[Den-O]

Return of Daimajin

As brilliant and original as the first film was this one is a major retread of the plot. In a different land this time, a jealous lord from beyond the mountains seeks control of 2 neighboring kingdoms. So he takes over these completely peaceful lands and kills scores of innocent people. All because the people of his land have been seeking refuge in the neighboring lands. Different circumstance for the bad guy, but the same basic premise.

As is the notion that destroying the statue of Daimajin will prove there are no such things as demons or god's wrath to invoke. The difference this time is that the statue is literally blown up and the only wrath you see if some furious red lightning. Daimajin also grants princess Sayuri and her aid safety from the explosion and following avalanche of stone and deadly lightning. He even delivers the missing lord of Chigusa, Juro, mostly safely to Sayuri. Daimajin is a bit more forgiving this go around if you ask me. And all of this good will is because Sayuri offered to sacrifice her life to awaken the god, just like the last film.

This movie even goes so far as to replicate Tadafumi's failed infiltration from the first film. Juro and his sidekick are the infiltrators, though they successfully kidnap the evil lord Danjo who has taken there land, they fail to keep him for long. The climax forms similarly as well, with the heroes being strung up to be killed and Daimajin coming to the "rescue". Daimajin's rampage is nearly identical to the first film, even down to Danjos men trying to tie it up like an AT-AT on Hoth. It destroys everything in it's path yet again and when the deed is done he leaves the fair maiden alive and then disappears. Instead of turning into a pile of dust he becomes water.

This film was good but not nearly as good as the first. Hardly a sequel, this film could have been watched first and still be taken as though it were the first in the series. I really wish there was a better definition of time and relation between the films. When/where do they take place and are they at all in relation to each other?