Synopsis: Ten-year old Tadashi has been chosen “Kirin Rider,” the defender of justice and peace. Legend has it that the Kirin Rider must climb a nearby mountain and claim a legendary sword, guarded by the Great Goblin and battle the evil army of the Yomotsumono.

As children from all over the countryside begin to disappear, terrifying monsters start attacking people. Suppressing his fears, Tadashi, with help from friendly spirits, embarks on the greatest adventure of his life to defeat the evil Yomotsumono and rescue the children of Japan in an epic cosmic battle to the finish!

From critically-acclaimed director Takashi Miike, and starring Chiaki Kuriyama (Gogo from Kill Bill!) as Agi the Bird-Catching Sprite.
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Yôkai daisensô 6.0

Yet another Miike film. And, yet again, I felt like I was losing bits here and there. Maybe it was a bad week.

Anyway, ‘The Great Yokai War’ is a fantasy adventure which appears to have been geared towards young teens. However, some of the violence left me wondering if that was truly the case. It’s not that it’s brutal, for the most part, but many bits were visceral enough that I thought it would be more appropriate for older viewers.

Similarly, the film has a very dark side to it. So I wondered who the audience was supposed to be: distressed children with anger-management issues? Hmmm… nothing that a little Ritalin wouldn’t fix.

Another great issue is the cheapness of the sets and special effects. I don’t mind CGI when it’s extremely well-rendered (which is pretty rare!), and usually in moderation. As far as I’m concerned, it should be a useful filmmaker’s tool, not something to rest one’s whole oeuvre on (are you listening to me George Lucas?). Alas, this film’s CGI looks so bad it’s a complete eyesore – and there’s too much of it to ignore.

All in all, it’s an inventive piece, though. And I’m sure some people would enjoy it (in fact, a friend of mine rather did). But it tested my patience on some levels, and I just couldn’t get into the spirit of things.

But it’s not bad. It’s just not very good either.