Guyver : La Sentinelle de l'ombre

after seeing the first movie and then moving backwards onto the original anime, i had lost a little bit of respect for the live action guyver movie, i had to eat my words after i watched this.

Lots more fighting stunts with the guyver in this film as he had learned to master other aspects of his suit, including a pretty awesome ability in the final battle, only clue is that the guyver really gets a lot off his chest. his transformation sequence is greatly improved over the original film as has the storyline which paints a bigger picture about the guyver and the zoanoids (bad guys) and their origins.

after seeing this film, everyone wants a guyver unit!!!

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.

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.

The first movie was pretty decent, except for the acting and the way the costumes look, but the sequel was better. The fighting was pretty good, and the Guyver costume was awesome. Guyver actually looked buffer in this film then in the first installment. The last fight was pretty cool, just too bad it was too short. Speaking of fight scenes, it kinda reminds of Power Rangers. Some fight scenes could of been done a little better, with fast movements and stunts like in Jet Li movies. But overall, this movie is not bad. 7/10

For all intents and purposes, "Guyver: Dark Hero" is a fairly competent and oft-thrilling adaptation of the popular Japanese source material created by Yoshiki Takaya back in 1985. It boasts plenty of action, cool creature designs and blood by the bucketful. And as a follow-up to the generally disastrous 1991 release "The Guyver", "Dark Hero" is most definitely a substantial improvement, eschewing the comedic stylings and slapstick humor that plagued that film and replacing it with darker imagery and a more violent tone. In my review of the first American film, I noted that I almost viewed the franchise as being an adult version of properties like the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"- a claim I'll stick to. And this movie delivers on that kitschy promise for the most part, despite a clunky and sometimes unsatisfying storyline.

It's been one year since Sean Barker (David Hayter) bonded with the alien Guyver unit and destroyed the vile Cronos Corporation. But Sean's personal life has suffered due to these events... His relationship with Mizki has come to an end and he is plagued by haunting dreams and the blood-lust that the Guyver brings to him as he uses it to fight crime. When he learns of a recent archaeological dig that has unearthed strange remains and cave-paintings appearing to depict the same symbols he sees in his sleep, he sets off to discover the truth behind the Guyver unit- along the way encountering a beautiful scientist named Cori (Kathy Christopherson) and learning that his Zoanoid enemies are still out there... waiting to strike back.

What makes this film work in comparison to the previous effort is the dedication returning director Steve Wang has to craft a tale true to the darker and more adult tone of the original manga and its earlier anime adaptations. Wang clearly listened to the fan-base and its general dismissal of that 1991 original and decided to reward those who stuck around with a proper "Guyver" story. And thus, the rating has been upped to a "hard R", the action is made far more brutal and hard-hitting, and the comedic overtones have been greatly reduced, giving the entire experience a more serious flavor. While it is true that this sequel has a greatly reduced budget and was released direct-to-video in 1994... these factors really don't have all that big an impact on the final product. It's well-made, with excellent fight choreography, a wonderfully moody score and excellent effects work for the most part.

I also felt the performances benefited greatly this time with the new cast. David Hayter- famous for being the former lead voice- actor in the "Metal Gear Solid" video-game franchise- makes for a very cool and troubled brooding protagonist. Sure, he's not the world's greatest on-screen actor, but he gives Sean a nice sense of pathos and also knows how to kick some serious butt. What more could you ask for? Supporting roles by the likes of Christopherson are generally well-played. And villainous roles are all adequately cast, including Bruno Patrick as a deliciously vile cretin of a baddie.

All that being said... the story is nothing to write home about, and it does drag the movie down a bit. I don't know if its because of the reduced budget or because they were afraid to try doing too much, but the plot is just generic and pretty darned unsatisfying at the end of the day. We've seen stories like this, told better, a million times before. Sure, you could argue that the story was never the main focus of the franchise, but it was still vital. I used to own the entire twelve-part OVA series based on the manga, and it did quite a bit with the setting and the characters. But this movie just feels like any 90's sci-fi action schlock flick. You know what's gonna happen. You know the twists and turns that are coming from a mile away. And there's no surprises at all.

It all comes down to this. "Guyver: Dark Hero" is not a great film. I don't even think you could make a compelling argument that it was even particularly good. But it is fun. It is entertaining. And it does nail the tone and the spirit of the original source material. If you're looking for the definitive adaptation of the characters and the story, you won't get that here. But if you're just looking for a halfway decent time and a pretty entertaining little film to enjoy, you could do far worse. The strong action, darker tone and halfway decent performances definitely make this one I could recommend. Especially if you're a fan of the series. And so, I give "Guyver: Dark Hero" a very enjoyable but only slightly above average 6 out of 10. Great entertainment value. So-so film.