Better Late Then Never

A Brilliant Conflict

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is definitely one of the best Troma movies.It actually has a plot and there's no gore at all.The first thing I should say is that you should watch this before you watch Citizen Toxie.There is at least one really funny joke that you won't get if you watch them in the wrong order.In typical Troma fashion, Kabukiman is completely different in CT and I like the latter version better.Even though this is one of the better Troma flicks, there's still a lot of stuff in it that doesn't make sense.At one point Kabukiman turns into a clown and his clown powers can't hurt the bad guys.I can buy that.Then he starts running from them and after a minute of them chasing him with cars, he jumps on one of the cars and now they are scared of him.Was that supposed to be funny?Those little bad parts don't really hurt the movie though.This is a Troma movie that non-Troma fans might enjoy.

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. starts as New York police detective Harry Griswold (Rick Gianasi) decides to go to a Japanese theatre but has his night ruined when a bunch of machine gun wielding thugs burst in & begin shooting up the place, the owner of the theatre manages to breathe his dying Kabukiman spirit into Harry who over the next few days experiences some strange transformations. He suddenly becomes Kabukiman a Japanese superhero who fights crime & evil, speaking of evil an ancient Japanese legend states that every 1000 years 'the evil one' will take form on earth & well generally be evil & this is the year so Kabukiman is charged with the task of stooping him.Directed by the 'brains' behind Troma Michael Herz & Lloyd Kaufman this is actually far better than I expected considering their general output. The script by Kaufman, Andrew Osborne & Jeffrey W. Sass is a clear homage to the superhero genre with some mildly amusing scenes that rip-off the likes of Batman, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man & Superman. Not everything works but at least it tries without having to resort to the stupid, childish gross out humour & violence most Troma films rely on & in fact this is surprisingly restrained & light hearted compared to a lot of Troma's output, whether this is a good or bad thing I'll let you decide but I thought it made watching it a lot easier. Everything about Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. seems just that bit better than the usual Troma film which obviously helps, it isn't going to win any awards but as trashy entertainment that makes you smile on occasion it's not too bad.Director's Herz & Kaufman do OK, while still not up to Hollywood standards this has a greater level of technical competence than any other Troma film I can remember. As already mentioned this is surprisingly tame, apparently available in two versions of differing strength I'm not sure which one I saw but as far as gore goes there's some people shot in the head, some is attacked by a Tiger & eaten plus there's a silly blue demon monster thing at the end.This probably had a slightly bigger budget than the usual Troma & it show's, apparently this didn't get distributed in the States until 1996 some 5 years after it was initially made. Again while the acting isn't going to win any awards it's much better than in most Troma films.Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. isn't too bad a film & one if watched in the right mood provides a few decent laughs although you have to be of a certain disposition to enjoy stuff like this. Worth a watch for those twisted souls wanting something a bit different.

After being kissed by a kabuki master, Harry Griswold (police detective) transforms into the superhero Kabukiman. Harnessing his new kabuki powers, he faces corrupt businessmen, drug-dealing ministers... and must prevent the monkey from riding the jaguar.I first watched this film years (2000?) ago at my friend Jason's apartment and loved it, as I love all Troma releases. Today I watched it for the second time after picking up the DVD at Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors in Chicago 2007 from the director himself, Lloyd Kaufman. The movie was everything I remembered it being and more.The humor is cheesy and full of bad puns, the acting is decent but not Oscar-worthy, and some scenes are just not politically correct (though by far much less gross than any other Troma movie ever made). We get the first instance of the legendary car crash scene and some good fights. Heck, even the flying special effect is tolerable. Though after seeing "Puma Man" pretty much all flying scenes are tolerable.Troma is known for their anti-capitalism views, and it shows here (though more subtle than in "Troma's War" or "Terror Firmer"). I mean, the villains are a business tycoon and a reverend! This is a strength for the films, I feel, because it really helps the target audience rally around the hero. If you're watching these films and enjoying them, clearly you like independent films, which makes you a natural for being opposed to huge organizations. Or maybe it's just me.So, yes. Cheesy plot and acting. A little gore (but not too much). Some bare breasts for no good reason. It's everything you expect from Troma, though more tame and with a little more plot. You really ought to see "Toxic Avenger" first, but if you like that one, this is a great follow-up.

It's been a while since I've seen this film but I still remember that it is a good laugh. Really silly with poor acting but that's what Troma is all about. Like all Troma films it's the bad acting and stupid ott stories that make them so good. Okay some of them are just plain bad, but this definitely isn't one. The Kabuki costume looks amazing and I love the way Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD looks. The cartoon style humour is wonderfully done and this film really appeals to my sense of humour. It's even got a kick ass title song to go with it.I was over the moon when I found out there might be a sequel coming out soon. I know sequels are rarely as good as or better than the the first film and often much worse but I really hope I get to see this sequel. It's just a shame Troma films are never shown in cinemas over here. Long live Troma.A 7/10 for this film. Tempted to give it 8. Maybe I'll change my rating later on if I see the film again.