Harry Griswald is a NYPD cop who is possessed with the spirit of a great Kabuki master. This has made him 'the chosen one' to do battle with 'the evil one'. He is also out to do good deeds and fight crime in the name of the law. The only problem is that a number of corrupt people in the community and their henchmen want him dead so that they can gain power when 'the evil one' come to take over the world. Sgt. Kabukiman must use his special superpowers to outsmart and out-fight the bad guys.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Another offering from the Troma stable, and it's as you would expect: dumb all the way and packed with crude vomiting jokes and the like. However, I did find this film to be a bit better than other Troma films because the idea of a Japanese superhero is quite an appealing one, and I did like the costumes, transformations, and silly sound effects of the heroic, magical crime fighter who uses deadly chop-sticks on the villains.Otherwise, it's business as usual, with a gang of moronic thugs beating people up and getting beaten up themselves; corrupt business men getting their just desserts; and lots of slapstick and pratfalls. They even include a fight between Kabukiman and a big, slimy rubbery monster at the end. Basically this film is just a comedy variation on THE TOXIC AVENGER, except done in a lighter, less gruesome way. Saying that, the usual ingredients are all there, so this isn't a film for kids. Worth a look just for its curiosity value and the sheer offbeat and crazy nature of it, and because it's a bit funnier and more aware than rubbish that Troma distributed like CHOPPER CHICKS IN ZOMBIETOWN.
I bought this flick after hearing, good, bad, and something in the middle. I thought it was pretty fun and had a few hilarious scenes. Kabukiman is one of my favorite superheros now, he is better than superman, batman, spiderman, and so on. JUst not as good as the Toxic Avenger. The main problem with this film is it lacks the gore and nudity Troma is famously known for, but it works for this movie for the most part. It is more of a "family" troma flick if that is possible. It still has some blood and some nudity (if you watch the UNRATED director's cut) but not as much as say...Terror Firmer. Not near as much. It has a scene of Troma's famous barfing however. Overall a fun film and definitely worth a watch. Recommended!
This movie is not a cinematic masterpiece, but when you rent a Trauma movie it's generally common knowledge you're not getting "Godfather". Lloyd Kaufman has never claimed to be Coppila, and Troma has never claimed to produce art."Sgt. Kabukiman" is a true 'B' movie. It's poorly written, holds no great truth about the human condition, the fights seem staged, but it succeeds.How?It succeeds because it KNOWS it's a 'B' film, and not for one frame of celluloid does it take itself serious. We laugh at the characters because they are exaggerations of stereotypes.Not to say there isn't some social commentary. I'd mention them, but I figure anyone who watches a Troma film looking for a profound statement about society shouldn't be watching a Troma film in the first place.In the end, this movie is what you'd expect from Troma; a laugh with side helpings of sex and violence.7/10
If you like Troma's kind of silly, off beat, absurd humor then I'm quite sure you'll really enjoy a whole lot of scenes in this flick as well. There are lots of cartoonish, hilarious characters all of which have been acted out with confidence and conviction.The story... well there's this American cop in NY who finds out he can get supernatural powers by changing into the Kabukiman, a kind of Japanese Samurai dude with lots of makeup. Our hero uses his new found powers to beat the crap out of some local small time crooks in various entertaining ways, but it turns out he really owns his powers to the fact that he was chosen to fight the Evil One, who is about to take over the world. He is reluctant to accept this responsibility at first, but a Japanese chick kicks some sense into him and then goes on to teach him how to use his new found skills properly.>