Guyver: Dark Hero (1994) User Reviews

"Guyver: Dark Hero"- A definite improvement over its predecessor. Nails the tone and spirit of the franchise, though suffers a clunky story. 'Guyver' fans should enjoy it.

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 6/10 · 17 July 2017]

For all intents and purposes, "Guyver: Dark Hero" is a fairly competent and oft-thrilling adaptation of the popular Japanese source material created by Yoshiki Takaya back in 1985. It boasts plenty of action, cool creature designs and blood by the bucketful. And as a follow-up to the generally disastrous 1991 release "The Guyver", "Dark Hero" is most definitely a substantial improvement, eschewing the comedic stylings and slapstick humor that plagued that film and replacing it with darker imagery and a more violent tone. In my review of the first American film, I noted that I almost viewed the franchise as being an adult version of properties like the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"- a claim I'll stick to. And this movie delivers on that kitschy promise for the most part, despite a clunky and sometimes unsatisfying storyline.

It's been one year since Sean Barker (David Hayter) bonded with the alien Guyver unit and destroyed the vile Cronos Corporation. But Sean's personal life has suffered due to these events... His relationship with Mizki has come to an end and he is plagued by haunting dreams and the blood-lust that the Guyver brings to him as he uses it to fight crime. When he learns of a recent archaeological dig that has unearthed strange remains and cave-paintings appearing to depict the same symbols he sees in his sleep, he sets off to discover the truth behind the Guyver unit- along the way encountering a beautiful scientist named Cori (Kathy Christopherson) and learning that his Zoanoid enemies are still out there... waiting to strike back.

What makes this film work in comparison to the previous effort is the dedication returning director Steve Wang has to craft a tale true to the darker and more adult tone of the original manga and its earlier anime adaptations. Wang clearly listened to the fan-base and its general dismissal of that 1991 original and decided to reward those who stuck around with a proper "Guyver" story. And thus, the rating has been upped to a "hard R", the action is made far more brutal and hard-hitting, and the comedic overtones have been greatly reduced, giving the entire experience a more serious flavor. While it is true that this sequel has a greatly reduced budget and was released direct-to-video in 1994... these factors really don't have all that big an impact on the final product. It's well-made, with excellent fight choreography, a wonderfully moody score and excellent effects work for the most part.

I also felt the performances benefited greatly this time with the new cast. David Hayter- famous for being the former lead voice- actor in the "Metal Gear Solid" video-game franchise- makes for a very cool and troubled brooding protagonist. Sure, he's not the world's greatest on-screen actor, but he gives Sean a nice sense of pathos and also knows how to kick some serious butt. What more could you ask for? Supporting roles by the likes of Christopherson are generally well-played. And villainous roles are all adequately cast, including Bruno Patrick as a deliciously vile cretin of a baddie.

All that being said... the story is nothing to write home about, and it does drag the movie down a bit. I don't know if its because of the reduced budget or because they were afraid to try doing too much, but the plot is just generic and pretty darned unsatisfying at the end of the day. We've seen stories like this, told better, a million times before. Sure, you could argue that the story was never the main focus of the franchise, but it was still vital. I used to own the entire twelve-part OVA series based on the manga, and it did quite a bit with the setting and the characters. But this movie just feels like any 90's sci-fi action schlock flick. You know what's gonna happen. You know the twists and turns that are coming from a mile away. And there's no surprises at all.

It all comes down to this. "Guyver: Dark Hero" is not a great film. I don't even think you could make a compelling argument that it was even particularly good. But it is fun. It is entertaining. And it does nail the tone and the spirit of the original source material. If you're looking for the definitive adaptation of the characters and the story, you won't get that here. But if you're just looking for a halfway decent time and a pretty entertaining little film to enjoy, you could do far worse. The strong action, darker tone and halfway decent performances definitely make this one I could recommend. Especially if you're a fan of the series. And so, I give "Guyver: Dark Hero" a very enjoyable but only slightly above average 6 out of 10. Great entertainment value. So-so film.

Guyver 2: Or full on action .. minus any brains.

[Chopcloud · 6/10 · 21 June 2000]

The only reason I picked up this vid to watch it is I'm an action lover, and this movie certainly delivers. If only there was an edited version, i.e no acting, just action. The SFX are passable, but really this movie is about the 4 set piece fights. Although there is a little bit of obvious wire work, the level of actual hands on fighting is excellent, all of which is executed with finesse, and loads of well deserved violence. And for a film that boasts such terrible "Days Of Our Lives" acting, the costumes and makeup rival anything I've seen recently.

For a B-movie, it does quite well

[Wogle · 6/10 · 1 August 2005]

Just as a note, this is a review based on the edited PAL DVD release.

Seriously, people aren't going to expect much from this. It's a B-movie, with unknown actors based on a cool, but average-in-popularity anime.

Let's get this point out of the way first. It's not a brilliant movie. It's a low-budget movie, with some seriously bad acting (David Hayter seems to have about 4 facial expressions in the movie). So why do I find it so appealing.

Admittedly, I bought this movie on the basis that it starred David Hayter. As a fan of him as Solid Snake, and his writing on the X-Men movies, I couldn't help but get it. It's true he's a better voice actor than actor, but I still enjoyed the movie.

Why did I enjoy it? Well it's just a fun movie. Though a lot of it is actually quite cheesy, especially the dialogue, there's nothing like a good old sci-fi movie with martial arts.

People can't deny that some of the fighting in the movie is quite cool. However the DVD I had lost about 10 - 15 minutes from the original film, so some of the better fight scenes and gore was removed.

That's what probably did the worst for the movie. For a B-movie, it was great, but since the DVD lost a huge amount, I didn't get the full story... Nor did the story seem to make any sense. Despite that shortcoming, enough was there to give you the basics.

Conclusively, the score may suggest the movie is only average, and it is to some extent, but really, it's just a movie full of fun.

Not Bad.

[aluongy2k · 16 January 2003]

The first movie was pretty decent, except for the acting and the way the costumes look, but the sequel was better. The fighting was pretty good, and the Guyver costume was awesome. Guyver actually looked buffer in this film then in the first installment. The last fight was pretty cool, just too bad it was too short. Speaking of fight scenes, it kinda reminds of Power Rangers. Some fight scenes could of been done a little better, with fast movements and stunts like in Jet Li movies. But overall, this movie is not bad. 7/10

A True "Cult" Movie & One Hell Of A Kick-Ass Fantasy Action Flick!!!!

[lukem-52760 · 7/10 · 2 July 2020]

When people talk about great films of low-budget filmmaking like Sam Raimi's Evil Dead or John Carpenter's Halloween or James Cameron's The Terminator, Steve Wang's Guyver: Dark Hero should also be mentioned!!!

This R-rated Sequel to The Guyver (1991) or also known as "Mutronics" from here in England, is a mega piece of exciting sci-fi comic book action. I grew up watching "Mutronics" on video when i was little & loved it, now it's still a good rubbery monster movie & has a good role for Mark Hamill & it's a great Nostalgic childhood favourite of mine that i love, & then i found it's much smaller budget sequel (That i discovered years later) "Dark Hero" is the definition of a Cult Classic movie & i discovered this rough action gem many years after the first film & here this flick is much darker in it's more adult violence fantasy way, we get a much more violent Guyver here & with it's cool blue colour & a way better lead hero here with David Hayter as Sean Barker, Hayter is very likeable & looks good as our kick-ass action hero. The creature effects are amazing here, the rubber-suited monsters are incredible designs & still look so much better than today's c.g.i monsters!!!

The fight scenes are AMAZING!!! Bloody, brutal & fast paced stunning fight sequences, some of the best creature fights in movies, like an Adult version of a Power Rangers episode or movie. What is all done here & on display with it's tiny budget is truly incredible!!! A great piece of filmmaking.

If there's a complaint to be made for this sequel it's that it's a longer film than the first flick which means there's alot more talking & very little action until much later but i do get that this film delves deeper into the Guyver origins but i liked the faster paced monster action of the first more.

The music is exciting & Awesome, the look is pure 90's & Nostalgic & i love the forests & river & caves & the archeologists site setting, a great environment for Guyver to battle the alien monster Zoenoids, Set a year or so after the events of the first film & Sean is still on a mission to expose the Kronos corporation & meets scientists & agents & a beautiful archeologist played by Kathy Christopherson who helps Sean. Dark Hero was a head of it's time with it's more mature/adult tone, way before "The Dark knight" this is such a fun late-night SCI-FI action Thriller with a great lead in Hayter & outstanding fight scenes & AWESOME monsters, a perfect "Boys" Comic book flick!!! Better than Spawn, The Crow, The Shadow, The Phantom, Power Rangers the movie & more of the 1990's era superhero/comic book films, now i like all those films I've mentioned it's just Dark Hero is that good it's better than the lot in my opinion.

David Hayter is a cult hero to me just because of his role here in this one great film, he's a genre film favourite but he's done some other cool stuff too, like he'd written both of the first Classic X-Men films & Watchmen & voiced Solid Snake for the Metal gear solid video games & lots of other voice work & bits in low-budget flicks but it's here as Sean Barker aka: Guyver that he will always be remembered for & has a solid place in B-movie & Cult film fans hearts!!! I so wish Hayter made another Guyver film.

Another good B-movie actor here is Christopher Michael, a guy who has played Cops or Agents in so many t.v shows & films, who gets a great second lead male lead role here as an undercover Agent named Atkins, who is pretending to be an archaeologist on the dig-site but is secretly there to check-out the monster activity around thet area & to see what ancient alien finds they discover from their dig. I love little B-movie stars like this is usually don't get a good part like this but here Christopher Michael has probably his best part or one of his best as he's a main character here & he's a good guy who helps Sean Barker & even has a fantastic fight sequence near the end with one of the monsters, i really liked his character & solid serious performance & his character Atkins could have even had a spinoff film of his own as he continues to hunt down the Kronos corporations & hideouts but of course this was a low-budget straight-to-video film so it would've never happened.

Guyver: Dark Hero an action-packed B-movie that's rooted in the Manga style of it's original content from the Comics/cartoon, so it's amazing fight scenes look so damn good & flow in a beautiful choreographed Japanese style with wire-work & flips & slices & blood splatter all in an awesome organic flow.

A true Cult Classic, low-budget, B-movie & a whole lotta bloody good fun.

I will always have big Nostalgic love for the fun first flick & now a big love for it's equally great sequel.

Generation Moron

[siderite · 4/10 · 12 November 2012]

You can't have a lot of expectations when watching a "Guyver" movie, where a hapless young adult has some alien suit that forces him to be a vigilante, complete with the fancy and useless moves, and when the idea is clearly Japanese, with the rubber suit monsters fighting each other with incredible ineptitude. And yet this film managed to disappoint in almost every way. Indeed, I had expected it to be amusingly bad, and it was, although not too much.

The base of the plot is that this guy is fighting while trying to protect a girl just as idiotic as himself from, basically, killing herself inadvertently. In the end he gains control of incredible power and technology and decides, in his merciful and complete wisdom, to destroy it for the good of mankind.

Bottom line: ridiculous, long, boring, stupid. The four qualities that make a great movie.

Surprisingly watchable..

[dkaszor · 7/10 · 19 February 2001]

I was actually quite surprised by this movie. I actually liked it. I've been hearing for quite a while that if you want to watch Guyver you should see the orgional anime and ignore the crappy US live action movie. Well I went over to my friend's house and saw all of the anime and then went home and the two live action movies were on TV. The first live action movie did suck. A lot. The action scenes sucked and the evil zoanoid were passed off as gremlins or power ranger villans. The movie ended in a REALLY crappy fight scene. Guyver: Dark Hero, the second movie, was surprisingly better however. Both Guyver and the zoanoids look a lot better in this movie, the fight scence are actually pretty cool (mostly because the zoanoids actually have mobility now). The plot was a bit darker (not quite as dark as the anime, but darker). The most surprising thing though was that the acting actually improved a bit. Now the lead is played by David Hayter (who some of you might recall as the voice od Solid Snake). Anyway this was a good bit of fun that was just ready to be spun off into a regualar series. Too bad the first movie just stunk up it's image.

It was actually fun to watch...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 21 June 2012]

I remember seeing the first of these movies back when I was in my late teens, getting it on VHS and it was titled "Mutronics", oddly enough. I do have fond memories of that movie, so I decided to get this "Guyver: Dark Hero" and see what it was all about as I never saw it when it was initially released.

Hand on heart, then I only remember the first movie in fragments as it has been many, many years since last time I saw it. So whether or not "Guyver: Dark Hero" picks up and stays true to the first movie (much less the comic book), well I wouldn't be able to say that actually.

"Guyver: Dark Hero" was fun to watch, just bear in mind that it was made back in 1994, so the effects here are somewhat, well let's just say out of date, in lack of better. But still, the movie was pulled off nicely, and I am sure that for 1994, then the effects were actually up to code and off the charts back then. I enjoyed seeing the details on the Guyver armor and the details on the Zionoids. Despite it being rubber and all, then they actually put a lot of work and effort into it and it looked really, really nice - even today.

The story in "Guyver: Dark Hero" was pretty straight forward and easy to follow, even if you haven't seen the first movie or like me can't fully remember it. There wasn't really any big twists or turn of events, so you know what you are in for here, be it predictable and all.

Actually they had some fairly impressive people on the cast list, I mean, you have David Hayter (playing Sean Baker/Guyver) and Christopher Michael (playing Atkins).

I must say that I found the fighting scenes to actually be nice, but also funny to behold at the same time, because there just was something comical about the Zoinoids when they were fighting.

If you enjoy Sci-Fi of the older type, then "Guyver: Dark Hero" is well worth watching, and I am pretty sure that the kids will enjoy the movie as well because of the story and because of the Zoinoids. Odd, though, I seem to recall the first movie being somewhat more dark, brooding and brutal than this one.

Low budget does not hinder this entertaining, intense and brutal adaptation of the cult manga hit

[xamtaro · 8/10 · 15 August 2009]

Three years after the dismal joke of a movie "Guyver", we are greeted with a second attempt at bringing the mildly popular manga to into live action with the movie "Guyver: Dark Hero", a loose sequel of the first guyver movie.

For starters, I am really glad that the film rights to "Guyver" has passed into more competent hands. Gone is the campy feel and laughable story of the first film, replaced with a more competent script and a serious science fiction/action feel that still threads the line of B movie-ness but is careful to not fall headlong into the category of "silly".

Needless to say, Guyver: Dark Hero is a highly enjoyable and entertaining adaptation of the beloved manga series, and is easily one of the better live action adaptations of manga in existence today. I believe it was a good move on the part of the producers to leave out the convoluted intergalactic backstory elements like the 13 "Zoalords", the "Lost Numbers", Hyper-zoanoid teams, etc. All that would have just confused the heck out of the audience who already would have trouble following the single backstory of the Guyver units' origins in this movie. Instead they left this story as "down to earth" as possible, wile still keeping the more crucial elements of the guyver mythos. In Guyver Dark Hero, the plot sees Chronos organization dispatch a team of Zoanoids to infiltrate an archaeological dig and excavate an ancient alien space craft which contains technology related to the Guyver. On face value, the storyline may seem rather simplistic to some. But upon subsequent viewings, it is actually quite a well written tale.

The main character of Sean Barker is played very close to his manga counterpart "Sho Fukamachi" with only some Slight differences in his name, age and more realistic and mature approach in dealing with the responsibilities that come with possessing the violent power of the Guyver unit. Sean discovers that the Guyver seems to bring out the most violent side of him which leads to a tendency for uncontrolled, indiscriminate killing. That and his constant obsession with taking down the Chronos organization (which was thought to have been destroyed in the first Guyver movie, but Sean believes otherwise)has left Sean Barker without any friends, all alone in the world. He is afraid to get close to anyone since he is still a target for Chronos and he fears he may accidentally hurt those he cares about should the Guyver's violent side manifest. The second difference is that unlike Sho, who seems to fine with the violent tendencies and highly destructive powers of the Guyver, Sean Barker chooses to use the Guyver merely to augment his own fighting skills, only giving in to his savage violent side and using more destructive force when absolutely necessary. He is given ample character development in this movie and ends up coming across as a very likable character in the end. David Hayter turns in a strong performance as the main protagonist and masterfully portrays the part of a reluctant individual cursed with an alien power that he would rather have not have.

Sadly, the rest of the cast does not fare as well. Aside from David Hayter's role as Sean Barker, the rest of the characters are not much to write home about. They are boring, two dimensional stock characters which might turn off some but I can safely say that the manga itself was just as much laden with the usual teenager and villain stereotypes commonly seen in such genre of comics. Some may go so far as to call it corny, but this movie is no less corny than the manga and anime OVA that preceded it.

Steve Wang's credentials as a special effects and design supervisor are evident in the impressive amount of realistic detail given to the creature costumes. The zoanoid and guyver costumes are a huge step up from the previous movie. They look quite good for a 1994 production. Steve Wang does an adequate job as director here; nothing revolutionary to "wow" the audience but nothing painfully boring either. Despite the low budget of the film (I heard it was barely $900,000), he still manages to make the most of it and delivers one hell of a viewing experience (this show manages to look better than some other movies with more than 10 times the budget.)

The high point of this movie is definitely the fights. Violent, fast paced, brutal and in-your-face. Skulls are crushed, throats are slit, eyeballs are blasted out of their sockets, and bloodletting is at an all time high when compared to other "tokusatsu" genre shows like Kamen Rider, Power Rangers or Ultraman. The fights are beautifully choreographed with slick martial arts moves and intense wire stunts with minimal camera tricks or "gimmicks" like slow motion. It amazes me how the stunt people were able to pull off such acrobatic martial arts moves while wearing such intricately designed, and most likely, heavy suits.

Do not let the low budget of this movie put you off watching it; of Guyver: Dark Hero is proof that a low budget movie can still be a highly entertaining piece of work when left in competent hands with a little fanboy dedication thrown in(Steve Wang is a huge fan of tokusatsu movies like Ultraman ) . Though this film is by no means perfect and would not stand up to being compared to more recent big screen comic book adaptations, it is quite good considering its age, technology and budgetary constraints(and seriously deserves more than its current IMDb rating). It keeps very faithful to the look, feel and spirit of the original (something so many other live action adaptations lack) while presenting a fresh perspective on the Guyver mythos.

Lower Budget, Higher Quality

[jannisschaefer · 7/10 · 23 September 2020]

Guyver:Dark Hero surpasses it's mediocre predecessor in many ways. I didn't expect it to be an enjoyable movie after watching the first one, but it prooved me wrong and exceeded my expectations. First of all an R rating. Enough said. The acting isn't outstanding, but surpasses the mostly lethargic and dull performances of the first movie. While it is definitly obvious the movie had a lower budget, it still looks pretty good. This is most evident in the monster costumes, which look beatifully hideous once again. Where the first one had tonal issues, this one rectifies these problems by stream-lining the tone of this movie and making it more consistent, leaving little space for jokes and joy, but still having enough lighthearted moments to change things up, preventing the movie from getting too monotonous. The only complaints are a few scenes where the acting does get a bit sloppy and the story being pretty bland. It still has enough action, fun interactions and effects to keep you invested. It is a mostly engaging movie all the way through.

"Hope I'm not getting you in trouble"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 3 March 2022]

Apart from the good rubbery costumes for the Guyver and the monster Zoanoids and the lively fighting sequences I found the movie rather overlong and not that exciting. David Hayter and Kathy Christopherson as the lead characters are not interesting and their romantic entanglement is tedious. I liked Christopher Michael as Atkins though. He should have been the main lead.

Steve Wang,Koichi Sakamoto and David Hayter...What a combo!

[himboy32 · 9/10 · 19 November 2004]

It has been a year(Or three depending how you look at it) Since Sean Barker first became the Guyver and destroyed the Cronos Corperation and their shape changing killers the Zionoids.

As he struggles to find the purpose of the thing living inside him he is drawn to the caves of Utah where he will dicier the Guyver's true purpose.

It had been three years since the world had been exposed to the Americanization of a manga classic, some loved it,other despised it. The movie was inappropriately funny or unfunny,badly written and directed. The only redeeming feature where the really cool creature effects helmed by Co-Director Steve Wang.

Then came Guyver 2 this time helmed by Wang and it has to be one of the best sequels ever made. It stays more true to the comic,featuring some very cool monsters and some brilliant fight scenes choreographed by Drive action director Koichi Sakamoto which Steve Wang also directed.

It seems Wang wanted to be as faithful as possible to the original comic and he does it very well. One thing worth mentioning is a good acting turn by the voice of Solid Snake David Hayter who plays the role of Sean Barker, a role horribly done by Jack Armstrong(who?) in the original.

The story is better written in which Sean struggles with his curse that is the Guyver.

Although the acting is very hammy at times(What do you expect for a sci-fi b-movie) I recommend that people wanting to find out about The Guyver best watch the original anime show then view this live action version before viewing the first movie.

I also recommend you pick up the Region 1 uncut DVD as it presents the film in all its gory glory.

Better than you think

[nightjar-2 · 7/10 · 17 May 2006]

If you've seen or heard about the original adaptation of Guyver, forget what you know. You're doing yourself a favor for two reasons. One is because the first one was such a tur... um, bomb. The second reason is because this one not only has NOTHING to do with the first movie, but has a decent B Movie Sci Fi story line, and absolutely amazing fight scenes.

Guyver 2, along with G Saviour (a live actor version from the pages of the Gundam universe), are both decent B movies fit for Saturday nights with geeky friends who enjoy slightly cheesy Sci Fi, have watched too much MST3K and who know how to not take things so seriously that everything out of their mouths start with, "Yes, well actually...." Guyver 2 is fun.

Give it a look-see.

Guyver: Dark Hero

[phubbs · 5/10 · 5 December 2014]

Steve Wang's second outing with The Guyver accept this time there was a change in casting for the lead role, no big star names, a low budget...but an all new adult rating! Now don't get too over excited as this isn't like the Japanese manga series with blood and gore galore, yes there is blood but only the odd splattering. On the whole I was looking forward to this sequel as I read it had been enjoyed more by the target audience and received generally better reviews.

Much to my utter amazement I am again disappointed with the outcome! So OK...yes there is blood but its sporadic, there is still no sign of any decent brutal kickass action or gory mutant mutations as seen in the manga series (I have since checked this out). Basically this movie is still very much like a children's movie and still runs along the same lines as the 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers', albeit with a slightly adult twist. Admittedly Wang stays closer to the source material this time and includes the fact that the Guyver suit is virtually corrupting Barker by wanting (and making) him kill. The suit lives inside him and haunts him on a daily basis giving him 'Hellraiser-esque' dreams and visions, its nothing really disturbing and scary but these little snippets do add a depth to the character missed previously. Naturally Barker ends up fighting crime as you might expect but he does end up killing the criminals instead of making taking them in. Unfortunately there are no scenes where he kills an innocent which would really screw him up...its not that dark.

Alas once again the fights are chock full of martial arts that don't have any kind of bite or punch to them, the choreographed sequences are well executed but its all so damn fake looking. You can clearly see the strikes are still not really connecting with their intended targets and when they do the monster suits show up how rubbery and foamy they are (once again). The slow motion jiggery-pokery might look cool but in fact it makes things look worse when Guyver and Zoanoid suits clash in real time. And once again the deadly elbow blades are hardly ever used despite the fact they would take out a bad guy very easily and very quickly.

This leads me to the Zoanoid monster suits and as I have just mentioned we still have the same issues...they look great with lots of detail but they also look like rubber monster suits. There aren't as many of the Zoanoids this time but what we see are similar in design to the previous ones. There is a decent rhino type monster, another couple big bug types and another Gill-man type creature. What I don't quite get is it seems the Zoanoid from the last movie played by Berryman is back, I'm unsure if it was the same monster or a similar one or maybe the same monster respawned, no clue. The other odd thing is the main Chronos bad guy (the corporation president) seems to back too...or that's what it looked like to me. The Zoanoids contact the Chronos corporation and speak to an elderly man who looks and dresses very similar to David Gale's character in the first movie.

As for the plot well this is where I again get confused. I know the manga series differs to the first movie, but this sequel differs to the first movie also. Apparently in this movie Barker learns from the unearthed alien ship (the same aliens that created the Guyver suits, mankind and Zoanoids...I think??) that the Zoanoids are a failed experiment by the aliens. The aliens then equipped humans with Guyver suits to battle the Zoanoids (this is in the past). This contradicts the first movies story which says humans are Zoanoids and created by the mysterious aliens. The Zoanoids then try to take over the Earth and mankind (mankind not spliced with the Zoanoid gene) by creating the Chronos corporation (for some reason a company was required?). At no point did it mention the aliens equipping humans with the Guyver suits to battle the Zoanoids. The Guyver suit was said to be a relic left behind by the aliens...whether on purpose or not I don't know, I thought by mistake, it was never mentioned to have been done deliberately. Of course I could be grasping the wrong end of the stick but I'm not sure, the movie isn't exact to the source.

The Guyver suit looks much better in this sequel even though it looked great in the first movie. This time the colour is more bluer, detail is greater, lights are brighter and the suits shape is much more akin to the manga series looking more evil. The main Zoanoid bad guy actually gets a Guyver suit this time which gives us a chance to see a more badass version (in black naturally). Despite being bigger, badder errr...blacker, it doesn't look anywhere near as good as the main Guyver suit.

All in all this movie is yet another let down and really frustrating. I don't quite get how it is seen to be better than the first movie when there is little difference between the two. Yeah sure this sequel has some blood in the fights (but less fights) and its a tad darker in places but its still very silly and could be way way better. Heck the locations are worse in this sequel I think, at least the first movie was generally in dark settings, kinda grimy and seedy which added to the atmosphere. I don't think this movie is worse overall, its probably on equal terms methinks, I liked both at times but both could of been so much more awesomer...its such a shame. Again kudos for visuals in general but its lacks some serious guts n spunk.

5/10

a vast improvement over the original movie!!!!

[chris_thespaceman · 25 September 2002]

after seeing the first movie and then moving backwards onto the original anime, i had lost a little bit of respect for the live action guyver movie, i had to eat my words after i watched this.

Lots more fighting stunts with the guyver in this film as he had learned to master other aspects of his suit, including a pretty awesome ability in the final battle, only clue is that the guyver really gets a lot off his chest. his transformation sequence is greatly improved over the original film as has the storyline which paints a bigger picture about the guyver and the zoanoids (bad guys) and their origins.

after seeing this film, everyone wants a guyver unit!!!

A Significant Improvement

[RurouniTJ · 7/10 · 4 September 2004]

As a fan of the anime, and its far better comic book source material, the first live-action Guyver was a painful experience. Surely any "Power Rangers" criticism is more applicable to that first film, with its campy dialogue and fight scenes, silly-looking creature designs, and overblown ending battle. While it hits a surprising number of plot points from the source material, it's a bad movie.

Guyver 2 still has some goofy Zoanoid designs, mediocre acting, and distorts the relative strength of human, Guyver and Zoanoid to keep a human fighter from becoming scenery and to keep the Guyver from plowing through too many rubber suits the movie couldn't afford. But it takes itself more seriously and employs some Hong Kong-style wire work and just a little CG to show you why the Guyver stands above the Zoanoids. This film too covers many major plot points from the manga comics, taking some liberties to bring together elements of the very beginning and very end of the comic's U.S. release and provide a satisfying ending battle.

Dark Hero makes just one direct reference to the preceding film that might justify a viewing. But if you followed the comics closely enough to be interested in the movies, you'll get it anyway and can spare yourself some suffering. Guyver 2 is a much improved film with some solid cult film qualities and enough substance to bring in fans of the Japanese original as well as the folks who stumble into decent B-movies channel surfing through evening cable.

6/10

Stick to the anime...

[andyajoflaherty · 4/10 · 8 March 2024]

Based on the Japanese Manga of the same name, the Guyver: Dark Hero follows Sean Barker, just a regular guy who becomes the host to an alien bio suit (the Guyver) that grants him immense power. After researching an archaeological dig that he suspects may give him some answers to the Guyver's origins, he finds himself up against shapeshifting alien monsters who also want to harness that power.

At least, I think that's the plot. I watched this film about 2 months ago and I'm struggling to remember much of what it was about. The fact that it was disjointed and made zero sense probably doesn't help. In fact, it reminds me of when Power Rangers came to the west, with rubbish western characters inserted into Japenese action footage that despite being a bit of a mess still managed to be entertaining. Except this forgot the entertaining part.

To be fair, the budget looks like it must have been about a tenner, the plot seems like it was written by the work experience boy, and it's so hilariously 'B movie' that despite it being a bit cr*p still manages to be fairly engaging. The fight scenes are surprisingly good considering, and it is kinda funny seeing David Hayter (of Solid Snake fame) in the flesh trying to take this absolute nonsense seriously.

I am actually a fan of the original Manga, having seen it as a teen, but if nothing else this film highlights once again that popular Japanese animation does not necessarily work as live action. Especially on a shoestring budget. It's amusingly bad, I suppose... but I'd hardly recommend it.

better than the first

[stuman94 · 10/10 · 6 May 2003]

Guyver 2 is a major improvement from the first one starring mark hamill. Guyver stars David Hayter(voice of solid snake and wrote x-men)who has to fight off these monsters called zoinoids in order to save mankind. Guyver 2 keeps you glued to your seat for a good two hours with tons of action. I give this movie a 9/10. If you think about seeing this first guyver dont bother it's crap. See this one instead. It's so much better.

For fans of the original Manga series.

[Ablaze-2 · 9/10 · 13 September 1998]

If you have already seen the legendary "Guyver" manga (Japanese animation) series and enjoyed them, you are bound to love the second outing in the live action version of the cartoon. The suits and make-up are quite brilliant, but the icing on the cake is the Guyver itself - its exactly the way I pictured it to be when I saw the cartoons. The movie isn't for everyone, the storyline may seem weak on the outside, but if you pay close attention to it, it is quite well thought out. The acting is corny, but come on, is there anyone who would see a movie that even has "spectacular martial arts action" in the tagline for its acting? If you are considering seeing this, I believe it would be a better idea to hire the original 1-12 manga series and the first live-action movie, The Guyver (aka Mutronics).

Some phat action scenes make this a must see!!!!

[CARPS · 1 July 1999]

This movie is sooo awesome. Much better than the first one. The suit looks better, the zoanoids are mor scarier, there is more of a story to it, and the fight scenes are so well choreographed it will blow your mind. The theme song for the guyver in this movie is catchy and also cool. Sean Barker is still haunted with the memories and still has the Guyver in him..he still fights evil but there is a problem..he can't control the unit. It has a mind of it's own and wants to keep killing. He sees on the news reports of "werewolves" killing men around an archiological sight. He suspects Zoanoids and decides to travel and investigate. But what he finds there is more than he expected. He finds out the true nature of the Guyver..it's origin..and where it came from. Absolutely do not miss this one..but rent the first movie before you rent this one...there is a story with it. 9 out of 10...DON'T MISS!!!

One only for the Manga-fanatics!

[turnjet · 8/10 · 1 December 2000]

Ok, so the film is korny and lacks any true depth, but as an avid Manga fan what isn't there to love about this film. The Bio suits are almost magical to look at and the fight scenes are quite fantastic. The transition between animation and motion picture is also somewhat impressive depsite the lack of special FX's in the film and the storyline despite being poorly acted, is commendable for its sheer effort in maintaining any serious sense of sci-fi/action between the slow moving plot scenes.

Has some silly things in it but is better than the first

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 8/10 · 9 January 2013]

After first Guyver film came out in 1991, it was hard to say whether a sequel would follow it. Its proposition to audiences and fans alike was not too impressive. The acting wasn't terrible and the story wasn't written poorly either. But the characters seemed weak in depth and the special effects looked cheap. But low and behold, a sequel did arise from all these things that people and critics found they were able to pick at. And for the people who did get to see this sequel, they were in for a surprise.

The Guyver: Dark Hero, partially continues what was finished in the first movie. Sean Barker starts become haunted by the "guyver" armor as he also starts to lose the ability to control it. Pushing himself away from family and friends, he leaves his home to find answers to his problems. Screenplay writer, Nathan Long, left out the last two characters left on screen at the end of the first movie and for good reason too. They didn't help excel the first one anyway. Long also remembered to include Barker's girlfriend, Mizky, for a little while too. And although the casting is different for all the characters, there is still a lot of appeal to them.

Casting was headed by Lisa Hannen, and her judgment looks like she knew what she was looking for. Instead of having Jack Armstrong reprise his role as Sean Barker, David Hayter was. Hayter would soon become the future screenwriter of the successful X-Men (2000), X2 (2003) and Watchmen (2009), which is amazing to see him making this film better just by acting. So initially, because he could not control the "guyver" he was forced to break up with Mizky. I'm glad screenwriter Long included this scene because it shows he hasn't forgotten the events from the first installment. But I still wish they were together. They looked good together.

As Barker goes on his way, he runs into another girl, Cori, played by lesser-known actress, Kathy Christopherson. Christopherson also gives her role a fair amount of attractiveness. Of course, that's after you get past the nerdy prescription glasses she wears at first. And soon the bond Cori makes with Barker ends up being a healthy relationship. Of course, anyone would know this subplot would not be missed. As for many hero films go, unless it is an antihero, there's always a love interest. So it is of no doubt that Cori and Sean will look great together.

One thing that amazed me, as it did probably to every other viewer was the MPAA rating. The rating went from PG-13 (the first movie) to rated R. That's actually a rare and unusual step that not many franchises take; but it worked. I don't know if it's because Steve Wang decided to direct on his own this time and "Screaming Mad" George was holding him back, but changing the rating made it a very enjoyable sequel. There's more carnage, which made the story seem more realistic than just people in rubber suits.

The action was also much more fierce. Hayter was even faster moving and more agile than Armstrong as the Guyver. It was done really well as were the hand-to-hand combat sequences. The special effects seemed to have improved as well. Still the creatures look like they were just people in costumes but they didn't look as rubbery coated. The dubbing was also done better for when the Zoanoids spoke in their monster form. Even one time composer, Les Claypool III, did a decent job on the unreleased music score. It wasn't complex but it did have a tune that got the blood pumping while watching the movie; which I enjoyed.

The only things I didn't find that were any better than the first movie was the dialog and background subplot. For me, the dialog still sounded like it wasn't written for a movie. Some of the lines just seemed unnecessary or out of place. As for the background subplot, Barker is able to figure out what the "guyver" unit was made for but the viewer must wait until the very end to understand what Barker learned. Why couldn't it just be explained when it was being explained to Barker? It just adds to the confusion. But weighing this against all the good things in this sequel, I can overlook it.

Director Steve Wang's second take on the "guyver" unit is all around a better film. Its improvement lies in the special effects, action sequences and a better cast of actors.

A better adaptation of Toshiki Takaya's work.

[shanemyers · 10/10 · 9 January 2004]

Sean Barker is still huanted by the living parasitic alien armor, the Guyver. Set a couple of years after Guyver a.k.a. Mutronics, Sean cant deal with the Guyver existing inside of him and takes his mental frustration out on the gangs of Los Angeles. One day, Sean comes across of a new report of a bear/were-wolf attack near an archeological dig in the heart of Utah, Sean travels to the site to investigate the origins of the Guyver and begins to become less alienated, anti-social and frustrated when metting his new love interest, Corrie Edwards... Unfortunatley the site becomes a battle field when the Chronos Corporation, an evil alien empire of shape shifters (the Zoaniods). Will Sean be able to save his new girlfriend, the lives of innocent people at the site, defeat Arlen Crane's team of Zoaniods and the new threat of the cross bred Guyver-Zoaniod or even discover the origins of the Guyver?

Cons: *Should've been an actual cinematic film instead of a straight-to-video-film. *More Zoaniods and fight scenes.

Pros: *Highly entertaining and enjoyable. *Great fight cherography and Zoaniod costumes. *A good and interesting plot. *A very original Sci-Fi, Horror, Action & Martial Arts film.

Verdict: 8.5 out of 10, "An enjoyable Sci-Fi film".

Better you see this one first

[dee.reid · 8/10 · 15 July 2004]

As a long time fan of "The Guyver," the Japanese Manga series character who is born when an alien armor invades the body of a high school student and transforms him into a bionic superhero, I feel the live American adaptations to be lacking, but this one is worth the while. An evil corporation called Chronos wants the Guyver and will do anything to get it, including using their army of "Zoanoids," human mutants who change form into grotesque monsters at will.

If you are a fan of Yoshiki Takaya's Manga series (but are unable to buy the comics or Anime series), it's best you see this live American adaptation first, not Screaming Mad George's first film which was released in 1991.

This film, directed by Steve Wang, is less comical and focuses a lot more on the character, getting to the center of his dilemma and how he feels that the Guyver armor is pushing him to kill.

But like I said, it's best you see this one first (it's not the best) but you might still want to check this one out if you're curious about Japan's most powerful superhero.

Great movie for it's budget and time.

[Richardjose2 · 10/10 · 13 October 2002]

This movie was vastly superior to the original. They got rid of the horribly goofy attempts at comedy. This movies pure Sci/Fi Action! It has a great plot and action scenes, despite a cheap looking Bee-like alien. The final match is worthy of a Best-Fight Nomination, and it leaves an opening for a third installment, which given the right budget can really be a great film.