I find out for this movie through one of my favorite bands, Front Line Assembly and their music video for the song "Mindphaser" which used many shots from the Ganheddo (1989). After many years i got an opportunity to finally watch Gunhed and i don't know what to say, on one side i am glad that i finally watched it, on another side i am hugely dissapointed, i didn't expect a lot but it can be better. I am big fan of Science fiction and also love Japanese cinema so i was thinking that this can maybe be hidden unknown gem, but no, it is bad directed, the plot is total mess, bad acting, i must say that i watched English dubbed version, i heard that Japanese original version is a lot better but sadly didn't had an opportunity. The scenery and action scenes are interesting, the movie has dark gritty atmosphere and i love the effects used for mecha machines, they used small models, there is no computer effects or cgi which is a good thing. I think that movie would be better if not all of the company of tech marauders has been killed in the beginning and yes those children living on an island are so annoying and yes big plus Brenda Bakke is so sexy in this movie. My grade 4.5/10.
16 Reviews
"Gunhed" is more cultural artifact than good film
seannyb25 September 2023
I came to this film after a viral tweet expressed how Final Fantasy VII, Armored Core and Metal Gear owed a debt of gratitude to this film's imagery. I can easily imagine an impressionable teen or 20-something seeing this and later creating concept art for any of those game series; the resemblance is sometimes uncanny.
A story about tech scavengers entering the dormant 500-floor megafortress of a Skynet-like rogue AI is an obvious product of its time; one part Stalker, one part The Terminator, and existing in a continuum of otaku "mecha" media & techno-action video games.
The fortress is a chemical plant hellscape; the Death Star but without its austere cleanliness. Tangles of pipes stretch endlessly into the dark horizon strewn with wreckage from a decade-past humans-vs-robots showdown. Nightmarish "bioroids" lurk in the shadows as the scavengers rummage for lost technology.
Gunhed's particular horror revels in Japanese industrialization gone amok with its labyrinthine steel superstructures, putting it on a similar wavelength to "Patlabor: The Movie" and Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" and "The Order to Stop Construction". Its sometimes sublime imagery recalls the foggy and colorful sci-fi noir of Ridley Scott films and "Aliens". It could be a cultural touchstone for some, but it's very much a product of its time and wears its influences on its sleeve.
When the rogue AI's apocalyptic plans are revealed, their only hope is to repair the titular "gunhed", a giant, bipedal, transforming tank accompanied by a witty computer personality. Gunhed delivers the goods in terms of miniature-based visual effects. Whether good or bad, it often charms. A scene where the gunhed tank aggressively fords a pool of chemicals while fending off automated defenses is impressive; fire and waves and sparks filling the screen. I would love to see the filming of that battle.
Unfortunately, much of the storytelling is conventionally poor, visual or otherwise. Sometimes it's hard to tell what characters are doing, or what's happening to them. The dialog, with its blend of spoken English and Japanese, is 1980s style-over-substance; charmingly dated and poorly acted. It's only engaging as an artifact of its era, rather than a functionally good movie. If you're looking for cultural artifact to study, then Gunhed is interesting. Otherwise I'd skip it.
Patlabor: The Movie is an extremely similar but significantly better film in almost every respect: depth, writing, visual storytelling, and comprehensible action choreography. Like Gunhed it's about characters who enter a labyrinthine superstructure full of mecha gone amok in order to avert a Japanese industrial robo-pocalypse. Proving my point about the zeitgeist, it released at nearly the same time as Gunhed.
A story about tech scavengers entering the dormant 500-floor megafortress of a Skynet-like rogue AI is an obvious product of its time; one part Stalker, one part The Terminator, and existing in a continuum of otaku "mecha" media & techno-action video games.
The fortress is a chemical plant hellscape; the Death Star but without its austere cleanliness. Tangles of pipes stretch endlessly into the dark horizon strewn with wreckage from a decade-past humans-vs-robots showdown. Nightmarish "bioroids" lurk in the shadows as the scavengers rummage for lost technology.
Gunhed's particular horror revels in Japanese industrialization gone amok with its labyrinthine steel superstructures, putting it on a similar wavelength to "Patlabor: The Movie" and Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" and "The Order to Stop Construction". Its sometimes sublime imagery recalls the foggy and colorful sci-fi noir of Ridley Scott films and "Aliens". It could be a cultural touchstone for some, but it's very much a product of its time and wears its influences on its sleeve.
When the rogue AI's apocalyptic plans are revealed, their only hope is to repair the titular "gunhed", a giant, bipedal, transforming tank accompanied by a witty computer personality. Gunhed delivers the goods in terms of miniature-based visual effects. Whether good or bad, it often charms. A scene where the gunhed tank aggressively fords a pool of chemicals while fending off automated defenses is impressive; fire and waves and sparks filling the screen. I would love to see the filming of that battle.
Unfortunately, much of the storytelling is conventionally poor, visual or otherwise. Sometimes it's hard to tell what characters are doing, or what's happening to them. The dialog, with its blend of spoken English and Japanese, is 1980s style-over-substance; charmingly dated and poorly acted. It's only engaging as an artifact of its era, rather than a functionally good movie. If you're looking for cultural artifact to study, then Gunhed is interesting. Otherwise I'd skip it.
Patlabor: The Movie is an extremely similar but significantly better film in almost every respect: depth, writing, visual storytelling, and comprehensible action choreography. Like Gunhed it's about characters who enter a labyrinthine superstructure full of mecha gone amok in order to avert a Japanese industrial robo-pocalypse. Proving my point about the zeitgeist, it released at nearly the same time as Gunhed.
Dark-Vague-yet thumbs up!
klolson546 November 2002
I saw this movie, listed as "Gunhed" on Sci-Fi channel and complained often about how difficult it was to make out what was happening because the film is dark and has a green lighting to it retro-reminiscent, of Matrix. Also the cuts and scene transitions are seemingly random including some dotted dissolves early on which just don't work. So I was surprised at myself to want to check it out on DVD to view on my RP wide screen TV. I fully intend to. I love atmosphere heavy films and this is nothing if not that. It has a nice texture, good action and a remarkably good blending of mecho-maniac gadgetry and robotic "acting", without CGI. Some modern directors will not use CGI except for things which literally could not exist w/o such imagi-creation and this film deserves credit for doing so well w/o CGI.
Cyber-punk?... Decidedly! Plot?... yes, pretty much... well... some techno-scavengers dare an island, the smoking site of a robo-rebellion (since put-down) find a female soldier type person. One thief, the woman and some latter discovered child refugees struggle against a still surviving cyber-ruler program.
I couldn't sell this movie at gun point by describing it, but I still like it and believe viewing it will win over many who risk it. Just for reference, the first movie I ever bought was Blade Runner.
Cyber-punk?... Decidedly! Plot?... yes, pretty much... well... some techno-scavengers dare an island, the smoking site of a robo-rebellion (since put-down) find a female soldier type person. One thief, the woman and some latter discovered child refugees struggle against a still surviving cyber-ruler program.
I couldn't sell this movie at gun point by describing it, but I still like it and believe viewing it will win over many who risk it. Just for reference, the first movie I ever bought was Blade Runner.
Watch the music video Mindphaser by Frontline Assembly instead of this
Maciste_Brother14 December 2006
When I saw the amazing music video Mindphaser by industrial rockers Frontline Assembly, I was curious to see from which film the clips were taken from. You see, Frontline Assembly got a hold of the rights for using images from GUNHED and edited together one amazing six minutes long music video which has become one of my favorites music videos ever. So it was only normal to see the film from which the clips were taken from.
Well, bad idea.
The movie sucks so bad that I should have been just happy with the music video. In fact, if you're reading this and never seen Mindphaser, go to Youtube and look for it. It's the whole movie condensed into 6 minutes, without the bad acting (and actors), bad pacing and well, bad everything. Mindphaser is a masterpiece of editing and music, which GUNHED is most definitely not.
Well, bad idea.
The movie sucks so bad that I should have been just happy with the music video. In fact, if you're reading this and never seen Mindphaser, go to Youtube and look for it. It's the whole movie condensed into 6 minutes, without the bad acting (and actors), bad pacing and well, bad everything. Mindphaser is a masterpiece of editing and music, which GUNHED is most definitely not.
This movie sucks!
lfdewolfe27 August 2020
This movie has a total of 5.5 on here and that's too high, WAY too high! Most everything in this movie sucks, the acting is really bad like when that one guy says "sushi sloppers." Like, what does that even mean? The editing is awful, SO awful, half the time I can't even tell what's going on. The kid actors in this movie are really annoying, all the both of them do is complain and say stupid stuff. The only thing slighty redemamble about this movie is the miniatures but that's it. Avoid this movie at all costs!
Painfully bad
GenFX20 April 2004
I saw this at a science fiction convention back in 1990. A friend of mine had been talking up this film for some time and I fell for the hype. The dialogue was bad, the pacing worse. The Japanese seem to have a monopoly on giant robot action, too bad it appears not to apply to live action. I wish I had brought a book to read...or more beer. I would not have been bored out of my mind or simply to blitzed to care.
It was so bad I simply walked out after a while...even half drunk this was not a good movie. There are inumerable examples of better giant mecha action to be found from Japan (Gundam, Patlabor, Gasaraki, etc.). Rent those.
Luckily a good example of Japanese film making was starting (Akira) in an ajoining room.
It was so bad I simply walked out after a while...even half drunk this was not a good movie. There are inumerable examples of better giant mecha action to be found from Japan (Gundam, Patlabor, Gasaraki, etc.). Rent those.
Luckily a good example of Japanese film making was starting (Akira) in an ajoining room.
I like it. No, really, I do.
Curtis G.2 February 2001
I saw GANHEDDO (aka GUNHED) back in 1989 when it opened in Okinawa City, Okinawa. I had seen a write-up in NEWTYPE magazine and I just had to see this "giant robot" movie. Some buddies and I went on a quest to find it, and I was thrilled that we made the effort. I've seen the Japanese version of GANHEDDO numerous times, and I have to admit that I still don't understand the logic of Khyron's scheme to take over the world. I don't get why Seven's mouth glows, or why she needs to stand over the vial of Texmexium when the clock runs out. But that's okay. GANHEDDO satisfied my urge to see a kick-butt big robot movie. That half the dialogue was in English with Japanese "side-titles" was a bonus.
It's not a perfect movie by any means. And the horrendous dub job done for ADV's American video release just makes it worse. (For example: in the video, Brooklyn mutters "G** d*** f** you" to Sgt. Nim. In the original, he mutters silently. Was the nonsensical cursing necessary?) Still, the miniatures are impressive and Brenda Bakke's futuristic Lauren Bacall impression is enjoyable. My advice: seek out the LD or original Japanese DVD, and avoid any of ADV's versions.
It's not a perfect movie by any means. And the horrendous dub job done for ADV's American video release just makes it worse. (For example: in the video, Brooklyn mutters "G** d*** f** you" to Sgt. Nim. In the original, he mutters silently. Was the nonsensical cursing necessary?) Still, the miniatures are impressive and Brenda Bakke's futuristic Lauren Bacall impression is enjoyable. My advice: seek out the LD or original Japanese DVD, and avoid any of ADV's versions.
Tragedy On Course
DavyDissonance20 June 2019
If you can surpass some of the crappiest acting in human history, the annoying brat that makes retarded noises, some questionable editing, disjointed story, slightly sluggish pacing and embarrassingly painful dialogue Gunhed is a pretty good movie. What make this movie stand out is its impressive set design, costumes, action and effects and does make up for the aforementioned flaws. But in the long run, I could only really recommend this movie to people who are fanatical cyberpunk enthusiasts because this movie is a train wreck. I hate kids.
Enjoy it for what it is!
atc7 July 1999
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!
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!
It's a big mess but I love it
euroasiangenetic28 October 2018
Despite the director of this movie callled himself the infamous nickname Allan Smithee and despite the setting is dark, is very entertaining Japanese 80s cyberpunk action movie style of James Cameroon at that time.
After the big war with humans against machinese on an island, old computer scrap is valuable as gold. A group of scrap hunters (with names that begins with B) discover the old island and land to find some scrap metal. But after they discover two kids and one female ranger and the good machine Gunhed. When the other machines come alive they have to work together to survive.
Despite its mostly dark scenes, it's very exciting and entertaining, the acting is pretty good, and the foreign actors in this movie is also pretty good. And if you have seen terminator 1 and 2 this one is a good treat.
After the big war with humans against machinese on an island, old computer scrap is valuable as gold. A group of scrap hunters (with names that begins with B) discover the old island and land to find some scrap metal. But after they discover two kids and one female ranger and the good machine Gunhed. When the other machines come alive they have to work together to survive.
Despite its mostly dark scenes, it's very exciting and entertaining, the acting is pretty good, and the foreign actors in this movie is also pretty good. And if you have seen terminator 1 and 2 this one is a good treat.
Inventive and Fun
Cacus720 August 2004
Ganheddo was produced by the same Japanese studio which brought us Godzilla, and it shows... but in a good way. Where many, higher-budgeted films of the time were moving to computer-generated effects, Toho stuck with scale models and stop-animation, giving this movie a gritty look not often found in films of similar provenance.
Though the plot is difficult to keep up with at times, it is still enjoyable, made especially the more so by the character of Seven. This movie will be a godsend for fans of the Mechwarrior/vertical tank type stories. The plot revolves around a group of scavengers who happen across a defunct lair controlled by machines, cyborgs, and their master, a central computer. The scavengers are after a rare power source which fuels the complex. Having detected their presence, the computer counts down to self destruct. Matters are complicated when one of the crew becomes incorporated into the machine's consciousness.
Good cinematography, decent acting, and a fantastic story all contribute to this film's warrants. It's too bad that CGI has taken the forefront -- I think modern filmmakers could learn a lesson from this one.
Though the plot is difficult to keep up with at times, it is still enjoyable, made especially the more so by the character of Seven. This movie will be a godsend for fans of the Mechwarrior/vertical tank type stories. The plot revolves around a group of scavengers who happen across a defunct lair controlled by machines, cyborgs, and their master, a central computer. The scavengers are after a rare power source which fuels the complex. Having detected their presence, the computer counts down to self destruct. Matters are complicated when one of the crew becomes incorporated into the machine's consciousness.
Good cinematography, decent acting, and a fantastic story all contribute to this film's warrants. It's too bad that CGI has taken the forefront -- I think modern filmmakers could learn a lesson from this one.
Not much in the plot department but pretty cool
HPeep21 April 2002
Incredible special effects make this movie worthwhile. For a movie made from Toho it has special effects worthy of an Oscar in 1989. The Japanese version is the one you should watch because it has better dialouge and it isn't dubbed. Visually intriguing but not a very competent plot. Rated R for some strong violence, blood, and profanity. Grade: B+
entertaining
OptikMatrix13 July 2001
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.
Literal nonsense
Dr Wily20 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
The flick that started it all... (SPOILERS!)
zardoz1223 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
Total, utter, mind-stultefyingly awful waste of 97 minutes.
Zootie-328 May 1999
This film is abysmal.
Maybe it's lost something in the translation. Perhaps it's just plain rubbish.
I bought this video because I thought it was Manga Anime. Unfortunately it's the most unbelievably poorly acted euro-nippon trash I've ever seen. It's actually so bad I've had to watch it about four times to try and work out what the plot is. I still don't think it has one.
Why anybody would seriously want to watch this is beyond me.
Maybe it's lost something in the translation. Perhaps it's just plain rubbish.
I bought this video because I thought it was Manga Anime. Unfortunately it's the most unbelievably poorly acted euro-nippon trash I've ever seen. It's actually so bad I've had to watch it about four times to try and work out what the plot is. I still don't think it has one.
Why anybody would seriously want to watch this is beyond me.
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