Shin Kamen Rider (a spoiler-free review)
Added 2023-06-01 06:00:47 +0000 UTCGot back home from watching Shin Kamen Rider!
TL;DR; this is Anno's logical conclusion and it was awesome.
For the uninitiated, Hideaki Anno is the mastermind behind stuff like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gunbuster. He's a super fan of old Tokusatsu shows and movies and is now making remakes of them. Despite my dislike of remakes and reboots this day and age, this is the lovely exception. Anno has been pushing the bar when it comes to translating his directorial experience in the world of anime into live action creating a sort of "elevated/fantastical realism"; where style surpases the laws of physical reality to create a unique visual, like anime. It really is a treat seeing this stuff in action. Imagine if Sam Raimi was into anime instead of Looney Toons, that is what this movie looks like.
The movie is also a wonderful adaptation of the original Kamen Rider show(in both the literal and the meta), condensing the almost 100 episodes into a mere 2 hours which, by the way, do not feel like it; the movie flows scene to scene and set piece to set piece very smoothly for how much it manages to pack. A very effective use of the run time. And when all is said and done, you are left with a message that is very true to the core morals of the original show: self-sacrifice and compassion for your fellow humans.
Let's go! Kamen Rider!
