After a sound defeat and the only family you have left being taken prisoner, Ken decided to go for a nice drive in the country out to his brother's lab. You'd think he'd be out looking for his brother, or trying to find out where the Iron Alliance's hidden base is so he mount a rescue. Course, he might be in line to inherit all his brother's stuff now that he is gone. So maybe he's not that broken up about it. Whatever the case he's at the lab now. OK!
As he enters he hears the sound of equipment running, which it shouldn't be. So he rushes into the lab. What does he find inside? His brother! Wow, that y himself? Cause that's impressive if the answer is yes. Apparently the robot was built for Ken to use. No idea why. It's like he knew that the robots would be stolen. And if he did why not just prevent them from being stolen in the first place. eh.
The duo enter the robot in the foot and ride a hotel elevator up to the head. And I mean that literally. It's a hotel elevator. One of those nice glass ones that let's you look out over the city, or some massive lobby. They just used that. What makes it so sad is that they shot it from the outside, so it's clearly not in the confined space of a robot's leg. There is even sun reflections on the glass. *Sigh*
When they reach the top we see a control rooms full of buttons, and knobs, and switches. Oh my! The control room is in the left eye of Red Baron, which I would think would really affect Red Baron's depth perception. Anyway, Ken is like super stoked about this. Everything is just amazing to him. So of course when he is about to have a joygasim knowing he going to drive a giant robot and smash things, his brother has to be all Captain Buzzkill and pick this time to tell him that the Iron Alliance has killed the rest of their family. Way to kill the mood man.
While Ken is trying to deal with this devastating news, Ken's brother commands him to put his hands on his yoke. Do what with the what now? Oh...Red Baron's control yoke. Oh, good. I was worried there for a moment. Apparently the yoke will memorize his fingerprints to make sure that only Ken will be able to pilot Red Baron. After Ken places his hands on the yoke, the giant robot moves backwards towards a tunnel that leads to the surface and Red Baron breaks out to the surface. This footage will be used over and over again throughout the whole series to show Red Baron launching from base. It may even be reversed to show him returning at some point.
Ken decides to takes the Red Baron for a test spin. Somehow Ken's brother has somehow got out Red Baron's cockpit. He must of did it when Ken changed cloths, because he is now wearing his S.S.I. Cowboy outfit. So Ken goes stomping around his brother's yard, no doubt ruining the flowers in the process, and just as he's about to get hang of it they hear the sounds of rockets. Wouldn't you know know it Troy Robot has decided to make visit. Looks like it's time for some good old robot fist to cuffs!
So we get ready to fight. Ken yells to his brother asking him what he is suppose to do, but before he can answer Troy Robot knocks Red Baron the hell out. I mean one punch and he goes down. Never thought Red Baron would have a glass jaw, but there you go. Ken's brother tells him to pull the main lever to auto. I'm sure this means the robot will then do everything for it's self. Makes you wonder why we need Ken at all doesn't it? I guess so he can pull the Fight Lever. That's right, there is a fight lever. With fight lever on, Red Baron starts to kick ass.
Seeing as he is now going to be bested in a fair fight, Troy Robot brings out his spinning drill of death and starts trying to aerate Red Baron. Ken blocks most of the attacks, but a few find home and bounce of Red Baron's armor. After a few seconds of this, Ken's decides he has had enough of this and activated BARON PUNCH! Which is just him launching his fists at the bad guy. This seems to be standard equipment on all giant robots from Japan, since they all seem to be able to do it. After taking a set of giant metal fists to the chest, Troy Robot comes up with yet another plan and starts blasting away at Red Baron with laser from it's head. Red Baron is getting totally roasted now.
Back at S.S.I. headquarters the alarm goes off. Minoru Daigo, who everyone just calls Boss so we will too, is there to hear it and goes to a secret door and places his hand on it. A blue light comes over him for a moment and the door open and he steps into what can only be a 40 somethings bachelor pad circa 1973. It looks like the place your creepy uncle would take way to young girls too, to try to get into their pants. Lucky for us it doesn't stay this way, it soon changes over like the Spider-Friends rec room into a super secret spy H.Q. No only that, but Boss plays his piano in order to control the various items around the room.
After changing H.Q. from creepy shag pad to useful command center, he calls the other members of S.S.I. and directs them to Ken's location. Of course Mari jumps into her yellow S.S.I. sports car and as soon as she does a large phallic like gun extends from the roof. Only in Japan. Meanwhile Tetsuya also answer the call in his kick ass jeep. B.I. and Daisaku also rush to the scene. B.I. on his bicycle, of course, and Daisaku on his killer motorcycle. Of course Daisaku has to point out how much fast his bike is then B.I. cycle, much to B.I. annoyance as he screams "I'm vexed!" No, he really said that. I'm vexed.
At the giant robot fight, Ken decides the best way to avoid Troy Robot is to take to the air. Of course his fiendish foe has an answer for that and his head disconnects from his body and gives chase. So now Red Baron is taking laser blasts right up the old poop shoot, from a flying head. It's getting real embarrassing. Something must be done. I think it's time for BARON BARRIER!
You know, I don't know how he knows all these attacks. He didn't know where the fight lever was, but somehow knows every single special move that that this this giant robot is packing. However he learned it, the Baron Barrier is just Red Baron spinning in a circle real fast and that deflects laser blast back at Troy Robot knocking him from the sky. And I'm sure it took hours to scrap Ken's vomit off the walls after this little move.
On the ground the members of S.S.I have arrived just in time to be surrounded by Robotic Henchmen. There is one flaw in the Henchmen's plan though. All the S.S.I guys are in the motor vehicles, while they are on foot. So of course S.S.I. proceeds to just run the bad guys down with their cars. At least Tetsuya decides this is an unfair advantage and jumps from his Jeep to kick ass the old fashioned way. Daisaku on the other hand is completely content to just keep putting robotic body parts under the wheelt and his head disconnects from his body and gives chase. So now Red Baron is taking laser blasts right up the old poop shoot, from a flying head. It's getting real embarrassing. Something must be done. I think it's time for BARON BARRIER!
You know, I don't know how he knows all these attacks. He didn't know where the fight lever was, but somehow knows every single special move that that this this giant robot is packing. However he learned it, the Baron Barrier is just Red Baron spinning in a circle real fast and that deflects laser blast back at Troy Robot knocking him from the sky. And I'm sure it took hours to scrap Ken's vomit off the walls after this little move.
On the ground the members of S.S.I have arrived just in time to be surrounded by Robotic Henchmen. There is one flaw in the Henchmen's plan though. All the S.S.I guys are in the motor vehicles, while they are on foot. So of course S.S.I. proceeds to just run the bad guys down with their cars. At least Tetsuya decides this is an unfair advantage and jumps from his Jeep to kick ass the old fashioned way. Daisaku on the other hand is completely content to just keep putting robotic body parts under the wheel of his totally awesome bike. B.I. just not arrives and begins slashing and cutting up the baddies with this bike pump sword.
At the real fight, Red Baron is now beating the living crap out of Troy Robot. With a few devastating punches R.B. knocks him down for the count. Not happy with just putting his foe to the canvas, Red Baron picks Troy Robot up and throws him through the air. This turns out to be a big mistake. Instead of landing hundreds of feet away on top of some small poor fishing village with a satisfying crunch, Troy Robot's legs come off his body in mid air and form a giant boomerang. The body hovers a short distance away while the legs spin wildly at Big Red here, and somehow making the ground around him explode into sparks. Red Baron is totally getting fire bombed to death now.
In comes Ken's brother to saves the day. He notes that the main body is controlling the legs and tells Ken to attack the body with Elec-Trigger. Ken does as he is told and two huge guns appear on Red Baron's head and shoot massive bolts of electricity at Troy Robot, who explodes in a blaze of foam rubber glory. The same fate awaits the legs as another beam of super heated plasma arcs out to destroy them as well. Troy Robot is defeated, much to the joy of our heroes.
We now cut back to Prof. Deviler. He is disappointed in the loss, but commands Ken's brother to bring Red Baron to them. Uhhhhhhh...wouldn't that have been easier to do from the start? Like before he showed his brother how to use Red Baron and did the whole fingerprint thing, and it trashed the other super robot that must have cost billions to build? I mean that would have been boring, but it would have at least been logical.
Ken's Brother's mind control implants begin to do their work to try to force him to bring Red Baron too them, but despite the pain he is able to throw off their evil control. He is told that if he disobeys it will mean death, but he still refuses.
Ken discovers his brother in a heap on ground and runs to him demanding to know what is wrong. His brother tells him to take care of Red Baron, and not to let the the Iron Alliance defeat him. He then cuts the bandage from his neck to reveal the cutest little choker you ever saw. Now I think chokers are really sexy on the ladies, but like capri pants and thong underwear are not something men should venture into. Course he is rocking it pretty hard. I guess I'd have to see him a thong to see if he could change my mind about that too...*Cough* Any-hoo...
Ken's brother tells him that he has become a human slave to the Iron Alliance. And then...and then I must have missed something. I mean there has to be a scene missing here. We go from that to Ken running through the field yelling for his brother. When he finally does find him, he's being crucified not unlike Arnie in the Conan movie. Only without the all the vulture throat tearing out with his teeth stuff. How Ken's brother got like this we will never know as they never show it. All we know is that it has happened.
As Ken rushes up to save his brother, Iron Alliance Robot Henchmen appear and try to hold him back, but he fights his way through them trying to gain the top of the hill and save his brother. Not only that, but another evil giant robot appears called Big Bison. He has huge spinning horns on either side of his head, so I'm guessing that's where he got his name. Anyway, as Ken rushes forward the light on his brother's choker begins to blink faster and faster which seems to cause him more, and more pain until...
The episode ends. That's right folks it's a cliffhanger. If we want to find out what happens to Ken and his brother we have to tune in to the next episode.
Overall, Super Robot: Red Baron seems to be a fun trip through the 1970's before shows like this became real common place and before Power Ranger hit big in America. It's nice little campy slice of cheese pie from the Land of the Rising Sun and does make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the kinda thing you put on Saturday afternoon when it's too hot to go outside, or on snow day from school and just sit back and enjoy not having to think for a half hour or so.
It gets a 2 on the Cheese-O-Meter. It's actually really fun to watch and it's cheesiness is in that really good absurd way that makes it so much fun.
Anyway I still haven't decided what the next blog entry will be about, but I do plan to review more episodes of show in the future, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. So I'll see you next time, on the front line.
-Matt.
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