Takashi Miike has had his name in the news lately due to his involvement with two new projects. We shouldn’t be surprised since his work has run the gamut from period drama to horror, while making stops at every other genre. It was announced he would be directing Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, starring WWE Superstar Liv Morgan, and an untitled project set to be produced by and starring pop sensation Charli XCX. I’m unsure what to expect from either project, but count me in. While we wait to see what he delivers, SRS Cinema has acquired the rights to his 2021 feature, The Great Yokai War: Guardians. It’s a sequel to his 2005 feature, The Great Yokai War, which was a wild fantasy film geared towards children, as is the sequel.
A mysterious wave of destruction tears through a Japanese island, aiming straight for Tokyo. At the same time, Yokai from around the world gather in Beijing for the secret Yummit summit, where they uncover a terrifying truth: ancient underwater fossils have fused into a colossal Yokai monster, threatening both the human world and the spirit realm.
Invisible to ordinary eyes, the creature moves unchecked, forcing Japan’s Yokai to awaken the legendary God of War, Bushin. But to do so, they’ll need help from a descendant of an ancient Yokai hunter, a schoolboy named Kei (Kokoro Terada) and his fearless younger brother, Dai (Rei Inomata), who are about to leave their childhood games behind and face a destiny far greater than they ever imagined.
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In all honesty, this sequel, which comes sixteen years after the original, has little connection to the first film while being similar in story and structure. It has no bearing on its entertainment value since it’s quite a wild ride, funny, and a bit more focused. Some of the CGI effects were questionable, but there are plenty of practical costumes that are imaginative and disturbing.
Since it’s geared toward children, it’s easy to see them grow obsessed (disturbed) with the imagery. Despite being so prolific over the last couple of decades, Miike can still craft interesting films. Also, if you’re a fan of the Japanese sub-genre, then you may find a few Easter Eggs to excite you.
The disc SRS has released is colorful and crisp with a handful of bonus features that include a making, trailers, and more. Takashi Miike is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers, and I’ve always feared that his work would have less of an impact as he grows older or becomes tired due to the amount of product he releases. Thankfully, his imagination appears to have no boundaries, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
The Great Yokai War: Guardians is a wild fantasy/adventure that’s fun for the whole family.
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