Director: Takashi Miike
Year: 2021
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Yokai Daisenso Gâdianzu
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Plot:
After a series of accidents, a small child in Japan finds himself approached by a group of Yokai that feel he’s the reincarnation of a guardian who encountered them centuries ago and needs his help. Disclosing the truth behind the accidents as a giant creature rampaging through the countryside on its quest to the sea that will signal the end of Japan, the only way to stop it is to go on a journey into a different part of the world in order to awaken a sacred warrior that will stop the creature. Told that his brother has been recruited on a fruitless mission to do the same thing, he sets out with several friends to test his bravery on a mission to save the world.
Review:
This was a highly enjoyable and impressive genre effort. One of the strongest elements present is the engaging setup that provides the impetus for the creatures to fight off the rampaging creature to save their land as they do here. With the early setup offering a chance to discover the geological explanations for the creation of Japan and the possible existence of the creatures to begin with, including how the kid becomes connected to the group following the lesson plan, the early introduction of getting the idea across about the awakened creature causing the natural disasters across the country, his meeting with the Yokai in their world and the interactions there that prove his sense of loyalty and courage that will be required to save the country. These are quite enjoyable and manage to get the general storyline working on an effective balance between kid-appropriate whimsy and genuine genre thrills.
That is effectively carried over into the wide-ranging fantasy battles in place here which continue to balance those aspects incredibly well. The main creature leaving a trail of destruction across the country resembling a series of natural disasters but is really created by the giant creature in spectacle-style sequences resembling giant monster films from the past. This is all alongside the human-like creatures battling each other across the ages, from the battles of the ancestral family member hunting the creatures to a highly impressive sequence where he has to battle a series of demons trying to ensure the giant monster accomplishes his goal and the big final battle with the yokai and their friends battling the creature in a high-fantasy sequence that’s immensely fun. Featuring a slew of impressive practical effects that help to make the Yokai sympathetic as well as the top-notch CGI that helps immerse in the spectacle even more, there’s quite a lot to like here.
This one doesn’t have much to dislike but there are a few minor problems. The main part of these issues is the needless padding that drags the film out longer than it should, from a strange subplot about the wrong brother being needed for the awakening of the spirit they need to stop the rampaging creature that effectively serves to establish his bravery but does so by the roundabout way of accepting him, rejecting him in favor of the brother and then realizing he was the right one all along which just seems counterintuitive for beings that are able to see into the human world as they can. Likewise, a conversation about the power of a yokai being determined by its acceptance of a name is fine but takes way too long to come to that point which is forgotten when others do the same thing, and when the threat is over a secondary threat emerges which is highly underutilized and pays homage to a characters’ film series more than anything else. This is really all the issues featured here.
Overview: ****/5
A highly enjoyable Action/Fantasy effort that brings a lot of fun elements throughout here, the few minor flaws don't have anything too detrimental about it which is the best part of the film. Those who are intrigued by the style, impressed with previous efforts in the genre, or fans of the creative crew will really like this one while only those who don't enjoy the approach taken here should heed caution.
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