Synopsis
Japan is divided after an outbreak from the ashes. Zombies are everywhere and growing stronger in numbers. There's only one hope...and her name is Kika.
Thoughts
Are you a fan of over the top? No, not the Stallone arm wrestling family drama classic. I mean, sure, that's also over the top in its own right, but I'm speaking more in regards to story, acting, action and make-up. The outrageously absurd and ridiculous is what I call Tokyo Gore. A fantastic genre of films that I've come to really enjoy. Like all genres, or sub genres, there are the good, the bad and the ugly. My first venture into Tokyo Gore/Tokyo Shock/Splatter/action horror/whatever you've decided to categorize these films as, was Tokyo Gore Police. I can hear the fan boys now. "There are so much better ones out there". You've got to start somewhere though, so, tuck back your fan boyner and leave suggestions in the comments. That movie only lead me to wanting to see what else was out there. A new found friend said that if I enjoyed Tokyo Gore Police or Machine Girl, I need to see Helldriver.
The director definitely took cues from Romero. Throughout the entire film it feels like a mash up tribute to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn and Day of the Dead and it is done so, I feel, flawlessly. Helldriver definitely has an interesting way of introducing the film. And by that, I mean it's about a 48 minute introduction until the title sequence comes in. It's actually really interesting because it catches you off guard. You've been sucked into this insane story line and then when the shit really hits the fans, in comes the opening credits. So, the first half is the back story of Kika and the outbreak came to be. The rest of the film follows Kika and her team going after the queen, Rikka. Skip the next paragraph if you don't want any spoilers.
Rikka is Kika's serial killing cannibal of a mother. Her and her brother Yashushi burn her father in front of her and she tries to escape, but is caught. A meteor falls out of the sky bursting through Rikka's chest leaving a head size crater. With the power of what I can assume is adrenaline, Rikka rips out Kika's heart and places it in her crater. The two are then encapsulated in something that resembles ambergris. Rikka is transformed into the evil queen who can control Kika with the stroke of her exposed heart. Yeah, the crater is still open. Kika is found and gets a replacement heart. After the zombies kill the Prime Minister, Kika and her team are hired to find and kill the queen. It is literally non stop action.
The costumes and make-up in this film are absolutely amazing. I don't even mind the use of CGI blood because they use practical blood as well. The CGI just adds so much to it. The zombies have antenna horns. There's a fight sequence with a numerous armed katana wielding zombie, as well as a zombie baby. If that's not an homage to Dead Alive, I don't know what is. The zombies with spines elongated from their bodies definitely had me ready to watch Return of the Living Dead 3. They even create a vehicle out of body parts. The body creations don't stop there.
My only complaint is about the subtitles. No, it doesn't need an English dubbing. It's cheesy enough. There's not many lines throughout the movie, so following the subtitles is actually easy for those wondering. The issue is that the subtitles are thin and white. They would be much easier to read if they were bold and yellow.
This film is a match made in action horror with comedy thrown in as well. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. After you watch it once, you can watch it again without even having to follow the subtitles because it feels almost self explanatory. If you're looking for something completely outrageous, full of action, and awesome creations with make-up, then Helldriver is for you. I want to hear your thoughts about the movie and suggestions for others in the comments. Oh, and try to not go into this with any serious expectations because you will be sorely disappointed.
IMDB: 5.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 2.6/5
WeFLM: 9.5/10
Come for the katana chainsaw. Stay for the body mobile.
-kp
