Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995)

If this peace is fictitious I shall destroy it.

In a distant future, war has reduced human civilization to an irradiated wasteland. For many decades people struggled to survive in a world where Man lives by his base instincts. Until a being named Gurjev (Yasuaki Honda) descended to Jerusalem. Seraphim in appearance, but with a nature belying something else entirely, Gurjev along with his android disciple Michael (Kazuhiko Inoue) ushered in a utopia with advanced technology and equality. This angelic socialist renamed Jerusalem to Jesus Town and brought all mankind together. All seems right in the world until adventurers uncover a prison confining a terrible menace. Hakaider (Dai Matsumoto), the one who destroys to bring justice has awakened. Blazing a trail of unspeakable carnage he heads toward Jesus Town to burn it to ash. What is Hakaider seeking? What is the reason behind this violence? Who is to say there is one?

 

90s Japanese box art!!!!

Created by Bandai and Toei, and directed by Keita Amemiya (GARO, Kamen Rider, Onimusha), Mechanical Violator Hakaider was released in Japan in 1995 and is a spin-off of the Android Kikaider series created by the father of Kamen Rider Shotaro Ishinomori. In the original Kikaider series, Hakaider is actually the villain and is something of the Cain to Kikaider's Abel. However, Hakaider became so popular in his own right that he earned his own toy line and movie. And what a BADASS movie it is. Normally I shy away from live-action adaptations and re-imaginings, but let me tell you that Mechanical Violator Hakaider is one of the best. True the movie doesn't tie into the Kikaider series and in fact, Hakaider is the only commonality between this film and the source material. Everything else from the setting to the tone, to the action and characterization are quite different. This is a post apocalypse, but while most of the world has been destroyed, there's an unsettling sense of routine, of easiness about the whole affair. The people of Jesus Town are happy and everyone is equal in that "this is not what nature intended" way that only happens in a dystopia. The people feed on Gurjev's every word and regardless of race or gender everyone behaves like sheep and are even dressed in white. Gurjev even refers to the people as his children and even his arc android worships him. The set-up is so disturbing it's fantastic.

 

A look that will make your blood run cold.

Who is to say we're better off with our "hero?" Hakaider is not one of the good guys. On his best day he's an anti-hero, but he seems closer to a villain protagonist. Hakaider was sealed away for a reason and when he's unleashed you better hide or get the hell out of his way. Hakaider leaves a pile of bodies wherever he goes and he's almost unstoppable. Everything about him from the way he moves to the way he fights is very imposing and while his human guise isn't as overtly unsettling, you can still feel something powerful behind it. Maybe Hakaider's backstory indicates there's more to him than murder. Maybe he's just a ruthless killing machine and the future is filled with people who need killing. Even after watching the film I can't really say for sure.

 

Motorcycles are forever.

If you're at all familiar with Keita Amemiya's work (GARO, Kiba Gaiden, etc.) you know he's a fantastic director that makes superb use of practical effects and minimalist acting. There's only one brief scene where computer animation is used, but the entirety of the action scenes use old school movie magic: pyro, blanks, dummies, stop motion, hotblooded stuntmen, camera tricks and so forth to draw you in. It's a different experience from today's CG fests. You really feel like you're screeching down a highway in a race of life or death or staring down Gurjev's robosapien minions in a dark, decrepit alleyway. There's so much 90s badassery that even Hakaider's motorcycle looks ominous. There is a rebel group (isn't there always) that seek to bring down Gurjev and while they're mostly here for exposition, they all had different personalities and habits that defined them.

 

Gorgeous cinematography.

Kaoru (Mai Hosho) the leader of the rebels is a particularly interesting character who has visions of the future. The message behind these visions are open to interpretation. These scenes are short, but there is a lot of fantastic imagery here including chains, crosses, wings, and an enigmatic black knight. This is the part of the review where I tell you the film isn't perfect.

 

Not perfect, but close enough.

The film isn't perfect. Some of the techniques are dated. The film is more than 20 years old after all and if 90s movies aren't your thing this one probably won't win you over. The last-last battle does feel unnecessary in that BvS kind of way, and Kaoru's visions while interesting often appear out of nowhere. Distribution wise I should note the film is a bit difficult to find, curious as four different versions were released. There's a Japanese VHS, an English VHS, a Japanese DVD Director's Cut, and an English DVD Director's Cut. From what I've found the only way to get Mechanical Violator Hakaider is in a set. The film is only 80 minutes long which is fine for an action movie. It doesn't make any big promises it can't keep, it gets you in and out, and it leaves you wanting more in a good way. You won't find a perfect action movie, but you'll find a very entertaining and often overlooked toku classic.

Mechanical Violator Hakaider on Amazon.