The Super Inframan
Encyclopedia
The Super Inframan is a Hong Kong
tokusatsu
-style superhero
film produced by Shaw Brothers Studio
in 1975. Based upon the huge success of the Japan
ese tokusatsu
shows Ultraman
and Kamen Rider
in Hong Kong
, this film features the same type of "henshin
", monster/robot action and costumed derring-do, coupled with Chinese kung fu action.
This film also has some historical importance:
The film was directed by Hua Shan, written by science fiction
writer Ni Kuang
, produced by Runme Shaw
and the cinematography was by Tadashi Nishimoto (as Lan Shan Ho). There was a little help from Japan, also; Music from Ultra Seven
(1967) and Mirrorman
(1971) (both composed by Toru Fuyuki) is used here. And the Inframan/Science Headquarters/monster costumes were provided by Ekisu Productions, which had done costumes for many Toei Superhero
shows of the same period. The film also starred Danny Lee as the superhero himself, and Bruceploitation
star Bruce Le
in a supporting role (He still got to display some of his martial art skills in many scenes of the film).
The following year, Joseph Brenner brought this film to the US, and retitled it simply Infra-Man (or Inframan), upon Ultraman
s success on American
syndicated television at the time.
The film is released later in DVD
on 2004 in both Japan
and Hong Kong
.
But there is hope, the high-tech Science Headquarters, run by Professor Liu Ying De. He has at long last completed and is prepared to use the BDX Project: In the HQ's secret laboratory, he transforms Lei Ma, a high-ranking SH officer, into the bionic kung fu superhero, the Inframan! Able to perform impossible feats, as well as being equipped with death-dealing weapons, the solar-powered red & silver armored Inframan is mankind's only hope against Elzebub and her army of devils.
Once Inframan destroys the princess's various monsters, she decides to steal the professor's blueprints of Inframan in hope of discovering his weakness. Meanwhile, the professor introduces a new weapon to add to Inframan arsenal. Thunderball Fists are gloves capable of destroying any substance known to man as well as covering up Inframan's weakness. The princess decides to coerce the professor. Capturing the professor's daughter, the princess blackmails the professor into creating a Inframan for her. The professor agrees to go to Mount Devil for a meeting. When the professor refuses to make another Inframan, he and his daughter are frozen. Inframan and the science patrol decide to rescue both which leads to the climatic battle between Inframan and Princess Elzebub.
-like "henshin
" pose, and says:
His powers & attacks are (Mandarin/Cantonese):
, on his March 7, 1976 review for the Chicago Sun-Times
, gave the film two and a half stars out of four, concluding "The movie even looks good: It's a classy, slick production by the Shaw Brothers
, the Hong Kong kung fu kings. When they stop making movies like Infra-Man, a little light will go out of the world."
On April 30, 1999, after Quentin Tarantino
re-released Mighty Peking Man in North America, Ebert upgraded his rating for the film to three stars, explaining that "I find to my astonishment that I gave Infra-Man only two and a half stars when I reviewed it. That was 22 years ago, but a fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that film. I am awarding Mighty Peking Man three stars, for general goofiness and a certain level of insane genius, but I cannot in good conscience rate it higher than Infra-Man. So, in answer to those correspondents who ask if I have ever changed a rating on a movie: Yes, Infra-Man moves up to three stars."
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
-style superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
film produced by Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
in 1975. Based upon the huge success of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
shows Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
and Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, this film features the same type of "henshin
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
", monster/robot action and costumed derring-do, coupled with Chinese kung fu action.
This film also has some historical importance:
- The first superhero movie in China
- The first movie promotion in Hong Kong using a hot air balloon
- The first Shaw Brothers production using a storyboard
The film was directed by Hua Shan, written by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer Ni Kuang
Ni Kuang
Ni Kuang , also known as Ngai Hong, I Kuang or Yi Kuang, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese novelist and screenwriter, with more than 300 published wuxia and science fiction novels and more than 400 film scripts. He is the brother of another romance novelist, Yi Shu.-Life:Born Ni Chong , he grew up in...
, produced by Runme Shaw
Runme Shaw
Tan Sri Dr Runme Shaw, K.St.J was the chairman and founder of the Shaw Organisation of Singapore. Runme Shaw and his brother, Run Run Shaw , together known as the Shaw Brothers, were pioneers in the film and entertainment industry in Singapore and Malaya, and brought to life the movie industry in...
and the cinematography was by Tadashi Nishimoto (as Lan Shan Ho). There was a little help from Japan, also; Music from Ultra Seven
Ultra Seven
is tokusatsu SF TV series that aired on Japanese TV in 1967. Created by Eiji Tsuburaya, this follow up to Ultraman went on to become one of Japan's greatest fantasy TV series...
(1967) and Mirrorman
Mirrorman (TV series)
is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, Mirrorman. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Fuji TV from December 5, 1971 to November 26, 1972, with a total of 51 episodes. This was Tsuburaya Productions' first non-Ultra superhero...
(1971) (both composed by Toru Fuyuki) is used here. And the Inframan/Science Headquarters/monster costumes were provided by Ekisu Productions, which had done costumes for many Toei Superhero
Toei Superheroes
Toei Superheroes are superhero shows produced by Toei Company Ltd., which has done the biggest number of live-action tokusatsu superhero shows in Japan...
shows of the same period. The film also starred Danny Lee as the superhero himself, and Bruceploitation
Bruceploitation
Bruceploitation is a cultural phenomenon mostly seen in the 1970s after the 1973 death of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Movie makers in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan hired a great number of Bruce Lee look-alike actors to star in many cheap knock-off martial arts movies to cash in on...
star Bruce Le
Bruce Le
Bruce Le is a martial artist and actor who is known for the martial arts films he made in the 1970s and '80s...
in a supporting role (He still got to display some of his martial art skills in many scenes of the film).
The following year, Joseph Brenner brought this film to the US, and retitled it simply Infra-Man (or Inframan), upon Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
s success on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
syndicated television at the time.
The film is released later in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on 2004 in both Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
The plot
Demon Princess Elzebub plots to conquer the Earth. She destroys a few major cities in China to prove her power to a terror-stricken humanity. Returning to her lair in Inner-Earth, she awakens her army of Skeleton Ghosts and various Ice Monsters to wreak havoc on the surface.But there is hope, the high-tech Science Headquarters, run by Professor Liu Ying De. He has at long last completed and is prepared to use the BDX Project: In the HQ's secret laboratory, he transforms Lei Ma, a high-ranking SH officer, into the bionic kung fu superhero, the Inframan! Able to perform impossible feats, as well as being equipped with death-dealing weapons, the solar-powered red & silver armored Inframan is mankind's only hope against Elzebub and her army of devils.
Once Inframan destroys the princess's various monsters, she decides to steal the professor's blueprints of Inframan in hope of discovering his weakness. Meanwhile, the professor introduces a new weapon to add to Inframan arsenal. Thunderball Fists are gloves capable of destroying any substance known to man as well as covering up Inframan's weakness. The princess decides to coerce the professor. Capturing the professor's daughter, the princess blackmails the professor into creating a Inframan for her. The professor agrees to go to Mount Devil for a meeting. When the professor refuses to make another Inframan, he and his daughter are frozen. Inframan and the science patrol decide to rescue both which leads to the climatic battle between Inframan and Princess Elzebub.
The Protagonists
- Lei Ma/Inframan (雷馬/中国超人) The hero. Played by Danny Lee (as Li Hsiu Hsien)
- Professor Liu Ying De (劉英徳) Proprietor of Science Headquarters, and the inventor of the Inframan. Played by Wang Hsieh
- Mei Mei (美美) The Professor's daughter. Played by Yuen Man Chi
- Xiao Hu (小虎) Mei Mei's younger brother.
- Lin Lin (琳琳) Mei Mei's little sister.
- Zhu Qi Guang (朱啓光) The lieutenant of Science Headquarters.
- Lu Xiao Long (呂小龍) The sergeant of Science Headquarters, and a tough fighter. Played by Bruce LeBruce LeBruce Le is a martial artist and actor who is known for the martial arts films he made in the 1970s and '80s...
- Zhu Ming (祝明) The awkward member of Science Headquarters, who is captured and turned by Elzebub into an evil spy. Played by Lam Man Wai
The Antagonists
- Demon Princess Elzebub (冰河魔主) The main villainess, ruler of Inner-Earth. Armed with a whip, and can turn into a winged dragon creature. Her name is a pun on "Beelzebub". (In the US English dubbed version, she is called Princess Dragon Mom.)
- Played by Terry Lau Wai Yue
- Witch-Eye (電眼魔女) Elzebub's beautiful-but-deadly servant. Has a horned helmet and eyes on her palms that shoot green beams (hypnotic or destructive). (in the US English dubbed version, she is called She-Demon.)
- Skeleton Ghosts (白骨幽靈) The obligatory generic henchmen (cannon fodder). Dressed in black and white skeleton suits and wear horned crash helmets. They also carry staffs.
Ice Monsters (冰河怪獸)
- Fire Dragon (噴火龍) A green humanoid dragon (wearing a horned crown) that shoots fire from his mouth.
- Spider Monster (蜘蛛怪) A fat red spider creature that shoots web-bombs and acid from its mouth, and grows to giant size.
- Plant Monster (植物怪) A teal vine-like monster that plants itself into the ground and grows into giant killer vines.
- Mutant Drill (穿山怪) A horned blue mole-like monster with a drill for a hand and a shovel-like claw for another.
- Long-Haired Monster (長髮怪) A red witch-like demon with long hair and huge horns that shoot yellow beams.
- Iron Armor Monsters (鐵甲怪) Two mechanical knight-like monsters, whose heads and right-hands spring forth (with coils) to strike their enemy and retract again.
The Powers of Inframan
Lei Ma throws his arms into a Kamen RiderKamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
-like "henshin
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
" pose, and says:
- "Change! Inframan!" (變！超人) (Mandarin: "Bian! Chao Ren", Cantonese: "Bin! Chiu Yan")
His powers & attacks are (Mandarin/Cantonese):
- 噴火彈 (Pen Huo Dan/Pan Fo Daan) Erupting Bullet(s)
- The missiles stored below Inframan's ribs. He throws them like darts, and they can also thaw him out when he's frozen.
- 太陽甲 (Tai Yang Jia/Taai Yeung Gaap) Solar Armor (AKA: Sun Ja)
- The stream of light that Inframan shoots from his wrist (when crossing them together like UltramanUltramanis Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
's Spacium Light Ray).
- The stream of light that Inframan shoots from his wrist (when crossing them together like Ultraman
- 追魂腿 (Zhui Hun Tui/Jeui Wan Teui) Guided Kick (literally "Chase Soul Leg")
- Inframan's kick attack; This can also locate its targeted enemy like a guided missile.
- 能量發揮 (Neng Liang Fa Hui/Nang Leung Faat Fai) Capacity Transmission (literally "Capacity Quantity Emit Direct")
- Inframan activates his backup power source, in case of lack of solar power.
- 閃電拳 (Shan Dian Quan/Sim Din Kyun) Flashing Thunder Fists (AKA: Thunder Fists, Thunderball Fists)
- Later attachments for Inframan; Shiny black & metallic gloves that go over his regular ones. They also shoot right off his fists (to shatter its enemy) and retract again (much like Mazinger ZMazinger Z, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
's Rocket Punch). They also have the following weapons:- 死光刀 (Si Guang Dao/Sei Gwong Dou) Deadly Light Blades
- The red moon-shaped energy blades that stream from the Flashing Thunder Fists.
- 雷電光 (Lei Dian Guang/Leui Din Gwong) Thunder & Lighting Aura
- Like the Solar Armor, but more bold and powerful.
- 死光刀 (Si Guang Dao/Sei Gwong Dou) Deadly Light Blades
- Later attachments for Inframan; Shiny black & metallic gloves that go over his regular ones. They also shoot right off his fists (to shatter its enemy) and retract again (much like Mazinger Z
- Inframan also has the amazing power to grow to giant size, similar to Ultraman'sUltramanis Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
Power to change size.
Critical reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, on his March 7, 1976 review for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, gave the film two and a half stars out of four, concluding "The movie even looks good: It's a classy, slick production by the Shaw Brothers
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
, the Hong Kong kung fu kings. When they stop making movies like Infra-Man, a little light will go out of the world."
On April 30, 1999, after Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
re-released Mighty Peking Man in North America, Ebert upgraded his rating for the film to three stars, explaining that "I find to my astonishment that I gave Infra-Man only two and a half stars when I reviewed it. That was 22 years ago, but a fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that film. I am awarding Mighty Peking Man three stars, for general goofiness and a certain level of insane genius, but I cannot in good conscience rate it higher than Infra-Man. So, in answer to those correspondents who ask if I have ever changed a rating on a movie: Yes, Infra-Man moves up to three stars."