TYPE OF REVIEW 
: GOOD OL’ REVIEW
Minor spoilers.
It is an interesting experience for me going into Kamen Rider Geats × Revice: Movie Battle Royale seeing as how I don’t particularly care for either season involved in this movie. Or I ended up being very disappointed in both seasons by their ends. But since it’s actually a Movie War and not some random TTFC special, I will of course watch it.
And it’s a solid movie that focuses more on the strengths of the two seasons rather than their weaknesses. Thankfully.
Geats x Revice begins with the Igarashis on vacation at an onsen with the newest member of the family, baby Koshiro. A year after the family came together (with their demons) to defeat Gifu, Ikki still has no memory of Vice. And it continues to lay a heavy and nagging burden on him.
But the family’s happy vacation is suddenly marred by an attack by aliens wanting to harness Gifu’s power from Koshiro’s demon. The attack forces Ikki to face his hazy past and have the Igarashi family and friends chase after the aliens. They end up meeting Ukiyo Ace and friends after they find themselves in their own strange situation. The Desire Grand Prix has become the Desire Royale, headed by the mysterious Game Master Colus. And the Igarashis and DGP aces must work together to win the game and eliminate the threat. All while having to face some veteran Riders along the way too.
From the requisite pairings between heroes of the two seasons to the explosive finale battle extravaganza, Geats x Revice is quite action-heavy. And those sequences certainly keep things moving at a brisk pace. The film’s quieter moments cut into those big scenes. Though the film’s premise is pretty simple and doesn’t necessarily require much experience with either season’s storylines. In that sense, the film is pretty accessible for the audience, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with Revice or Geats.
On the Revice side, the film thankfully focuses on what is the season’s relatively strongest aspect. And that’s the idea of family. Though the series stumbled with truly developing the eventual endgame between Ikki and Vice and the idea of demons being part of the family, the film centers its main plot around the Igarashis. And it draws upon their decades of struggles, pains and joys to drive the emotions needed for the film’s story.
Aside from the family aspect, the heart of the film is Ikki and Vice’s relationship. Again, a storyline whose wheels fell off in the second half of the season. But with just enough depth and even some short-term nostalgia, their reunion in this film feels unexpectedly well-earned.
As is usually the case, the more recent of the two seasons participating in the Movie War plays a supporting role. And that’s very much the case here as the Geats crew essentially help to set the stage for the main event which is the Igarashis fighting for their family. Plus some special appearances to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kamen Rider Ryuki.
With this film supposed be placed between Episodes 15 and 16 of Geats, there’s not much from Ace, Keiwa, Michinaga, Neon and Tsumuri other than the early basics of their dynamic and even the early details of the DGP. So technically, we’re seeing them before the season gets a bit too crazy and off the wall. And in that case, we’re seeing Geats when it was still full of hope and potential!
Overall, Kamen Rider Geats × Revice: Movie Battle Royale may not be one of the more memorable Kamen Rider crossovers. But it is a perfectly fine and reasonably enjoyable mix of action and straightforward story. It’s definitely a fun, worthy hour and a half to enjoy.