[ZeoRangerV]

Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Ghost and Drive: Movie Wars Genesis.

I've heard a lot of negativity about this movie and I can't really understand why, I honestly thought it was pretty good. The giant crossover format works CONSIDERABLY better than the old Rider 1/Rider 2/Crossover format the other movies use, and I really hope they keep it going moving forward. The Ghost and Drive casts worked wonderfully together, and it was really nice to see Ghost back when it wasn't overblown with confusing plots and powerups to see why I was so hyped for it back in the early episodes. I genuinely forgot how great the Ore and Specter suits look onscreen because it feels like I haven't seen them in forever. The fight at the end was great (really loved seeing all the side characters get in on it), and I thought the "movie exclusive" way they introduced Toucan Boost was nicely done and didn't clash too much with its proper introduction.

That isn't to say it wasn't without it flaws though, as there was a lot of weird moments. Why was Mr Belt at the temple in the first place? Why was Takeru's father's death so different to how he remembers it? What makes Zero Drive so different than Proto Drive other than "movie retool"? Where did he even get the shift car for it? Why the hell don't Takeru and Shinnosuke recognise each other despite meeting before?. The resurrection of the Roidmudes didn't make a whole lot of sense to me even though they explained it either, but I guess they had to be pulled into the film somewhere and this was the best place to do it. And for all the complaining I and other people do about Onari, he was TAME in this movie compared to Honganji's antics. That whole sequence with him and Edith was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in Kamen Rider, although I guess most of it was references that went completely over my head. The biggest shame however was probably Mr Belt being such a non-character in it, especially since his relationship with Tomari was one of Drive's best elements.

Hmm, maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought I did looking back on all those problems. Eh, I'd still take this movie over Core, Ultimatum and Sengoku any day.