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

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.

I remember when The Guyver first hit anime. It was and still IS wonderful. Then came along issues of B-Club (wonderful modeling and anime mag) showing the live action costume! I was so excited! And then I saw the movie (first one... with Mark Hammill... guess he needed the work or something). ::shudder:: Nuff Said.Now to this movie... not that you have to forget everything in the first one happened (but it helps... especially with the uncontrollable fits of laughter)... but it happens. Sho (now Sean) is in the grip of this horrible uncontrollable armor which has "invaded" his body. Funny... most guys I know at that age would probably (while not altruistically) enjoy some of the cool stuff you could do with it one you had it. Still.. he's moody and on a quest. Typical 80's-ish style movie when you get down to it. Guy with Techno-genic armor parasite meets girl whose a researcher on the SAME archaeological dig he's MYSTICALLY drawn to, throw in some rather nicely done suits, neat plot twist pulling from other Guyver Units (shown in the anime) found, evil bad guy 2nd in command whose ALWAYS last when it comes to the free donuts the office brings in (makes him cranky), slight case of love interest and an ending dripping in altruism, stir till slightly buzzed (cuz it's a great drinking movie) and you've got some great B-Entertainment.

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.