Nothing beats a good ol'-fashioned Rider Kick.
Awesome moments in Shin Kamen Rider.
Unmarked spoilers below.
Trailers
- Promotional Video A serves as a nostalgic throwback to the original series' first opening in 1971. The lengths made to recreate that sequence are astounding, such as using a spinning background drum for the side shots of Kamen Rider speeding through a forest on his Cyclone; and having Kamen Rider/Takeshi Hongo's actor Sosuke Ikematsu sing the lyrics for the opening theme "Let's Go! Rider Kick", much like Hiroshi Fujioka had.
The film
- The first appearance of Batta Aug (Kamen Rider) is both awesome and terrifying. Just as Kumo Aug is about to gouge Ruriko's eyes out, a loud sound grabs his and his mooks' attention. Cue a shot of Batta Aug at the top of the ridge, faithfully recreated from the same shot in Episode 1.
- Ruriko's Nerves of Steel moment before Batta Aug's appearance gets better on a re-watch. With the knowledge that she has the ability to hack SHOCKER technology through her eyes, her refusing to react to Kumo Aug potentially taking that power away shows that she won't let him see her fear, and that she's confident enough in Hongo to intervene.
- The entirety of Kamen Rider's fight against Kumo Aug.
- Hongo, in hot pursuit of Kumo (who had just murdered Dr. Midorikawa and kidnapped Ruriko), recreates the original Transformation Sequence from the TV show, beginning with the Cyclone's display of Technology Porn, then exposes his belt's turbine to the wind, absorbing Prana and forming the iconic Kamen Rider helmet over his face, all while speeding to Ruriko's rescue with the Cyclone's Nitro Boost at full blast. While the film's first action sequence was that of the brutal SHOCKER Super-Soldier Batta Augment, this scene marks the birth of the heroic Kamen Rider, Scarf of Asskicking and all.
- The sequence gets props for taking the sequence from the original series and translating some Rule of Cool shots into practical-yet-still-awesome equivalent shots. The unnecessary wheelie? Not here: the Cyclone's handlebars double as a lever that triggers the bike's transformation. That black cloth that pulls away to reveal the Typhoon belt, its turbine spinning? Here it's Hongo's coat being flung back by the wind. Kamen Rider's mask appearing out of nowhere on Hongo's head? Not at all: the mask has a secondary form of a motorcycle helmet, so when Hongo transforms, his helmet transforms into the grasshopper-based mask, too!
- When Kumo Aug sics several Mooks on Kamen Rider, a remix of the TV show's iconic opening theme kicks in, followed by Kamen Rider easily pummelling said Mooks into Ludicrous Gibs. Especially noteworthy is a moment where Mook Chivalry is totally averted, with several SHOCKER goons surrounding Hongo and momentarily pinning him down with Shock Sticks, only for them to be thrown off and dispatched one-by-one in short order.
- The spider-based Augment manages to dodge every punch Kamen Rider throws at him, declaring that "Batta Aug" has discovered the joy in killing. Kamen Rider has absolutely none of his crap, catching a shot of Kumo Aug's webbing with his coat, shoving said coat over his head, and finally dealing a punch on said head.Kamen Rider: [rough translation] No! That doesn't make me happy at all!
WHAM!! - Snared by Kumo Aug's arms, Kamen Rider jumps and starts spinning in midair at high-speed, letting him dislodge Kumo Aug. Kumo has just enough time to realize how screwed he is as Kamen Rider rockets into him with his first-ever Rider Kick, red scarf trailing behind through the air, smashing him into a support pillar.
- Hongo, in hot pursuit of Kumo (who had just murdered Dr. Midorikawa and kidnapped Ruriko), recreates the original Transformation Sequence from the TV show, beginning with the Cyclone's display of Technology Porn, then exposes his belt's turbine to the wind, absorbing Prana and forming the iconic Kamen Rider helmet over his face, all while speeding to Ruriko's rescue with the Cyclone's Nitro Boost at full blast. While the film's first action sequence was that of the brutal SHOCKER Super-Soldier Batta Augment, this scene marks the birth of the heroic Kamen Rider, Scarf of Asskicking and all.
- Ruriko and Kamen Rider versus Koumori Aug.
- Ruriko provides an impressive showing of her combat skills when initially confronting Koumori on her own, dispatching his Mecha-Mooks with ease using only a handgun before seemingly fallen victim to his mind controlling virus. Then, after Koumori finds that his virus doesn't work on Hongo, Ruriko reveals that his control over her was simply a ruse, having neutralized the virus via counter-infectiong it with her own prana and her belt-mounted device, then pulls out a shotgun hidden under her trenchcoat and blasts a hole through one of Koumori's wings. An impressive subversion of her original series counterpart being reduced to a Damsel in Distress during the episode featuring the Bat Man kaijin.
- As Koumori Aug flaps away with Kamen Rider in pursuit on the Cyclone, he taunts the hero that he'll never reach him. Cue Kamen Rider activating the Nitro Boost, the six exhaust ports turning downward as he jumps the bike upward. This gives Kamen Rider enough upward momentum to catch Koumori in a downward Rider Kick, smashing the bat mutant into the gravel below, with enough force to send the nearby train carriages shaking.
- The Anti-SHOCKER Alliance deserves credit for combating Sasori Aug and stopping her plans without Hongo and Ruriko, especially since Sasori's vemons are (unlike Koumori's Bat Virus) lethally effective on Augments. Plus, they were able to track down Sasori Aug and Koumori Aug on their own.
- Kamen Rider versus Hachi Aug.
- In order to avoid harming the Brainwashed and Crazy citizens of the town under Hachi Aug's control, Hongo devises a plan to send Ruriko alone to Hachi's headquarters as a distraction while he leaps from a requisitioned USAF jet, then fall at terminal velocity charging him up with enough Prana to destroy Hachi's Mind-Control Device, all scored to the heart-pounding "Falling velocity". Having foiled Hachi Aug's plan in a single move, Hongo implores her to surrender, the entire sequence not only demonstrating Hongo's Genius Bruiser credentials, but also his burgeoning Martial Pacifist approach to the battle against SHOCKER.
- When Hachi Aug refuses to surrender, Hongo battles the vilainous Augment in her human form and her Mook Lieutenant, both of his enemies wielding katanas able to cut through his Kamen Rider suit while Hongo himself finds himself unarmed, outnumbered two-to-one, and not actually using his Augment form. In spite of these disadvantages, Hongo manages to hold his own and force the battle into a stalemate, proving that this version of Hongo is just as capable as his original counterpart when it comes to fighting outside of his Kamen Rider form.
- Hachi Aug opts to Devour the Dragon in order to access her full Augment powers while Ruriko places the Kamen Rider helmet on Hongo, leading to a spectacular and highly stylized battle at Super-Speed reminiscent of the Clock Up battles of Kamen Rider Kabuto. The battle ends when Hongo endures a running stab into his chest, breaks Hachi Aug's sword while it's still embedded inside his body, then tosses her across the room, opening her up to a Rider Kick that he diverts into a wall, his Heroic Willpower overriding the enforced killer instinct of his mask long enough for him to pull it off and once again implore Hachi Aug to surrender.
- While Ruriko's attempt to parphalyze Ichiro's Habitat early doesn't work, it later turns out to be a ruse—she just needed to get as much data off of Ichiro as possible to make it possible. And it's with this data that she's able to free Hayato Ichimonji from SHOCKER's control.
- Hongo versus Ichimonji—or rather, Kamen Rider versus Batta Augment-02, full stop.
- Once they discard their coats, the two Batta Augs immediately leap skyward and simultaneously land a punch on each others' fists in midair. Once they land, Batta Aug-02's only response is:Batta Augment-02: [shaking the pain out of his hand] Ouch~! So that's what you can do at full power? [gives a double thumbs-up to Hongo] I like it.
- After a longer burst of midair fighting, the two land again, when Batta Aug-02 deduces what Kamen Rider is trying to do:Batta Augment-02: [rough translation] Ah, I see. This makes seeing which of us is stronger easier. By going at it in the air, we don't bother anyone below. And you can keep yourself topped-up on prana. Mmm~! [gives another thumbs-up to Hongo] I like it!
- Once they discard their coats, the two Batta Augs immediately leap skyward and simultaneously land a punch on each others' fists in midair. Once they land, Batta Aug-02's only response is:
- Just before K.K Aug is about to finish Ruriko off, Ichimonji—having just been freed of his brainwashing—kicks the assassin away, leading to this exchange:K.K Aug: Who the hell are you?!
Hayato Ichimonji: Me? [jumps down] I just became SHOCKER's enemy. Humanity's ally. I'm Hayato Ichimonji. And...
[Ichimonji's Typhoon activates; he puts his helmet back on] I'm Kamen Rider.
K.K Aug: "Kamen Rider"? Huh? What's that?
Kamen Rider: Thanks to the missy, my prana feels right. Now I'm free to do as I please. To start... [points at K.K Aug] I'll take you down. Start settling the score.- K.K Aug has a venomous breakdown at a fresh new traitor, leading to the new Kamen Rider...utterly owning the Aug in a Curb-Stomp Battle. K.K Aug barely gets a hit in with any of his blades; while Ichimonji easily disarms him, breaks his mantis mask, rips off his mantis wrist-blade, and sends him plowing through several concrete blocks with his own Rider Kick.
- The entirety of Hongo atop his Cyclone vs the SHOCKER Rider swarm in the tunnels during the start of the final act. With recent laws in Japan having made it harder for modern series entries to have their titular Riders be riders, having a full on motorcycle action sequence with an adaptation of the very first Rider himself just feels even sweeter. All that, and then it gets even better when Ichimonji arrives to back him up.
- Even when outnumbered and subjected to a hail of suppressive fire by the gun-totting SHOCKER Riders, Hongo puts up a fierce fight as they hound him on their own Cyclones, making creative use of Weaponized Exhaust to eliminate two, then takes out two more in hand-to-hand combat while still riding his Cyclone.
- When Hongo is left cornered under circumstances eerily reminiscent of his death scene in Ishinomori's manga, Ichimonji comes to the rescue, his arrival signaled by the iconic motorcycle revving sound effect from the original 1970s show as he launches his Cyclone wheel-first into the SHOCKER Rider pinning Hongo down.Ichimonji: [driving toward Hongo, hand outstretched] Get on!
- With Hongo and Ichimonji deprived of their Cyclones against the remaining six SHOCKER Riders, who approach them on foot, the newly-formed Double Riders strike their signature Ass Kicking Pose to a reprise of Let's Go!! Rider Kick. Cue a Curb-Stomp Battle that ends with the first Rider Double Kick.
- While we don't get to see it in action against SHOCKER, Hayato Ichimonji's new Rider Suit and New Cyclone are pretty awesome one their own.
