| Kamen Rider Kabuto the Movie: God Speed Love | |||||
| Native Name: |
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| Director: | Hidenori Ishida | ||||
| Music: | Kuniaki Haishima | ||||
| Cinematography: | Masao Inokuma | ||||
| Editing: | Naoki Osada | ||||
| Studio: | Toei | ||||
| Distributor: | Toei Co. Ltd | ||||
| Country: | Japan | ||||
| Language: | Japanese | ||||
| Budget: | $6,000,000 | ||||
is the theatrical film adaptation of the Kamen Rider Kabuto TV series directed by Hidenori Ishida and written by Shōji Yonemura. Unlike previous Kamen Rider movies, its serves a prologue of sorts to the TV series rather than following its storyline. The movie shows a previous timeline where the close relations between Riders (Kuuga to Hibiki) did not exist and the impact of the first meteor evaporated all of Earth's oceans. Seven years after the meteor hit Earth, ZECT pretends to use a passing comet to refill the Earth's oceans, while in fact they are pulling another meteor to crash on Earth, one large enough to wipeout all of humanity.
The film was produced by Ishimori Productions and Toei, the producers of all the previous television series and films in the Kamen Rider franchise. Following the tradition of all Heisei Kamen Rider movies, it is a double bill with 2006's Super Sentai movie, GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: "The Greatest Precious". Upon its release, the movie was the second highest selling family movie of the week coming in at 4th place.[1] A Director's Cut version of the movie was released on May 2007.
In 1999, an enormous meteor crashed onto Earth and caused a global calamity that depleted the planet's waters. Furthermore, the meteor carried extraterrestrial creatures known as the Worms who proceeded to kill humans and assume their identities. In order to counter this new threat, ZECT was formed, who in turn created the Masked Rider System to combat the Worms. The battles lasts over seven years, depleting Earth's resources and turning it into a barren wasteland. By present time, power struggles in ZECT have caused Hidenori Oda to establish a splinter group called Neo-ZECT with Daisuke Kazama and Shura Hokuto to fight against ZECT's authority. A mysterious youth named Souji Tendou arrives to the city and decides to sell his power to either Neo-ZECT or ZECT for his own personal agenda.
At the same time, ZECT has obtained intelligence about a large comet orbiting the vicinity of space. By building the Jacob's Ladder space station, they plan to capture this comet and spread its water throughout Earth, replenishing the Earth’s oceans. The space station includes a function that works in conjunction with the Rider System's Clock Up function. Tendou joins Neo-ZECT after telling Kagami that he will act as a double agent and report back what Neo-ZECT is currently planning while destroying the organization from the inside. Tendou, in turns, updates Neo-ZECT about ZECT's operation, effectively manipulating both groups while getting intel on ZECT's golden rider.
When Neo-ZECT's plan to take over the Jacob's Ladder is initiated, both groups’ true colors come to light. Tendou and Oda proceed to Jacob's Ladder while Shura and Daisuke act as a diversion. Daisuke transforms into Kamen Rider Drake and exploded a few gas tanks in order to gain attention. But The plan failed when Shura betrayed them, and Daisuke realizes it's a trap and ZECT already knows about their attack. Tendou and Oda are greeted by Yaguruma Sou and ZECTroopers, while Daisuke dies facing Shura and her troops. Meanwhile, Tendou and Oda are attempting to fight off Yaguruma. Oda tells Tendou to hurry ahead to the space station, and he will hold Yaguruma and his troops back. Yaguruma transformed into Kamen Rider TheBee before being killed by Oda as Kamen Rider Hercus. Tendou arrived on Jacob's Ladder first and is confronted by Tetsuki Yamato - Kamen Rider Ketaros. Kabuto's fight with Ketaros ends when they both fall off the space station due a shockwave caused by the comet being shattered by meteor that was dragged in by the Clock Up function. Kabuto survives by using the Kabuto Extender for a safe landing while Ketaros dies upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and Oda is killed by the mysterious golden rider Kamen Rider Caucasus.
Tendou and Kagami later receive news that Hiyori is on the point of dying due to the exposure to the meteor dust years ago and it is then that Tendou reveals he is Hiyori's brother. Holding the wedding ceremony in a hospital, Hiyori dies soon afterwards. At this point, despite being told that precautions to destroy the meteor will be executed, Shura learns that ZECT's higher ups have sided with the Worms and intend to have the meteor fall. Mortally wounded from an attempt to silence her, Shura lived long enough to call Tendou of the turn of events as he and Kagami take it on as their mission to save humanity from this disaster. Kabuto and Gattack reach the shuttle in time and meet Caucasus, who explains to them that the meteor is carried hibernating Worms. Furthermore, explaining he defends only those who deserve to be the superior form of life, and that missiles within the shuttle will be used to decimate the human population to enable the Worms' infiltration.
The majority of the battle is in Caucasus' favor due to the speed provided to him by the Hyper Zector: The item that Tendou was searching for the entire time. Caucasus was about to kill Kabuto with a Rider Kick when Gattack intercepts the attack, badly wounding himself while allowing Kabuto to take the Hyper Zector from Caucasus and force him out through the air-lock. Kabuto places the injured Kagami into an escape pod to send him to Earth, unaware that Caucasus is holding on Kagami's escape pod and intends to punch a hole into the window to kill the man for his interference. Kabuto luckily uses the Hyper Zector to become Hyper Kabuto and uses Hyper Clock Up to intercept Caucacus before he succeeded and Hyper Kicked him into the space shuttle, destroying him and the vessel.
Hyper Kabuto then uses the Hyper Zecter to send the second meteor back in time by seven years and force it to crash into the first meteor. The result is that only a small fragment of the original meteor hits Shibuya, minimizing the damage and erasing the future in which the Earth's oceans are dried up. But shockwave caused by the two meteors crashing knocks Tendou towards Shibuya, finding his past self in the same situation as in the previous timeline. But Tendou, in his final moments of existence, gives his belt to the younger Tendou to give the boy strength to save Hiyori. With the disastrous future erased, Tendou disappears as his younger self grows up and lives a better life in the new timeline.
See main article: List of Kamen Rider Kabuto characters.
Notes: the Riders appearing exclusively within the movie do not have a Masked Form and all transform using the . Each Rider shares a similar finisher known as Rider Beat, which involves rotating the Zecter backwards. In addition, the Riders appear to have been customized versions of Kabuto's Rider Form.
Transforms using the power of the gold Kabutech Zecter, the Caucasus Zecter. His power easily exceeds the power of all the other Riders.
Used by Issei Kurosaki, this Zecter allows the wearer to transform into Kamen Rider Caucasus. His design is based on an Atlas beetle, which is also called a "Caucasus beetle". His finishing attack, Rider Beat, is used to initiate a tachyon-charged Rider Punch or Rider Kick.
Installed onto the right arm, this is the transformation tool used for the Kabutech Zecters. The Caucasus Zecter flies onto the Brace and automatically shifts into a vertical position, starting the transformation.
Installed onto the left waist buckle of the Rider Belt, this Zecter features the Hyper Clock Up function and the Maximum Rider Power function. Hyper Clock Up allows the Rider to freely control time, and Maximum Rider Power brings the power of the Masked Rider System to the highest possible level. It is used to initiate the Rider Punch or Rider Kick attack. On a side note, while Kabuto activates Hyper Clock Up by slapping the button on the Hyper Zecter, Caucasus uses it by slapping the right waist-pad instead. It appears that Caucasus cannot access the Hyper Zecter's full potential, however, as evidenced by his lack of a proper Hyper Form and the weaker power of his Hyper Clock Up (while Kabuto can time travel with Hyper Clock Up, Caucasus merely uses it as a stronger version of the normal Clock Up).
Transforms using the power of the silver Kabutech Zecter, the Hercus Zecter. He uses the ZECT Kunai Gun (Gun and Ax modes), and is skilled in long range combat.
Used by Hidenari Oda, this Zecter allows the wearer to transform into Kamen Rider Hercus. His design is based on a Hercules beetle. His finishing attack, Rider Beat, infuses stored tachyon particles into the ZECT Kunai Gun, allowing him to perform a stronger variation of the Avalanche Break.
Installed onto the right arm, this is the transformation tool used for the Kabutech Zecters. The Hercus Zecter flies onto the Rider Brace landing sideways, and the user must turn it vertical to initiate the transformation.
Before defecting to Neo-ZECT, this weapon was developed by ZECT for Kamen Rider Hercus. Similar to the Kabuto Kunai Gun, this Kunai Gun only features a Gun and Ax Mode, though it can be infused with the power of Rider Beat.
Transforms using the power of the bronze Kabutech Zecter, the Ketaros Zecter. He uses the ZECT Kunai Gun (Kunai mode) and is skilled in close-range, speed-based combat.
Used by Tetsuki Yamato, this Zecter allows the wearer to transform into Ketaros. His design is based on a Centaurus beetle. His finishing attack, Rider Beat, infuses stored tachyon particles become into the ZECT Kunai Gun in order to perform a stronger variation of the Avalanche Slash.
Installed onto the right arm, this is the transformation tool used for the Kabutech Zecters. The Ketaros Zecter flies onto the Rider Brace landing sideways, and the user must turn it vertical to initiate the transformation.
Developed by ZECT for Kamen Rider Ketaros, this Kunai Gun bears similarities to the Kabuto Kunai Gun. However, it only has a Kunai Mode, though its power can be infused with the Rider Beat.
General foot soldiers used by ZECT, these troopers use the Machine Blade Gun and wear padded, insect-like armor. They act as law enforcers after the crash of the Shibuya Meteorite.
Foot soldiers created by Neo-ZECT, these soldiers act as the cannon fodder for Neo-ZECT's assaults. The armor is silver with blue lines. The Neo-Troopers are armed with shield units and Machine Blade Guns which have seals on them.
Next-Worms are Worms that are only shown within the movie, although they visually resemble the Native Worms seen on the TV series. They arrived on the meteorite that struck the Earth in 1999, and have one objective, which is to conquer humanity. Although massive amounts of Worms are seen at the beginning of the movie, only one evolved Worm, Culex Worm, appears for a fight scene, which is destroyed by Kabuto's Rider Kick, while more evolved Worms are killed in larger numbers by Kabuto and Gatack in Clock Up at the end of the movie.