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Shin Kamen Rider is the fourth final entry in Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno’s Shin Japan Heroes anthology following Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman, bringing classic tokusatsu heroes into a darker, more realistic world with modern special effects and while this new movies hero may not be a building-sized behemoth like the others, he reaches new heights in this new reimagining.
Shin Kamen Rider maintains the best aspects of Anno’s previous work, a deeply character-driven story with a mix of philosophical and political themes all strung between high-quality modern toku action that pays tribute to the original series. Whether you’re a fan of the OG Kamen Rider or not, it’s easy to find enjoyment from Shin Kamen Rider.
Henshin
Shin Kamen Rider revs straight into the plot. Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu) is an ordinary man who is abducted and turned into a cyborg grasshopper hybrid by the secret organization Shocker. Before he can be brainwashed into doing their bidding, he’s rescued by former Shocker member Ruriko Midorikawa (Minami Hamabe). Learning of the many animal augmentations that Shocker has made, Hongo decides to become Kamen Rider, a vigilante devoted to stopping Shocker’s plans even if he himself is against killing as much as possible.
The plot has a very monster-of-the-week format, with our heroes jumping to stop animal-augmented foes one after the other with the opponents, getting more complex, both in powers and motivation as the film goes on. While the movie runs at two hours it moves at a brisk pace. The plot never meanders which each new scene adding revealing more information about the world of Riders or the feelings of the characters, or just showing some kick-ass fight scenes.
For the most part, the movie does a good job at pacing each scene so that they never feel like they drag on however there are a few times that certain emotional arcs and plot points feel a bit rushed. The character will change in personality in a way that is understandable but perhaps feels a little too quick to be natural, making you wish you had a bit more time to let the mood of the scene settle. This however isn’t too frequent of an issue as the film is more than happy to allow the drama to sit with the viewers.
No Longer Human
Much like his previous movies, Anno injects Shin Kamen Rider with a darker, more realistic framing of the original series. For one it’s made very clear that when Kamen Rider fights, people die. One swing and he’s caving people’s faces in and pulling his leg out of bloody puddles following a Rider Kick. It’s also shown that when Hongo henshins into Kamen Rider, he mutates into a half grasshopper with spiky insect-like skin heavily playing up the body horror of the character.
This plays into the post-modern philosophical and political commentary which could be divisive for some viewers (much like how it was for Shin Godzilla). Execution wise it’s not preachy but there’s quite a bit of exposition, it’s just not a Hideaki Anno film without people standing around in a dark room explaining their existentialist thoughts on mankind I suppose. I didn’t mind this however because I thought the themes were well-written and fascinating (again much like Shin Godzilla).
Shin Kamen Rider deals with the inhuman nature of large corporations, particularly in their overreliance on AI and modern technology. Rather than just being a terrorist organization, Shocker was created by a billionaire to bring happiness to people, this happiness, however, involves brainwashing and augmenting them into a cyborg, ones that just pursue their own pleasure even while harming others.
It observes how technology changes people, and makes us colder and more cynical but also that they’re necessary. Kamen Rider needs to use his Shocker powers to fight back and must work with shady government officials who have their own motives for wanting them stopped. Like Anno’s best work, it doesn’t provide an easy answer and can well be up for interpretation but I can’t help but enjoy the complex web being woven for our young grasshopper.
Takeshi Hongo
Kamen Rider stands in the complete opposite of this. The movie is very character driven with the hero’s struggle representing the main theme of the movie: we must remain human. The Takeshi Hongo of the movie is a very different character from the original counterpart. He’s a quiet, aloof man, horrified by what he’s been turned into, and shows visible guilt and disgust at what he’s forced to do it, even if it’s in self-defense. Characters, both allies and enemies remark that his greatest weakness is his kindness since it makes him less willing to kill yet he believes there is strength in holding on to such human emotions despite how cruel many humans can be.
Overall I found this Kamen Rider very inspiring and relatable as this is probably how most people would act if they learned they were essentially turned into a walking mass weapon who must now fight and murder others just like you. Again, you can see Anno’s EVA origins in writing such a protagonist.
His actor Sosuke Ikematsu does a fantastic job of portraying this more vulnerable and emotional rider performing many scenes from heroic resolve to raw despair, and there are some pretty sad scenes in this film. He also proves that yes Marvel and Halo, you can have a character express a range of expressions while still wearing a mask. Even with that big bug-eyed chrome on, you can always understand what Kamen Rider is feeling.
Becoming More Human
The other main characters of the film act as striking foils to Hongo. His partner in rebellion is Ruriko Midorikawa, a stoic young woman driven by a desire to shut down Shocker but still stuck in their machine-like ways. One notable part is that she can’t even enjoy a simple meal, shoveling down the food just for the nutrients without savoring the moment. Her arc sees her slowly express more feelings as she spends more time with Hongo, something that’s very sweet, showing the benefits of letting down that emotionless guard.
I should also bring up the second Kamen Rider of the movie Hayato Ichimonji played by Tasuku Emoto, another brainwashed soldier before he’s freed by Ruriko about halfway through the film. Unlike Hongo, he’s outgoing, enjoys fighting more, and doesn’t want to work with the government saying he’d stop Shocker in his own way.
He doesn’t get a lot to do outside of the fights, suffering the most from the fast pacing but he’s another example of a person affected by Shocker and inspired to become better through Hongo’s example, learning to take up the mantle of Kamen Rider for the right reasons.
Go Rider Kick!!
Another highlight of the film is the action scenes which are some of the highest-quality Toku I’ve seen in ages. To start with the costumes are amazing, the two Riders both look stunning with clean updates of their original suits, and whoever decided to put trenchcoats on them desires a medal, it adds a cool mysterious aura that makes them even better.
Anno’s crew attempts to recreate a lot of the same techniques as the original shows but with a higher budget such as multiple quick cuts of the Riders fighting and flipping through the air to convey their speed and power. Even decades later they still make the fights look cool and work well alongside the more brutal action choreography.
Speaking of which I really don’t know how this film got a PG-13. Kamen Rider leaves fights with the entire area covered in blood. Even with the quick cuts, you clearly see people getting their heads smashed open. Combined with the fast editing, it really shows just how strong this grasshopper is. It never feels too over-the-top or edgy either since it reinforces the themes of the movie. Kamen Rider isn’t fighting kaiju or aliens, he’s fighting human beings and the blood never lets you forget that.
The only downside is that the film does use some CGI for some of the grander effects and while it doesn’t look terrible, there are a couple of action scenes that do look a bit too video game cutscene in how they’re animated. It’s not enough to take you out of the movie but it is very noticeable and can be a little distracting.
Shin Kamen Rider
With Shin Kamen Rider, the Shin Japan Heroes Universe has hit a win in all four corners. The movie is a love letter to the original Masked Hero while also reinterpreting him for a darker, more modern journey, reminding us to maintain our humanity and kindness even in the midst of shady corporations, and cruel villains. I really enjoy Hongo as a character and watching him overcome his struggles does stick with you.
This, of course, comes alongside some stunning action scenes. They’re dynamic and dramatic intense with good choreography, and a nice touch of blood to really make each punch pack a little more weight.
The CGI may not always be the best and the pacing of the movie can be a bit too jolted but overall Shin Kamen Rider is a thrilling ride that shows just how far the tokusatsu genre can go.
The Review
Shin Kamen Rider
PROS
- Kamen Rider is a well written and relatable hero
- The story is fast paced yet poignant with interesting themes and conflict
- Great actions scenes that pay homage to the original series
CONS
- The fast pacing can make some character arcs feel a little too quick
- The CGI can be distracting in certain fights
