The Guyver (1991) by Steve Wang

Director: Steve Wang

Year: 1991

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Plot:

After recovering a special device, a man learns the device is a piece of alien technology that allows him to turn into a cybernetic fighting machine, which is soon forced to become a superhero protecting humanity when a series of creatures arrive on Earth looking to reclaim the technology.

Review:

This was one of the better genre entries in this style. The simplistic setup is pretty much nonexistent and is only there to provide the framework for a series of fun, if cheesy, encounters between the cybernetic defender and the series of creatures that are trying to retain it. This allows for an endless stream of practical effects and creature suits that display a wide variety of creatures, personalities, and even recognizable designs capable of telling them apart. It's quite impressive seeing it all play out in the battles between the costumed hero and the creatures, as the generally cheesy attitude between the two makes for a fun time throughout, as a fine pace keeps things moving along at a frantic style.

Beyond that, there's not much else to be had here since there's not a whole lot to the story. It's designed mainly to transition from one sequence of the fighter going from one beast to another, whose only mission is to acquire the technology once again, so it's something that makes little sense in the long run for what's going on. It's based so exclusively on the look of the creatures and the cheesiness of the fights between each other that there's no real need for a more complicated story, which also highlights how the film is somewhat neutered down to the point of being somewhat unnecessarily family-friendly, as the lack of gore or bloodshed is obvious with how they're edited. It's not a huge issue to really hold it down that much.

Overview: ***.5/5

A really fun, cheesy Sci-Fi/Action film, there's a lot to like here with the way it continues to go along with its identity, so those who appreciate this style of feature will have a lot to like. Those who are fine with what's on display or intrigued about it will have the most to appreciate here, while those who are turned off by the style or approach should heed caution here.