Starring - Kojiro Hongo (Enbalming, The Haunted Castle), Shiho Fujimura (Tokyo Gambler, Killer Whale), and Taro Marui (Drunken Harbor, Fangs of Vengeance)
Release Date - 1966
Genre - Fantasy/Horror
Tagline - "Colder than ice, unyielding as stone, divine retribution is at hand"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
The Daimajin trilogy is rather unique for several different reasons. The period piece fantasy film is surprisingly enjoyable by itself by the kaiju portion that appears during the last acts never disappoint. This is unlike most kaiju films that try to put the creatures in the spotlight. However, the Daimajin Trilogy has a story to tell and focus more on it than big monster carnage. Another reason these films are so different is because it's a similar story that was filmed by three different filmmakers with some of the same crew. I love all three films but they can be difficult to binge together because the stories are so similar. However, I do enjoy it so after I watched Daimajin I went ahead and hit play on Return of Daimajin.
The film follows an evil general and his army that is capturing villages by force. When they come across another village the villagers fight back but the numbers are against them. However, instead of giving up they pray to their god who answers their prayers.
Return of Daimajin doesn't bring something new or inventive to the trilogy but it still effective. Like I stated earlier, it does get a bit repetitive watching all three films together but I honestly enjoyed it even though it was so similar to the first film. The acting in this one is just a good as the other film. We get some great performances and colorful characters. The cast does an amazing job bringing them to life while fitting the style and story of the film. Some of the performances are a little more enjoyable than others they are mostly consistent. The story for this one is more or less the same as the first film with some smaller changes. It's still a fun period piece fantasy film for most of the running time before transcending into a kaiju romper during the last 15 or 20 minutes. The pacing is a little off but it's not enough to ruin the experience. Finally, the film is not a bloody one. We have some little splashes of red here or there but that's about it. The enjoyable aspect of the film is the ending with the classic camera tricks, miniatures, and overlapping images. I fucking loved it. Overall, Return of Daimajin is a lot of fun especially if you are a kaiju fan. It is a bit repetitive especially if you watch it back to back with the other films but I have fun with it. Check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment