[Enchilada645]

Remember kids, Eternal didn't lose, the wind just didn't blow his way.

Anyway, yeah W Forever is likely in my Top 3 of Standalone Rider Movies. It's a solid production for the theatrical run and revisiting the Directors Cut was fun. I had seen it a nebulous amount of years ago after watching the theatrical version first, but I also remember the theatrical version better. So it was fun recognizing what scenes got extended, etc. Also like, I consider this movie peak Sakamato in regards to directing. He nails Summer Blockbuster in not only the action but also the general vibe and mood of the story. There's a lot of fun shots and stuff done here, and while he's known for a lot of other things, which are plenty present in this movie, I feel like this is a solid movie from him overall.

Can I just say I kind of adore how cold the villains plan is? The idea that they definitely looked up Team W enough to where they decide "Shroud Mommy Issues? Let's hit the heart with those" and purposely goad Philip into making a Shotaro-level mistake? *chefs kiss*

I just loved how much of a role-reversal this film got once we see Team W after their first defeat. Philip going for the Shotaro route of wanting to believe in Maria while Shotaro tries to talk sense into him was great. And that punch! Very fun to see.

I've got to talk about Skull though. Still one of my absolute favorite scenes in the franchise. Just this "ghost from the past" showing up and basically passing on his will to a downtrodden Shotaro, it's just the best.

Eternal is as cool of a villain as I remember him. Evil Kamen Riders are dime a dozen these days, so it takes a lot to really stand out. Eternal himself has a distinct look, a very reasonable and solid motivation, and just has some good lines in general (his counter line to "count up your sins" will forever be the best).

Also I think OOO has my favorite Rider Cameo when it comes to Rider Cameos. There's just something very charming and flowing about the way he enters and deals with an issue before seeing off W. I also love how beta his effects and personality are, it's such a fun indicator of what was going through productions minds at the time.

That being said it was fun to see the different client cameos from various characters. Admittedly I didn't recognize one or two, mostly when they weren't in obvious duos, but it was still fun to see them all. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't shout out the most important cameo of all.

DESUUUUUUUUU