Karate-Robo Zaborgar (2011) User Reviews

Get ready to roll with homage action comedy Karate-Robo Zaborgar

[rgblakey · 7/10 · 6 September 2012]

Throughout the 70's and 80's the Japanese live action film or TV series involving superheroes and monsters utilizing heavy effects, also known as tokusatsu, was a huge market. Well known properties like Godzilla and Ultraman got some of the biggest recognition, but they were only a small portion of them. Now director Noboru Iguchi has brought the popular genre back with an action comedy based on the 1974 series Denjin Zaborger, but will it do the classic series justice?

Karate-Robo Zaborgar follows a Yutaka Daimon and his karate-robot/motorcycle, Zaborgar as they fight against the evil organization Sigma who is kidnapping prominent business men to harvest their DNA for the ultimate weapon. This is a hard film to review mostly due to the genre. This is not a film for everyone, unless you enjoyed the old school shows and films it's based on you will not get the overall joke aspect of what it is trying to deliver. With that being said this is a ridiculously brilliant homage to a genre that is all but gone. Almost every kid of the 70's and 80's grew up on these films and hold a special place with most of them. This film takes the subject matter and while still delivers a silly film; it is one that is a whole lot of fun. Filled with a crazy story, wacky robots, gadgets, and characters, this is more of an experience than a film. There is plenty of action that is well done as well as the over the top silly action that will have you rolling with laughter and entertainment. There are moments that will leave you wondering what they were even thinking, but as a whole this movie delivers the fun and classic feel that it sets out for.

Karate-Robo Zaborgar is a special film that delivers everything fans of this genre old and new enjoy. Make no mistake this will only appeal to a certain audience base, but if you give it a chance you are in for a good time that you will not soon forget. As a special side note, there is an awesome montage sequence during the credits of the original series that shows all the homage and similar moments added to this film that just makes it that much better after watching it.

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Super-crazy Japanese comicbook-action sci-fi

[KnatLouie · 7/10 · 22 May 2011]

When reviewing a movie like this, it's hard to know where to start, and where to end, as this movie is so full of crazy gadgets, wacky gimmicks, and over-the-top action. But basically, this movie (based on a 52-episode TV-series from the 1970s) is a fun romp to watch.

The plot is somewhat as follow: When their city is overrun with criminals, the local police-force turn to their local hero, Yutaka Daimon, and his best friend/karate-robot/motorcycle, Zaborgar. But they suddenly find themselves over their heads, when the evil mastermind Dr. Akunomiya attacks the town, extracting the DNA of scientists, top-politicians and other highly influential people, in order to build a giant killer robot, which will give him unlimited power. This evil doctor has a bunch of crazy hit men with him, and also the seductive Miss Borg (who has an on/off relationship with Daimon), all forming the powerful criminal gang called Sigma.

But they didn't figure Daimon and Zaborgar would be able to defeat them, and underestimated their powers, which led to a huge battle for the ultimate fate of the universe midway through the movie. However, the story doesn't end so easily, and many years after the apparent ultimate showdown, Daimon and Zaborgar would have to fight again, which is where the actual movie begins for real.. kinda.

Anyway, I'll give this 7/10, as it's one of the more entertaining entries in the never-ending crazy-cinema wave from Japan, although a bit silly, it never leaves the audience bored, as the imaginative craziness never stops!

This was quite something unique...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 10 August 2019]

Naturally you'd find something as bizarre and weird as "Denjin Zabôgâ" (aka "Karate-robo Zaborgar") to originate from Japan. Where else?

I sat down to watch this 2011 movie without any prior knowledge about what I was getting myself into. Sure, I had seen the robot depicted on the cover before as toys when I lived in Hong Kong, but I had never seen anything on movies, cartoons or anything else with it. So I was expecting to be in for something as horrible as "Power Rangers". But still, I sat down to watch it.

Turns out that "Denjin Zabôgâ" was actually a rather wholesome and enjoyable movie. As stupid, silly, over-the-top and wonderfully strange as only the Japanese can muster. I mean, the movie is so outrageous and silly that it actually made for some very fine entertainment.

The movie had a very simplistic storyline, which was easy to follow and very much straight forward. Yet, writer and director Noboru Iguchi manages to throw in some good changes to the storyline that you didn't expect - unless familiar with this particular franchise, I suppose. And the ending of the movie was just priceless. I will not spoil it, because it is something you have to experience for yourself after having sat through the entire course of this odd movie.

The characters in the movie were goofy and campy, for sure. But it was all done in such a manner that it was comical and very cartoonish. And it really worked out well in favor of the movie. The movie also comes with wonderful costumes to match the equally wonderful - and odd - characters. So that went hand in hand.

As for the special effects in the movie. Well, they had an abundance of special effects, most of which were actually made in a comical way so that they added a nice humorous aspect to the movie. You just sit there with a goofy grin on your lips throughout most of the movie.

"Denjin Zabôgâ" is the type of hidden gem that you might not actually take the time to watch, which is a shame, because I was more than adequately entertained by this movie, and wouldn't have sat down to watch it if I didn't have this big fascination with Asian cinema as I do.

I am rating "Denjin Zabôgâ" a very solid six out of ten stars. Definitely worth taking the time to sit down and watch this movie, especially if you enjoy movies that are a bit extraordinary.

SYFY better step up it's game, because this is 21st century cheese at its BEST

[zoilus2014 · 9/10 · 9 February 2015]

First let me say that this grade represents the score I gave it on my own "cheese-o-meter"

So I like the occasional cheesy movie. I mean 80's cheese is great, 50's and 60's classic "B" movie is delicious vintage cheese (like Ed Wood movies)...

and of course SYFY's Piranha-conda-shark-croc-a-nado movies are golden...but after seeing this movie , syfy has a lot of catching up to do. This movie is the Crystal Meth of cheese. I'm now addicted to Japan-A-Cheese. I need more! I'm in withdrawal big time!

On that note...this has to be the best. movie. EVER. ;)

Great Remake

[mmushrm · 8/10 · 18 February 2013]

Imagine a 70s Japanese robo life action TV show remade in 2011 with the same low budget and slightly better special effects and you have Karate-Robo Zaborgar (2011).

For those familiar with the genre and the clichés of the storyline from the 70s, this movie has it all. The way the 2011 version incorporates it into the movie provides lots of laugh.Thankfully too as the movie does start off rather slow, the comedic elements were what made continue with the movie.

As with all Sushi Typhoon movies, the special effects are cheap and the characters are caricatures. So don't expect a serious dialogues (its all 70s action show clichés)or award winning acting.

As mentioned, slow start but it builds to be a rather fun and enjoyable movie.

Iguchi Senpai strikes again with this parody/remake/homage to Super Robots of the 70's and the 80's

[TooKakkoiiforYou_321 · 8/10 · 26 May 2021]

Apparently made from a series I never watched before. Even with that lack of knowledge, if you've seen mecha animes like Daimos, Voltes V, Golion King of Beasts, Gundam 0079 and even Ideon: be Invoked (!) I can assure you'll be familiar with the whole of range of things put on screen in this flick, from the robot-women with breasts lauching missiles to the morally righteous protagonist, this one's whiny attitude towards his scientist father and the copious amount of 70's/80's atrocious ultra-chauvinistic attitude that has the sentence "don't take this seriously in any way" written all over it, at least in this case. He even seems to make fun of himself at some point, which is a nice touch all in all. It's incredible how this man has made just ONE bad movie in all his post-JAV career, I applaude him for that.