Top 7 Films I've Seen!

I'm kinda slacking on the Tokusatsu talk these days... Don't worry, I'll be back next month with a Tokusatsu topic of some kind (you can always tweet me a suggestion, or leave a comment below). For now, though, I just want to talk about movies.

When it comes to movies, I have pretty basic tastes. This list probably won't be as ecclectic and weird as some of my other lists, but you might find an odd title or two mixed in.

So here we go...a list of my favorite movies.

07. Moonwalker (1988)

This movie is not a masterpiece--it's barely watchable to a lot of people. Outside of the "Badder" sequence (which in all honesty isn't *that* bad, it's just hollow seeing as it's Bad, but with kids) I freakin' love this movie.

The big problem is that, well, it isn't a movie structurally. It's more of a collection of short films with some music thrown in. Michael Jackson isn't much of an actor, but his skills weren't really called upon until the final segment. Also...you really have to be a fan of Michael Jackson to begin with to even consider watching this film.

But...

The Smooth Criminal sequence is perfection, in fact the movie kicks total ass once Joe Pesci's character tries to kill Michael. Michael transforms into a car...and then a mecha...and then a giant friggin spaceship! The earlier parts are entertaining at the minimum, but the end is outright awesome.

On a side note, I remember watching the fuck out of this movie when it was new and I was a youngster. Nostalgia might be playing on my emotions a little bit here, but so what. It's my damn list.

06. Friend (2001)

The lone film from Asia...and boy is it a doozy--and it's based on a true story.

I really don't want to go in great detail about it since I could write about it for days, but this movie has the most complete story I've ever seen in a movie. That might sound weird, but I felt like I understood the motivations of all of the characters even when their actions were definitely strange. Pride drives everyone too far.

The truncated version of the story goes like this: We are shown four childhood friends over the years as they begin to grow distant once they hit High School. Two of the friends become rival gang leaders which ultimately leads to one being murdered. Despite the best intentions of many to clear him in the murder (which he didn't commit himself), he accepts his fate, admits that he did it, and begins a lengthy prison sentence.

I know that is a pretty crappy summary, but it's truly a film that needs to be seen if dramas are up your alley. The full movie is on Youtube. There was also a sequel that I haven't seen (it really doesn't need a sequel).

Unlike Moonwalker, this is a movie I can recommend based purely on it's strength. Well done and totally worth a watch. In fact...of all of the movies on this list, this is probably the one I recommend watching the most.

05. Ordinary People (1980)

It won Best Picture in 1980. Need I say more? Well, then again...Crash was a piece of shit and that won in 2005.

Great book, perfect movie. It's a master class in acting.

04. Die Hard (1988)

This is the movie that nearly destroyed James Bond. When this movie came out, I think that Cubby Broccoli hung a poster in his office and pointed at it yelling "This is what we have to beat!". Goldeneye sucked ass (I'm one of like four people who didn't like it) and the remainder of the Brosnan era really suffered (well, there were a lot of reasons for that.

Oh yes, Die Hard.

Timeless action movie that is absolutely riddled with plotholes and a soundtrack that doesn't hold up too well. Entertaining as all hell. I can watch this movie anytime. You've probably seen it, so I really don't think I need to say much more.

03. Bourne Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

It's pretty much one long movie, right? Well, maybe there was a small gap between the first and second films. I'm totally not cheating.

The same thing happened here. Once again, a kickass action movie comes out and James Bond tries to cash in on it. This time around, however, I think they were able to match the style and pacing without being an obvious imitator.

Oh right, Bourne.

I never would've pegged Matt Damon as an action star, but he got my vote when he starred in the first film. The subsequent sequels are very well done with the payoff in the third being both satisfying and leaving the possibility for a sequel. I wouldn't mind the story picking up with Matt Damon's character...but if he never returned, that would be cool too.

It is pretty high up on my list because I've only seen each movie about three times. Each time I watched them, I was captivated as much as the first time I saw it. So basically I'm preserving it...like a fine wine.

Oh, and fuck that fourth one starring that guy that nobody likes (yet always gets hired for some reason) and Jennifer "Queen of Awful Project Selections" Garner.

02. Back To The Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

Now this is definitely one long movie.

The first...is a classic. You know this.

Part Two one scared the bejesus out of me when I was a kid. I gave the whole "Alternate 1985" plot way too much thought back then, but how scary would it be if Biff really did have that much influence and power? Weaving itself so tightly with the first film by returning to 1955 was risky, but it was actually quite brilliant.

I think I was one of the few people who really liked Part Three. At it's core it was a lot like the first film, but the western setting

Again, there are some hideous plotholes, but such is the case when you mess with time travel. The only real downside to this series is the legion of Hawaiian Shirt wearing nerds who scooped up all of the used DeLoreans rather than leaving them to the real car enthusiasts. Then again, it was basically a piece of shit. Suck it, nerds!

As a side note, the game that was released by Telltale a little while back was an interesting continuation of the story. Don't expect to be blown away, but it was definitely entertaining.

01. Blues Brothers (1980)

This movie sums up basically everything I like in a movie while somehow being part musical. The over-the-top action is glorious. The comedy is brilliant. The characters are entirely random without being too cartoonish.

The best way to describe this movie is...its just grand. It is the movie I would aspire to make if I were a film maker.

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Honorable Mentions:

Rocky (1976)
Robocop (1987)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Tron (1982)
First Blood (1982)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2 (1991)
Rain Man (1988)
Police Story (1985)
Police Story III: Supercop
Jackie Brown (1997)
Casino Royale (2006)
Vampire's Kiss (give this movie a try, it might be confusing--but it ain't bad) (1988),
Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Crime Story (1993)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Ronin (1998)
Boyz in the hood (1991)
Live and Let Die (1973)

...and probably a bunch more that I am probably forgetting.

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Anyway, so that is my list of favorite movies. I have a pretty large movie collection, so there are hundreds of movies that I like.

What are some of your favorite movies? Hit me up on twitter or leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out my other Top 7 Lists!

-CC

-REMOVED-

Sorry. The review that used to live on this page has been removed.

Take care.

-CC

Video Game Review: Ultraman (Towards the Future)

In 1990, Tsuburaya teamed up with the South Australian Film Corporation to create a new Ultraman show, which was called Ultraman: Towards the Future. Or Ultraman Great. Or simply Ultraman. It depends on who you ask, I guess. It was only 13 episodes long and, from what I’ve read, mainly focused on ecology. To be honest, I've never seen the show. After playing the Super Nintendo game, I’m not sure I want to, either.

Welcome to your nightmare.

Ultraman: Towards the Future was released for the Super Nintendo in 1991 by Bandai. Weirdly enough, the box and label simply say Ultraman. I guess they asked the wrong person. Visually, it sort of resembles a 2D fighting game, but it definitely doesn't play like one. Once I had gotten a few rounds in with the monsters, it actually reminded me more of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. It’s more about pattern memorization than it is a fighting game like Street Fighter. The game takes place on a 2D plane, with a poorly animated Ultraman starting on one side and one of 9 poorly animated monsters on the other. During the fight (and on the title screen) the audio is full of really forgettable, sort-of Ultraman-sounding music and boring sound effects. Of note is the digitized “shuwatch” that plays every single time Ultraman attacks, which is cool the first time but gets more and more annoying every time after.

Every fight begins with Ultraman flying towards the screen.

As Ultraman, you have to punch and kick the enemy until their health bar diminishes to nothing. In a typical fighting game, getting the enemy health bar to nothing usually results in a win, but Ultraman Towards the Future is anything but typical. To finish the match, you have to use the Specium Beam to finish the monster off.
As the fights go on, a power meter fills at the bottom of the screen. The meter is separated into 4 parts, each part corresponding to a special attack. The finishing attack is, as you might guess, the fourth level attack, which requires you to expend your whole meter. While this gameplay mechanic might sound like a smart way to mimic the pacing from fights found in the show, it’s marred by a few huge problems. The most important of which: the bar fills at a despicably slow pace. 

Repeatedly jump-kicking seems to work for the first few fights.

Each fight is appropriately limited to three minutes, but most of this is spent waiting for your power bar to fill. Using the first three special attacks become totally worthless, because you never end up wanting to wait any longer than you have to just to finish the battle. This is made very clear when you realize the enemies have recharging health, and if their health is any higher than zero, your Specium Beam will go to waste. All of this wouldn't necessarily be a problem if Ultraman’s standard attacks were functional in any way, but their limited range and lack of damage make Ultraman out to be a total wuss. Often times the monsters’ attack range outmatch Ultraman’s, meaning the standard attacks are completely worthless and you’re required to use the special attacks just to inflict damage. The combination of the slow meter build, high meter costs, and often pointless standard attacks make this game more frustrating than fun.

Ultraman can't even duck to avoid attacks.

You know, there was a good idea here. In theory, the meter and finishing move would really help the game stay true to pacing of an Ultraman fight. However, in practice, the game is a rushed mess that’s disappointing in all regards. The music and sound effects are lazy and uninspired, the graphics and animation are as smooth as a hot knife through a brick wall, and the whole game is simply grating. While the appearance of an Ultraman-themed fighting game may be enticing, you’re much better off sticking to real fighting games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. However, if you really want to put yourself through this, Ultraman is not a hard game to find nor is it worth much, so finding a copy for dirt cheap really isn't hard. I think I paid maybe $6 for my copy and that came with the box and manual.

Ultraman: Towards the Future gets 1 out of 5 stars.



.… Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. Hey, I’m Derachi! I’m a friend of CCLemon99. You may know me from Twitter, or maybe even my Youtube channel. While I love tokusatsu more than most, my number one passion is video games. Specifically, games from the 80’s and 90’s. When Lemon mentioned accepting guest articles for his blog, I couldn't help but throw my hand up and volunteer to write about when my two biggest passions cross paths. This is my first (hopefully of many) toku game review, so please keep an eye out for more in the future. And hey, they can’t possibly get any worse than Ultraman, right?

Top 7 Tokusatsu Novelty Songs!

Well now...I promised a new Top 7 list and here it is!

On this Top 7 list I will be talking about some oddball novelty Tokusatsu songs. There are loads of novelty songs out there and most of them are...terrible to be honest. Well, here I am to tell you which ones made my Top 7!

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>>07. Youki na Ako-chan Chojin Sentai Jetman 1991<<

I'm starting this list off with a song that is probably the most well-known here and is barely a song in itself.

This is the brief little jingle that played in the CM for the Ako inspired ramen that the Noodle Jigen created in episode 10. This song has been released in song collections and music collections many times over the years.

It's just so low budget and perfect. Vyram clearly spared no expense putting this together.

>>06. Denko Sekka Disco Gavan 1982<<

OK, this song isn't exactly rare or anything since it's part of Gavan's song collection. It is, however, hilarious.

My favorite lyric? ".....EH....." I think Kushida gives up at the midpoint of the song.

>>05. miwaku no Mambo Ultraman Zearth 2 1997<<

As little as I know about Ultraman, I know even less about the film parody series of Ultraman Zearth.

What I can say is this...a CD Single was released for the second film that contained two mambo styled songs. There is the titular track, Mambo de Kanegon...which is a thing. The second track is miwaku no Mambo, which is a medley of Mambo No.5, Tequila, El Mambo, and El Cumbanchero.

Not sure what the meaning of this is, but it is an official Ultraman song somehow.

>>04. Kamen Rider 99 no uta 1989<<

This song is, what I picture to be, a blue-faced Ichiro Mizuki blasting through the multiplication tables with a little bit of Kamen Rider heroics thrown in.

This song was originally released on it's own cassette/CD Single with Mahou Tsukai Sally 99 no uta. It was later featured on the Kamen Rider BLACK RX Complete Song Collection CD as well as the Kamen Rider EXTRAS CD from a few years back.

It's definitely hypnotic...

>>03. Scatultraman 1995<<

There is a weird story behind this notorious song. I wrote about it previously, but I suppose I can post a brief refresher.

Scatman John was at the top of his game in the mid-90s with the worldwide hit Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop). His popularity in Japan managed to manifest itself into this bizarre novelty song--Scatultraman.

In case you are wondering, the music used in Scatultraman is the exact tune used in Scatman. This is one of the rare times when existing music is officially licensed for a Tokusatsu production. I mean, that video that I uploaded earlier was even hit with a copyright claim for being the Scatman John version.

>>02. Disco Ultraseven 1979<<

I don't know what to say about this song. Actually, I do know what to say. I listen to this song more frequently than a normal person should. Heh.

Disco Ultraseven is a disco flavored beat for Ultraseven to shake his booty to. I'm not being corny..."Shake your booty now" is one of the lyrics.

Now that I think about it, the better disco songs have English lyrics. This and Denko Sekka Disco Gavan being among the winners.

>>01. Jingle Bell~Full Accel Version Gekisou Sentai Carranger 1996<<

Wow. Where to begin on this one...

The album that this is from (Merry Xmas! from Carranger!) is actually a lot of fun. I genuinely hate Christmas music. Hate it. When I got this CD in the late 90s, I really didn't know what to expect since I couldn't even find the tracklisting online. It is a collection of covers of the classic Christmas songs with a Carranger spin. There is some unique material as well, but the better songs are the covers. I mean, Mamoru even mentions a Kamen Rider V3 Henshin Belt in his song! That's some weird meta stuff right there!

The whole album is fun, but the best track is totally the top track--Jingle Bell~Full Accel Version.

They somehow managed to take a dumbass song and make it interesting. Peppered throughout the track is the Carranger BGM that we all know and love. What's not to like about that? It totally tops my list for being interesting, funny, and very unexpected.

THE ABSOLUTE FUCKING WORST: ......

This is a hard choice. I usually go into a Top Seven post knowing what the loser is. As I type this...three songs swirl in my head. They are...

-Stars on Kamen Rider 1982
-Super Sentai Banparaban 1982
-Super Sentai Hero Getter Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger 2011

Hmmmm...

It's Super Sentai Hero Getter. The other two songs are an example of when disco isn't fun and more tragic than anything. The redeeming factor that they have is that they were put on their own EP and have been seldom heard from since.

Hero Getter on the other hand is not only fucking awful, it was used as the ending song for an entire year during an anniversary year for Super Sentai.

Musically, that song is nothing. It is pretty much fast talking over a crappy beat. If you like it for some reason, what the hell is the matter with you?

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Well, there you have it--my Top 7 favorite Tokusatsu Novelty songs. Be sure to check out my other Top 7 lists.

Oh, and stay tuned for a review of a Video Game written by this guy......this guy right here.

See you soon!

-CC

Seven Years of CCLemon99!

Wow. I honestly can't believe I've been at it for this long...but here we are.

To date I have uploaded 381 videos. Right now I'm in the middle of Kakuranger Month THREE. I've been doing this long enough that I have done three whole months of Kakuranger toys plus the ones I uploaded prior to my batching together into months. Rather than doing a seven year video of some variety, I decided to upload the video for the Kaen Shogun Ken this week to subtly mark the occassion. A five-star-toy is a good way to bring in the new year, no?

Anyway, I'm not going to do a number dump like I did last year. Pretty much take every number from that and either double it or add 50%. Yeah...I had a very good year for views and new subcribers.

The biggest change since last year is the addition of Figuarts to my channel. I know that I was vocally against the line for the first few years that they were around, but I was right to be. The figures up until whenever they released the Go-Busters ones were crap. In the time since, however, Bandai has been on a great roll pumping out great figures of characters that I really like SHIN KAMEN RIDER. Expect a lot more Figuarts videos coming from me going forward as well as the wildly requested all-Zyuranger video that will be released as my 400th video in November.

Speaking of future videos, if you check my schedule in the side-banner you'll see that my schedule now runs until December of this year. The exciting thing for me atleast is that all of the videos listed are done except for the few toys that have not been released yet. I am already working on planning out 2015 videos.

My blog...as always, you can expect two new entries a month going forward. I jokingly suggested having guest writers in the past...but if you're interested in writing something that you think would be at home in my odd corner of the internet, please give me a shout. It would be fun to have a fresh or different view on something. Oh, and yes. More Top 7 posts are coming.

I suppose I should finish out this post with a big 'Thank you' to anyone who has been following me throughout the years. A quiet guy like me really had no chance of being heard in the world prior to Youtube and I somehow managed to carve out a small slice of internet for myself without saying a single word.

Thank you so much for watching. I really, really mean it. Thank you.

-CC

The image that started it all -25.June.2007

A human eye, possibly my own.

The Review That Never Was..... *UPDATED*

Later this month will be the seventh anniversary of when I started my Youtube Channel. Over the years a lot of weird things have happened that I haven't really shared with too many people. This is a little story about an inside joke that I have with myself...

Almost every year I take photos of a certain toy, but have never put a review together and released a review of it. The toy in question is the Jishakku Change Series Robotack figure. For the uninitiated, Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack is the last Toei Metal Hero show. Robotack himself has two modes, Normal and Special Mode which he can switch to when the Wonder Flute is played.

I've had this figure pretty much since Robotack was on the air. When I started my channel in 2007, I didn't have any interest in doing any reviews or videos on any non-Henshin Item toys. As time went on, however, I added a couple of Henshin Belts, Action Figures, Super Sentai Mecha, and Model Cars. When I first started dabbling in Action Figures in late 2007/2008, I put together a photo set of the Robotack figure...which never made it to video for whatever reason.

Two years later I came across the set again and decided to take a fresh set of pictures since I was using better backdrops than I was using during the original set. Nothing ever came of this set either. Another year went by, another set...no video... In total, I have taken four sets of pictures of the same toy with nothing to show for it.

Now, in saying this...there are quite a few videos that I have made and never uploaded. Also, there are quite a few videos that I have taken multiple photo sets for due to quality issues. The Robotack figure is different because there is absolutely no reason for me not make a video of it. All of the pictures I have ever taken have been good and it's actually a really cool toy.

Maybe it will finally happen if I put it on my Google Calendar as my 401st video? Or shall the joke continue...?

-CC

*UPDATE* Added to my schedule as Video #401. Took yet another set of photos and put together the video just to make sure.

Shin Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider ZO, and Kamen Rider J

I would like to take this time to reflect on possibly the most heart-wrenching time to be a Kamen Rider fan. No, not 2003.......the 90s...

I've mentioned the weirdness of the 90s many times in the past on my blog, but I've never really talked about the Kamen Rider films on their own. So I recently sat down and watched the three films and one mortifying viewing of Shin long story followed by two regular viewings of ZO and J--I feel qualified to talk about them again!

So let's begin with Shin, shall we?

Shin Kamen Rider (Prologue) 1992

Shin Kazamatsuri is a test patient for research experiments to find cures for various diseases. The research, headed by Shin's father and the organization he works for, isn't as it seems on the surface. The shadowy syndicate funding the experiments, however, intend to create powerful cyborg creatures. Dr. Onizuka, who is carrying out these experiments and also performing them on himself, has his own motives to create super-human creatures by fusing their DNA with that of grasshoppers. Both Shin and Onizuka have become telepathic grasshopper based humanoids who are the targets of both the CIA and the syndicate. Onizuka is killed by the CIA, while Shin is forced into hiding. After learning that his girlfriend is pregnant with his child, however, he must save her and his captured father resulting in a massive battle between the syndicate's Level 2 Cyborg (Shin is the more advanced Level 3) as well as the CIA.

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That may look like a very long and detailed description, but I left a ton of stuff out...

This film is almost 90 minutes long. We're talking about the very thorough and detailed origin of a complex creature who doesn't have to be rushed into a costume by the 12 minute mark. That said, this film would've definitely benefitted from some editing. Twenty or so minutes could have easily been cut to get the pacing better. Nobody would've missed it.

The feel of the film is certainly that of a drama. All of the sets are very practical and drab. In fact, the closest this film comes to having an over-the-top set is probably Onizuka's warehouse hideout. The labs, offices, outdoor settings, etc. are all very basic. The focus is definitely the story, all else comes second.

Do I like this film? Yes. I have always been fond of the grittiness of this movie. It was a new direction for Kamen Rider and VERY different from practically everything of the Tokusatsu genre before it. Shin himself looks awesome along with Level 2. The big blowout at the end is pretty damn spectacular as well.

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Kamen Rider ZO 1993

Masaru awakens to a voice pleading with him to save Hiroshi. Meanwhile, another creature named Doras forms among a scrap-heap and sets out to find Hiroshi. Hiroshi, who is the son of the missing Doctor Mochizuki (and who Masaru was the lab assistant of), is confronted by Doras. ZO arrives and disposes of Doras after a short battle. Masaru proceeds to follow Hiroshi around while the badly damaged Doras removes himself from the spike he was impaled on and dispatches two creatures to capture Hiroshi while he is given time to heal. Kumo Woman and Kumori Man both cause trouble for Masaru and Hiroshi, the latter of which manages to capture Hiroshi. After Masaru tracks Hiroshi down, he defeats Kumori Man and discovers the captured Dr. Mochizuki. He explains that Doras is really Neo Organism, which is the true source of his power. After a battle, Doras is eliminated along with the grotesque Neo Organism. Dr. Mochizuki dies in the explosion following the battle. Masaru says his goodbyes to Hiroshi after delivering him to his grandfather and rides off into the sunset.

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I'll cut right to the chase and say I love this movie. Everything about it is pure quality. They somehow took everything about Shin Kamen Rider, a great movie, did the opposite, and still came out with a fantastic movie.

The look of this film is tradition Tokusatsu fare. The crazy sets and iconic locations mixed with practical locations all looked perfect. The cinematography is beautiful...seriously, the look of this film (including the amazing effects) is so good that it could pass as a new film (I really want to see this on Bluray--I have the DVD).

Cameos! Lots of them here. Legendary singer Isao Sasaki (Goranger, JAKQ, loads of anime, etc.) plays Dr. Mochizuki. Several Metal Hero alum appear in the Karate scene. Off the top of my head it was Naomi Morinaga (Annie from Shaider), Kenji Ohba (Gavan), Masaru Yamashita (Fire from Winspector) and Iori Sakakibara (Draft Keace from Exceedraft). Oddly enough, Kou Domon, who plays Masaru/ZO would go on to play Sig in Blue SWAT. On top of that, Shohei Shibata joined the cast of Dairanger the same year as Akomaru.

I would say that I love both Shin and ZO equally. They're both very, VERY different movies. Shin is gritty as hell while ZO is beautiful and what you expect a flashy Kamen Rider film to look like. It really boils down to release. Shin was a V Cinema (direct to video) while ZO was shown at the 1993 Toei Hero Fair along with movies for Dairanger and Janperson.

I would recommend this film over Shin only because you are probably a nice person who enjoys sane things.

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Kamen Rider J 1994

Kouji is an environmentalist photographer who is camping when he is joined by a young girl named Kana. They both witness Fog and the three Fog creatures, in their human guise, who immediately kidnap Kana for sacrifice and kill Kouji. Kouji is taken in by ground people and an insect named Berry who endow him with J Powers to defeat Fog and rescue Kana. Kouji takes on Agito, who initially killed him, and defeats him after a short battle. He is later challenged by Zu, who is defeated after a short battle. Kouji is taken inside Fog and learns of their origin and how their ways have destroyed the environment of Earth once before. As Garai prepares Kana for sacrifice, he begins to fight J. Kana is awoken after Berry interferes with the spell. Garai is defeated by J, who is now taken on by Fog Mother itself. J grows to 40m to battle the enormous Fog Mother, freeing Kana in the process. After a deadly Rider Kick, he ends up face to face with the real Fog Mother inside who wants to take J down with her. He manages to free himself and escapes as Fog Mother explodes. Following their adventure, Kouji and Kana are relaxing on the bank of the river--Kouji snapping away with his camera.

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This movie stinks.

...

I suppose I should explain...

Top Seven Things Wrong With Kamen Rider J

1. The story is incredibly lazy. Environment=Good. Machines=Bad. Top that off with a kidnapped child and we're good to go.

2. The effects are awful. There is one...ONE cool shot in this film. There is a really long shot of Zu dragging J to Fog Mother. It looked pretty impressive, but I suspect this was entirely due to the angle that the camera was at in relation to the action. Everything else is garbage. I mean, at one point Garai has a lightsaber (complete with lightsaber sounds) to fight J. Rather than the "light" being a special effect, the sword itself was lit. It looked more like he was hitting J with a lightbulb.

3. The sets are terrible. Anything inside the Fog Mother tank/ship looks incredibly cheap. The only other sets are Kamen Rider Super 1's bridge, the river bank, the quarry, Berry's hideout.

4. The "J" is for "Jumbo". Ugh...

5. J, while Jumbo, is fighting a tank. It is possibly the most uninspiring fight ever. It's just a few minutes of J breaking things off of Fog Mother.

6. The narration. It's all over the place. It shouldn't exist in the first place. At some points there is a narrator, but then Geki Kouji was doing some of the narration when the dinosaur scene popped up.

7. Wooden acting...all parties guilty.

Some of the things this movie did right were probably with the suit (which was alright) and, well, this...

Dino Buckler!

A Henshin Belt! Finally...after being skipped over by Shin and ZO, J gives us a Henshin Belt. It might be pretty stupid looking, but it's something!

This movie manages to be the opposite of both Shin and ZO, which are opposites to each other, and be a bad film. It takes forever to see Kamen Rider (In ZO we saw him immediately with his first fight coming around the 9 minute mark), and when we do it's pretty pathetic. The bike stunts are cool enough, but are kinda an afterthought.

Good for a watch every once in awhile, but the lack of variety and copious continuity problems make this a difficult film to watch alongside Shin and ZO everytime.

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To cap off the 90s Ishinomori film series we saw Jinzoningen Hakaider in 1995. I talked about that one in the past and definitely recommend a viewing!

I also reviewed all of the CD Soundtracks for these films a little while back. Give that a read for maximum completeness!

In the future I intend to review the original hero movies that Toei made (Lady Battle Cop, Zebraman and it's sequel) along with Kamen Rider: The First, Kamen Rider: The Next, and maybe even the three Sukeban Deka movies (1987, 1988, and 2006). Stay tuned for that!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to beat up a giant, immobile tank because I'm a hero and DON'T YOU FORGET IT!

-CC

P.S. This post has a Top 7 List. More Top 7 lists here!