As an ‘80s kid, I was subjected to some of the most nightmarish and emotionally scarring films to have ever been released – films that would never ever be marketed towards children nowadays. Can you imagine The Neverending Story (1984) or Return to Oz (1985) playing to a theater full of kids in 2021? And with a PG rating, no less? It seems impossible, yet these and so many more were standard fare for eager throngs of us way back when. I’m not saying we were tougher or that these movies were better than what’s offered now, but when I was a kid, our movies were not for the squeamish.
While watching Takashi Miike’s The Great Yokai War: Guardians, I found myself suffering a heavy dose of nostalgia for these inappropriate films of yesteryear. Oddly, Miike – who’s made a career out of violent and subversive films – seems the perfect foil for such a surreally bewitching, yet playfully exuberant film. Guardians is a pleasure to behold, and while I don’t see modern American audiences (especially young ones) taking the bait anytime soon, it remains a stunning and often funny reimagining of the old-fashioned kid’s quest movie.
Drawing on hundreds of years of Japanese mythology, Miike takes us on an epic journey through a magical underworld inhabited by rival factions of Yōkai – a race of spirits and apparitions common in Japanese folklore. These beautifully costumed misfit demons have a big problem on their hands: one of their own is on the surface running amok, and if he’s not stopped soon, this rampaging giant will destroy first Tokyo, then the world. For help, the Yōkai recruit two young human brothers (Kokoro Terada and Rei Inomata, both fantastic), who share the bloodline of a famous monster hunter. After becoming separated, the boys search for each other as the clock ticks and renegade Yōkai gangs attempt to impede their process.
Despite its familiar “chosen one” styled skeleton, Guardians manages a surprising amount of heart. Where others may rely on the outlandish and lavish costuming to carry the plot (or lack thereof, in some cases), Miike injects personality and motivation into each of his characters, elevating it from a film that simply looks cool, to one that is to warm, kind-hearted, and thoughtful. In this regard, Guardians offers a better fable than most children’s movies coming down the pike, and when you factor in its pure inventiveness and wild imagination, it approaches top tier on levels beyond purely visual.
However, I’m not sure how well The Great Yokai War: Guardians (or an English-language remake or dub ) would play to a modern audience of kids – or if their parents would even let them see it in the first place. At just under two hours, it’s most certainly too long (especially considering its unfortunate midpoint lag), but it might also be too frightening. Personally, I’ve always loved the monstrous and macabre aspects of well-made children’s movies (and have no problem sharing them with my 7-year-old daughter), but for better or worse, I’m not sure how many of my peers would land on that same page. Parental reservations notwithstanding, The Great Yokai War: Guardians is an impressive entry into an often watered-down demographic that is sure to capture the imagination of any kid (or parent) willing to take the risk.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.