Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021) Takashi Miike sequel
6088DVD
original
Japanese title YôKAI DAISENô GâDIANZU
also known as GREAT YOKAI WAR II
director: Takashi Miike
starring: Kokoro Terada
· Hana Sugisaki
· Rei Inomata
· Nanako Matsushima
· Kazuki Kitamura
This
is a sequel (in-name-only) to Takashi Miike's 2005 alternate-universe
fantasyGREAT YOKAI WAR [Big Monster War]. Like that original venture,
it deals with a collection of mythical beasts populating the Japanese
countryside near Tokyo [obviously inspired by Miike's recollection and
homage to a Daiei trilogy ofHUNDRED
MONSTERS from the '60s]. Director Takashi Miike continues his
slightly cockeyed vision here, with his 'Guardians' sequel to the
Yokai universe by adding some new characters (including strong dependency
on the symbolic Daimon, an obvious Majin-inspired
giant). Once the audience is reacquainted with these many monstrous characters
and Japanese folklore, the Miike style shines through and engulfs everyone
and everything.
But this is not the
notoriously violent Takashi Miike (of ISHI
THE KILLER and GOZU
fame), here is the fanciful one. It's the work of a determined storyteller,
equally adept at humor and adventure, producing a production akin to a
family carnival funride. The story concentrates on children who are destined
to single-handedly challenge an engulfing demonic threat because it exists
outside the consciousness of adult understanding. So a child - Kokoro
Terada in the role of Watanabe Kei - tries to save the magical world from
inhalation without stumbling into the sentimental pitfalls of Never
Ending Story.
A Japanese
film with English subtitles; widescreen format, uncut 117 minutes,
DVD Package
encoded for ALL REGION NTSC FORMAT.
Extras include Japanese theatrical trailer.
