7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young man with a motorcycle that has the ability to transform into a karate-fighting robot hunts down a gang of evil cyborgs to avenge the death of his father.
Starring: Itsuji Itao, Asami, Akira Emoto, Yasuhisa Furuhara, Mami YamasakiForeign | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Could there be a Power Rangers film in Quentin Tarantino’s future? And if there is, do I receive ancillary profits for having predicted or even having suggested it? When Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered stateside in 1993, it ushered in a new and patently goofy franchise to American eyes (though the series borrowed heavily from a pre- existing Japanese entry called Super Sentai), one which though ostensibly live action was undeniably cartoonish in its approach and execution. With over the top villains, color coordinated heroes and dialogue that didn’t exactly rise to the level of Art (with a capital A), Power Rangers in all of its many forms (the series slightly tweaked its concepts and names through the years) gained notoriety for its supposedly too graphic violence, but it also captured the collective imagination of kids (of all ages) in a way that probably even its creators had never imagined might be possible. Something very similar is at hand with the lunatic and often laugh out loud hilarious Karate-Robo Zaborgar, a Sushi Typhoon offering from director Noboru Iguchi (Mutant Girls Squad, RoboGeisha) based on a beloved 1970’s Japanese television series called Denjin Zaborger. It in fact plays quite a bit like what you might imagine Tarantino could do with a Power Rangers feature film. The movie quite closely apes the general plotline and approach of the original series, but it also invests everything with an unabashedly winking subtext. The hero of the film is Yutaka Daimon (Yasuhisa Furuhara), whose scientist father wasn’t exactly a role model of expert parenting but who, before he was kidnapped and murdered by an evil organization (more about them in a moment), left Daimon (he is always called by his last name, usually screamed at high volume by whoever is talking to him) with a lovely parting gift, namely a mighty morphin power robot, Zaborgar. Zaborgar is kind of an early prototype of a Transformer. Yutaka can ride the robot in its form of a motorcycle, but once Daimon gives a series of commands, Zaborgar morphs into a vaguely demonic looking robot who has a whole arsenal of weapons and other paraphernalia available to it at a moment’s notice.
Karate-Robo Zaborgar is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Shot on high definition video, this film has a sleek and slightly flat look which actually works to the benefit of its attempt to recreate the feel of an older television series. Color and saturation are somewhat variable here. Zaborgar's bright redness shines through impressively, but some of the outdoor location footage seems pallid and not very well saturated in comparison. Fine object detail is quite pleasing in a number of close-ups. The film's wild special effects generally look quite good, although many of them are done with an intentionally lo-fi ethos which tends to have a "not quite ready for prime time" look. The image is sharp and well defined, though I personally would have preferred more crisp contrast, especially in the film's darker sequences.
Karate-Robo Zaborgar features a very nicely over the top lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in the original Japanese. Anyone looking for even a semblance of nuance or subtlety in this track had best look elsewhere. This is a film full of over the top sound effects and one where virtually every line of dialogue is screamed out in furious overacting. While that means dynamic range is pretty negligible, it also helps the sound mix in terms of a nonstop assault of various effects (and some great LFE) which regularly populate the surrounds. Fidelity is excellent and the film's wacky retro score also sounds great.
Karate-Robo Zaborgar isn't for the faint of heart or those who pride themselves on being politically correct all of the time. Some of the scenes with Miss Borg and her evil doctor master verge on sadomasochism, and the entire film isn't especially subtle when it comes to exploiting various aspects of the female anatomy. But if you can get past some minor niggling qualms which may linger at the edges of your better angels, Karate-Robo Zaborgar is just a flat out hoot, to coin a phrase. This is a film that starts at "11" and then pretty much stays there for its duration. It's goofy, crazy and frequently reprehensible, but it's also one of the most hilarious films I've seen this year. This Well Go USA release boasts nice looking video and some impressive audio, and even though supplements are on the slight side, it comes Highly recommended.
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