Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D.
When a film from a major studio sits on the shelf for a while, it's usually because the movie has some serious flaws. However, when a film from the studio behind Teenage Catgirls In Heat and Rabid Grannies delays releasing a film for seven years, it's safe to assume that it has some really, really major shortcomings. Sure enough, Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D., which was completed in 1990 and is being released on video this week, is a disappointing film, even by Troma standards. The film stars Rick Gianisi as a bumbling New York police detective who is transformed into the title character, a Puccini-singing, chopstick-flinging superhero. He is then pitted against an evil corporation and an evil, Al Sharpton-esque minister who is running drugs in the ghetto. While bad acting, poor production values, and infantile dialogue are all to be expected in a Troma film, Sgt. Kabukiman lacks the tasteless wit that distinguishes the studio's better releases. There are a few funny gags, but they don't begin to compensate for seemingly endless stretches of third-rate, brain-dead stupidity.