'Shin Kamen Rider' (2023)

Shin Kamen Rider at Toho Cinemas Roppongi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd even see Shin Kamen Rider (2023). There didn't seem to be much buzz around it -- certainly not among the circle of Toho/Tsuburaya fans I know. The ones I've talked to expressed virtually no interest in it, whether it was due to a lack of familiarity with the Kamen Rider franchise, a lack of interest in the director's work, or a combination thereof. Seemed like a bad sign, but, given all the hype for director Hideaki Anno and his passion project, there had to be something there, right?

The main thing that jumped out at me was how small the production felt. You rarely see more than four characters onscreen at a time. There are barely any extras. There's a lot of location shooting, and what tokusatsu sets we do get are hardly elaborate or memorable. It's minimalist filmmaking. I get that it was shot during the pandemic, and there were (and, in some ways, still continue to be) strict COVID rules in Japan, but plenty of other Japanese films are coming out that don't look like they were shot with a cast you could fit in a phonebooth.

The CGI is bad. SHOCKER member Koumori Augment-01 (an evil human-bat hybrid who moonlights as a scientist) looks downright embarrassing when he flaps around by way of the most unconvincing computer graphics this side of Xena: Warrior Princess. It was so bad that it reminded me of a gif I saw about a year ago from the Mel Brooks flop Dracula: Dead and Loving It, in which Leslie Nielsen's head is poorly superimposed onto a flying bat (before it crashes into a window, to much comedic effect). But at least the Brooks film was trying to go for comedy.

I'm not exactly sure what Shin Kamen Rider or Hideaki Anno were trying to do. It's faithful to the source material -- almost to a fault, much like last year's Shin Ultraman. But it doesn't bring anything new to table. There are a couple of government agents in dark suits, but none of the political commentary of Shin Godzilla (whatever you thought of that film's commentary).

Free Shin Kamen Rider swag given out by the theater staff. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Even as a copy -- or a "love letter" -- it misses the mark. The action is dull and lacks energy. It looked to my eye that Anno was more concerned with how to shoot the fights rather than their choreography. To the extent we see Kamen Rider battle SHOCKER agents, there just isn't anything particularly special here. As usual, they politely wait their turn to get vanquished by the titular hero.

The hero himself leaves a lot to be desired. When I first saw photos of Sosuke Ikematsu as Takeshi Hongo, I couldn't understand why he was cast. I just didn't see it. He didn't seem equipped to fill even a single shoe left by Hiroshi Fujioka, let alone two. And -- wouldn't you know it -- there are no surprises there, either. Ikematsu simply lacks any charisma or screen presence. Toward the end of the movie, Ikematsu has to convey extreme heartbreak and sadness, but it just doesn't work. His acting left me cold. In fact, he gets overshadowed at times by his co-star, actress Minami Hamabe (playing Ruriko Midorikawa), who sometimes seems to be driving the story more than our actual hero. 

As with the other entries in the Shin series, this film is talky. Lots of dialogue and exposition. All the wide-angle lenses in the world can't make that interesting. Show, don't tell. Film is a visual medium. 

That's about all. Speaking anecdotally, it's interesting to me how little impact this movie seems to be having. You couldn't get away from Shin Godzilla or even Shin Ultraman for weeks (if not months) when they were released. It's only been days since this one has been out, and it feels like everyone has already moved on. It's only been hours since I've watched it, and I already have.