[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O NEXT TIME: GEIZ, MAJESTY

With the future more-or-less saved ? or at least the imminent Time Apocalypse forestalled ? we?ve got a little bit of space to get into Geiz?z larger worldview, and this movie does an exceptional job of both coloring in Geiz?z hopes and dreams as his own character, and giving us the Team Zi-O camaraderie/nonsense we?ve fallen in love with. It?s the absolute perfect balance of warm nostalgia and forward-thinking character development. It?s literally the best possible continuation of Kamen Rider Zi-O.

Hmm, based on the responses in this thread, looks like I have the unpopular opinion of thinking this movie was kind of lame. I know FreshToku has an issue with it as well, but I'll let him elaborate on that. Not the worst V-Cinema I've watched though, at least it doesn't diminish or ruin anything the way Cross-Z New World did, which is one of the advantages of this movie existing in a new continuity.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It works because it?s way more fun, and I guess we can thank the King of Time version of Sougo for that. About half of this movie features the best-ever versions of our cast ? a bunch of lunatic high-schoolers ? and it?s enormously entertaining. I literally didn?t care if any superheroes ever showed up. The easy comedy of our cast isn?t dimmed by impending doom; it somehow flourishes beneath its weight. I would happily watch another season of Zi-O with this version of the cast. SWARTZ AS A TERRIFYING HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL! That is in the Top 10 of Kamen Rider ideas for all-time. I can?t believe how much better every single character is in this thing.

I do like the acting in this movie, with how much energy New Sougo has here which is the result of him having friends and not being lonely anymore. I just enjoy how Mouri's style depicts Sougo in general, as being even more Sougo. I think there's potential to tell a good story in this new continuity with these familiar yet different characters, but the biggest mistake this movie makes is trying too hard to connect these characters with their previous iterations. Like, this is supposed to be Geiz's origin story in universe, it doesn't make sense for him to unlock his extra final form on his second Henshin. Nor does it make sense for New Sougo's first Henshin to be Grand Zi-O. Our Sougo had to work to obtain those Ridewatches for that form, but New Sougo's basically playing on New Game + and it's really annoying to me!

Same goes for Geiz being told about his previous iteration who lived in an overwritten dystopian future, like that's somehow relevant anymore. This is a different Geiz! So a lot of my complaints here are similar to Hibiki's summer movie, that the emotional value of this movie depends on me caring about a character I know little about, without doing the work to establish these characters first and why I should care about them. As an introduction to this new continuity, I don't think a Geiz V-Cinema was the right way to accomplish something like that.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

So, yeah, I loved all of the cameos? After crabbing about Accel not showing up for any of the various tributes, look who offers good advice while sternly rebuking questions from teenagers sent specifically to ask him questions: It?s Terui! And AKIRA DATE, the best Birth! And KUSAKA, who I guess just heard me getting a shot off on him! And KAITO! And they?re all here to let Geiz know that it?s okay to have your destiny altered, which is (Kaito aside) the fate of all Secondaries. All these guys reminiscing about how horrible they were, before they learned to use their power for something other than their own emotional shortcomings or selfish goals. To see Geiz in the same type of lineage as Sougo did in Zi-O? pretty great use of all these guys?!

The cameos were the thing that motivated me to watch this movie. But even that was kind of a disappointment. None of them really did anything, or even said their catchphrases. Most shockingly, Geiz asked Terui a question and Terui answered it! I was at least hoping to see Kusaka Henshin once more, since the last time was in Faiz. Kaito's back as well, even though it hasn't been that long since we saw him in Zi-O's finale. He's also completely to blame for Another Diend's existence (clever use of the Diend monster suit from the World of Shinkenger though!) by being in proximity to White Woz. Kaito makes everything worse here, as usual.

Something I find humorous though is that the Geiz Majesty Ridewatch implies that Geiz is Kuuga's Secondary Rider. I guess someone had to keep the World of Kuuga safe from Unidentified Lifeforms while Yuusuke was going on adventures with Team Decade!