Directed by Kurando Mitsutake (Maniac Driver, Karate Kill and Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf) Lion-Girl is a 2023 sci-fi/superhero/ action movie based on characters created by manga legend Go Nagai, of Devilman and Mazinger Z fame. The film, which was largely shot in LA and partly funded by iconic Japanese studio Tohei stars Tori Griffith (Wake Up, Glass Darkly and the upcoming Bau, Artist at War) in the title role, Derek Mears (Swamp Thing, Alita: Battle Angel and the Friday the 13th remake) as Kaisei Kishi, David Sakurai (Fantastic Beasts, Man in the High Castle and Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series) and Damian Toofeek Raven (Chadwick Journals, Dexter and Zane’s Sex Chronicles)

Set somewhere in the not-too-distant future, Lion-Girl tells the story of an Earth plagued by mysterious meteorites that contain radiation that will either kill or mutate humans into a monster called the Anoroc, who hunt humans for their life force. On top of this, most of the planet has sunk beneath the sea and Tokyo remains the only land mass still above water. Meanwhile, the evil Fujinaga Shogunate has taken control of what remains of human society, inflicting pain and suffering upon the weakest. Humanity’s only defender against the Anoroc and the Fujinaga shogunate is the mysterious Lion-Girl, a masked superhero with mad martial arts skills.

At first glance, the film appears to be little more than a poor excuse to revel in the nudity of the cast. They seem to be stripped naked at every possible opportunity; Tori Griffiths clothes even manage to disappear in the middle of a fight sequence. The special effects are atrocious, with some of the worst CGI I’ve seen in a long time, and the script and cast are wooden, however beyond all that is wrong with it, there is something quite likeable about it. This cheap and cheerful B-movie has a violent shlocky camp that means you can enjoy it, despite all of its many faults. The plot (or rather what exists of one) is utterly bonkers, and the whole thing plays out like some bizarre acid-drenched mix of Russ Meyer, Takashi Miike and the Power Rangers. 

The new Blu-ray from Cleopatra Entertainment features a good print of the movie as well as some pretty cool bonus materials, specifically the interview with Go Nagai and the director’s commentary, as well as a making-of featurette and footage from the Hollywood premiere including a Q&A with the director and cast. 

In this day and age where superhero movies are ten a penny and the genre seems to have played itself out, Lion-Girl stands alone as a bizarre, twisted take on the genre that despite its many flaws remains far more entertaining than much of the overproduced fare Marvel and DC have been inflicting upon us of late. I’ll take this over the second Black Panther movie or Madame Web any day of the week.