Spoilers for all Space Sheriff entries in the Metal Heroes franchise preceding this one, particularly Space Sheriff Shaider and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie, will be unmarked ahead. You Have Been Warned!
Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie is a Tokusatsu movie released in 2012 as part of the 30th Anniversary celebrations of the original Space Sheriff Gavan television series. It is considered both a revival and a sequel to that show.
Fifteen years ago, three childhood friends made a promise that one day they would travel into space together. As adults, Geki Jumonji and Toya Okuma realise their dream by travelling on an observation mission to Mars, but tragedy strikes and the two young men are hurtled into the void of space, leaving the last member of their trio (Itsuki Kawai) alone on Earth.
Geki is saved from certain death by the Galactic Union Patrol and makes the decision to join them, training to inherit the designation and powers of the revered Space Sheriff Gavan so he can protect the Earth.
A new incarnation of the Space Crime Organization Makuu* , led by the sinister Black Knight Brighton, is attempting to free Don Horror from the confines of Makuu Space. Discovering that they are targeting the research facility where Itsuki still works, the rookie Geki leaps into action along with his G.U.P. partner Shelly. There he must prove that he is worthy of inheriting the mantle of Space Sheriff Gavan, but to do so he must discover the will to fight even against the most tragic of circumstances.
The film also features minor parts for two other inheritors of the Space Sheriff name: Kai Hyuga (the new Space Sheriff Sharivan) and Shu Karasuma (the new Space Sheriff Shaider). Both got their own direct-to-video specials, Space Sheriff Next Generation. The character of Geki has been adapted as Captain Chaku in Power Rangers Beast Morphers's second season.
Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie provides examples of the following tropes:
- Animorphism: Shelly can transform herself into a bird using her (counter-intuitive) "Laser Vision" power.
- Another Dimension: Makuu Space.
- Badass Crew: All three Space Sheriffs.
- Bat Family Crossover
- Big Bad: Brighton
- Big Damn Heroes: Brighton has kidnapped Itsuki, while Witch Kill, Lizard Double and Zan Wardo and mooks are kicking Geki's ass. Then Retsu Ichijouji busts in and proceeds to beatdown everyone and rescue Geki. Untransformed. With his bare hands.
- Later, towards the climax, Zan Wardo is pressing Gavan, when the two Space Sheriffs seen earlier appear to turn the tide.
- Bittersweet Ending: The rebirth of Don Horror has been stopped, but Touya dies from the wounds inflicted during the final battle. Furthermore, Itsuki is left to wait alone on Earth as Geki must return to the G.U.P. headquarters.
- Bloodier and Gorier: In the first quarter of the film where Zan Vardo killed Itsuki's boss and four security guards.
- The Sharivan V-Cinema is this in spades. Characters are practically exploding their blood.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Touya as Brighton.
- Changing of the Guard: The story is primarily about Geki proving himself as a worthy replacement for the original Gavan.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Two Space Sheriffs are introduced in the Director's office. They turn out to be the new Shaider and Sharivan.
- Cool Mask: The Brighton Mask.
- Cool Old Guy: The original Gavan, Retsu Ichijouji.
- Cool Sword: Brighton Sword.
- Cool Spaceship: The spaceplane
◊ going to Mars is based on the cancelled Japanese space shuttle "HOPE." - Demonic Possession: Itsuki, when she is sacrificed to act as the conduit to Don Horror and Makuu Space.
- Disney Death: Geki and Touya.
- Dramatic Unmask: Touya as Brighton.
- Dynamic Entry: Retsu's first step to rescuing Geki from the Makuu Mafia is to drive through the warehouse doors.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The new Gavan, Gavan Type-G, appeared in episodes 31 and 32 of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, almost a month before the release of the film.
- The new Space Sheriff Sharivan and Space Sheriff Shaider later got DTV Revivals, turning their appearance here into this.
- Eldritch Abomination: Don Horror.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: This trope pretty much sums up all of Makuu Space.
- Failure Hero: Geki. He spends most of the film completely failing to keep the bad guys from any of their objectives, and can't even seem to win any fights without outside assistance from Retsu or the other Space Sheriffs until the climax.
- The Film of the Series
- For Science!: Flashbacks reveal that Touya's obsession with cracking wormhole theory led to him becoming a pretty amoral scientist. He considered it "necessary" to kill one's emotions to be a true scientist.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Retsu's method of getting Geki out of his third act Heroic BSoD. It starts with a simple slap, and then proceeds into a seven-minute-long sequence of the Older and Wiser Space Sheriff completely kicking the crap out of his young replacement until Geki finally gets it into him to actually hit Retsu back, which is what Retsu was hoping for in the first place.
- Glowing Mechanical Eyes
- Humongous Mecha: Starbeast Dolgiran. Also an Animal Mecha and Transforming Mecha.
- Idiot Hero: Geki has a real tendency to rush in first, think never. This gets him in trouble more often than not.
- Killed Off for Real: Four security guards, Itsuki's boss at the beginning of the movie and Touya.
- Laser Blade
- Legacy Character: The current Gavan, Geki Juumonji, who inherits the title from the original Gavan, Retsu Ichijouji. Also Shaider and Sharivan.
- Mask of Power: The Brighton Mask
-
Milestone Celebration - Powered Armor: Pretty much all the Space Sheriffs' combat suits.
- Rummage Sale Reject: Shelly's choice in clothing when she decides to disguise herself in order to investigate the Ooyama lab. She looks like she walked out the pages of a '70s manga...
- Space Police: Pretty much given.
- That Man Is Dead: Touya
- There Was a Door: Retsu decides to drive his Suzuki Jimmy through the warehouse door rather than opening it.
- Zeerust: Pretty much everything related to the Space Sheriffs has barely changed a bit in the last thirty years, and thus looks more than a little retro.
