Kamen Rider The First

is a Japanese superhero tokusatsu film that serves as a modern re-imagination of Kamen Rider. In the film, Takeshi Hongo must fight back against an organization who has deemed him a traitor. 
The catchphrase of the movie is 
A sequel, Kamen Rider The Next, was released in 2007. Another reboot film named Shin Kamen Rider was released in May 2023. 
==Production==
The film was produced by Ishinomori Productions and Toei, who have also produced every previous television series and film in the Kamen Rider franchise.
==Plot==
College student Takeshi Hongo is abducted into the terrorist organization Shocker (Sacred Hegemony Of Cycle Kindred Evolutional Realm), at the hands of a Cyborg Inhumanoid known as the Bat. There, he undergoes painful reconstructive surgery, turning him into an Inhumanoid himself. Unlike the original series, he does not escape prior to mental conditioning by Shocker, and becomes one of their soldiers, nicknamed "Hopper". He carries out a mission successfully, and meets Shocker's major agents, including Dr. Shinigami. Hongo receives his orders— Kill those who have seen Shocker's Inhumanoid soldiers. However, what he doesn't realise is that the two witnesses are the journalist who had interviewed him prior to his kidnapping, Asuka Midorikawa and her fiancé Katsuhiko Yano. Attacking the two along with Shocker Combatman Spider, it is here that Hongo remembers his humanity, and has an epiphany with regards to what he should do. Despite his efforts, Katsuhiko is killed by Spider, and Asuka finds Hongo next to the body. Blaming him for Katsuhiko's death, she begins to follow him, attempting to ascertain why whom she thought was a normal college student is a murderer.
Meanwhile, at Shocker headquarters, it is revealed that those who undergo Shocker's treatment need periodic blood transfusions, lest they reject their cybernetic components. Though Hongo seems to lack the need for the transfusions, he is labeled a "traitor" by Shocker and must be destroyed. It is here that Dr. Shinigami reveals his plan to create a second soldier based on Hopper's design to do the job. Hongo, having now abandoned Shocker, visits Tobee Tachibana, who gives him his motorcycle, the Cyclone. He is then able to defeat Spider. Asuka meets Hayato Ichimonji, who is identical to her fiancé, whom she thought was dead. He reveals that "Katsuhiko Yano" was an alias. What he doesn't tell Asuka is that he had been kidnapped by Shocker and turned into the 2nd Hopper. His mission: defeat Hongo at any cost.
The film also features a , interspersed throughout. It involves two terminally ill hospital patients, who get a chance to live after an offer by Shocker. The couple is taken to Shocker's island base, where they laugh and play under the watchful eye of Shocker's sinister bird logo. It is only then that it is revealed that this part of the film has been a flashback, taking place around a year ago. The two had underwent the reconfiguration and surfaced in the current story as Shocker Combatmen Cobra and Snake, who branded Ichimonji a traitor for failing Shocker by putting his feelings for Asuka first.
Ultimately, the Riders team up after Bat attempts to kidnap Asuka and turn her into an Inhumanoid, which enrages Ichimonji enough to cause him to turn on his former masters. They defeat Shocker's three cyborg soldiers at their island base, but other major agents have survived, and they're already in the process of fashioning of a new base of operations while plotting a new scheme to eliminate the Riders. While the two newly-christened Kamen Rider will destroy Shocker for good, once and for all.
==Characters==
===Kamen Riders===
Kamen Rider 1	Takeshi Hongo
Kamen Rider 2	Hayato Ichimonji
===Villains===
*Spider
*Bat
*Shocker Combatmen
*Haruhiko Mitamura
*Miyoko Harada
*Youth
*Lady
*Elderly Gentleman
*Great Leader
==Differences between film and television==
There are many differences between the film and the original series; Some of these, however, are due to a closer reliance on the original Kamen Rider manga by Shotaro Ishinomori.
*The movie takes place in 2005, while the original series is set in 1971.
*The movie has a great deal of elements from the original television series that spread across from the beginning to end, although several of these conflict with the film's timing. Takeshi Hongo originally had to ride his motorcycle at high speeds to power his Typhoon belt and transform into his Rider form while Ichimonji Hayato was able to power the Typhoon by arm movements. Although Hongo was able to do the same eventually, the movie version can do it from the beginning.
*The Riders' "transformation" movement is also different from the actual series. In the series, Hongo and Ichimonji perform a series of stylish hand-waving, then jump into the air to complete the transformation. The hand movements are implemented later in the movie, as battle poses before their confrontation with the Bat, but have no connection to their transformation. In this movie, they simply open up their leather jackets (or polo shirt, in one of Ichimonji's cases), revealing the Typhoon Belt (and their body armor), then snap on their helmets and faceplates on their heads to transform.
*Dr. Shinigami appears from the very beginning of the movie, although in the original series, he appeared after the defeat of Colonel Zol, the first Shocker general.
*The character of Ichimonji Hayato was completely rewritten. In the television series, Ichimonji was a photographer who was kidnapped to become Shocker's new Kamen Rider, although he was rescued by Takeshi Hongo before he could be brainwashed; the two were allies from the beginning. In the film, Ichimonji was originally Katsuhiko Yano, the lover of Asuka Midorikawa. Katsuhiko was killed by Spider, and Hongo/Hopper was framed for it. Katsuhiko's corpse was recovered and turned into a cyborg similar to Hongo. His brain was altered to believe he was a man named Ichimonji Hayato in competition for Asuka's affection. Ichimonji originally served as Hongo's enemy, and later a hesitant ally. He disappears at the end of the movie, leaving his helmet on the road.
*Asuka Midorikawa shares the same last name as one of Hongo's professors who had worked for Shocker, Professor Midorikawa. In the original series, it is Professor Midorikawa who saves Hongo before he can be subjected to brain surgery by providing the distraction to allow Hongo to escape, only to ultimately be murdered by the Spider. Asuka also shares a similarity with Professor Midorikawa's daughter, Ruriko; both had witnessed the death of their respected loved ones (Professor Midorikawa for Ruriko, who was her father, and Katsuhiko Yano for Asuka, who was her fiancé) with their own eyes and originally thought that Hongo was to blame for it. Then both of them ultimately found out the truth and forgave Hongo.
*Many other characters like Professor Midorikawa, Kazuya Taki and other Shocker monsters (Scorpion Man, Sarracenian, Mantis Man, Shinigami Chameleon and Wasp Woman) does not appeared in the film.
==Other media==
===Manga===
#
==Cast==
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : Hideyo Amamoto's appearance in the film is only through various pieces of footage recorded before his death in 2003, including several from the original Kamen Rider series.
** Shocker Staff: Elderly Gentleman (Dr. Shinigami, voice): 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
* : 
===Suit Actors===
* The Hopper 1 (Kamen Rider 1): 
* The Hopper 2 (Kamen Rider 2): 
* The Spider: 
* The Bat: 
* The Cobra: 
* The Snake: 
==Music==
The film's theme song is "Bright! our Future" by DA PUMP, though the opening features a small portion of the original Kamen Rider theme song, "Let's Go!! Rider Kick", sung by Masato Shimon.
==Release==
*The film was released theatrically on November 5, 2005, though it had several early screenings around Tokyo during the previous two months, beginning on October 23, at the Tokyo Film Festival. It was released on Region 2 DVD on April 21, 2006. American Anime distributor Media Blasters released the film subtitled-only on Region 1 DVD on April 3, 2007.
*The film was released in Hong Kong on May 25, 2006, available in both Japanese language with Cantonese subtitles and Cantonese dub.
*The film was able to release in China's Mainland by internet video on-demand service Tencent Video started on December 30, 2021 under the title Kamen Rider The First Chapter. 
TheFirstPosterHD.jpg|Japanese Theatrical poster
KR_The_First_HK_Poster.jpg|Hong Kong poster
KR-TheFirstChapter.jpg|Mainland China poster
==Notes==
*Although Takeshi appears in Kamen Rider Kabuto, this is simply a cameo and does not imply interconnectivity between the world established in this film and the main continuity where the series' take place. 
*Like both of its 20th anniversary counterparts (Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue and Kamen Rider ZO), this film was labeled as a 35th anniversary event, but despite this, the franchise was actually in its 34th year in 2005. The real 35th anniversary was on April 3, 2006. However, as the movie premiered before April 3, 2006, it was a pre-anniversary event and after its release, it still technically counted as a 35th anniversary project.
*The film is dedicated to Hideyo Amamoto, who portrayed Dr. Shinigami in the original series and the Shocker Staff: Elderly Gentleman in this film, though he is not credited.
==External links==
*Official Kamen Rider The First website.
* at 
*Kamen Rider The First at Japanese Wikipedia
*Paul "Igadevil" Sullivan, Kamen Rider The First review.
*Theatrical Trailer at the Toei Movie Youtube Channel (Japanese)
==See also==
*Kamen Rider The Next - the 2007 sequel of this film and the reboot film of Kamen Rider V3.
*Shin Kamen Rider - the 2023 reboot of the original Kamen Rider series.
==Navigation==
Category:Kamen Rider The First
Category:Kamen Rider
Category:Kamen Rider Series
Category:Heisei era
Category:Kamen Rider Movies
Category:Standalone Movies