(Streamed via Shudder)
Treasure hunters accidentally awaken a bat monster from its tomb in the desert. It makes its way to Japan where it drinks the blood of a local magistrate and takes his form. Soon, the monster begins racking up more victims and turns them into his minions. When he sets his sights on draining children of their blood, the monsters that lurk in the dark decide to band together and stop the bat-vampire-thing once and for all.
Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters was a fun flick, but it had a bit too much samurai drama and gratuitous asides that prevented it from firing on all cylinders. This sequel is a straight-up horror show, and it’s all the better for it. The monsters from the first movie make a welcome return (including my favorite, the Umbrella Monster), but the new monsters are really cool too. I think the best addition to the cast is the monster who puffs out his belly and shows flashbacks on it as if it was a projection screen TV! Another fun moment occurs when a pair of comedy relief guards (who are sort of playing an off-brand Japanese version of Abbott and Costello) have a run-in with a monster who resembles a cross between Gonzo the Great and Gabriel from Malignant.
I also liked how the monsters pull a ‘70s Godzilla and become a friend to children in this one. Despite that touch, it’s a much darker film than its predecessor, even if the monsters are pretty much “the good guys” this time around. The finale is quite rousing too as the villain becomes Godzilla size and our monster heroes have to call on the “100 Monsters” to help defeat him. (Unlike the last movie, it actually looks like there’s a hundred of them in this one.)
AKA: The Great Yokai War. AKA: Ghosts on Parade. AKA: Yokai Monsters 2. AKA: Big Monster War. AKA: The Battle of the Spooks. AKA: Big Ghost War.
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