Kamen Rider #1 (2016)

Inoue's best toku thing in YEARS, a loving tribute to KR old & new.

*pulled from my LB review*

Winds up kinda simple, the ponderings on life and Nova Shocker trying to rule the world through economic power as opposed to Shocker with their authoritative, physical power wind up as footnotes than more elaborate philosophy and plotting, but it’s still fun nonetheless.

The idea of the changing face of both good and evil is quaint, and it’s fitting that this movie came in time for one of Heisei’s more self-conscious and doubtful heroes to be the representative of modern struggles (more personal challenges and socio-political anxiety) against the more pure, emblematic ideas of heroism back in Showa (Japan’s post-WWII aspiration for moral atonement, recovery and direction) bouncing off each other.

We see Takeru’s open admission of needing support while sharing his inherent want to protect others challenged by the more self-sufficient and stoic values of Takeshi, the latter asking the former, carrying the torch just what exactly life means and what makes it precious, leading to Takeru charging head first into danger after Takeshi’s initial “loss” even though he and Makoto had continually lost to the villains themselves, but recognize that they had failed to protect a life, but instead of doubting, running away and resigning, they press on in the hopes that they won’t fail again and there will be further losses. Then Takeshi comes back to recognize his own enduring importance in guiding the new generation and lending a helping hand when he had the option to back out of the conflict, his spirit reborn, fighting for peace for as long as he is able before the torch will properly pass anyways.

It’s a nice anniversary film celebrating Rider’s long history, a bit similar broadly to the Decade crossover movie’s idea about Tsukasa/Decade being the Rider born whenever a hero is needed again, but this was more of an homage to 2 different times and all and didn’t feel too redundant anyway.

Nothing major and occasionally a bit choppy, but the action is pretty solid, the character interactions are nice, the pacing is decent and it’s all around pretty amusing and fun, good Sunday afternoon cinema.

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