Karate-Robo Zaborgar [Blu-ray] [2011] [US Import]

Holy cow, I just saw this movie, and it is absolutely, amazingly, unpredictably fun. I was in the mood for something a little silly, and a movie about "a motorcycle that knows karate" which reminded me of Ultraman seemed about right. This movie did not disappoint, and in fact blew my mind. This is a hilarious movie, written and played with tongue firmly in cheek, that takes itself serious enough to drive the story and characters to their absurd and awesome ends, yet is clearly designed to smack a smile right on your mug and keep re-plastering it there over and over again. I had no clue what was coming, and I suspect that that is the best way to experience this. It looks something like a cross between a standard sci fi Japanese B-movie and an unbelievably well-produced episode of the Power Rangers--and I mean that in a good way (you may have to just see it to know how that somehow works so well). But it feels more like Shaolin Soccer or something in that vein. If you are familiar with that movie and it is the type of thing you like, you might want to experience this crazy flick. If you like that and also are a fan of transforming robots and/or B science fiction, then you pretty much have to see this or you are not a complete person yet. Not to be taken seriously, yet somehow sweepingly epic, too over-the-top to be drama but somehow still fleetingly moving in several moments (I mean, you really have to go with it, but, it's there), and too stupid to ever be anything but rabid fun, I can't believe this won't become a real cult classic over time. Probably not for kids, would be great fun to watch with a group of friends who have a sense of humor and know a little about Japanese cult sci fi, nothing your mom or dad could relate to. I'm over 40, though, so that means something different to a lot of you out there. Zaborgar GO! (I can't tell you how much I wish I could experience watching this movie for the first time over again . . . pure karate-robo insanity.)

Wow. Sushi Typhoon did something that alot of recent reboots have not been able to accomplish, they kept the heart of the show intact. In the process of "modernizing" old shows, reboots throw in high tech special effects, glamorous actors, adult sexuality but unfortunately lose all the charm of the original. Zaborgar was a childhood favorite of mines. I'm so glad that this update retains all the campy, goofy, heartfelt goodness of the original without compromising for the jaded audiences of today. All the characters from the old series are back in this neat, entertaining movie!

Although Zaborgar is a change from the usual horror films to come out of Sushi Typhoon Studios, and is subsequently less gore-filled or horrific, there are still many of the bizarre sexual elements that these films are known for. Female robot villains have rockets which come from their breasts and dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs) which come from their rectum. This is all just par for course when dining with Sushi Typhoon.

The storyline is a superhero film of sorts involving two brothers; one human and one robot with the ability to transform into a motorcycle. This spectacularly cheesy concept comes from a popular Japanese television series from the 1970s, adapted for the big screen with a little more raunch and just the same amount of absurdity. When the human brother, Daimon, falls in love with the female robot enemy, the result is astoundingly bizarre and must be seen to be believed.

The whole endeavor is lighthearted fun, though I wouldn't recommend some of the humor for younger audiences. Even if this is a tamer Sushi Typhoon, it still bears the mark of the studio which has the feel of a Japanese version of Troma. The Blu-ray release of Zaborgar includes a series of short films and trailers.

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