Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
| Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. | |
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| Music by | Bill Mithoff |
| Cinematography | Robert Paone |
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| Distributed by | Troma Entertainment |
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105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. is a 1990 comedic superhero film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and distributed by Troma Entertainment.
The film follows Sergeant Detective Harry Griswold (Rick Gianasi), a clumsy N.Y.P.D. cop investigating a string of murders involving Kabuki actors. While attending an amateur Kabuki play, Harry witnesses thugs gun down the entire cast. In the ensuing gunfight, Harry is forcefully kissed by one of the dying actors, unknowingly becoming blessed with the powers of Kabuki. Before he knows it, Griswold finds out that he has the ability to transform into Kabukiman, a colorfully dressed slapstick superhero who has the ability to fly and access to such unique weapons as heat seeking chopsticks and fatal sushi.
With the assistance of the beautiful Lotus (Susan Byun), he helps clean up the crime-ridden streets of New York and try to stop maniacal businessman Reginald Stuart (Bill Weeden) and his Goons, who plan to fulfill an ancient evil prophecy that will summon The Evil One which demonic powers and enslave the world.
While filming The Toxic Avenger Part II in Japan, where the original Toxic had been a major hit, Kaufman and Herz were approached by Tetsu Fujimura and Masaya Nakamura of Namco to create a Kabuki-themed superhero film, supposedly based on an idea by Kaufman. Namco became a producer, giving Troma a one and a half million dollar budget to begin preproduction – the most expensive film in Troma's history.
Creative differences troubled production from the start; both Namco and Herz wanted a mainstream-accessible film geared towards children, whereas Kaufman wanted the usual Troma-esque sex and violence style. The film was eventually cut into both PG-13 and R-rated versions.
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. premiered at the American Film Institute in 1990. Although Kaufman screened Kabukiman at the Cannes Film Festival for several years, the film did not see theatrical distribution until 1996, when the PG-13 cut was exhibited.
Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it "funny in a Mad Magazine-manque sort of way". A positive review from The New York Post is prominently featured on the video package. The film was also reviewed by Siskel & Ebert. Despite giving it a thumbs down, Ebert compared it favorably to another independent film at the time, Switchblade Sisters.
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