[Switchblade]

So, I guess first and foremost my biggest question has to be "How the hell did IXA get an invite to the strongest Rider battle?" I mean, I know he's just paired up versus Skyrider, but it's still really weird.

I'm a bit divided on this movie. I think there are definitely some things in here that work and pay off some of Tsukasa's development from the series. There's also a lot of stuff that feels like a complete ass-pull (everyone is secretly a Showa villain!). I've never loved the idea that Tsukasa was the leader of Dai-Shocker, pre-amnesia, nor that he would immediately snap back into that mode upon regaining his memories.

I remember being really excited about the big fight at the end with all of the Riders showing up, but I will absolutely agree that it feels less special after seeing half a dozen other movies with the same suits in the same quarry fighting similar grab bags of random monsters (no Joker this time, but we did get the Orphenoch King demoted to mid-tier mook). It does rob the film of some of its uniqueness seeing it again all these years later.