10-05-2020, 10:53 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-05-2020, 10:59 PM by Drunk Monk.)
Spook Warfare is the second film in the trilogy and it's disappointing. Where the first film was more like traditional yokai, this one starts with the unleashing of a Babylonian Daimon that's just an ugly bit of Tokusatsu. It has a tall forehead like Jedi council member Ki-adi-mundi and scaley arms and legs with prominent ribs and a belt with a few skulls hanging from it. And it's green. It doesn't look like much of anything, just a dopey monster (but it does go full kaiju at the end). It has a magic staff with a dragon head that spits fire. And it's vampiric, possessing mortals, including a local lord.
The lord goes home, kills his dog in front of his daughter and top samurai (which is a dead giveaway) and destroys all his altars. In the process, he kicks out a Kappa living in his pond. The Kappa retreats to a yokai shrine and to get his squad, but they don't beleive him until some kids come for help too after their parents are randomly killed by possessed samurai (what is it with bratty kids in tokusatsu?) The yokai eventually rally and wage war on the Daimon.
This film is allegedly the inspiration for Miike's The Great Yokai War, which I could've sworn I reviewed here, but could only find this http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...11#pid1011. I remember enjoying that film but don't remember much about it beyond the lamp demon bailing out of something because he was only a lamp and a wall of eyes. I must revisit that soon.
This film felt like the crew saying 'Well, we've got all these yokai costumes from the first film. Let's make another!' and then not putting that much effort into it.
The umbrella yokai - kasaobake - doesn't talk. It makes licky sounds, but like R2, everyone can understand what it's saying. Still reminds me of Yuki if Yuki was a janky puppet instead of a bitey puppers.
There's a rokurokubi but she's not nearly as creepy. And now I know how to defeat them. Just tie a knot in their neck. Duh.
There's a sword fight but it's seen through the magic crystal ball like pot belly of a fox. Or maybe it's a badger. So it's not a very satisfying sword fight. Not DOOM recommended.
Found on Dailymotion. I'll probably search out the final installment of the trilogy - Along with Ghosts. But if I find something better, I'll go with that.
The lord goes home, kills his dog in front of his daughter and top samurai (which is a dead giveaway) and destroys all his altars. In the process, he kicks out a Kappa living in his pond. The Kappa retreats to a yokai shrine and to get his squad, but they don't beleive him until some kids come for help too after their parents are randomly killed by possessed samurai (what is it with bratty kids in tokusatsu?) The yokai eventually rally and wage war on the Daimon.
This film is allegedly the inspiration for Miike's The Great Yokai War, which I could've sworn I reviewed here, but could only find this http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...11#pid1011. I remember enjoying that film but don't remember much about it beyond the lamp demon bailing out of something because he was only a lamp and a wall of eyes. I must revisit that soon.
This film felt like the crew saying 'Well, we've got all these yokai costumes from the first film. Let's make another!' and then not putting that much effort into it.
The umbrella yokai - kasaobake - doesn't talk. It makes licky sounds, but like R2, everyone can understand what it's saying. Still reminds me of Yuki if Yuki was a janky puppet instead of a bitey puppers.
There's a rokurokubi but she's not nearly as creepy. And now I know how to defeat them. Just tie a knot in their neck. Duh.
There's a sword fight but it's seen through the magic crystal ball like pot belly of a fox. Or maybe it's a badger. So it's not a very satisfying sword fight. Not DOOM recommended.
Found on Dailymotion. I'll probably search out the final installment of the trilogy - Along with Ghosts. But if I find something better, I'll go with that.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse