember it so well.
The television side of this Japanese pop culture mainstay has gone the opposite way mood and style wise ever since the 21st-century revival. Yet for those fans looking for something vintage, often unusual and visually arresting, this cinematic set will scratch the itch. No two Kamen Riders are alike, and these three films are irrefutable proof of that.
Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue, Kamen Rider ZO, and Kamen Rider J are all available, with English subtitles, on Toei’s Official Tokusatsu World YouTube Channel.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
“Kamen Rider J”
The post Rider Kick! The Horrors and Dark Fantasy of the 1990s ‘Kamen Rider’ Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.