Film

Kamen Rider #1

Name: Kamen Rider #1
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Drama
Released: 2016
Cast: Hiroshi Fujioka, Shun Nishime, Ryosuke Yamamoto, Ren Osugi, Nao Nagasawa

A 2016 film that reunites the original Kamen Rider from 1971 with the then-current Ghost iteration, blending nostalgia with contemporary tokusatsu spectacle. It's a love letter to four decades of the franchise—operatic, earnest, packed with fights and transformation sequences—made for people who've grown up alongside these heroes and newcomers curious about why they matter.

TMDb rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love tokusatsu's pulpy, earnest heroics and enjoy seeing a legendary 1970s hero share the screen with a newer generation, with a fan's affection for both.

Skip it if you need a tight, self-contained story; this crossover leans on decades of series continuity, so newcomers may feel they walked in mid-conversation.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a brisk hour and a half of talk, costume, and fight, with the playful earnestness of a long-running franchise rather than a slow, brooding character study.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Kamen Rider Ghost2015

The direct prequel series. Takeru's character arc, his struggle with mortality and identity, and his bond with his Eyecons will deepen everything about his presence in this film. Essential context that makes the team-up land harder.

But 49 episodes is a real commitment, and tokusatsu television pacing won't suit everyone. Some arcs drag, and the early CGI hasn't aged gracefully.

Kamen Rider: THE FIRST2005

A gritty reimagining of the 1971 origin story that modernizes Hongo's cybernetic horror and Shocker's threat level. Shows how the original myth can be rebuilt for adult audiences without losing its core power.

But Darker and slower than modern tokusatsu films. If you want non-stop action, this focuses too much on dread and psychological toll.

Kamen Rider Kuuga Super Secret Video: Kuuga vs. the Strong Monster Go-Jiino-Da2000

The series that revived Kamen Rider in the 2000s after a long absence. Kuuga's proto-detective noir tone and grounded monster-of-the-week structure influenced everything that followed, including how Ghost approaches its narrative.

But Only 49 episodes but feels long in places. Early 2000s suit design and effects will look cheap if you're used to current tokusatsu production values.

Kamen Rider Kuuga Super Secret Video: Kuuga vs. the Strong Monster Go-Jiino-Da poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kamen Rider #1

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance1972

Both trace a line from classical martial honor through modern violence, asking whether the body that fights for justice can ever be clean again.

A samurai film from the same era that birthed Kamen Rider, made with the same philosophical weight about duty, violence, and legacy. Gorgeously composed and genuinely brutal, it shows what tokusatsu inherited from jidaigeki tradition.

But Extreme violence including against children. Slow, painterly, more art film than action picture. Tonally grave where Kamen Rider is operatic.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance poster

Shin Godzilla2016

Made the same year as Kamen Rider #1, this film shares that same Japanese tokusatsu DNA—men in suits, practical effects, bureaucratic horror meeting physical spectacle. A masterclass in how that language still works when you trust it.

But Political procedural drama rather than action film. Godzilla barely appears until the final act, which frustrates people wanting monster combat.

Pacific Rim2013

A love letter to tokusatsu made by someone who grew up watching these films. Giant robots, practical effects philosophy, earnest emotional stakes. Shows how the visual language translates to Hollywood scale.

But More interested in spectacle than character. The script is thin and the romance undercooked.