Super Inframan Review by Bobby LePire. Edited by Courtney McAllister.

 

Old school kung fu wasn’t hurting for star actors, but in terms of producing power there’s only one name that mattered- The Shaw Brothers. After setting up Movietown Studios in Hong Kong, which was the largest Chinese production studio at the time, the Shaw Brothers signed dozens and dozens of actors and directors to exclusive contracts. If you have ever seen a classic 1960s/ ’70s kung fu film, it was probably one of their productions. They were quite successful in their day, so what happens when you add some kaiju and superhero action to their winning formula? Goofy ass script, but tons of fun and cool action scenes.

 

The plot is as simple as any episode of Power Rangers:

After centuries, the fearsome dragon princess, Elzebub (Terry Liu), awakens in a dormant volcano. Professor Liu (Hsieh Wang) employs his most trusted Science Headquarters officer, Rayma (Danny Lee), to become Inframan! Using his new powers, Rayma attacks the various creatures of the dragon princess.

 

We start things with the most 1970s thing ever- a sort of laser light show/ disco inferno opening credits sequence! It is goofy as hell, and feels more like the opening to a TV show, considering this is the titular character’s origins and all. And I can’t imagine a better introduction, or summation, of the movie- quite fun, very silly (sometimes inadvertently so), and very TV showy.

 

Liu Chi-Yu, and his assistants, crafted bright, fun, eye catching and good looking costumes.  Inframan’s suit is mainly bright red, which contrasts nicely with the earthier tones of the villainess and her minions, with a silver belt, boots and gloves, and a dramatic use of black just around the eyes. It is a neat looking costume, and moves well, even if it doesn’t stray too far from the decade old sentai shows that is so clearly inspired by. The creatures all look different, with the Iron Armor monsters and the Skeleton Ghosts (yeah, it is that kind of a movie). There are times where a seam or two is visible, but this movie wasn’t made to be seen on an HDTV, so I can let that slide.

 

Hua Shan’s direction is sharp, keeping the lively pace and jubilant tone throughout. Coupled with Tadashi Nishimoto’s saturated, gorgeous cinematography, the movie is filled to the brim with eye popping colors, blinking sciencey doodads, and mystical spells. Add in the remarkable set design- Elzebub’s hideout entrance is a giant dragon skull; Science Headquarters has secret rooms, sliding panels- and the movie looks epic.

Danny Lee as Rayma is solid, giving an earnest performance, making it easy to understand why he was chosen to be this hero. It is also Lee in the suit, and his martial arts skills are pretty good, proving that he was an excellent choice of lead actor. Hsieh Wang is excellent as the stern but loving professor, and when his daughter is put in peril he seems genuinely concerned. Terry Liu is vamping it to eleven as the dragon princess, and oozes evil craziness out of every gesture. However, my favorite performance is by Lam Man Wai, as Zhu Ming- a Science Headquarters agent, captured and brainwashed by the dragon princess. He really acts as a man possessed, and comes off kind of creepy.

 

All that good just described is sullied by Kuang Ni’s entirely idiotic script! If you don’t have a tolerance for people randomly knowing things they couldn’t possible have found out- how does Rayma know of Professor Liu’s top secret BDX Project: Inframan? How come, once the cyborgazation process is finished, Inframan’s suit magically appears on him? I am serious! Once the process of becoming Inframan is over, the suit just appears on him. During his first outing, how does a mom and child know that Inframan is, well, Inframan? How does Elzebub know the exact location of the professor’s daughter? It is all quite baffling. I could ask many more questions about the plot, which is nothing but a giant wormhole, in the way it is executed. Sadly, the dialogue isn’t any better, and even though I just rewatched this the other day to take notes for this review, not a single line sticks out. The script is where a lot of the stupid fun comes into play; as a fan of bad movies, and their ilk, I just shrugged and went with it. All others, be forewarned.

 

But what makes this transcend the likes of poorly scripted, but well directed schlock are the fight scenes. Coming, in one form or another, every five-ish minutes, and being a Shaw Brothers production, the fight choreography is second to none. Inframan fighting one of the monsters, which grows to tremendous size, is a showstopper. The final boss fight is also pretty cool, utilizing all of Inframan’s powers, which makes it feel epic. But my favorite is the Plant Monster attack on Science Headquarters. The humanoid plant creature burrows underground and then uses its vines, grown to incredible size, to crash down, up, and through the building. All the scientists and security officers fruitlessly fight back, until one of them brings a mini circular saw to the party! Just crazy enough to be awesome.

 

The movie has good direction, slick cinematography, solid performances, and one helluva stupid screenplay. Get past that though and you’ll be treated to a bright, energetic superhero tale with some excellent action beats.

*Side note- For an ongoing comprehensive look at all of the Shaw Brothers movies, please visit Will Kouf’s kickass Silver Emulsion Films movie review site.