The Guyver
Encyclopedia
The Guyver is a 1991 American Tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 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
Guyver: Dark Hero
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...

, which was received more favorably than it's predecessor.

Plot

CIA agent Max Reed witnesses Dr. Tetsu Segawa—a researcher for the mysterious Chronos Corporation—being murdered. Dr. Segawa had stolen an alien device known as “the Guyver” from Chronos. College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 student Sean Barker, whose girlfriend’s father was Dr. Segawa, finds the Guyver’s hiding spot while watching the forensic team investigating the crime scene. Through further events, the Guyver fuses with Sean and causes him to be covered in a suit of bio
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

-armor. The president of Chronos, Fulton Balcus (David Gale
David Gale (actor)
David Quentin Gale was a British actor.He is primarily known for his role as the evil, autocratic Dr. Carl Hill in the 1985 cult classic film Re-Animator, and its 1990 sequel Bride of Re-Animator...

), wants the Guyver back and sends his mutant henchmen, the Zoanoids, led by Lisker (Michael Berryman
Michael Berryman
Michael John Berryman is an American actor. He has appeared in several horror movies and other B movies. Berryman is famous for having a distinctive physical appearance as a result of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition which prevents him from developing hair, sweat glands...

), to steal it back.

Reception

Glenn Kenny of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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 features “surprisingly convincing costumes and effects, inspired casting, and energetic direction, [but] what sinks it is its unfortunate adherence to the time-honored direct-to-video clichés: an unearned paycheck for a onetime A-picture star, and a tendency to fall back on lame humor whenever the going gets slow.”

David Johnson of DVD Verdict criticized the film’s “ham-fisted over-acting,” “ludicrous plot contrivances,” and “nauseatingly hokey soundtrack.” Johnson called the film “a big, dumb joke,” saying: “Despite some good creature effects, the movie crashed and burned and crashed again, weighted down by preposterous acting [and] corny music.”

Nathan Shumate of Cold Fusion Video Reviews criticized the film, in particular “the annoying demeanor and lack of personality” of lead actor Jack Armstrong, adding: “If there ever was a movie made for fan appreciation only, this is it, [...] but not everything can be blamed on audience unfamiliarity; there are plenty of elements in this movie that don’t work even by fanboy standards.”

The film generated enough interest for a sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero
Guyver: Dark Hero
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...

, with Armstrong replaced by 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...

 in the role of Sean, which was more well-received critically than its predecessor.

Cast

  • Jack Armstrong as Sean Barker
  • Mark Hamill
    Mark Hamill
    Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...

     as Max Reed
  • Vivian Wu
    Vivian Wu
    Vivian Wu , is a Chinese actress, known for her roles in The Last Emperor , Heaven & Earth , The Joy Luck Club , and The Pillow Book and as the historical figure of Soong May-ling, commonly referred to as Madam Chiang Kai-shek, in two major Chinese motion pictures The Soong Sisters and The...

     as Mizky Segawa
  • David Gale
    David Gale (actor)
    David Quentin Gale was a British actor.He is primarily known for his role as the evil, autocratic Dr. Carl Hill in the 1985 cult classic film Re-Animator, and its 1990 sequel Bride of Re-Animator...

     as Fulton Balcus
  • Jimmie Walker
    Jimmie Walker
    James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...

     as Striker
  • Michael Berryman
    Michael Berryman
    Michael John Berryman is an American actor. He has appeared in several horror movies and other B movies. Berryman is famous for having a distinctive physical appearance as a result of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition which prevents him from developing hair, sweat glands...

     as Lisker
  • Peter Spellos
    Peter Spellos
    Peter Spellos is a voice actor who is also known as G. Gordon Baer, Gordon Baer, G. Gordon Bear, David Conrad, and Orville Ketchum.-Anime:* Black Jack - Mr. Brane* Bleach - Koganehiko, Dordonii...

     as Ramsey
  • Spice Williams-Crosby
    Spice Williams-Crosby
    Spice Williams-Crosby is an American actress and stunt performer, with a career in film and television which spans over twenty years...

     as Weber
  • Willard E. Pugh
    Willard E. Pugh
    Willard Earl Pugh is an American actor with numerous film and television credits. He has appeared in notable mainstream Hollywood films such as The Color Purple and Air Force One as well as genre films such as RoboCop 2 and Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy...

     as Colonel Castle
  • Jeffrey Combs
    Jeffrey Combs
    Jeffrey Alan Combs is an American actor known for his horror film roles and his appearances playing a number of characters in the Star Trek franchise.-Early life:...

     as Dr. East
  • David Wells as Dr. Gordon
  • Linnea Quigley
    Linnea Quigley
    Linnea Barbara Quigley is an American scream queen, B movie actress, and film producer.-Early life:Quigley was born in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Dorothy and W. Heath Quigley, a chiropractor and psychologist. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s to pursue her dreams of acting...

    as Scream Queen
  • Greg Paik as Dr. Tetsu Segawa
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