Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie Review

Kamen Rider Black RX brings back the popular live-action action-adventure television series for another fun round of excitement. The Japanese television classic is considered a gem of the genre and earned accolades for the action-packed mayhem the series delivers to fans. From series creator Shotaro Ishinomori, Kamen Rider Black RX delivers more of what fans want – in spades. The set includes episodes 1-47 of the collection and concludes the Showa-era run of the production.

Licensed for home media release in North America by Discotek Media, Kamen Rider Black RX will continue to enchant action fans for generations to come. Broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan, Kamen Rider Black RX comes from production studios Ishimori Production (Kamen Rider, New Kamen Rider) and Toei Productions (Giant Robo, Battle Royale). The adventure continues!

Produced by Nagafumi Hori (Kamen Rider ZO), Kamen Rider Black RX features theme music performed by Ichiro Mizuki and Takayuki Miyauchi. Actor Tetsuo Kurata returns as the iconic leading character of the Kamen Rider Black RX series. With an abundance of old-school adventure, there’s plenty to enjoy with Kamen Rider Black RX.

Kotaro Minami (Tetsuo Kurata) continues to take the mantle as Kamen Rider. Kotaro went from an ordinary human being to a super-strength superhero fighting for the future. The super-heroic hero wishes to continue to live his life as a normal human being on Earth yet things keep on getting in the way of him living a life of solitude.

Despite trying to live the simple life alongside the Sahara family, a brief interlude from fighting-villains is interrupted with the arrival of the diabolical Crisis Empire. The Crisis Empire consists of no ordinary foes. These diabolical enemies are alien beings who want nothing more than to destroy human civilization and take over the entire Earth!

After standing up for the planet and human-beings, Kotaro finds himself hurtled across the planet, and his treasured transformation belt is broken. Yet Kotaro wakes up to find himself gaining new abilities he never had before – now he is equipped as Kamen Rider BLACK RX! Even more superpowers than before, Kamen Rider BLACK RX will fight the good fight battling new enemies as he takes on the alien invaders of the Crisis Empire.

Tetsuo Kurata is excellent in the leading role of the series. Kurata is a great performer and he has a lot of fun with the role. Kurata certainly fits the role of the hero and he carries the hero’s mantle with a sense of duty. The role allows the actor to flex his action-chops. The choreography and fight scenes are fun: providing lots of intense battles that are enormously entertaining. The performance works well by showcasing a human side and also the action-hero heroics, too. The performance is certainly one essential element of the series and why it became a cult classic favorite from Japan.

The supporting cast adds to the charm. With performances by Atsuko Takahata as Colonel Maribaron, Gorō Naya as Grand Lord Crisis, Jun Kōnomaki as Reiko Shiratori, Masaki Terasoma as Shadow Moon, Minoru Watanabe as Captain Gedorian, Rikiya Koyama as Joe the Haze, Takayuki Kitamura as Captain Gatenzone, Toshimichi Takahashi as Warlord Jak, and Yoshikatsu Fujiki as Captain Bosgan, Kamen Rider Black RX brings together an interesting and eclectic group for the supporting players. The cast has a lot of fun with these action-packed roles – bringing the adventure.

The art direction for the season of Kamen Rider Black RX is a big part of the production. The sense of scale given to the series is immense. There is plenty to appreciate here with top-notch production elements highlighting the ambitious action-packed adventure. A first-rate effort and one that has elements of epic grandeur one doesn’t always see on an action television series. Despite a lower production budget, the production team brings the series to life. Outstanding!

The series features superb cinematography. The cinematography adds to the visual aesthetic of the action-packed production. The series cinematography highlights a style that blends together fantasy with action-adventure. These cinematic elements work well with the Kamen Rider Black RX production. The visual style is perfect for this type of action-packed series. The blend of dark fantasy elements with light action fare makes the production all the more fun and engaging.

Kamen Rider Black RX also features an entertaining score composed by Eiji Kawamura (Black Jack, Ninja Robots) and Ryudo Uzaki (Kamen Rider World, The Dagger of Kamui). The music is one of the best and most charming aspects of the production. The score imbues the series with the right energy for the action-packed scenes. The composer has a lot of fun in the arena and the music adds to the charm.

Written by chief screenwriter Takashi Ezure, Kamen Rider Black RX brings the action. The script has a lot of fun simply marveling in the mayhem. The scripting does a good job of bringing fans exactly what they want: action-packed fun. The series is a good one with the writing adding to the simple charms of the production.

Directed by Noburo Mitsui, Takeshi Ogarasawa, and Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Kamen Rider Black RX brings the goods. The filmmakers at the helm add so much energy and excitement to the table. The series propels the action forward and fans are in for a wild adventure. The directors certainly prioritized spectacle and there’s a lot to appreciate about the showmanship. A great action series for genre enthusiasts, Kamen Rider Black RX is well worthwhile.

Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Kamen Rider Black RX is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation on the release is excellent and there is plenty to appreciate with the quality of the encoding. The video quality capably highlights the cinematography and the visuals of the action-adventure mayhem on the series. The encoding handles the action scenes well and a good amount of detail is present on the release. There are some occasional soft shots on the release but the print looks good overall and fans will enjoy the presentation.

Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is excellent and there are a lot of impressive aspects to the audio presentation. The Japanese audio remains clear and crisp during the presentation. The dynamics of the audio are preserved well. The subtitles are generally good and there are few issues with the quality of the subtitles.

Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a beautiful collectible o-card slipcover. The slipcover features unique key art different from the artwork underneath the slipcover. It is worth noting that the additional artwork (underneath the slipcover) is not reversible artwork, it is simply a different cover art for the release - showing the effort Discotek makes in regards to the package. The inner sleeve also features inside art (on the back side of the sleeve) featuring the characters. These kind of design elements adds a nice collectible element to the package that makes the release feel extra special in hand. A quality packaging design by Discotek Media.

Disc 4:

Interviews –

Tetsuo Kurata (Kotaro) (HD, 18:43)

Jiro Okamoto (Kamen Rider Black RX) (HD, 18:31)

Kurata and Okamoto (HD, 21:19)

Series Promo (HD, 1:02)

US Blu-ray Trailer (HD, 1:16)

"Just Then, a Mysterious Thing Happened." – From Kamen Rider Black to Black RX – A Historical Essay by Mike Dent as presented on 23 slides.

Art Gallery includes 33 click-through pages.

Kamen Rider Black RX Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kamen Rider Black RX brings fans of the franchise more action-packed adventure with plenty of spectacle. Fans of Japanese Tokusarsu television series will love the series sense of excitement. Enormously entertaining, Kamen Rider Black RX is a blast for action fans. Tetsuo Kurata is truly exceptional as the lead action hero. The Blu-ray release provides a solid high-definition video presentation, lossless audio, and a nice selection of bonus features. The set also includes a well-designed slipcover featuring unique key artwork. The slipcover adds some extra value to the set. Highly recommended.