Zhong Guo Chao Ren |
  • Hong Kong • 1975 • 88m •    • Directed by: Shan Hua. • Starring: Danny Lee, Hsieh Wang, Terry Liu, Man-Tzu Yuan, Dana, Bruce Le, Yang Chiang, Wen-Wei Lin, Wei Lu, Lu Sheng, Fanny Leung, Shao-Chia Chen, Chok Chow Cheung. • Music by: Yung-Yu Chen.      The ten million year-old Princess Dragon Mom attempts to conquer the earth with her legion of mutant monsters. In response, Professor Chang creates Inframan, turning a young volunteer into a bionic superhero to save the world. However, the Princess kidnaps Chang's daughter. Can Inframan save her and the planet before it's too late?
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Review:
This is a film that I feel is a bit under the radar but has became a sleeper cult fave. This was pretty much China's way of getting in on the Sentai hero wave that was rising in Japan in the 70's. Franchises like "Ultraman", "Karman Rider" (my personal fav), and of course "Power Rangers" (a guilty pleasure of mine). Personally I felt this was a great step to it, but unfortunately never really caught on which I feel is too bad let alone a lost opportunity for both a franchise and having more setai heroes from China, oh well their lucky at least to have one and that's better than none.
The production value of the film I personally think is great. It was done on a low budget but it was used very well, another example on how budget used right. I really like the design and make up work of the monsters, their all diverse and imaginative let alone very weird, I still wonder where the hell they get the ideas of them from. My favorite are the ones that have mace balls for hands and then shoot out but can be retracted or swung from the springs attached to them. Even like the design of the flunkies whom all have these skeleton helmets which I thought were cool looking and are armed with explosive spears. Let alone the look of the monster's fortress which looks like Snake Mountain from the "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon. But I mainly like the design of the Inframan suit which I think looks cool and in a way predates the "Iron Man" films. And of course the music score I think is great, really refects the 70's decade but also I just simply love the heroic theme which is one of my personal favorite theme songs because it's one you can dance to.
There really isn't much to any story and the plot is simplistic, but that's fine by me because this film were clearly in it for the action and that's exactly what this film has and is solely focused on. The pacing is great because this film just has constant action that you would barely have enough time to take a breath, it's kinda like a live action shonen anime.
The chirography is great, all the fight scenes are memorable and most importantly unique, each battle is always different and with a different enemy or enemies. And the best part of each of the battles is seeing Inframan uses his capabilities. From the Thunderbolt Fists that shoot out and come back kind like the character "Hard Man" in the video game "Mega Man 3". Rocket Powered Kick, Super Sizing Himself whenever his opponents super sized themselves for no apparent or entirely logical reason, lazer blades, and my favorite of course is the beam which is practically the single solution for everything in the film.
And also this film is really violent, Sentai shows have their degree of it but this film I feel really kicks it up a notch which even our modern day Sentai shows don't do. I like the use of explosions and squids and there are more of these than a Michael Bay film, but personally here I feel their used for the right reasons. But also the thing is you actually see people die, like one of the baddies getting their hands cut off, some no name person here or there gets thrown in a lava pit or electrocuted by a plant vine. I think seeing those things really gives the film a sense of jeopardy, that there really are consequences to actions and crap does happen, where in most Sentai let alone superhero shows there are hardly to no collateral damage which when you think about it is kinda weird.
Overall this is a very good and very fun actioneer like Inframan himself has enough juice to entertain you.
Review by hellraiser7 from the Internet Movie Database.
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