TIFF Report: The Great Yokai War Review

Note that I put family in quotation marks. Because when I say ‘family’ I really think I’m saying a Japanese family. Maybe it’s just that I don’t have any kids of my own, nor do I remember what it’s like to be 11, but I just get the feeling that this film would sit really well with preteen boys in Japan but I have no idea how well it would go down here. Shonen Jump, for example, the best selling boy’s magazine in Japan, is a phonebook sized weekly that includes gigantically violent and boring Dragonball Z variations after variation, a never ending serial for every type of sport you can imagine, and also a great deal of fairly disturbing horror stories featuring creatures not unlike the Yokai.

I guess it really seems clear here because the main character of the Great Yokai War is Tadashi – who has got to be about 11. Bonked on the head at the end of a lion dance during a matsuri (festival) Tadashi is chosen to be the Kirin Rider – a hero intended to claim the legendary sword from the great Tengu (roughly translated as a big goblin with a long nose) in the nearby mountains. Thus begins Tadashi’s adventure, where he meets the Yokai, and battles an evil power on their behalf – an evil swarm of Yokai capturing robots at the behest of Chiaki Kuriyama in a mad sexy white beehive hairdo. She’s got a whip and everything. It did much more for me than her role in Kill Bill, anyway.

The Yokai themselves are a deeply entertaining bunch – quite a few of the actors are Miike regulars to my pleasure, and every single one has an enjoyable quirk or joke – such as the Yokai which is actually a wall, or the snow princess (who looks sad and stands in a constant snowfall in a highly amusing fashion). For anyone with an appreciation of Japanese folklore, the appearance of a mischievous Kappa (a kind of humanoid turtle monster) is great fun, but the fact that the only appearance of a Tanuki is a quick glimpse of one who seems to act quite a lot like a pre-death John Belushi is a disappointment.

Of course, people looking for cute animals are well served by the first Yokai to make an appearance, a little furry creature that looks a bit like an anime ferret. And is mostly a sock puppet. Anyone who maybe contends that this may be some kind of a big budget sell out merely has to look at the poor ragged creature. Sure, he’s part of the most heart wrenching story of the film, but he looks totally, brilliantly, rubbish.

And it’s not like Miike has made a straight forward film either (has he ever?). The story travels along at a good pelt before finally arriving at a conclusion while not, lets say, as out of the blue as the ending of Dead or Alive, having been set up quite clearly, still makes little or no sense. But the music in the film is so great you get quite carried along with it anyway. Infact, the final song sounds like it is sung by Richard (the secret Royal from Happiness of the Katakuris) which I really hope it was because he was awesome.

I’m going to be honest here and say that although this is an entertaining film, it is a deeply mundane Miike film. As crazy as the Yokai are, as crazy as the resolution is, it is absolutely nothing compared to the fantastic nonsense of the aforementioned Happiness of the Katakuris. Heck, if you want some Kappa action, give Dead or Alive 2 a shot. Was this to come from practically any other Japanese director I’d practically be beside myself with joy. But Miike has made, and will make, better films than this, no matter how fun this one is.