Guyver: Dark Hero
Encyclopedia
Guyver: Dark Hero is the 1994 sequel to The Guyver
. It is based on the Guyver manga
and anime
. It was directed by Steve Wang
, and stars David Hayter
, Kathy Christopherson, and Bruno Giannotta. According to Steve Wang and production estimates, the movie was made for about $900,000.
Compared to the previous film, Guyver 2 was much closer to the source material, more realistic and more violent. The flashback to the Creation of the Guyvers, for instance, is taken almost verbatim from the manga. Unlike the first one, Guyver 2 went direct-to-video
and was Rated R (Unlike the PG-13 rating of the first movie). Despite not receiving a theatrical release, Guyver 2 gained a cult following and was met with a positive reception.
said the film "often plays like an R-rated Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
installment [...] that's genuinely amusing if you're in the right frame of mind." David Johnson of DVD Verdict said that while "the acting is wretched," Guyver 2 is "a much better effort" than the original film. "The action is 100 times better [and] it kept me fairly entertained throughout." Nathan Shumate of Cold Fusion Video Reviews also felt that Guyver 2 was better than the original film, praising its action scenes and saying that David Hayter replacing original star Jack Armstrong was an improvement.
The Guyver
The Guyver is a 1991 American Tokusatsu film loosely based on the Manga series of the same name. The film was met with a mixed to negative reaction from critics and fans. A sequel was followed in 1994 called Guyver: Dark Hero, which was received more favorably than it's predecessor.-Plot:CIA agent...
. It is based on the Guyver manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. It was directed by Steve Wang
Steve Wang
Steve Wang is an award-winning make-up artist and filmmaker.-Biography:Born in Taiwan, he and his parents moved to the US when he was 9. His greatest inspirations were the tokusatsu superhero TV shows Ultraman and Kamen Rider, as well as Hong Kong kung fu films including Master of the Flying...
, and stars David Hayter
David Hayter
David Hayter is a Canadian-American voice and screen actor and screenwriter. He is best known for providing the English voices of Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear video game series, and for writing the screenplay for X-Men and co-writing the screenplay for The Scorpion King and X2...
, Kathy Christopherson, and Bruno Giannotta. According to Steve Wang and production estimates, the movie was made for about $900,000.
Compared to the previous film, Guyver 2 was much closer to the source material, more realistic and more violent. The flashback to the Creation of the Guyvers, for instance, is taken almost verbatim from the manga. Unlike the first one, Guyver 2 went direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
and was Rated R (Unlike the PG-13 rating of the first movie). Despite not receiving a theatrical release, Guyver 2 gained a cult following and was met with a positive reception.
Plot
Sean Barker is mentally tortured by his transformation into the Guyver and does not know what to do with his power. He is drawn to an archaeological dig in Utah that turns out to be funded by Cronos. While there, they discover an alien ship where Sean learns about the history of humanity and the purpose of the Guyver.Cast
- David HayterDavid HayterDavid Hayter is a Canadian-American voice and screen actor and screenwriter. He is best known for providing the English voices of Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear video game series, and for writing the screenplay for X-Men and co-writing the screenplay for The Scorpion King and X2...
- Sean Barker - Kathy Christopherson - Cori
- Bruno Giannotta - Crane
- Christopher MichaelChristopher MichaelChristopher Michael is an American actor, director, writer, who is most famous for portraying Sergeant/Detective/Captain/Chief Michaels on 7th Heaven...
- Atkins - Stuart Weiss - Marcus
- Billi Lee - Mizky
- Russ KingstonRuss KingstonRuss Kingston is an American film and television actor, editor and filmmaker.Kingston is best known as an actor for such films as I Come with the Rain starring Josh Hartnett, Transmorphers: Fall of Man, Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium and Guyver: Dark Hero.Kingston is...
- Impatient Hick - Jim O'Donoghoe - Gouo
- J.D. Smith - Doug
- Wes Deitrick - Volker
- Stephen Oprychal - Bob
- Koichi SakamotoKoichi Sakamotois a Japanese-born stunt actor, and producer for films and television. He is best known for his work as executive producer, as well as fight coordinator and frequent director, for the long running Power Rangers franchise.-Early career:...
- Sakai - Butch Portillo -Bo
- Christopher J. Bradshaw - Grau
- Vern Roguen - Mazzo
Suit actors
- Brian Simpson - Benny/Volker Zoanoid/Guyver Zoanoid
- Tatsuro Koike - Guyver Zoanoid
- Ted Smith - Commando/Stenzoanoid/Mazzo Zoanoid
- Anthony Houk - Guyver
- David McDonald - Marcus Zoanoid
- Scott Putman - Corben Zoanoid
- C.D. Post - Monk Zoanoid
Reception
Guyver 2 was more critically successful than its predecessor. Glenn Kenny of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said the film "often plays like an R-rated Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...
installment [...] that's genuinely amusing if you're in the right frame of mind." David Johnson of DVD Verdict said that while "the acting is wretched," Guyver 2 is "a much better effort" than the original film. "The action is 100 times better [and] it kept me fairly entertained throughout." Nathan Shumate of Cold Fusion Video Reviews also felt that Guyver 2 was better than the original film, praising its action scenes and saying that David Hayter replacing original star Jack Armstrong was an improvement.