The Guyver Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Guyver Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 14, 2024

Live-action anime adaptations have had a rough go of things in Hollywood. Even in Japan, filmmakers seem to struggle to crack the live-action code. A select few films have rightfully risen to the top -- Rurouni Kenshin comes immediately to mind -- but most others have sank faster than a bootleg BD duct-taped to a brick. Japanese VFX artist-turned-director Screaming Mad George and co-director Steve Wang's The Guyver was just such an attempt to crack said code, at least stateside, but it's more a precursor to Super Mario Bros. (1993) than anything more compelling. Even then, its dark alien action is far too campy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the 1986 Guyver OVA and 1989-92 OVA series, much less embody the sci-fi beat-em-up franchise it was clearly meant to deliver to ravenous otaku. But if you like your live-action anime adaptations to play like a mediocre episode of Power Rangers, you might excavate a bit of fun from the film's domestic Blu-ray debut.

When a researcher at the Chronos Corporation is mysteriously killed, his daughter Mizky (Vivian Wu), her boyfriend Sean (Jack Armstrong) and a rogue CIA agent named Max Reed (a scene-chewing Mark Hamill) begin to suspect foul play. But when Sean discovers a top-secret suit of Chronos armor codenamed "The Guyver," the trio find new hope. Fusing to Sean's body, the suit turns the otherwise average weakling into a powerful cyborg freedom fighter. And just in time too, as Chronos's evil CEO, Fulton Balcus (David Gale), sends a crew of mutant alien monsters to retrieve The Guyver and kill anyone who stands in their way. The film also stars a who's who lineup of character actors, including Jeffrey Combs, Peter Spellos, Spice Williams- Crosby, Jimmie 'JJ' Walker, Michael Berryman, Johnnie Saiko, Willard E. Pugh and Linnea Quigley.

The Guyver is a tough watch at times. Scratch that. The Guyver is a tough watch, period. Endlessly cringey dialogue that must be heard to be believed, over-the-top ham-fisted performances, some painfully silly creature designs (one of the aliens is the spitting image of Daffy from Gremlins 2: The New Batch), stilted plotting and pacing, a mismatched score, and a too-little-too-late use of body horror that would've landed the entire flick a full star higher score had it been deployed more often. And that's merely a quick overview. I'm probably being too kind actually, since the film does hold nostalgia value for those like me who watched and rewatched the movie on VHS as a pre-teen. But this isn't 1991, I'm no longer an easily amused pre-teen, and The Guyver doesn't stand the test of time. (Not that it was well-received in its heyday either.) The best way to go in is taking it all as the height of '90s cult camp comedy, complete with limp and stocky action, subpar man-in-suit practical fx (even by early '90s standards), and a haphazard story that bounces all over the place, stretching out what could have been a lean, mean actioner into a repetitive, meandering feature-length dud.

The Guyver Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

At least the film's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation impresses. Restored in 4K from a new scan of the original negative and looking better than, frankly, it ever has, the Blu-ray release of The Guyver is second only to its UltraHD counterpart. Colors are a touch too warm at times, but the oversaturated palette adds a hint of animation-cel glee that harkens back to the anime of old. (The HDR enhancements of the 4K release are also missed, but not sorely, as the standard BD image holds its own.) Skintones are relatively lifelike on the whole, black levels are as inky as those of a freshly printed manga, and primaries pack some good punch. Granted, the film verges on being too dark, but blame the original photography, not the encode. Contrast is quite striking, with a vibrancy that defies The Guyver's age, and grain is apparent yet unobtrusive throughout. You won't find smearing, unsightly noise reduction, halos, troubling crush or anything else of the sort here. Detail is excellent -- again, second only to the 4K presentation -- with crisp edge definition and nicely resolved fine textures, as well as a level of clarity that, for better or worse, showcases the Guyver armor and the mutant costumes. I also only caught sight the slightest banding, making this an encode worthy of praise. Sure, there are a few rough shots, but each one appears to trace back to the original negative. Specks, scratches and other blemishes have been cleaned up, leaving little to complain about.

The Guyver Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Guyver's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is quite good too, although it wears its age and era on its sleeve. Dialogue is intelligible and neatly prioritized, despite the fact that several ADR lines are painfully apparent, and the amusingly canned '90s sound effects and melodramatic music never overwhelm anything of importance. The rear speakers are used inconsistently, sometimes even sparingly, but lend some nice immersive moments when called upon. Likewise, LFE output is strong but not as nuanced or chest-thumping as standout '90s catalog classics available with lossless audio. It's occasionally too aggressive as well, ratcheting up the volume in inorganic ways. That doesn't mean the soundfield betrays the film, it's just not as engaging and electrifying as I expected. And while all of that may read like a litany of grievances, the end result isn't remotely disappointing.

The Guyver Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The standard Blu-ray release of The Guyver is a single-disc offering. That said, aside from the 4K video presentation and longer R-rated cut of the film, the only thing missing when compared to the 3-disc Limited Edition 4K release is an audio CD copy of the film's score.

• Audio Commentaries - Two audio commentaries are included, the first featuring co-directors Steve Wang and "Screaming Mad" George (who boasts an amazing laugh) in a story-per-minute chat that bounces a little bit of everywhere and touches on a little bit of everything. Moderated by Dom O'Brien, the author of "Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films", it's an engaging, high-energy discussion that should be Stop #1 for any fan. The second commentary is also a nice treat thanks to crew members "Evil" Ted Smith and Wyatt Weed, who offer even more anecdotes, and without trodding the same ground as George and Wang.

• Producer Interview (HD, 36 minutes) - This newly recorded interview with producer Brian Yuzna focuses on how the project came together, the practical and visual effects, and Yuzna's disappointment with the way the film's release, studio edit and marketing were handled.

• The Altered States of Screaming Mad George (HD, 57 minutes) - Another newly produced feature, this time homing in on co-director Screaming Mad George (gotta love the name), numerous other recognizable films he worked on, the production design, FX and sets of The Guyver, and plenty of other bits and pieces central (or tangentially connected) to the movie.

• Suit Tests (SD, 7 minutes) - Original test footage with commentary by George and Wang.

• Outtakes (SD, 15 minutes) - Also with Screaming Mad/Wang commentary. Sadly there's no audio to the outtakes themselves, so all we're left with are the co-directors' thoughts.

• Gag Reel (SD, 11 minutes) - Like the outtakes, we get commentary but no original audio.

• Production & Artwork Gallery (HD, 26 minutes) - Set to music from the film.

• Alternate Title Sequence (HD, 6 minutes)

• Trailers (HD)

The Guyver Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of '90s camp and cheesy live-action anime adaptations will find plenty to love in The Guyver. But most others will find it a grueling experience, full of groan-inducing dialogue, leering performances, horribly ineffective and choreographed action, and... you get the idea. If The Guyver is a product of its time, then perhaps 1991 is best left far, far, far in the past. Surprise, surprise, though, this Blu-ray release packs a lot of value thanks to an excellent video presentation, solid lossless audio track, and a bevy of extras including two commentaries and a host of video features.