KineticSeoul This is a generic superhero movie that takes place in japan with Japanese background. It just didn't pull any surprises or anything memorable that stuck. In fact the direction is pretty narrow with Japanese culture and entertainment in it. Basically a guy going from zero to hero and the only thing that is basically unique is that the hero uses zebra as his symbol when fighting crime. And the part of how it shows you how it came about. Another thing I found unique is how the main character Shin'ichi Ichikawa(Sho Aikawa) is a superhero wannabe. And plays hero with a costume on at his own home, which most do during their childhood except this is a grown adult. He is also a family man, but not one that the family look up to. So yeah besides the awkward feel of the movie when it comes to a superhero flick, there really isn't anything all that special about this movie. Like what some reviewers are claiming, this is like a spoof of the superhero genre. The villains in this is also disappointing and hardly memorable at all. Intentional or not they just came off as just goofy and not all that intimidating. Plus the pacing get slower as the movie progresses and the suspense it slightly has dies and just becomes silly. This isn't a terrible movie though, and I wasn't super bored while watching this but also wasn't really excited or engaged in what was going on.5.5/10

Joseph Sylvers Great for the first hour and 20, but needed some serious editing.A normal family man and school teacher, who is despised by his family, enjoys one thing in his free time. Putting on his specially made Zebraman suit, to celebrate the brief canceled TV-show of the same name he watched as a child. When not being insulted by students, strangers, family, and friends, our hero likes to wear the suit in his bedroom alone and practice his super movies, which is all oddly endearing and funny enough, until townspeople begin showing signs of possession by a mysterious, possibly alien force. Stranger still, it all already happened in the Zebraman TV show, in the 70's. Our school teacher finds himself putting on the suit and attempting to fight crime, failing in spectacular comic fashion at first, before going into "Kung Fu Hustle" overdrive.The aliens themselves resemble Flubber, except when their possessing innocent people and forcing them to commit crimes for some reason. What begins as a dark comedy about hero-worship, becomes a feel-good over the top find the hero within action comedy.The problem is it's just too long, it's charming and unique, but the charm just doesn't hold past an hour and a half. One of Miikes more accessible movies, but still chalk full of the absurd images and surreal humor fans have come to expect. Good watching for Miike fans, and those interested in the lighter side of super-heroes and nostalgia, others stay away. Recommend | add comment

MisterWhiplash Zebraman is at its best when Takashi Miike kicks back and lets his mania go at its most fun. This isn't your typical ultra-violent or taboo smashing fare from the director; if anything, it's Miike at his most playful- if you can call a man in a zebra costume fighting little green men from outer space in Power Rangers style as playful- and actually hearkens to his mode of nostalgia that happens in his work, that the characters have for past events that have shaped them, or let them slip by. Sho Aikawa, in his funniest performance in a Miike movie, plays a man who is hapless school-teacher by day, and Zebraman by night. He's inspired by a TV show from when he was a kid (which in turn was inspired by real programs like these in the 70s), and to see flashbacks to this show, with Zebraman fighting a crab man and other nefarious figures, is unequivocally hilarious, and exciting in the same way that Power Rangers could be in the cheesiest ways possible as a kid. There's also government agents tracking down alien presences, of which there are many, a secretive principle at the school, and most importantly the teacher's good friend, a 3rd grade student bound to a wheelchair, who is also a huge zebraman fan, and who's interest is heightened when seeing his hero out and about in the city streets at night.The first half of Zebraman, needless to say, is vintage Miike, and save for the one government agent who has his own crab problem (and not from a man in a costume, which is hysterical in its own right) and a couple of curse words could be appealing to some youth round the world. What Miike has in mind as a kid's movie, however, is also greatly accessible to adults, and to see both the scenes of the 'present-day' (err, 2010) Zebraman fighting against his opponents, saying his moves before doing them, as well as the usual lot of scenes where Miike just lets the camera stay still on the characters in an interesting position as some development goes on, is to see a filmmaker at the peak of his own powers. Although it starts to a lag a little in the second half- I didn't care too much for the conspiracy let out about the principle and the script and the whole flying thing, albeit the end result of zebraman learning to fly is a truly mouth-gaping moment- Miike doesn't let up for the wildness that comes out of the climax, and how Aikawa, probably taking a bit of a cue from his DOA days, is all game for whatever comes next, even if it means literally turning into a flying zebra! There's little-to-huge visual gags (Zebraman falling out of a tree, the alien-possessed kids going ape over a guy and his eggplant stand, simply watching the suit tear up on the first tries to just put the suit on, the first battles), and little dumb gags as well, but they all build up. It really provides a level of enjoyment that can be equated with the wackiest superhero adventures of childhood, and with a level of innocence to the proceedings, while also a good bet for avid fans of the director. You want something a little more 'different' from this madman of Japanese cinema, here you go.

Alexander Bizarski I'm a huge fan of Miike's work and I think he made this movie to mock at his usual audience. He knew one would think "wow, that sure will be some twisted interesting film" so he made the most-cliché movie ever instead of that. That's the thing I like about Miike, he always changes and surprises his fans. If we start with the vision - the movie has some interesting stuff shot. That's a plus for it. Even though the budget had been low, the work is done nice here. Except for the ALIENS - What the hell?! They reminded me of The Flabbers! The music sucked like a hooker. At one time I almost threw up. The plot is the worst part of the film. I almost fell asleep till the end. So stupid, so predictable... And where did all the super powers come to that loser teacher? We see him normal and after a second he has all the super punches and kicks and he even teaches himself to fly?!? And that handicapped kid and his mother. One would think that Zebraman is a pedophile, and then other would think that he cheats on his wife with the cripple's mother. The whole movie is pathetic. I wish I never watched it. I think even my dumb-ass brother who likes Virtual Rangers wouldn't like this Zebraman movie!