Kamen Rider the First
US Title: Masked Rider the First
Created by: Shotaro Ishinomori
Directed by: Takao Nagaishi
Screenplay by: Toshiki Inoue
Starring: Masaya Kikawada, Hassei Takano, Rena Komina, Hiroshi Miyauchi, Eisei Amamoto
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rated: NR
US Release: Media Blasters

As a young nerd growing up in Hawaii, one of my favorite TV shows was Kamen Rida V3 (as a white kid from the East Coast, I was mocked for saying “Kamen Rider” and quickly learned to drop the hard “R” sound in “rider”). It was a great action Sentai series that premiered in the early 70s and ran, well, forever in Hawaii. Later iterations of the show were released in the US as the Masked Rider. As big a fan I was of American comics and superheroes, I was completely enamored with Kamen Rida V3 (pronounced Kamen Rida V Shree). Since I wasn’t old enough to have watched the shows when they originally aired, I missed out on the original 2 Kamen Ridas (creatively named V1 and V2) outside of their few appearances and team-ups with V3. They always seemed cool and mysterious and as a kid I always wished I could find out more about them.

Finally, 20-something years later, the adult me is happy to say that I’ve had my wish fulfilled. Released in 2005 by Toei in Japan and in 2007 by Media Blasters, the all-new Kamen Rida the First film took me by surprise. I first saw pieces of it while roaming the weekly Frank & Son comic/toy conventions here in Southern California. One of the booths had it playing on a tiny portable DVD player. I squinted at the amazing images coming across the screen for about 10 minutes before I was chased away for not buying anything. I then found some clips on YouTube and was blown away. I knew I had to track down this lost piece of my childhood. It took a few months, but I was able to score a copy on Amazon and one week later I had the DVD in the tight grip of my sweaty little hands.

Kamen Rida the First (released here in the US as Masked Rider the First) is a modern reworking of the first few episods of the original Kamen Rida TV series. Hence the name. It tells the story of Hongou Takeshi and how he is kidnapped by the evil terrorist organization, Shocker. He’s brainwashed, cybernetically enhanced and sent out on a mission to wreak havoc on Tokyo. When V1 breaks his mental-conditioning, Shocker sends a second Hopper (the two main characters are based on grasshoopers…it’s cooler than it sounds) to take him down. Unfortunately, Shocker’s brainwashing must not be very good because V2 breaks their mind-control on him as well and the two Kamen Ridas team-up to take the baddies down.

There’s a bit more to the story than that - a couple of romances and the like — but that’s not why you absolutely have to see this movie. Interspersed with the patented incredibly slow “drama” bits that Japanese cinema is known for are some of the best superhero style action sequences ever filmed. The fights between V1 and V2 are amazing, as is their attack on the Shocker HQ. Even better, though, is the night time fight sequence that introduces Hondou as Kamen Rida V1. Any company looking to produce a film based on an American superhero should be forced to watch that sequence. In fact, I’m not just going to tell you about it. Check out the clip below.

The DVD contains the film, a number of trailers and TV spots and a rather poorly put together set of production diaries. The production diaries are packaged as a “making of” but they really are just filmed backstage clips with no narration or even direction. I fast forwarded through most of them. They don’t add much to the film experience, but for a DVD priced at under $20 they didn’t hurt it either.

Anyway, Kamen Rida the First (or Masked Rider the First for you howlies out there) is a kick butt action flick and one of the best superhero/Sentai films produced. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel, Kamen Rida the Next, which stars my childhood hero, V3. Check out this film if you love martial arts or superhero flicks and get a taste of what Daredevil should have been.

For kicking butt and making me feel like I was 12 years-old again, I give Kamen Rida the First 4 Stars.

-NiftyMat, Professional nerd
http://www.theniftynerd.com/