Zebraman

I enjoyed this mid-budget spoof of Japanese superhero (Power Ranger) movies. This is a Sci-Fi/Horror/Action/Comedy with a dose of social commentary. If you like B-movies, particularly the old Godzilla films, you'll probably like this. The special effects are deliberately (and fittingly) sub-par.

The film wisely skips any serious attempt to explain Shin'ichi Ichikawa's (Shô Aikawa) sudden super-powers, which are weirdly psychological. The film's main theme has to do with believing in yourself (and training accordingly).

The homemade Zebra-man costume is laughably lame, as are the aliens. Yet the film gets semi-serious (in a tongue-in-cheek way) when it needs to. It's all great fun. There IS a decent plot, surprisingly enough.

There are some slow and deliberately awkward moments between key characters. I found this interesting and mildly effective, but it may annoy some viewers (who don't "get" what is being attempted).

The balance between campy humor and relatively serious adventure is expertly managed. I give this seven (7) stars and a thumbs-up!