The Guyver - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (Limited Collector's Edition)

The Guyver is yet another low-budget 90s sci-fi gem that straddles the line between so-bad-it's-good and genuinely fun in its own quirky way — which honestly feels like a typical trait of many movies of the decade. Based on the Japanese manga by Yoshiki Takaya, the story follows sad-sack Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong), a moppy blundering martial artist who's probably better off taking lessons on falling to the floor, curling up in the fetal position and just taking the beating. And the movie just keeps getting cornier and weirder when Sean stumbles upon a powerful alien bio-armor called the "Guyver," which was created by a mysterious alien race responsible for the evolution of humans over a million years ago to develop a powerful species of soldiers called "Zoanoids." That felt just as long-winded and silly to write as it probably was to read. Still, it's campy, over-the-top and doesn't take itself too seriously, but that's part of its charm.

Directed by Screaming Mad George, the pseudonym of Japanese special effects artist Joji Tani, and Steve Wang, who also gave us the equally cheesy 1997 actioner Drive, the special effects are a mixed bag, which is both endearing and a bit cringy at times. The Guyver suit itself is weirdly cool for its time with the fleshy, exposed-muscle, bio-mechanical look adding a unique visual flair. The practical effects, like the monster suits and creature transformations, are delightfully low-budget, often reminding us that the filmmakers tried to do much with limited resources. This is the furthest from high art, but the monster battles are entertaining enough for a good chuckle, making some fans forgive the occasional cheesy, laughably outdated CGI and rubbery-looking creature effects. It's one of those amusingly fun movies that we can enjoy after eating a gummy or while sipping a nice cold drink.

Although I've watched the movie many times since randomly discovering it in my local video store, I've always remembered it best for Mark Hamill in a supporting role as chain-smoking CIA agent Max Reed sporting a killer stache. Yet, Armstrong is supposed to be the star as the comically meek and cowardly Sean — too bashful to make his feelings for Mizky Segawa (Vivian Wu) known and too wimpy to fight except when suddenly changing into the Guyver. But the best and arguably most memorable aspect is seeing David Gale reunite with his Re-Animator costar Jeffrey Combs as leaders of the secretive corporation Chronos, along with Michael Berryman and Jimmie Walker as their comic-relief goons. And of course, the always wonderful Linnea Quigley makes an unexpected cameo as the aptly named Scream Queen in an unrelated sequence that is never explained nor ever mentioned again. 

The driving force behind this outlandish premise is Gale's Fulton Balcus' nefarious search for the alien tech for evil purposes, bringing Sean and Reed together to figure out how to control the armor while fending off mutant monsters and a never-explained conspiracy. The pacing is decent enough to keep things moving without getting bogged down in too much exposition, but Jon Purdy's script often suffers from clunky dialogue and a few awkward moments. Nevertheless, The Guyver is a cult classic charm for fans of goofy 90s sci-fi, one that knows exactly what it is — a cheesy, fun ride with B-movie-level action, ridiculously bizarre monsters and a bonkers plot. It's the sort we throw on for a nostalgic night or if we just want to see a guy in a high-tech, mutant-fighting suit scrapping with wildly imaginative creatures. Bad as it really is, the movie has a lot of heart and is a surprisingly fun time with the right mindset — hehe.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Unearthed Films brings The Guyver to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a three-disc combo pack dubbed "Limited Collector's Edition." A dual-layered UHD66 disc with the R-rated cut and a Region Free, BD50 disc of the PG-13 theatrical version are on either side of a center spindle while a CD of the original music soundtrack by Matthew Morse sits comfortably on the right panel. All three discs are housed inside a black, eco-elite case with a reversible cover art and slipcover, and the package also includes an 8-page booklet with a pair of short essays. At startup, the disc goes straight to a static menu screen with the usual options along the bottom and music playing in the background.

The sci-fi superhero flick has been unearthed and brought back to life on Ultra HD with brilliant results. Although, on the whole, the movie is really showing its age and production budget, falling short of other similar pictures from the same era. Nevertheless, this is the best the film has ever looked in any format, as the HEVC H.265 encode comes with better clarity and stronger definition overall. Awash in a fine layer of natural grain, the native 4K transfer shows clean, distinct lines in the clothing and stage design, and facial complexions are more revealing with excellent lifelike textures and healthy skin tones. The HDR10 presentation also displays brighter, crisper whites and good, vivid specular highlights even though much of the photography still falls on the lower end of the grayscale. So the overall video never really pops or impresses. Black levels, however, are richer and inkier with outstanding shadow delineation, providing the 1.85:1 image with some depth. The overall palette is livelier with a more energetic pop in the secondary hues, and while the primaries are also more striking, they occasionally feel a bit exaggerated. Still, the transfer is a fantastic improvement over previous releases. (HDR10 Video Rating: 78/100)

The low-budget favorite crash lands in home theaters with a pair of stellar soundtracks: one, an uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo track and the other, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 option. Interestingly, the two are not all that different from one another, as even the new remix maintains a front-heavy presentation that feels more like a true stereo track than a surround sound mix. In both, imaging continuously feels wide with a variety of background activity smoothly bouncing across all three front channels and displaying excellent channel balance. The mid-range is surprisingly dynamic with impressive definition and distinction although the design never really extends into the higher frequencies. All the while, vocals are always well-prioritized with great clarity and intonation in the performances. The only notable difference between the two lossless options is that the volume needs to be boosted a bit more in the PCM track while the DTS-HD track comes with a punchier, more palpable low-end. In the end, fans can't go wrong with either track as both are fantastic complements to the video. (Audio Rating: 80/100)

For this UHD edition, the folks at Unearthed Films offer a nice, healthy set of special features with a pair of audio commentaries shared between both discs. The rest are housed in the accompanying Blu-ray disc. The third disc is a CD of the original music soundtrack.

• 2 Audio Commentaries begins with a delightfully enjoyable chat between author Dom O’Brien and directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang while the second features special effects crew members "Evil" Ted Smith and Wyatt Weed sharing various memories from the set. 
• The Altered States of Screaming Mad George (HD, 57 min) is a surprisingly entertaining interview with the director talking about his career, working in Hollywood and this production.
• Interview (HD, 36 min) with producer Brian Yuzna discussing his career, his involvement with the production, working with the cast and crew and his disappointment with the film's marketing.
• Galleries (HD) houses two collections of photos from the production (20 min) and promotional material (6 min).
• Outtakes (1080i/60, 15 min) comes with commentary by the directors.
• Gag Reel (1080i/60, 11 min) which again, comes with commentary by the directors.
• Suit Tests (1080i/60, 7 min) once again, featuring commentary by the directors.
• Alternate Title Sequence (HD, 6 min) 
• Trailers (HD, 8 min) is a set of four theatrical previews in English, French, German and Spanish

Starring Mark Hamill in a supporting role — which should already be an indicator of the silliness viewers are about to witness — The Guyver is another low-budget 90s sci-fi gem that is so-bad-it's-good and genuinely fun. The bonkers, outlandish premise about Zoanoids, the mysterious corporation Chronos and an alien bio-mechanical body suit is all part of the charm just to see actors in rubber monster suits, classic practical effects and Jeffrey Combs ham it up with David Gale, Michael Berryman, Jimmie Walker and Linnea Quigley. Courtesy of Unearthed Films, the B-movie sci-fi actioner crash lands on Ultra HD with a great-looking 4K HDR10 presentation and a stronger pair of lossless audio tracks. With a healthy collection of supplements to boot, this UHD edition comes Recommended for cult collectors. 

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