Gunhed (1989)

Before Albert Band bought "Robot Jox" and made two crappy sequels, before "Nemesis" and its crappy sequels, before Albert Pyun started making movies, before anybody thought they could rip off the industrial hell look of "Blade Runner", Toho (the guys who gave us Godzilla) made this little epic about giant transformable robots, computers running islands, and actors who would never appear in anything other than direct-to-video junk. I agree with everybody that the plot mechanics don't work and that there are too many set-up scenes in the beginning, but that wasn't what this movie was about. It was about showing off the model making techniques and robot concepts that we would later see in crud like the "Power Rangers" TV shows, and a demonstration that you could make a live-action version of the "Robotech" show if you had to.I caught this one on the SciFi channel at midinight (where it's either show this or old "Dark Shadows" episodes)and from the first minute I knew it was going to be one of those wannabe cyberpunk efforts that still plague S/F movies. The plot is rather simple: there was a war between people and robots centering around the small fictional Pacific island 8JO, and humanity won. However the supercomputer controlling the robots was never shut down, instead it has come up with a plan to turn the entire island into a reactor powered with the miracle substance Texmexium. Texmexium, which has nothing to do with Tejano music, does whatever the plot requires, besides being a more powerful source of nuclear energy. The computer has been doing this for over thirty years, when a band of scavengers fly in on a jet that is half B-17 bomber, half typical anime spacecraft. It seems that the war ruined industry and high tech doodads are worth alot, which is why they're there. Like in "Mission Impossible", most of the salvage team is killed off pretty quickly, leaving only the carrot-munching Japanese guy they call "Brooklyn", and this female Japanese cyborg who is later transformed into a robot under the supercomputer's control. As with most movies of this kind, the hero runs across another character (in this case an American woman) who knows about the computer's plan, and with two pointless children they repair one of the sentient giant transformable robots (the "Gunhed" of the title) and try to stop the computer because it will be able to control the world or blow it up if its plan works. Or something like that. What kills "Ganheddo" is that all these semi-interesing robots and set designs are tied to a creaky plot whose details don't add up. If you can find it, see "Robokill under Discoclub Layla" instead; while totaly implausible, at least that plot worked.

SPOILER!! Saw this on Sci-Fi Channel as Gunhed. And, even though it is Japanese, I saw it "translated" into English; still makes no sense. I've nothing against mindless fluff films, but even check your brain in at the door movies go SOMEWHERE. This picture had me saying outloud "What's the point?!" multiple times.It starts off with a decent enough premise. In the near future, technology is worth more than gold, so, a group of scavengers are trying to loot an industrial complex on an old island for any left over tech. However, this island is home to a vast computer that had tried to wage war on man some years earlier, and, it's still active. But, any semblence to sense at that point disappears.In short order, most of the scavengers are killed off in one sitting, leaving only one man and woman. They soon discover a female commando, apparently part of a previously briefly discussed conflict against this computer. They also discover a girl and apparently someone named 11. They eventually find some sort of control room with a vat of green goo and some sort of data crystal. The surviving female scavenger somehow falls into the goo and becomes physically absorbed into a robot whose only function is to roam around the movie and occassionally harass the cast. People get separated by the robot, who takes the data crystal and stabs it through its hand. Okay... from there, we cut to the one remaining free main cast member and the girl who find the remains of a Gunhed, apparently a form of artifically intelligent tank.They get it working in time to discover the computer has to cycle its energy supply soon, which will basically turn the complex into a nuclear reactor. So, in their attempt to escape, somehow the girl reaches apparatus to drop various bombs all over the place which destroys part of "the city." They escape this and try to find some chemical coolant to stop the reactor process. They have 10 minutes to do this, but, this 10 minutes stretches out over 30 minutes of the film. Meanwhile, 11's mouth starts glowing orange and she locks up the female commando to go to the green goo room and meet the robot. The commando escapes and follows 11 while Gunhed takes on a defense robot called Aerobot. While Gunhed keeps Aerobot busy, our male hero sneaks by and discovers everyone else in the green goo room. The female absorbed into the green goo robot still has a hand grenade with her, so, she detonates it, destroying the robot. The female commando gives our male hero the data crystal, or whatever it is. It could even be the TexMexium, a weird metal that lets computers mentally control humans, as briefly described in the film's opening text. Out of nowhere, a 10 second self destruct sequence activates. Now, remember, the 10 minutes we had before the reactor started was NEVER resolved, and, now, we have this self destruct to deal with. Gunhed activates its rockets and crashes into a wall, promptly stating, "I can only hold off the self destruct sequence for 15 minutes this way." HOW?! Crashing into a wall will delay a 10 second destruct sequence somehow by 15 minutes? With the counter delayed at 3, our remaining cast escapes the island. This 15 minutes go by in under 1 minute of film time. A mystery plane escapes the island before it explodes. It receives a transmission from the Gunhed that the Gunhed batallion completed its mission. THE END I dare ANYONE to try and make any sense out of that... The effects by Toho are quite fine, especially by late 80's standards, and even foreshadow the trend the Godzilla pictures would later take on. Reminded me most of Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991). But, while giant robot movies don't require a tighlty intricate script to work, they must STILL possess the barest modicum of logic. Gunhed, the movie, must have fallen into that same vat of green goo mentioned earlier this the review. In the end, a waste of 90 odd minutes.

This movie is pure fun. Ok....so it may be a bit cheesy at times, and maybe some of the plot curves make little sense, but who cares? It is still a decent cyberpunk movie to be watched. My friends and I love this movie and anyone with a little desire to have fun should too. See it. You may love it, you may regret it, but at least you gave it a chance.

Gunhed is by no means an Oscar contender, but if you are a fan of Japanese Fantasy Films, or even a sci-fi fan, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy it. Though the plot may be a bit convoluted at times, I find that after multiple watchings (at least twice) a lot more makes sense. What you can't make out of the plot, ignore it and watch the action sequences! A lot goes on with this movie, and it's some of the better "giant robot/machine" technology I have ever seen. I would like to address a few complaints I've heard/read regarding the film:1. "It makes no sense!"- Remember, this is one of those sci-fi, neo-future, cyberpunk, check your brain at the door films. They can write their own history of technology.2. "It wasn't anime!"- No, though the film was released through ADVFilms, which mostly produce Japanese Animation, they have obtained the rights to distribute some live-action Japanese films. If you didn't like Gunhed because it wasn't anime, or you only want to see anime, then you may also want to stay away from ADV's copies of Destroy All Monsters, and the Daimajin Trilogy.3. "They should have used CGI!"- Keep in mind, this movie was made in 1989. Even the Americans weren't using much CGI back then!Like I said, enjoy this movie for what it is!