The Guyver (Director's Cut DVD)
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The Guyver has been floating around for several years now (13, to be exact) but this version new to DVD is the director's cut. What that entails I am not exactly sure, as there is no additional release material on the DVD to explain -- but if I had to guess, I'd say the fight scenes are extended. There are a lot of them, and they do go on and on.
The Guyver is directed by Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, based on comic book characters created by Yoshiki Takaya, and produced by schlock-horror master Brian Yuzna. If you have seen any Yuzna vehicles (such as the Re-Animator series, or Faust: Love of the Damned) then you will have some idea of what to expect. Then lower your expectations. Go down one more notch from that, and you'll have The Guyver.
The idea is kind of neat: Human beings were created by aliens as the ultimate biological weapon, and they have the ability to transform themselves into superheroes if they can get their hands on the mysterious Guyver device. No one is quite sure how it works, but the evil head of the Chronos Corporation, Fulton Balcus (David Gale), wants the powerful transforming weapon for his own use. He sends goons out after the scientist who has the Guyver, Dr. Segawa (Greg Paik), but they end up killing him and not getting the Guyver. Instead, it's found by chance by Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong) who just happens to have a crush on Segawa's daughter, Mizky (Vivian Wu). Enter Agent Max Reed (Mark Hamill) an FBI guy who is there to make sure the Guyver does not fall into criminal hands. If it all sounds rather complicated… it's not.
The movie does deliver on the mutant aliens, slimy monsters and superheroes it promises. There are lots of bulging eyes, sharp teeth, tentacles, tails and scales, but not much else. The F/X are OK as long as the monsters aren't moving much, but since this is a flick heavy on action and fight scenes they're almost constantly in motion. The motley gang of aliens who sometimes look like humans are portrayed by Michael Berryman (famous for The Hills Have Eyes), Jimmie Walker ("Dy-No-Mite!"), Ramsey (Peter Spellos), and Weber (Spice Williams). Aside from campy turns from Re-Animator stars David Gale and Jeffrey Combs, the acting is below sub-par. Vivian Wu has a line in the movie where she says, "I'm numb… I could scream!" which pretty much sums up the viewer's feelings at that point. Mark Hamill gives a workhorse performance, making him stand out like a Robert De Niro in a cast of
A very tame PG-13, The Guyver might be fun for young kids but others will be better off checking out the authentic Japanese anime version.
As mentioned at the top, aside from it being "the Director's Cut" there is no additional release material on The Guyver -- not even its original feature trailer.
(by Staci Layne Wilson)