You know, As I slowly watch every 2000's and some early 2010's tokusatsu, I will miss them. Don't get me wrong, when I have finally caught up I definietly will go back and watch the one's I really enjoy or want to give a second chance, but that's not what I will miss. What I will miss is the fact that as a reviewer, I will only have 1 maybe 2 pieces of additional non-show content to review. Just a movie maybe a special, now a days there is probably multiple movies and specials that are canon. Unless your ultraman cause you only really have the one movie, but Kamen rider, oh man, I totally can't wait to have to put myself through everything of Revice. But enough about the future, let us talk about Kiva's movie.
During a routine extermination of a fangire, one of the legendorga's, another of the demon races alongside the wolfen, Mermen, and Fraken is free and enslaves the fangire while easily beating Megumi and Nago. Awakening of legendorga's they set out to awaken their master who is sealed within death row inmate Takashi Sugimura who fell into his body during an escape attempt back in 1986. Deciding that since this is not canon and not having to worry about completely boning the timeline, Wataru decides to return to 1986 to prevent the event as he also breaks the other rule of time travel, meeting his father.
Demon castle feels like this throwback to the first Inoue rider movie, while his later movies served as alternate endings to the show, Demon castle is more of a weird non-canon adventure. An adventure that feels mostly forgettable in what it is. While the Legendorga's do feel like a nice addition to the lore of the world and by extension the history of the world. Arc himself is a genocidal maniac and really not much else, we learn of his history but he mostly just wants to destroy and watch people suffer and sadly the other legendorga's don't get much either.
Also the movie continues to introduce things that are cool but ultimately will not matter, introducing a new organization in the form of 3WA and a rider from it that makes use of the power of the demon race, but the moment Takato showed up I immediately thought twist villain, there was no real way of getting around it, he has a history with the secondary rider, he comes in and kicks ass and knows whats going on, it would have been more shocking if he wasn't. And it ultimately is just a movie thing and we never hear of the organization again, at least with other movie only things it takes place in alternate continuity and adds to the lore since it could show up later, but that is not the case here.
It also just is a film that comes and goes, Wataru goes back in time but ultimately it is meaningless as Arc inhabiting Sugimoto's body is inevitable, and we return for the mummy zombie apocalypse. then Otoya and Yuri arrive in the future to help so its not just the present doing everything which you know would be an interesting thing of seeing how much has changed and dealing with the possibility they are not around. But it really isn't explored that as the Aso's get kidnapped as we quickly moved towards the climax, which sees fights happen that look decent, night time is fine, but it is so forgettable, Also the girl that interacted with Wataru turns out to be the daughter of the violinist who got was taken hostage by Sugimoto and Otoya gives her words about her mother and it just happens to wrap up that whole sub-plot. The whole film feels like it was something Inoue had to write out of obligation rather than some kind of story.
It has its moments like the season, but this might just be the most forgettable summer movie for rider so far, there have been worst don't get me wrong, but nothing about Demon castle screams memorable, I'll remeber Kamen Rider taisen, I'll remember OOO's 10 years and by extension Missing Ace. But Demon castle, its filler, something you will forget in a few moments.
FINAL GRADE: D-
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