There are so many ridiculous movies out there that have been unseen and undiscovered until a boutique label comes and rights those wrongs. Thankfully, the folks at Unearthed Classics are giving the genre-bending monster mash of a movie, The Guyver (1991), the rightful 4K upgrade it deserves. While my personal opinion on the film may be skewed (it feels similar to newer movies I’ve seen that clearly got inspired by this), it still is an enjoyable and over-the-top mashup of chaotic energy. So, strap yourself in and prepare for your revisit or first-time watch of this kickass alien hardware!
The Guyver focuses on Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong), a college student who stumbles across this magical, glowing, spooky-looking cylinder-ish piece of metal. Not entirely sure what it is, Sean decides (because that’s a good idea) to grab the piece of metal and see what its all about, and thus becomes the Guyver himself. No one really knows how it works as it’s alien technology, but he becomes this cybernetic defence machine focused on protecting the human race and his girlfriend Mizky (Vivian Wu). However, we soon discover that The Guyver device belongs to Chronos, the cybernet of this universe but run by human-mutant hybrids who transform into monster soldiers called Zoanoids. Chronos does not want their technology in the hands of Sean or any human not on their side, so they kidnap Mizky, and Sean, along with the help of CIA agent Max Reed (Mark Hamill), tries a rescue to no success, and, thusly, creates a rambunctious set of adventures between the two sides and the fate of the world with Mizky laying in the balance.
Now, if this sounds familiar, it’s because it feels very inspired by Robocop (1987), but also reminiscent of The Mask (1994) and Psycho Goreman (2020). While this is nothing against The Guyver since it came out before any of those aforementioned movies, the low-fi practical effects movie is truly something to be astonished by. Its enjoyment knows no bounds and its incredible to see what can be done without special effects in comparison to some of the absolutely over-CGIed messes we get today. Please give us more of The Guyver and less of over-CGI-produced chaos.
Now, what’s most important is how The Guyver looks, which, for a first-time watch, is immaculate. Being a low budget early ‘90s movie, my presumptions was that any other version of The Guyver looks like a worn-out tape you’d find while cleaning out the collection, but the crisp and clean attributes of this release, without losing any of the essence of the movie, is truly fantastic and incredible. It is so clean and crisp and embraces the cheesiness without making it look like a lost tape. Aside from the wonderful, incredible transfer, this three-disk set for The Guyver comes packed with bonus content that is sure to make any fan, new or old, giddy with excitement to learn more behind-the-scene things about what is surely a cult classic fueled by chaos.
On the 4K itself is a new commentary track with co-directors Screaming Mad George (Boy In The Box) and Steve Wang (Drive), moderated by Dom Brien, the author of Budget Bimorophs: The Making of The “Guyver” Films (that’s right, there is a sequel), while the rest of the features are housed on the Blu-ray. Tons of interviews pack the features along with suit tests, outtakes, and gag reels, as well as a few others, to round out the special features with some truly gut-busting hilarity in some of the latter ones, making The Guyver, all around, one incredible package. Lastly, there is a CD (remember CDs???) which includes The Guyver soundtrack, composed by Matthew Morse (Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker). Overall, with the incredible transfer, the metric ton of features, and the beautiful packaging, The Guyver is a no-brainer for fans and cult fanatics alike.
The Guyver Special Features:
4K UHD Disc:
- Commentary with co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, moderated by Dom O’Brien, the author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The “Guyver” Films
- DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Optional English SDH Subtitles
Blu-ray Disc:
- Interview with producer Brian Yuzna
- Interview with co-director Screaming Mad George
- Suit Tests with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
- Outtakes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
- Gag Reel with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
- Production & Artwork Gallery
- Alternate Title Sequence
- Trailers
Compact CD:
- The Guyver Soundtrack composed by Matthew Morse
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray 3-Disc Combo and Blu-ray June 25th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Unearthed Classics The Guyver webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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