Absurd. That’s really the only way to describe Karate-Robo Zaborgar, the latest film from Sushi Typhoon.
You might know them as the guys behind such shlock-fests as Alien Vs Ninja and Mutant Girls Squad, and now they’re back with their take on the tokusatsu tv shows Japan churned out in the 1970s. Even if you’re not familiar with the term tokusatsu you know the style, kiddie shows that features cheesy superheores duking it out with giant monsters and robots. In other words, Power Rangers.
Former porn director Noboru Iguchi (Machine Girl) has updated the style with his- what’s the word? Unique?- brand of humor, which hinges on blood and guts and scantily clad women. Here is a film that features a robot girl in a football outfit who has bitey dinosaur heads emerge from her breasts. It’s a film whose hero has a Thai-boxing robot that can transform into a motorcycle. It’s a film whose climactic battles takes place on the gigantic breasts of a cyborg that’s ravaging Tokyo.
It’s done up just like a tv show, with episode breaks and everything. But the absolute best part of all? It’s actually an official adaptation of a real Japanese show called Denjin Zaborgar.
That’s right. For some reason the producers of the tv show thought that a company that’s currently enjoying worldwide fame for their disturbing, sexual flicks would be the people to update their beloved children’s show. And good for them, because they were right!
Who is this film for? Well, it’s fan-service, obviously. But unlike those of us here in the States, who have seen all their shitty beloved childhood properties brought back as shitty shows for their own children (you see that Thundercats remake that’s on the way?), Sushi Typhoon has wisely updated the material to include all the fun stuff that the original was missing… like the aforementioned sex, blood and guts.
It’s actually the mildest of the Sushi Typhoon movies as far as violence, and a bit of a love story at that. Of course, it’s a love story between an aged police officer and an ageless cyborg who wants to destroy the government, but it’s sweet.
The story is really as simple as that. Police officer Yutaka Daimon is pretty well known for his “secret” weapon Zaborgar, a robot with kung fu knowledge and all kinds of firearms that can transform into a motorcycle on command. The handy robot was actually the property of Daimon’s father, a man who raised his twins sons single-handedly and accidentally killed Yutaka’s brother when he fed him his male breast milk. Despite this Yutaka loved his father and was incensed when the evil corporation Sigma had a hand in his death.
Years later Yutaka is offered a chance at revenge when the police force tasks him with taking down Sigma, who is currently stealing all of Japan’s leaders to harvest their DNA. His battles lead him into conflict with one Ms. Borg, a cyborg who’s fighting for Sigma with her rocket launcher breasts (these guys love to see things pop out of women’s chests). The unlikely duo fall in love and Daimon loses everything- his job, his robot, his metallic poon.
Cut to 25 years later, where Sigma has finally achieved its goal and is about to unleash a giant robot on the world, unless Daimon can stop it.
You know what to expect from these guys now and your enjoyment of the film completely depends on how silly you like your films. It’s utterly bizarre but has more heart than you’d expect. (You will believe a robot can cry.) Sushi Typhoon has certainly crafted an experience unlike any other, sure to please fans of the genre.
Rating: 
Out of a Possible 5 Stars