Guyver - Dark Hero

If you have already seen the legendary "Guyver" manga (Japanese animation) series and enjoyed them, you are bound to love the second outing in the live action version of the cartoon. The suits and make-up are quite brilliant, but the icing on the cake is the Guyver itself - its exactly the way I pictured it to be when I saw the cartoons. The movie isn't for everyone, the storyline may seem weak on the outside, but if you pay close attention to it, it is quite well thought out. The acting is corny, but come on, is there anyone who would see a movie that even has "spectacular martial arts action" in the tagline for its acting? If you are considering seeing this, I believe it would be a better idea to hire the original 1-12 manga series and the first live-action movie, The Guyver (aka Mutronics).

The only reason I picked up this vid to watch it is I'm an action lover, and this movie certainly delivers. If only there was an edited version, i.e no acting, just action. The SFX are passable, but really this movie is about the 4 set piece fights. Although there is a little bit of obvious wire work, the level of actual hands on fighting is excellent, all of which is executed with finesse, and loads of well deserved violence. And for a film that boasts such terrible "Days Of Our Lives" acting, the costumes and makeup rival anything I've seen recently.

When people talk about great films of low-budget filmmaking like Sam Raimi's Evil Dead or John Carpenter's Halloween or James Cameron's The Terminator, Steve Wang's Guyver: Dark Hero should also be mentioned!!!

This R-rated Sequel to The Guyver (1991) or also known as "Mutronics" from here in England, is a mega piece of exciting sci-fi comic book action. I grew up watching "Mutronics" on video when i was little & loved it, now it's still a good rubbery monster movie & has a good role for Mark Hamill & it's a great Nostalgic childhood favourite of mine that i love, & then i found it's much smaller budget sequel (That i discovered years later) "Dark Hero" is the definition of a Cult Classic movie & i discovered this rough action gem many years after the first film & here this flick is much darker in it's more adult violence fantasy way, we get a much more violent Guyver here & with it's cool blue colour & a way better lead hero here with David Hayter as Sean Barker, Hayter is very likeable & looks good as our kick-ass action hero. The creature effects are amazing here, the rubber-suited monsters are incredible designs & still look so much better than today's c.g.i monsters!!!

The fight scenes are AMAZING!!! Bloody, brutal & fast paced stunning fight sequences, some of the best creature fights in movies, like an Adult version of a Power Rangers episode or movie. What is all done here & on display with it's tiny budget is truly incredible!!! A great piece of filmmaking.

If there's a complaint to be made for this sequel it's that it's a longer film than the first flick which means there's alot more talking & very little action until much later but i do get that this film delves deeper into the Guyver origins but i liked the faster paced monster action of the first more.

The music is exciting & Awesome, the look is pure 90's & Nostalgic & i love the forests & river & caves & the archeologists site setting, a great environment for Guyver to battle the alien monster Zoenoids, Set a year or so after the events of the first film & Sean is still on a mission to expose the Kronos corporation & meets scientists & agents & a beautiful archeologist played by Kathy Christopherson who helps Sean. Dark Hero was a head of it's time with it's more mature/adult tone, way before "The Dark knight" this is such a fun late-night SCI-FI action Thriller with a great lead in Hayter & outstanding fight scenes & AWESOME monsters, a perfect "Boys" Comic book flick!!! Better than Spawn, The Crow, The Shadow, The Phantom, Power Rangers the movie & more of the 1990's era superhero/comic book films, now i like all those films I've mentioned it's just Dark Hero is that good it's better than the lot in my opinion.

David Hayter is a cult hero to me just because of his role here in this one great film, he's a genre film favourite but he's done some other cool stuff too, like he'd written both of the first Classic X-Men films & Watchmen & voiced Solid Snake for the Metal gear solid video games & lots of other voice work & bits in low-budget flicks but it's here as Sean Barker aka: Guyver that he will always be remembered for & has a solid place in B-movie & Cult film fans hearts!!! I so wish Hayter made another Guyver film.

Another good B-movie actor here is Christopher Michael, a guy who has played Cops or Agents in so many t.v shows & films, who gets a great second lead male lead role here as an undercover Agent named Atkins, who is pretending to be an archaeologist on the dig-site but is secretly there to check-out the monster activity around thet area & to see what ancient alien finds they discover from their dig. I love little B-movie stars like this is usually don't get a good part like this but here Christopher Michael has probably his best part or one of his best as he's a main character here & he's a good guy who helps Sean Barker & even has a fantastic fight sequence near the end with one of the monsters, i really liked his character & solid serious performance & his character Atkins could have even had a spinoff film of his own as he continues to hunt down the Kronos corporations & hideouts but of course this was a low-budget straight-to-video film so it would've never happened.

Guyver: Dark Hero an action-packed B-movie that's rooted in the Manga style of it's original content from the Comics/cartoon, so it's amazing fight scenes look so damn good & flow in a beautiful choreographed Japanese style with wire-work & flips & slices & blood splatter all in an awesome organic flow.

A true Cult Classic, low-budget, B-movie & a whole lotta bloody good fun.

I will always have big Nostalgic love for the fun first flick & now a big love for it's equally great sequel.

This movie is sooo awesome. Much better than the first one. The suit looks better, the zoanoids are mor scarier, there is more of a story to it, and the fight scenes are so well choreographed it will blow your mind. The theme song for the guyver in this movie is catchy and also cool. Sean Barker is still haunted with the memories and still has the Guyver in him..he still fights evil but there is a problem..he can't control the unit. It has a mind of it's own and wants to keep killing. He sees on the news reports of "werewolves" killing men around an archiological sight. He suspects Zoanoids and decides to travel and investigate. But what he finds there is more than he expected. He finds out the true nature of the Guyver..it's origin..and where it came from. Absolutely do not miss this one..but rent the first movie before you rent this one...there is a story with it. 9 out of 10...DON'T MISS!!!

Simply put, this movie does a better job of capturing the feel of the original manga/anime. The first movie did little else but spit in it's face. Not only is Dark Hero more accurate in it's presentation, but it's surprising good considering it's budget. Steer clear of the "Jimmy Walker" Guyver, and check this out.